A new label services deal with !K7 was announced this year that will see the relaunch of the Two Hundred & Forty Volts label and for the first time ever the entire Swayzak back catalogue will be made available digitally on October 28.
To celebrate the re-launch and ultimately draw a line under the old material a 19 track retrospective will released shortly afterwards on Dec 1.
The ‘Lost Tapes’ compilation will include some of their seminal classics, unreleased versions and a brand new single from Swayzak & Richard Davis, all paving way for the new album next year.
The compilation will be released on vinyl over 3 consecutive EPs ahead of the digital release:
London based experimental publisher Split Music has rapidly gained a unique reputation for its expertise in placing music in audiovisual projects, from Hollywood movie trailers like Blade Runner 2049, The Dark Tower & Mother to brand films for globally recognised designers Adidas, Dior & Puma. This reputation was affirmed this year upon winning the prestigious Golden Trailer Award in L.A. (for the use of These Hidden Hands’ music in the brutal RAW Worldwide trailer). Now, from their headquarters at London’s live music epicentre Village Underground, they have launched their latest project: the Research label. This new label will showcase the artists they represent by challenging them to push the boundaries of their production process to new levels.
A new label services deal with !K7 was announced this year that will see the relaunch of the Two Hundred & Forty Volts label and for the first time ever the entire Swayzak back catalogue will be made available digitally on October 28.
To celebrate the re-launch and ultimately draw a line under the old material a 19 track retrospective will released shortly afterwards on Dec 1.
The ‘Lost Tapes’ compilation will include some of their seminal classics, unreleased versions and a brand new single from Swayzak & Richard Davis, all paving way for the new album next year.
The compilation will be released on vinyl over 3 consecutive EPs ahead of the digital release:
a1. Swayzak - Easy
a2. Swayzak - Smile & Receive (Davis & Brown Remix)
Whisper Audio was founded in 2006 after drum and bass producers Outrage and Aperture were graced with the vocal presence of siren enchantress Kirsty Hawkshaw. The collaboration was the genesis of a unique hybrid of cutting edge beats and bass, developed orchestration, and ethereal vocal arrangement...a new sound was born. Building upon shared knowledge and individual perspective of the music industry, the three decided to join forces. Their sole pursuit is the development and recognition of experimental music with emphasis on vocal integration. Whisper Audio is their medium. Side A graces us with a brilliant twist, providing a haunting rendition of Killing Joke's post-punk classic "Love Like Blood". Spooked-out drums and keys lead to dirty stepper beats, which bounce off deep subs to accentuate an already dark presence presented by the vocals. The song culminates in a fury of ghastly stabs, dirty beats, and raw bass to give the listener a feeling none other than spine-tingling. On the flip, "Sunbathing" boasts a musical flair, and provides a bit of inspiration to the single. Running breaks compliment wistful lyrics, shining through a hopeful (albeit melancholic) accompaniment. This tune truly exemplifies the potential of vocal music within the realm of drum and bass, and holds the potential to become a beacon for the emotional side of our genre. DJ Support: Randall, Storm, Digital, Paradox, Bailey, Flight, Skitty, Gremlinz, Mutt, AMIT
Reissue's on Outrage/Nomine's Backlash Records. "Creeper" marches us down a dark corridor towards a brooding midrange. A blend of the militant and mysterious, the combination of the steppy beats and cavernous ambience slowly settles the mind into a neurotic trance. Hypnotic tablas accent this effect and provide some drive to the brooding atmosphere, completing a tune directed at those wishing to explore the depths of their psyche. AA - On the flip, "The End Is Our Beginning" provides us with a fresh approach to electronic music. A baroque-influenced technological beauty, it bridges the gap between loop-based and through-composed music, with the serene melodics playing off the scattered beats and steady bass. The amalgamation of such different sounds into one is nothing short of genius. DJ Support: Goldie, Klute, AMIT, Randall, Spirit, A-Sides, Friction, Digital.
Another multi-genre bass music release form the Nomine Sound camp. Courtesy of Nurve from the legendary Macabre Unit, this forthcoming vinyl and digital release has something for everyone, covering 130 BPM, 140 BPM and 170 BPM and some halftime tempos with lots of BASS
Having first surfaced on Osiris sister label ‘Ruffcut’ just over 2 years ago, Tremble has quickly built a small, but core following. 2017 sees Tremble launch his own platform ‘Safari Music’. The first release is a 3 track slab of dubbed out plastic, with each tune offering the usual Dred beats, Heavy subs, and blissed out atmospherics that Tremble has become known for. Safari Art has a lot of exciting music lined up for the remainder of 2017, and we thank you in advance for your support.
