Category Archives: Hard D&B

2024, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B, Roller

Ear & Drum: Session 281 – Y2K

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It feels like a 2000s sound revival is just around the corner, so to get ahead of the curve I thought I’d sling together a bunch of OG tracks from back in the day. Depending on who you ask the 2000s aren’t regarded as a peak D&B era, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some diamonds in the ruff from that time.

Fellowship’s Dark Flower Remedy was always an underrated Tru Playaz tune, as was Sonic + Silver’s Longboat, which is still my favourite Renegade Hardware track. Sinthetix’ remix of Black Sun Empire’s Smoke is neuro at it’s absolute finest and Elementz Of Noize hit it out of the park with their 12″ featuring not only Guided By Lights but the momentous Clock. Other sneaky classics to keep an ear out for are DJ Kalm’s cracker Violet, one of Amit’s first tracks Roots, Dieselboy very under-rated The Descent and the incredible rolling Passport by Kiko.

Y2K – 1hr of rolled gold from the 2000s

Fellowship – Dark Flower Remedy
Sonic + Silver – Longboat
Ed Rush & Optical – Rock Tha House2
Ink – Ice Age
The JB – Say What
Black Sun Empire – Smoke (Sinthetix Remix)
Chris.SU – Astrosine
Kraken – Side Effects (Teebee Remix)
Dillinja – Go Dillinja
Elementz Of Noize – Guided By Lights
Technical Itch – The Ruckus (D Kay VIP)
TeeBee – Black Rain
2Ed Rush & Optical – Kerbkrawler
Rawthang – Epilogue Feat. Karl
DJ Kalm – Violet
Amit – Roots
John B – Dream On (2020 Remaster)
Dieselboy – The Descent
Kiko – Passport
Jonny L – Trouble
Total Science – Eastern Promise
Elementz Of Noize – Clock

2024, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Ear & Drum: Session 279 – Mountainous

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Here to kick a hole in your speaker with some heavy hitters past and present, we kick off with Low Slung on Detboi’s killer Dispatch Blueprint 13 release. We’ve got remixes ahoy with Xtrah’s re-rub of Noisia’s mighty Omissions, Klute’s v. nice rework of Chris SU’s smash Antiserum, Kiljoy’s remix of the Digital & Spirit classic Remote Control and last, but not least, the massive D Kay VIP of Tech Itch’s incredible The Ruckus.

Seeing as we’re rolling some older classics I thought I’d also throw in one of my all time favourites in Jonny L’s Trouble, and I couldn’t go past the recent remaster of one of Hive’s best in Krush. Hooray to the incredibly kind DOA member who hooked me up with digital versions of Trouble and that Ruckus Remix, you know who you are. I’ve been on the hunt for a clean copy of Trouble forever, so bless you.

Mountainous – 1hr of Rock Hard D&B

Detboi – Low Slung
Break – Overstayed
Kublai – Sucka
Crystal Clear – Gangster Business
Technical Itch – The Ruckus (D Kay VIP)
Raiden – Helium VIP
Noisia – Omissions (Xtrah Remix)
Trakker – Cold Sweats
Detboi – Bruk Up
Marly Marl – Run Away
Chris.Su – Antiserum (Klute Remix)
Jflux – The Heart Wants
Raiden – Hubble
Digital & Spirit – Remote Control (Kiljoy Remix)
Hive – Krush (2024 Master)
Dunk – Minimal Bounce
Jonny L – Trouble
Spectral – Submerge

2024, All Label Mix, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Ear & Drum: Session 277 – Hard Fokuz

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Continuing on with the 25th anniversary celebration of Fokuz Recordings, this set focuses (excuse the pun) on the harder edged sound that most wouldn’t associate with the label. Just one look at the tracklist shows that these aren’t the usual suspects on the Fokuz roster. S.P.Y, dBridge, Bipolar and Akuratyde all bring the heat along with Tony Anthem (feat. Doktor) with the monstrous Gunmen & Specimen A remix of Tears Of Mine show that Fokuz can thrown down with the best of them when they want to.

Hard Fokuz – 1hr of Hard Edged Fokuz Recordings

Bipolar – State of Play
Macca & Loz Contreras – Against The Wall (FD Remix)
Macca & Melinki – Ok
Monika & Akuratyde – Amber
Grof & Macca – Like That
Sikey & Speedwagon – Conquer
Anthony Kasper – Departure (Technimatic Remix)
Humanature & Induktiv – Paroxysm
Air.K & Cephei – Desire (Break Remix)
Macca & Loz Contreras – Always Yours (S.P.Y. Remix)
T:Base – When I Fear (Who I Am)
Tony Anthem (feat. Doktor) – Tears Of Mine (Gunmen & Specimen A Remix)
Madcap – Real Love
Hobzee – Don’t Go
Monika & Akuratyde – We Breathe (feat. Oktae)
Facing Jinx & Peta Oneir – Meet You There (dBridge Remix)

2024, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B, Roller

Ear & Drum: Session 273 – Ruckus

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The heavier side of Drum & Bass has recently decided to get it’s groove back, which I am here for. Not so abstract, still dark and heavy, but with a distinct dance floor flavour that gets the head nodding.

