Category Archives: News

More new music for the Ear & Drum

As I wrote in the A Big Change to the Ear & Drum post recently, we’ve got some fresh talent join the ranks after ten years of the Ear & Drum being exclusively my work.

DJ Blick has already posted a cracker of a mix feature new work from fan favourite PFM. And now I’m overjoyed to welcome Will AKA Klay Pigeon to the site.

Will’s ‘Alwayz Will’ series has been on constant rotation in my house for years now, so I’m stoked to have him posting the 11th in the series up here very soon. If we’re luck he might retroactively post up the previous ten other Alwayz Will mixes as they are some of most well thought out and diverse mixes I’ve come across in my time.

Welcome Will and we look forward to hearing more from you.

Siberian Jungle – Free LP from Tunguska Electronic Music Society

I recently stumbled across this amazing compilation of D&B from Russia. On the awesomely named Tunguska Electronic Music Society label this is the best D&B album so far this year for variety and quality of tunes. Some of the mix downs are a little rough, but the actual tunes themselves are top notch and best of all it is FREE!

Well when I say free you can pay them what you think the album is worth, or just download it for free. I suggest you pay as not only do these guys deserve the money, but you also get FLACs or WAVs of the tunes instead of MP3s. Stand out tracks for me were Vospi – Reverence which is a cracking jazz and bass rinse out, 3D Stas – Surface of Doomed Planet which rolls out in a moody and almost trance like way and Stipple – Stalker which is another deep Trance & Bass roller.

I suggest you check out http://tunguskagrooves.com/en/ as they have a heap of other albums on their site covering all sorts of other electronic genres. And you can get the Siberian Jungle album HERE

DJ DED – Increase of Emotions
Chooga – 3170 Lakes
3D Stas – Surface of Doomed Planet
DJ DED – Japan Funk
Nuclear Box – Neoromantic
Drudex feat NEOSIDE – The Big Distance
Paralyzah – Big Wonderful Thing
Jung – Night Voices
EXIT Project – Fairy Tale (Slawa Neo Vision DNB remix)
Stipple – Stalker
Vospi – Lonely Pretender
3D Stas – K1n (Edit)
Nuclear Box – Think About You
Vospi – Reverence

The Gift EP – Free Subwave EP from Metalheadz

If you haven’t already heard the Mighty Subwave has kindly offer up a free EP on the Metalheadz label. To say this kind of quality doesn’t come around very often is an understatement so don’t sleep on it. All the tracks are strong, but Gift and in particular Darkness Dub are total killer and tracks I’d happily shell out cash for.

Big ups Metalheadz and Subwave for the musical generosity.

Subwave – The Gift EP

Gift
Memories
Reflection
Darkness Dub

The Back 2 You Remix Project

I’ve been sent this little gem of an opportunity which you might be interested in if you are into production.

The BACK 2 YOU remix projects has been set to show case and find the new generation of music producers. Giving them the chance to remix artists established artists. All producers are welcome to submit their remix which will be voted by a selection of respected judges from all areas of the music business. This is a chance for all up and coming producers to show case there talents to the world. A chance to re-mix history

You’ll find the website here which includes past archives of remixes already done and current projects up and running for remixing.

The big one for me amongst this month’s projects would have to be Commix – Satelite Type 2 Remix Project. Not often you get the chance to remix an artist as sweet as Commix and it is totally backed by Metalheadz. So if you want a golden opportunity to get yourself heard by the heavyweights I suggest you get onto this.

Basic Operations – The Lost Tapes

Basic Operations (Atlantic Connection & Kevin Focus) went their separate ways in 2005 leaving a legacy of awesome music. But even better they left a swag of unreleased tunes which they are now putting out under their ‘Lost Tapes’ series. Classics like Drifting on an Aspect (VIP), Keep on Dreaming, New Dawn and Since I’ve Seen You which Bukem caned on dub for years.

You can get a listen and buy it exclusively from bandcamp.com. And to top it all off Basic Ops are also slated to be going back into the studio again to work on some new releases which I am hoping will hit sooner rather than later.

LSTPS001
Basic Operations
The Lost Tapes Vol. 1

1. Drifting on an Aspect (VIP)
2. Since I’ve Seen You
3. O.S.F
4. Keep On Dreaming

Producer Profile: ICR

Hungarian D&B artist Zoltan Gal, also known as ICR, has been a key figure in the country’s thriving D&B scene. In 1999 he established it’s online magazine and community site, ImpulseCreator.hu and has releases on dozens of diverse labels worldwide such as Offshore, Covert Operations , Good Looking, Nerve, Fokuz, Counter Intelligence, Flatline Audio, X-Tinction Agenda, Red Mist, Vibez and Influence.

In 2007, he started own label, Misspent Music, which continues to release high quality liquid and esoteric D&B. ICR has been integral in shaping the exceptional Hungarian D&B scene, and he continues to blaze a trail gloabally by releasing his latest album Restored as a free download. Not only is this incredibly generous, but I also think this will be the way of things in the future for music in general.

As a true D&B pioneer, ICR we salute you.

ICR – Restored

1. ICR – Painful Every Day
2. ICR – Hailstones From Heaven
3. ICR – Hungry Man (remix)
4. ICR – Nevermore (remix)
5. ICR – Remember
6. ICR – You Don’t Have To Know The Title
7. ICR – Downhill
8. ICR – Heavy Water
9. Robot Death Squad – Tokyo Burner (ICR remix)
10. Rufige Cru – Krisp Biscuit (ICR remix)
11. ICR – Less Than Three (DJ Trax remix feat. Assorted Anonymous)
12. ICR – How The Glitch Stole Christmas

Producer Profile: DJ Clart

I first heard of DJ Clart through the Golden Orb Weavers EP with his track So Selfish. His ability to toughen up a liquid track and still keep it melodic jumped out at me straight away. Just to prove it wasn’t a fluke he dropped the monster Avenue on Sole Digital, the super smooth Watchout VIP on Liquid Brilliants and sublime Mysterious Ways with Glen E Stone on Quilin’s 4 Corners EP.