Berlin producer Troy Gunner marks a new step in an ascendant career with the introduction of his very own imprint. Simply titled ‘GUNNER’, this project will be predominantly vinyl-focused and will act as a platform for his own productions as well selected peers. It kicks off with 3 of his own tracks - all of which carrying a chilly quality whilst bearing Troy's distinctive blend of stiff drums, heady atmospheres and muscular low end.
SUPPORT FROM: Resident Advisor, DJ Mag, Mixmag, Zenker Brothers, Moxie, Hodge, Mickey Pearce, xxxy, MJ Cole, John Osborn, Brendon Moeller, Carl Craig, Ivan Smagghe, Woz, Christian Martin, Claude Vonstroke, Gorgon City, Groove Armada, Tensnake, James Zabiela, Richy Ahmed, My Nu Leng, Altered Natives, Danny Tenaglia, Horse Meat Disco, Huxley, Phaeleh, Gene Farris, Eddie Temple-Morris, Shadow Child + many more.
Brand new Silkie on his very own Anti Social label, Support from N-Type (Rinse FM), L-Wiz (Alloutdubstep), DJ Hatcha, Cimms (Tempa), DJ Scratcha & DJ Quest.
Single Sided Hand-stamped 10" White label. Calling all dubstep, jungle, drum & bass and 140 BPM bass music tribes: Nomine Sound 004 and 005 features the mighty drum & bass / jungle legend that is Digital, Ram Records wonder boy Rene La Vice, Nurve from the legendary Macabre Unit and label head honcho Nomine (aka Outrage). The Nomine label continues with the no rules policy by supporting music in a variety of genres and styles including jungle, drum & bass, dubstep and more. This is a no rules bass orgy that has something for everyone! Credits: Written and produced by Andrew Ferguson and Raff Di Renzo. Mastering: Beau @ Ten Eight Seven Mastering.
martianMan returns with 4 jungle influenced tracks.
A1 “You And Me” is sci-fi influenced drum funk tune. At the beginning only beauty passes through, revealing a place you desire to be. A relaxing environment to come home from work to. Then, an abandoned warehouse in an city like in Blade Runner pumps out a rave. A jungle rave in deep space. Get ready. It’s just You And Me.
A2 “Like A Rebel” has Elvin Jones talking about his drumming. To get you started, jazz piano softly brings you into a smoke filled drum funk jazz club in space. An underlying sense of weightlessness has you catatonic in as the Funky Mule break sets it off and you’re once again nodding your head to the groove. Nice pad breakdown before the outro.
B1 “You Are Here” employs a sturdy intro with a “There are forces in this world” vocal that has you on edge. After the intro settles, before the Amen science drops, you are in a smoke filled, computer generated room waiting for your train to arrive to take you to the party. This is a journey tune so enjoy it!
B2 “Get Dropped” used Black Pearls “Cold Sweat” break. The DJ friendly intro gets you started. A little knowledge about big record labels makes you think some. Then comes the signature martianMan smokey space vibes before the drop. Tune rolls nicely but wait for the rave stabs and niceness pads during the last stretch.
Swayzak returns with Gestures of a Sycophant. After a back catalogue of severely epic proportions (The seminal album Snowboarding in Argentina for example), A legendary Fabric residency & Mix CD, and a relationship with Tresor that spawned epic gigs and an LP; not to have released a record since 2012 is nothing short of criminal. 2017 then sees Beatnik Boulevard deliver two long overdue tracks of those big room stylings that has become synonymous with the name Swayzak . Even as you succumb to the bass pressure, the oceans of detail and programming flourishes that only come with decades spent in those worldwide techno bunkers bring to mind the pedigree of this release. It was once declared that Swayzak is a Techno Dinosaur - looking back that seems a justified moniker to go with the guttural, brobdingnagian sounds of these compositions. Slow moving though the spawning may have been, the monster has once again awakened.
Arnaldo launched Naturist Recordings this year and is on to the second release, ’Folk In The Path’ is more dance floor oriented than his previous work but still delivers his own brand of airy organic house. The label aims to release stripped back and soulful music, focusing on the journey rather than the destination. Originally from Argentina, Arnaldo now lives in Berlin, he has released on Smallville, Aim, Greta Cottage, UntilMyHeartStops & Blank Slate. He has also appeared on Scissor and Thread under the low-key Rosa Nievas alias and has a monthly NTS show. Artwork by Jen Von Klitzing. Support from Gilles Peterson via Worldwide FM.
Never Ready Records welcomes Dublin's Major Grave to the label delivering Grime, Garage and Dubstep munitions from the Major's sonic arsenal, decimating all that lays in his path.
"Take Charge" drops like a depth charge of shimmering bass cannons and 2-step snaps. Waxing lyrical with "If You Want" sees Grave notch the mood down and get melodic, while still keeping proceedings bouncy. The B-Side is reminiscent of early FWD days with the woofah bass galore of "S.W.A.T" and the dark transient melodies of "Dem Nevah Ready".