As per usual, Kasra and Critical Music seem to be on the bleeding edge of the sound with releases such as Shatter with YAANO and bb.oo. Metalheadz are holding it down too with Marly Marl’s Feel Deep Headz and Run Away doing bits, Dark ’97 by Immerse, Philth & Ant TC1 rolling out and Inner Terrain’s killer track No More also holding the groove. And I couldn’t resist throwing in the recent Universal Project remasters of Bleach and Rux Flava because they are just too damn good.

A word of warning that there is a slight glitch in this mix around 30 minutes in due to a recording muck up. I loved the rest of the mix so much, that the thought of re-doing it just to smooth over a tiny glitch just didn’t feel right. Hopefully you can over look it while listening through.

Ruckus – 1hr of Hard and Heavy D&B

Marly Marl – Feel Deep Headz
Total Science – No Smoking (T>| Remix)
Mako & Seba – Brotherhood
Kid Drama & Garvo – Nitrosurge
Kid Drama – Ratchet
Breakage – Style
Dunk – Danger
Inner Terrain – No More
Immerse, Philth & Ant TC1 – Dark ’97
Marly Marl – Run Away
Kasra & YAANO – Shatter
Cycom – Yucatan (The Green Man (TGM) Remix)
Chris.Su – Antiserum (Klute Remix)
Envy &. Azifm – All Night Long
Motive – Tuff Luv
Kasra – bb.oo
Photek – C-Note (Instrumental Mix)
Noisia, Sleepnet & Lumen – Finality
Universal Project – Bleach
Alibi – Rave Digger VIP
Universal Project – Rux Flava

2023, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Ear & Drum: Session 267 – Obesity

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Rolling with some phat beats from the harder end of the spectrum this time around with Metalheadz getting a special mention for a particularly strong year. With Tech Noir – Pitchwheel, Nookie – Over & Over, Goldie – Inner City Life (Break Remix) and Scar’s The Lane VIP, Count It Off VIP and his remix of Goldie – Angel all giving solid vibes though out the mix.

Other notables are Kid Drama & Garvo’s heavy Nitrosurge on CNVX doing bits, more goodness from Loxy & Resound’s Dub Pack Vol. 1 in the form of Metro VIP and DLR’s best tune this year Tryna Get This Money. Special shout out from me to the classic Sinthetix Remix of BSE’s Smoke which recently received a much appreciated remaster for 2023.

Obesity – 1hr of Phat D&B Beats

Goldie – Angel (SCAR Remix)
Amoss x Molecular – Effortless
Scar – The Lane VIP
Tech Noir – Pitchwheel
Total Science – Fallen Angel (Kolectiv & OB1 Remix)
Black Sun Empire – Smoke (Sinthetix Remix)
Kid Drama & Garvo – Nitrosurge
Loxy & Resound – Metro VIP
Chimpo – Domino Rally
Enel & Odddi – Other Side
A-Audio &. Unoaked – Dip Out
Myth & Black Barrel – The Woolen Man
Ink – Tell Me (feat. Collette Warren) (SIN Remix)
Aleyum – Glowing Memories (Silence Groove Remix)
Beeson & Dynamite MC – ‘Til 4am
Nookie – Over & Over
Goldie – Inner City Life (Break Remix)
Unglued – Tilted
Digital & Response – Traces
Scar – Count It Off VIP (ft. 2NickB)
DLR – Tryna Get This Money
Acuna & L-Side – Heavy Drop

2023, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Ear & Drum: Session 258 – The Well

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A little bit of old and a little bit of new with a big bit of bitch slapping beats in this mix off tuff tracks from 2023. The old comes in the form of Doc Scott’s rework of Rider’s Ghost called Ghost 25, and some very tasty remasters from Seba and Paradox thanks to the Secret Operations Reissue series.

The ‘new’ is everything else, with my picks being Carlito coming out of nowhere with a banging 12″ on V Recordings. Both tracks Take Me Down and Got It are doing the damage. Electrosoul System also takes a turn for the darker with his outstanding Black Album on his own Kos.Mos.Music imprint. I love it when producers step out of their lane and do something different and both of these releases fit that bill!

The Well – 1hr of Tuff D&B Beats

Break – Don’t You Ever Stop
Electrosoul System – Suicide Suicide
Electrosoul System – Somatic Blues
Acid_Lab – Wait No More
Dom & Rolland – Scatter
Ed:it – Wikid Bad
Leaf – Keep On Truckin’
Carlitio – Take Me Down
Doc Scott – Ghost 25
Seba – Wakeup Call 2023
Subfocus & MC ID – Alarm
aBLe – Still There
Carlitio – Got It
Seba & Paradox – Fire Like This
Kasra – Negative Space
Electrosoul System – Chuck Norris On LSD
Jubei & LSB – The Source

2023, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Ear & Drum: Session 252 – Functional

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With the retro trend sweeping across D&B, it was only a matter of time that nostalgia returned for tech-step tinge tunes to come back. While a lot of these tunes might not lean into the stripped back 2-step beats of that era, the one thing that brings them all together is the funk that Ed Rush and Optical helped pioneer back in the day. Nailing the perfect drum and bass loop to give a tune that funky rolling flex is not an easy thing to pull off, but I hear a lot of it in all of these tunes and I have to say, I’m here for it!

