Category Archives: Deep D&B

2024, All Label Mix, Ambient, Chill Out, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session

Ear & Drum: Session 269 – Call the Ambience 19: The Chikara Ward

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I stumbled across The Chikara Project at the end of ’22, and fell down the rabbit hole in ’23. Pretty much every release of Mystic State’s has something to draw me in. As a production duo they are obviously talented, but as a label they incredible. Adding artists like HAIDA, Marenn Sukie, Deviant, Levrige and Brainwork to really up the ante.

There is something infectious in the The Chikara Project’s ability to be chill and ambient, but add enough grit to get you nodding your head and moving. The bass is warm but huge, the beats are tight and the vibe is there. There isn’t enough of this sound in D&B, but at least Mystic State are holding it down. Respect.

Call the Ambience 19: The Chikara Ward – 1hr of Chilled out D&B

Mystic State – One For You
Mystic State – Dreamscapes
Mystic State – Light Of Day feat. Marenn Sukle
Mystic State – Solva feat. Alicia Kiah
Mystic State & Marenn Sukie – This Time
Mystic State feat. Congi – Too Late (Captivate Remix)
HAIDA – Don’t Need A Title (Mystic State Remix)
Marenn Sukie – That Time
Mystic State & Marenn Sukie – Find Your Way
Mystic State – Retaliate
Deviant – Always
Marenn Sukie – Never Hurt U (Mystic State Remix)
Brainwork – Felt Your Touch
Mystic State – We Can Help Each Other
Mystic State – Right Here
Marenn Sukle – Never Hurt U
Brainwork & mriml – Grey
Mystic State – Expectations
Levrige & Mystic State – Undercurrent

2023, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Minimal

Ear & Drum: Session 266 – Rolling in the Deep

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It’s been a hot minute since I’ve dipped my toe into the deeper end of the D&B pool, but since I have I decided to dive right in. Ink’s Architecture Recordings has always been a source of deeper inspiration and his latest The Tree and the Wind LP with Sin is no exception. Loxy & Resound have also stepped up with their killer Dub Pack Vol.1 full of stripped back deep cuts of dark D&B. Last but not least, Mystic State has been releasing some absolute gold on his Bristol based label, The Chikara Project for years now. His LP Between these Moments has been one of the strongest release this year for me, and you can expect to be hearing a lot more Chikara Project stuff in future mixes.

Rolling in the Deep – 1hr of Deep D&B Rollers

Mystic State – Solva feat. Alicia Kiah
Seba & Paradox – I’II Wait
Loxy & Resound – Paradigms VIP
Ink & Sin – Black Lotus
Ed:it – Wikd Bad
A-Audio & Unoaked – Dip Out
Cnof & Macca – Like That
Minor Forms & Kublai – Lift Music
Calibre – Treason
Loxy & Resound – Fusion
Loomis & Blood Trust – Body Double
Aleyum – Glowing Memories (Silence Groove Remix)
Ink – Tell Me (feat. Collette Warren) (J. Robinson Remix)
Soul Connection – Longing
Mystic State – Retaliate
Amoss – Hydra
Soul Connection – Subvision
Hyroglifics – Albany Road
MSDos – Asteroids
Forgiven Soul & Offish – Inverse Element
Ink & Sin – Hydro

2023, Ambient, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session

Ear & Drum: Session 260 – Call the Ambience 18: Infusion

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It’s been a hot minute since I’ve pulled out an Ambient D&B mix, but this one is special. Ibunshi has been releasing some quality D&B over the last few of years, but his recent Deepest Secret album on Omni Music is a step away from his regular technical sound into what he describes as ‘synthwave inspired atmospheric beats’. Yes fucking please!

Anyone I’ve put this LP onto has either bought it straight away, or streamed the hell out of it as it is quite simply a lush, cohesive work on an atmospheric theme that massages the ears in all the right ways. Big ups Ink, Soul Connection, Ivy Lab and K3Bee for playing support, who’s tunes are in no way any lesser than Ibunshi’s master work on display here. Tune in, turn on and drift out.