From Dublin's first Boiler Room event to 12”s released on Big Dada , Local Action , Sulk and with years behind the MPCs as part of Ireland's premier underground bass crew ‘Standard’, Major Grave cements his position as a force to be reckoned with in the instrumental grime and bass scene.
Never Ready Records' second release in a four part salvo of underground ordnance continues with cover artwork from Nerog, 180g coloured vinyl and limited pressing of 300 units.
As Shadows Pass as the name suggests, reflects on a sound that has been around for years yet not prevalent in the present era. Shadows move and alter over time but their essence remains the same; as it is with the direction of ASP and the philosophy of the music it represents.
As Shadows Pass was implemented by Aural Imbalance & his team with one purpose. Release forward thinking, deeper D&B with an ear on the future - while keeping another on the heady sounds of days gone by.
The emphasis of ASP is to give our core Producers from the deeper sound of D&B a platform on which they can express themselves, without the fear of having to compromise on the depth & intellect of their Art.
As Shadows Pass believe this hand-picked selection of Artists have what it takes to bring the vision of the label to fruition. With that said we can now proudly present the NineTeaseEP by Aural Imbalance.
Nine Tease nods back to the days of 90’s Atmospheric D&B. Heavy rolling beats that have you shaking with delight at their infectious quality. The main riff has an uplifting summer vibe with a kiss of sunshine. Full on flashback retro feels with a modern twist - spacey pads & detailed fx that ebb and flow throughout, managing to capture those golden age moments yet still feeling fresh and relevant.
Spiral Divide - Pure spaced out bliss, yet with bags of energy in all the right places. The flow comes straight from your favourite sci-fi world where gadgets and machines are king. Warm lush pads fill the palate, supported by a cast of delicate synths & FX that drift into the psyche with hypnotic effect. The beats are crisp modern rolling little beasts, shuffling a merry dance along those pathways of the mind, all bottomed off with that soul shifting analogue bass.
Alpha Protocol Continuing into the depths, this moody, broody little number has a colder yet more immediate presence. The soundscape has an almost clinical feeling that grabs you by the balls then drags you in an otherworldly direction. Rolling, filtered snares & shuffles are connected to crisp hats - solid kicks have a controlled frenzy about them. An oscillating bass evolves through the track, rising and falling through filtrated cycles creating whirlwind acoustics.
For all those who are already fans of the AI sound then this is a complete no brainer exercise - Splash the Cash to get his work on wax. For those new to his sound, this is a perfect introduction. Don’t Sleep.
One of the founding fathers of Chicago house, himself a grandson to a DJ and frequently alongside other greats such as Ron Hardy on the decks, Gene Hunt summons a 3-tracker for the Midnight Shift label. True house and techno direct from the source and in his own words, a rather 'jungly' take of it due to the tracks' chaotic percussion.
'Feeling It' takes you back to the original old school, with all the classic elements in place, it's a house lover's wet dream, 30 years after the fact. 'Spector' twists things up while keeping that pumping jacking groove a perfect intersection between then and now. 'Scatter' punches through the noise like a clarion call to arms - where are all our jacks and jackies at? Report to the dancefloor, please.
Second release from the label offers up broken rhythms, jacking grooves and deep spirituals. Hold Me explores lyricism within tight repetitious rhythm, on which saxophonist Tyrone Isaac-Stuart explores hook lines and story telling whilst bassist Jordan Christo maintains control over the low-end spectrum.
That He Man Of Hers melds jacking, upbeat tempo with romanticism and melancholy on top, with Louis Ktisti providing guitar accompaniment. One's Own Permanent Faith, on the other hand, provides for a moodier and more subdued spiritual dance rhythm, which warms one up before the spiritual explorations in Would You Tell Me About You. In this final track, the guitar rhythms provided by Jabriel AlSuhaimi and spiritual exorcism of the saxophone by Tyrone Isaac-Stuart present a different angle in the approach towards discovering the endless groove.
Credits:
Written Simas Savickas Produced by Arnheim Alto Saxophone by Tyrone Isaac-Stuart (A1, B2) Guitar by Jabriel AlSuhaimi (B2) Electric Guitar by Louis Ktisti (A2) Electric Bass by Jordan Chriso (A1) Recording Sessions Engineered by Ato Ayerra Published by Barbara’s Soul Body Music Manufactured by Well Tempered Distributed by Unearthed Sounds
Looking back to the Beatnik Era on the South Coast of England.
Before package holidays and the rush to Benidorm, Beatniks ruled the seafronts and B&B’s of the Southern Beach Resorts. Beat Poets and Musicians pedalled alternative viewpoints & delivered fresh melodies to these waterfronts of escapism.