Labels liked Souped Up and Sofa Sounds Bristol have been heading this way for a while now, but T>I’s recent Rollers Delight EP really nails the tech-funk. Critical Music, while not putting all their eggs into the tech-step revival basket, are also pushing the sound through their label boss’ latest LP – Humans in tracks like Acid Shot and Calm.

Functional – 1hr of Heavy D&B Rollers

T>I – Dye Migration
Rainforest – Antihero
Bladerunner – Rave Machine
Skoel – Letisound
Slay feat. Chimpo & SLR – Dis One
Calibre – Verstat
Enei – Acid Shot
DJ Trace & HLZ – Valves
Heron Flow – Raging Sea
Blocks & Escher – Shot in the Dark
Beeson & Dynamite MC – ‘Til 4am
aBLe – Still There
Enei – Calm
Enei & Jakes – Omega
Iris – Not Even a Big Up
Unglued – Peanut Butter Kid
T>I – Outboard
Data 3 – String Theory
Scar feat 2Nick8 – Count It Off
Emz & Sam Binga – Don’t Stress
T>I – Step Back

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.

Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Ear & Drum: Session 240 – Flex

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Hard hitting D&B has been having a real resurgence in 2022. Stepping away from the loudness wars of the past, producers have been going back to writing tunes that let the spaces in between do the talking to produce a more cinematic feel to them and proving some real flex.

Digital has always had his finger on the pulse, so when he signed up Seba to make the 222 Road to Nowhere EP I just knew it was going to come correct. His tracks Love Story and The Future have that classic Seba roll, but with the tough beats you’d expect from a Function Records release.

Another man who always comes correct Dub Phizix has the Senka Mix Tape out with a swag of impressive tunes of all genres. Most of the tunes on there have been released in long form on various EPs, but Demon Seed, Blossom and Item all have the heavyweight sound. Shouts out to NC-17, Mako and all the rest of the Metalheadz kru who have been keeping it real.

Flex – 1hr of D&B Heavy Hitters

Mako – The Both of Us
Added & Cory James – Concentric
Seba & Digital – Love Story
Seba & Oilskin – The Future
Loxy & Resound – Leagues Deep (Resound Mix)
NC-17 & Dunk – New Jack Hustler
Dub Phizix – Demon Seed
Dub Phizix – Blossom
Slay feat. Chimpo & SL8R – Dis One
DLR – Do I Know What I’m Doing VIP
HLZ – Capone Diet
Subwave – Mercury (Hyroglifics Remix)
Raiden – Fallin Revised
Conrad Subs – Dark Set In
Particle – Driven’ Me Crazy
Dub Phizix – Item
Script – Set Up The Set (DLR’s Clash VIP)
Grey Code – Illiad
NC-17 – State of Grace
Silence Groove – Offset
NC-17 – Ghost Song

2022, All Label Mix, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B, Tech Step

Ear & Drum: Session 236 – Reprint

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From 97-03 Stakka and Skynet’s Audio Blueprint label took the Tech Step sound of drum & bass and infused it with faster skittering drums, arcing b-lines and a little Techno magic to create what ended up being the blueprint for Neurofunk. While Nuero ended up becoming a formulaic dead-end in a lot of respects by the end of the 2000s, the pioneering sounds of Audio Blueprint at the time was fresh and exciting.

Audio Blueprint ended up with an enviable stable of producers such as Psion, Arcane, Kemal & Rob Data, Skinny & Lynx and the mighty Gridlock. Many of these went on to have long and respected careers in D&B, but it was Stakka & Skynet themselves who really blazed the trail for the sound. Audio Blueprint (and its sister label Underfire Records) were unique with a sound that is seeing a revival today as new artists look back to what truly ended up being an Audio Blueprint for tech-infused D&B.

Reprint – 1.5hrs of Audio Blueprint

Zerolux – Micro Burst
Stakka & Skynet – Logistics
Psion – Reverse Engineering
Stakka & K.Tee – Jagged Edge
Sublogics – U Know (Remix)
Stakka & Skynet – S4
Stakka & Skynet – Voyager
Psion – Rising Tides
Stakka & Skynet – Molecular
Stakka & Skynet – Nova Soils
Stakka & Skynet – Pathogen
Stakka & K.Tee – Territorial
Arcane – Implant
Kemal & Rob Data – Hybrid
Skinny & Lynx – Melting Pot
Sublogics – Void
Stakka & Skynet – Amorphia
Stakka & Skynet – Amorphia (Remix)
Stakka & Skynet – MK Ultra
Stakka & Skynet – Subterranean
Gridlock – The Search
Gridlock – Horizon