Call the Ambience 18: Infusion – 1hr of Atmospheric D&B Beats

Ibunshi – I Remember (We Played)
Ibunshi – As the Ocean
Ibunshi – Walking in the Storm
Ink – Lost in Time
Muffler – Water Piano Ambient
Ibunshi – Burst in Fire
Ibunshi – Her Eyes Carries Storms
Ibunshi – Waiting for You
Soul Connection – Longing
Ivy Lab – Late Night Fit
Ibunshi – A New Day
Leodia – Badkat Sonics
Soul Connection – Worlds
Ibunshi – Deepest Secret
K3Bee – Drained
Ibunshi – Like Crystal Tears
Ibunshi – Green Mirrors

2023, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Half Beat, Minimal

Ear & Drum: Session 255 – Swept Under

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Heading into deeper territories with this mix of half time and more minimal rollers. Scar features heavily with tracks from their moody Metalheadz LP release The Road Less Travelled as does J:Kenzo with Typhoon / RawZ on Alternate Recordings, both well worth investing in.

Shouts to my DOA brethren, Satl for his track UFO off the Gloom LP on the ever present and tasty The North Quarter. So too Electrosoul System for the unique Black Album, very nice to hear him stepping away from liquid and flexing deeper and darker take on his sound.

This one is best listened to travelling on a rainy day through some headphones watching the world slide by. Enjoy.

Swept Under – 1hr of Deep D&B

Scar – The Lane
Resound – Rhytual: Pagan (Inner Terrain Remix)
Telomic – Lesson Learned
Electrosoul System – Suicide Suicide
Satl – UFO
Skoel – Leftsound
Marcus Intalex feat. S.P.Y & Ras Tweed – Make a Raise (2022 Remix)
Atlantic Connection – Rockdub (Instramental)
Leaf – Keep on Trucking
Scar – The Road Less Travelled
Scar – Lifted
Moakz – A New Future (Mineral Remix)
Flipper – NErgal
Enei – Falling
J:Kenzo – Typhoon
Electrosoul System – Chuck Norris On LSD
J:Kenzo – RawZ

2023, Ambient, Atmospheric, Deep D&B, Half Beat, Intelligent, Jungle, Liquid D&B, Melodic, Soulful

Cosmic mix 1

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For my debut mix here on the site I’ve put together a mixture of cosmic jungle, heavenly half-time & atmospheric liquid.

There’s new tunes alongside some older favourites in here, with labels including Modern Conveniences, Omni Music, Offworld, Fokuz, Metalheadz and Goldfat represented, amongst others. Most of the action takes place in the 166-172 territory.

Really hope you enjoy the mix – many thanks to Wozowski for inviting me over!

Cheers, fortunecookie20

Link: https://wozowski.com/cookie/Cosmic1.wav

Tracklist:

  1. Jamie Myerson – Shape Without Form
  2. Fortune & Chance – Vortextures
  3. Akuratyde – All We Need
  4. Easy – Push
  5. Fortune & Chance – The Connection
  6. Sunchase – Night Driving
  7. ASC & Synkro – Borderline
  8. Drumantle – Apex
  9. Seijn – Tread On My Dreams
  10. dBridge – Cornered
  11. Silence Groove – The Muses
  12. Jem One – Sunday Rain
  13. governmentfun – Magic Happens
  14. Woken Balance – Voyages
  15. Commix – City Section
  16. LSB – Snap Funk
  17. Mister Shifter – The Reach
  18. Calibre – Moonlight
  19. Trident – Above the Clouds
  20. Woken Balance – Mind’s Eye
  21. Jamie Myerson – Gesture Without Motion
2022, Amen, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B, Liquid D&B, Melodic, Rave, Roller, Soulful

Ear & Drum: Sessions 245, 246 & 247 – New Year’s Special Selection

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For a genre that is declared dead every couple of years, D&B is healthier than ever with a whole new generation discovering the 90s and the OGs still pushing limits of what music can do. To celebrate this, and the fact that 2023 is just around the corner, I’ve put together three mixes that sum up everything that I thought was great in D&B in 2022.

Mix one is dedicated to the Soulful side of things. DRS, LSB, Dogger & Mindstate, GLXY, Heron Flow, Calibre and many more made music this year that reached beyond the generic Liquid category and brought a soul and pathos to their music that is absolutely mesmerizing.