Marking another step forward in his sonic evolution, Appleblim inaugurates Beatnik Boulevard with a record that channels his roots in brooding bassweight club music into startling modern compositions. From his groundbreaking work on Skull Disco to various mutations of house, techno and electro explored via solo and collaborative releases for R&S, Aus Music and Tempa , this 12” finds the Berlin-based producer wielding fresh approaches to synthesis in a daring framework that finds physicality in music away from obvious rhythmic tropes.
A-side track “Conch Shell Motives” rides on undulating waves of atmospherics as icy textures and warm pads merge atop fragmented kick drum thuds and heavy-dread sub stabs. It’s an eerie situation, but not devoid of warmth in its threads of melodic delay ripples.
“Holistic Rider” is a meditative workout that sports the hallmarks of early UK electronica in its laconic broken beats. Amorphous synth shapes bend and contort around this understated percussion, the evocative metallic overtones of the sound design injecting a sense of alien intrigue into the mellow surroundings.
By way of contrast, “Glass Eye” feels far more immediate with its delicate chiming refrain and swooning chords, but still the sense of futuristic intrigue propels the track into exciting new pastures both for Appleblim and this promising new label.
DJ Support
Pearson Sound, Peverlist, Hodge, Wen, Slackk, Benjamin Damage, dOP, Zinc, DJ Octopus, Koast, Hannah Holland, Chris Coco, Otik, James Fox, Lee Jones, Danny Tenaglia, Komon, Photonz, Etch, Doc Scott, Bwana, Rob Da Bank, Heartthrob, Borai, October, Ivan Smagghe, Fink, Charles Webster, Piezo + more
"Picture the scene: A dark basement with flickering strip lights, sweat dripping from the ceiling & down the walls, bodies crammed moving to the thud of House & Disco colliding, vogue - poppers - vogue - poppers, a time when everything was raw, experimental and energetic, this is the underground...
Basement Bounce goes in hard with repetitive vocal stabs & nostalgic synths before a heavy hitting bassline thumps its way home, while 'Fierce' is the muscle rub you need for your workout, get on the floor as this is your time to shine, your moment, don't be shady... just Fierce.
'Over & Over & Over' cut, pastes and reshapes Sylvester into a jacking house cut which thrives at peak time, no standing, no photos. Leaving 'Nitemare' to build up the tension, gather pace and floor those in its path, a basement tested four tracker of straight to the point House.
NightMoves delivers some of the sounds you'll hear at Rhythm Box, the first EP in a line of collaborative records between Ruby Hills & Diamond Mountain and Rhythm Box Birmingham, pressed on 180gr vinyl.
Described as “the start of something special” by Simon Shreeve / Mønic and “full of depth and texture” by Kamikaze Space Programme, Other Form’s debut EP ‘Unmarked Paths’ lands on the artist’s Unknown Movements label on 12th May. The EP’s five tracks all began life as jams on analogue hardware, and there’s a fat, noisy, intentionally-imperfect feel to each. Amidst the ’floor-conscious urgency of the two sides’ opening pieces, the other three explore slower, darker territory — and all are glued together by a foreboding atmosphere rich in sepulchral reverb and analogue hiss. Killawatt calls it “wonderfully fluid techno.”
Raincloud Records has announced its debut release, a two-track 12” from Mancunian duo Alan Johnson. Lead track, ‘Operator’, is a punchy, spacious stomper laced with golden-era grime horns and strings. Delayed, disembodied clicks, claps and pulses echo throughout along with a call-to-arms vocal pulled straight from the soundclash. On the flip, ‘The Poet’ builds an enormous groove out of broken percussion, spoken word and an intermittent woodwind sample in a manner that recalls early DMZ white labels. This will be Alan Johnson’s first standalone release since 2013’s standout ‘Goron Sound’ on Blank Mind. The duo channel golden-era UK soundsystem music of the mid-to-late noughties into a tight techno template, blending serious bass pressure with a dynamic rhythmic approach that pulls in influences from across the spectrum. As much touched by the bounce of UK funky as the driving tempo of techno or the abstract synths of instrumental grime, Alan Johnson’s music is emblematic of a generation that has lived through one of the most fruitful and creative periods of UK electronic dance music to date. Founded by producer/DJs Caski and Near – who have previously released as individuals on labels including Tectonic, Keysound, Ghost, EMF, Trapped Audio & Pretty Weird – Raincloud Records builds on Bristol’s famed heritage as one of the UK’s most exciting musical hubs. Sitting somewhere between early Hemlock and Hotflush, and the more industrial leanings of Livity Sound, Swamp 81 and Houndstooth, Raincloud aims to provide a home for artists reveling in a no-boundaries approach to making music for the dancefloor.
DJ Support includes: Lamont (Swamp81), Ancestral Voices (Samurai), Akkord (Houndstooth), Mumdance (XL / Tectonic), Synkro (R&S / Apollo).
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