To call Clart liquid doesn’t really do him justice. His diversity is always underpinned by a ‘deepness’ that remains consistent in all his releases. His use of organic bass lines which he twists into growling stabs and the crisp, clean and loud production on his beats really make his tracks hold up in a mix.

It’s looking like a big year for Clart with upcoming releases on Peer pressure, Next Sense, Ingredients, Vampire and Influenza Media. I am convinced 2010 will be year that this talented producer blows up big.

Just top get a taste here is a free track Clart has graciously let me host. It’s a bootleg of Lupe Fiasco’s Paris Tokyo and whilst quite a bit lighter than some of Clart’s official releases it still shows what talent he is.

Enjoy. 🙂

Lupe Fiasco – Paris Tokyo (DJ Clart’s D&B Bootleg)

Rip: A Remix Manifesto – A movie on the culture of sampling

I saw this recently and thought it nailed the debate about sampling music to make other music perfectly. What’s more the makers of the movie are inviting you to pay whatever you think the movie is worth to watch it (al-la Radiohead), and then download and remix the movie yourself. So for the more media savvy of you out there this might a great opportunity to show what you can do behind the camera and in the editing suite.

The generational divide is very apparent in this film between those who copy and those who don’t. We now have two generations worth of digitally aware members of society who don’t view copying as a criminal offense. Especially if the copied material is being recycled and altered to sound nothing like the original, as is the case in electronic music.

Rip: The Remix Manifesto is about this divide and what electronic music is doing to fight for it’s right to sample. But don’t take my word for it, check it out and see what you think yourself.

Immerse yourself in the energetic, innovative and potentially illegal world of mash-up media with RiP: A remix manifesto. Let web activist Brett Gaylor and musician Greg Gillis, better known as Girl Talk, serve as your digital tour guides on a probing investigation into how culture builds upon culture in the information age.

Biomedical engineer turned live-performance sensation Girl Talk, has received immense commercial and critical success for his mind-blowing sample-based music. Utilizing technical expertise and a ferocious creative streak, Girl Talk repositions popular music to create a wild and edgy dialogue between artists from all genres and eras. But are his practices legal? Do his methods of frenetic appropriation embrace collaboration in its purest sense? Or are they infractions of creative integrity and violations of copyright?

You be the judge by watching RiP: A remix manifesto

Producer Profile: Data

Data was one of my stand outs for 2009. Tracks like Delicate, Vice and Antenna from The Prologue EP on Horizons and Muted & Splice off his debut Metalheadz 12″ single saw him prove that he has his own unique sound, but that he can also cross genre boundaries with ease.

Based in West London Data has been turning heads with his mature and different approach to modern day drum and bass production. Quickly rising through the ranks with a slew of signings, his tracks quickly found their way into many top dj’s bags, including Goldie. Data’s focus on ambience, groove, minimalism and experimentation provides a whole new take on current drum and bass.

If you want find out more then check out his soundcloud and myspace, or just download the three tracks provided below. Two of these were slated to be on Metalheadz, so make sure you show your appreciation by purchasing any other Data tunes you stumble on and like in 2010.

Download here. 🙂

Data, E & Dynamic – Chiba City Blues
Data & E – Relic
Data – The Black Pagoda

Producer Profile: ATP

I’ve been a big fan of ATP’s music for the last year or two. A Melbourne based producer with a strong sense of melody to his work, I always know I am going to get a quality production every time I listen to one his tracks. He is also one of those rare beasts in D&B, a producer who doesn’t take himself super seriously in a chin stroking fashion. This sense of fun also comes out in his music.

With his album coming out called Energy Currency I figured now would be a good time to shine a light on him as a producer and offer up two free tunes he is giving away to promote the album. Both are bootlegs, one of Jay-Z’s – So Ambitious and the other, more interestingly, is of the mighty Hall and Oates’ – I Can’t Go For That.

So check his bio, download the tunes and if you like them then check out Energy Currency which I am sure won’t disappoint.

Biography: ATP

A self confessed science nerd, ATP (Dave Shearer) takes his name from a molecule found in the human body called Adenosine Tri-Phosphate. However, it’s the science of music that he would have you remember him for, especially his own brand of deeper jazz influenced drum’n’bass.

Before starting to play gigs around Melbourne, he started a radio show “Nu Soul” on bassdrive.com. ATP now has supported many international artists including LTJ Bukem, Makoto, Greenfly, Vice Versa, Crissy Cris, Stunna, Amaning, Physics, Flirt with Dirt, Qumulus, DJ Clart, Lenzman, Overfiend, Jay Rome, Youthman and Radiata.

Already ATP’s smooth musical stylings have been snapped up with tunes on Liquid Brilliants and further releases on Influenza Media, BIOS, Fokuz, Urban Chemistry, Point 9 Audio and Golden Orb.

www.myspace.com/djatp
www.energycurrency.info
Mixes at http://atp.valhalla.net.nz/
AIM – deejayatp

• Hall and Oates – I Can’t Go For That (ATP DnB Booty)

• Jay Z (Feat. Pharrell) – So Ambitious (ATP DnB Booty)