Soul Side ’22 – 1hr+ of Soulful D&B from 2022

DRS & Monroe – Kiss & Tell
LSB – Endless
Dogger & Mindstate feat. DRS – TMWFTE
Random Movement – How Many Ways
DuoScience – Edge
Issue Cross & Wilkinson – Used to This
Impartial – Flowstate
HEFT – Timeline
HEFT – Promise
LSB – Bell Tune
Muffler – Water Piano Ambient
GLXY – Dreamers
The Sauce – BST Vibes
A-Sides & MC Fats – Never Yesterday
Seba – Public Beauty
Intake – Closing
Dawn Wall – Judgement
Dawn Wall – Fears
DRS & Dogger feat. Mindstate – Wake You Up
Wilkinson & iiola – Close Your Eyes
Heron Flow – Serpentine
Dynamite MC feat. Bop x Subwave – Into
LSB – Renaissance Song
GLXY – New Day
DRS & Document One – Can’t Explain
Particle – Drivin’ Me Crazy
Alix Perez & Verbz – Stay the Same
Redeyes & Fox – Wait Ting
Bungle – Forms
Workforce – Forever
Lensman & Echo Brown – Nokia Days
Fox feat. Swing Ting – Day One (Lenzman Remix)
Alix Perez – Wairua
DRS & LSB – Sweet Love
High Contrast – Return of Forever (Came & Krooked & Mefjus Remix)
Dogger & Mindstate feat. Liam Bailey – Broken Home (Calibre Remix)

Mix two is all about the deep, the dark and the heavy. Blocks & Escher, T>I, Buunshin, Dub Phizix, Conrad Subs, NC-17, Acid_Lab and many more tore the absolute roof off this year with BIG tunes and even bigger basslines. Labels like Metalheadz and Critical Music continued to blazer a trail, but even better was all the smaller imprints that popped up and smacked it this year.

Dark Side ’22 – 1hr+ of Deep, Dark & Heavy D&B from 2022

Soul Intent – Infrared Shadow
Seba & Digital – Love Story
Seba & Oilskin – The Future
Latyn – Dust & Ages (Silence Groove Remix)
Mako – The Both of Us
Buunshin & Idle Days – I’m Okay
Voyager – Aurora (Remix)
Fishy & Freeboard – Cause I Miss You
NC-17 & Dunk – New Jack Hustler
Dub Phizix – Demon Seed
Calibre – Verstat
Slay feat. Chimpo & SL8R – Dis One
Heron Flow – Raging Sea
Foreign Concept – China Plate
Technimatic & Komatic – Make Me Feel
Heron Flow – Serpentine
Echo 1 – Shifting Sounds
Acid_Lab – Imagine the Future (Art Cubic Remix)
Beeson & Dynamite MC – ‘Til 4am
Advisory – End Credits
Grey Code – Illiad
Dub Phizix – Item
aBLe – Still There
Script – Set up the Set (DLR’s Clash VIP)
Conrad Subs – Temple
T>I – Outboard
Dub Phizix – Come On
NC-17 – State of Grace
Audioholic – Bottlerockets
Blocks & Escher – This One
FX909 – Now (Half Step Mix)
Emz & Sam Bingo – Don’t Stress
NC-17 – Ghost Song

Last, but no where near least is the 160bpm genre that took over in 2022. Slowing things down and bringing back that original rave sound was THE best musical surprise for me in ’22. Artists like J Majik, Chimpo and ASC have always been there, but it was Fracture who really brought the 160bpm sound alive with his incredible 0860 Mix Tape release. Capturing the 90s pirate radio vibe, this release proved you can look back and still keep a modern production ethic. And I only hope that this is the beginning of more music like this!

Vibez Side ’22 – 1hr+ of 160bpm Vibes from 2022

Grey Code – Primrose
Coco Bryce – Dial M for Mayor
Fracture – Telepathy
The Vanguard Project & Jemima Read – Stitches (Coco Bryce Remix)
J Majik – Hold You (Lemon D Remix)
Fracture feat. Eastman – 0860
Kid Chameleon – Open Soul
Chimpo – Rig Doctor
Cryogenics – Haunted
IMANU & The Caracal Project feat. Josh Pan – La Fournaise
Adred – Before Your Eyes
Fracture – From the Very Top
Conman, Evasion & Mod:co – Lifestyle
Kid Chameleon – Syrup
Moakz – Distant Waves
Antony G – Lockdown
ASC – Black Rain
Mineral – Old School 2022
Fracture – First Aid Kit
D’Cruze – Sublime State

No matter if you are staying home, hitting the parties or somewhere in between there should be a sound here for everyone. Thanks for all the support in 2022 and big ups to Blick and Will for joining the Ear & Drum and bringing even more great music to the people. Happy New Year everyone and may 2023 be bigger and better for y’all.

2022, Ambient, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Uncategorized

Ear & Drum: Session 244 – Call the Ambience 17: Silent Night

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A return to the infrequent Call the Ambience series, this mix features laid back beats from some the genres best. Some of the usual suspects are here such as Bop, Shenji and Synkro, with bits from his amazing Collected compilation. And then there are some surprises such as Noisia in their Muffler form with the beautiful Water Piano Ambient, and incredibly Scar on Metalheadz with a few piece from his deep The Road Loss Traveled EP.

Call the Ambience 17: Silent Night

Kublai – Back Home
Rowpieces – 1st Love (Downtempo Remix)
Khramer – Far Away
Ink – Lost In Time
Muffler – Water Piano Ambient
Generic Meds – About Time (Remastered Remix)
Scar – Computerised Humanity
Shenji – Dreaming Mode
Synkro – Weakness (Akuratyde Remix)
Bop – Insight
Mineral feat. Resound – Spiritual 7
Syknro – Luminous
Synkro – Gagaku (Frederick Robinson Remix)
Fanu – Silent Resistance
Shenji – Old Memories
Easy – The Beginning
Flowanastasia & Stranjah – Face Yourself (Halftime Mix)
FX909 – Now (Half Step Mix)
Scar – Error

2022, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Roller

Ear & Drum: Session 243 – Bowled

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Deep and rolling is the order of the day. This selection of minimalist and tech rollers hits just the right amount of heaviness and mood for me. A huge shout to Herron Flow for the Do 2 U EP on 31 Recordings. It’s one of the strongest EPs of the year for me, with every single track hitting home. Big up to Radders killer MC tune No Go and Slay feat. Chimpo & SL8R for the hype Dis One.

Bowled – 1hr of Deep Rolling D&B

Buunshin & Idea Days – I’m Okay
C:Critz – Panic
Radders – No Go
Dub Phizix – Blossom
I Am Legion – Choosing for You (Forbidden Society Remix)
Foreign Concept – China Plate
Siloh & Dan Structure – Swivel
Intake – Closing
Heron Flow – Swear Down
Heron Flow – Raging Sea
S.P.Y – Night Fury
Slay feat. Chimpo & SL8R – Dis One
Heron Flow – Serpentine
Conrad Subs – Heritage
Flipper – Nergal
Midik – The White Room
Moakz – A New Future (Mineral Remix)
Echomatics – Lost Focus
Date 3 – String Theory
Heron Flow – In Drag

2022, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Half Beat

Ear & Drum: Session 233 – Far Away

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Rolling deep this time with a mixture of Half Step and Minimal monsters from the likes of Bop, Seba and FX909. The real star of the show here is Shinbu who’s self published stripped back tracks demonstrate that the deeper darker side of D&B is still going strong in 2022. Check his work out on his Bandcamp page.

Far Away – 1hr of Deep D&B

FX909 – Now (Half Step Mix)
Data 3 – String Theory
Shinbu – Ski
Om UNit – Aqua
Roho – Devise Law
A.T.5 – Witch Metal
Kintsuku – Absent
Echomatics – Pushing Back
Seba – Public Beauty
Bop – Space 2 Breath VIP
Quartz – Crescent Moon
Spinline – Return
Shinbu & Shoujin – Midnight Visit
Shinbu – Eka
Shinbu – Nightmarchers
Redders – No Go
Theoretical – Revival
Digital – Deadline (Dub Phizix Remix)
Khramer – Far Away

2021, Ambient, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session

Ear& Drum: Session 220 – Call the Ambience 16: Vertigo

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It’s been a long while between drinks for the Call the Ambience series, but we’re back better and more chilled than ever. Even thought the releases of this kind of music seem to be slowing down a little, the quality is still high when it does drop.

Etherwood, dBridge and Atlantic Connection all contribute some wonderfully blissful music, as do 90s originators Alaska, Voyager and Bill Laswell. I’ve been trying to squeeze Laswell’s – El Hombre Invisible (for William S. Burroughs) into a set for years, and finally managed to pull it off here. This 15 minute journey is something else, and shows how formulaic modern day D&B has become.

Call the Ambience 16: Vertigo – 1hr+ of Ambient D&B

Seathasky – For Love & Science
Rowpieces – 1st Love (Downtempo Mix)
Zero T & Beta 2 – Misdemeanour
Mystic State feat. Congi – Too Late (Captivate Remix)
Shebuzz – We Bring You the Future
Alaska – Azarca (Synkro Remix)
Muffler – November (Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Mix)
Ky! – I See U (Made in Russia Remix)
Voyager – Meraki
Bill Laswell – El Hombre Invisible (for William S. Burroughs)
The Vanguard Project & Fred V feat. Riya – No Words (Chill Mix)
Shebuzz – 34th Street
Atlantic Connection – Threshold
dBridge – I Know
Etherwood – Water in Your Veins
Sultan & Shepard feat. The Cut – White Lies
Etherwood – I Will Wave to You