Category Archives: Hard D&B

2019, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B, Uncategorized

Ear & Drum Session 163: Blue Rinse

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Inspired by the tougher sounds of Blue Note era Metalheadz, this mix proves that not all hard D&B needs to be mid-range bass lines, high pitched snares and screeching synths to make an impact.

The classic heavy sound seems to be making a serious comeback lately and is moving forward by looking back to the golden era of the sound. Fixate’s – Ripgroove remix being a perfect example of a classic reworked for modern day sound systems and listening. Other’s such as Brazilian producer Bungle, D&B super group Kings of the Rollers and new kid on the block Pasha Solecci are following suit bringing a new production techniques to the OG sound with devastating effect.

Blue Rinse – 1hr+ of Hard D&B

ANAPA – Damager
Pasha Solecci – Jacobs Ladder
Document One – Holy Moly
Bungle – Infinite
Calibre – Eschaton feat. DRS
Amit – Knuckle Duster
Goldie – Demonz (Gremlinz & Jesta Remix)
Bione – Orcas
Alibi – Shurikan
Dub Elements & Coppa – Massai
Macca & Melinki – Ok
Mefjus – If I Could (Loadstar Remix)
Fixate vs Double 99 – Ripgroove (Fixate Remix)
Sikey & Speedwagon – Conquer
King of the Rollers – You Got Me
Mefjus – Volition (Former Remix)
Bungle – Physical Dub
Bungle – Inner Mask
Muffler – Half Light
Humanature & Induktiv – Paroxysm
Pasha Solecci – Coke & Tea
Skeptical – Charge
S.P.Y – Dreamcatcher
Alix Perez – Slink
Dub Elements & Gyrda – Firing Pin
Pola & Bryson – Hyperborean feat. Data 3
Phaction – Aviatrix feat. Riya

2019, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Ear & Drum Session 158: Full Pelt

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There’s been a lot of good things happening in D&B lately, and the Harder end of the spectrum has seen a return to form it has sorely been missing. Taking a look back to move forward a lot of these tunes have a old-school D&B or Rave feel to them but with modern production techniques.

You only need to have a look at the artists to see a LOT of the familiar and legendary names – Digital, Spirit, DKay, John B and Calibre all come in swinging. But there is also a new breed bringing their own take to the tougher style such as Mister Shifter, Kid Drama, Acid Lab and Artilect and making some truly speaker shaking sounds.

This is D&B at its rawest and most real. And I have to say, it’s nice to have it back.

Full Pelt – 1hr of Hard D&B

Bou – Gun Crime
Benny L – Skysteppa
Mister Shifter – Dreada
Digital & Spirit – Phantom 2018
DKay – The Martians
Foreign Concept – Black Tea
Calibre – Jacob
Calibre – Under You and You
Touchy Subject – Sky Larkin (Lewis James Remix)
Sunchase – Slap
DKay – Desire (feat. DJ Lee)
Kid Drama – Mirrored Lake
Acid Lab feat. Slider, Expose & Anastasia – Paradoxical
Amoss – Timedrops
Digital & John B – You & Me
Fushara – Survival
Derrick & Tonica – Fata Morgana
Artilect – System of Fear
Digital & Spirit – Deaddial
Artilect – System of Fear (Tease)

2018, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Ear & Drum 10th Anniversary Part 1 – Runnin

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10 years ago today I started the Ear & Drum with the intent of delivery great music to the masses. Today I thank everyone who has supported and listened down the years with Part 1 of a 3 part series of mixes that cover off my favourite tunes from the past few years plus a special retrospective mix that looks back at beautiful music from D&B’s golden years the 90s.

Part 1 focuses on the deep and the dark tunes that have influenced the D&B landscape over the past few years. There’s plenty of anthems in here and hopefully a few lesser known tunes too just to keep it interesting. 

Stay tuned over the next few days as I’ll be uploading parts 2 & 3 as an early Christmas gift and of course celebrating 10 years of the good ole Ear & Drum.

Ear & Drum 10th Anniversary Mix – Runnin – 2hrs of Deep & Dark D&B

Blocks & Escher – Something Borrowed, Something Blue
Koherent – Low Key
Apostroph – Tolerate
Skynet – Rotate
Rude Operator – Witchdoctor
Synth Ethics – Cloudbreak
Mefjus – Dissuade (Emperor Remix)
Dub Phizix – Do One (feat. DRS)
Atlantic Connection – Rockdub
Dub Phizix – Hack
Pageant – Lost In Space
Halogenix – Blej
Chimpo – Bedsprings Riddim
Chimpo – 1996
Rockwell – Please Please Please (Play This on the Radio)
Rockwell feat. Sam Binga – Itsok2behapp-e
Chimpo – Haymaker
Last Life – Menisco
Alix Perez – Dark Star
Bungle – Cocooned
Last Life – Smoke & Shadows
Need For Mirrors – Ethos (Spirit Remix)
Derrick & TOnika – Fata Morgana
OX7GEN – Trinity
Chimpo – War Tanker
Atlantic Connection – Geppetto feat. Trunde Olaniran
Alix Perez – Nighthawks
Alibi & Command Strange – Ahead of Me VIP
Marcus Intalex – Roller 170
Digital & Spirit – Mosquito
Digital & Spirit – Deaddial
Technimatic – The Stage (Interlude)

2018, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Rudebwoy – Ear & Drum Session 145

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Heavier D&B has been having a resurgence lately with labels like Metalheadz, Critical and Tech Itch Recordings all pumping out some quality darker beats.

Blocks & Escher’s heavily anticipated Something Blue LP contains the years first big anthem in Something Borrowed, Something Blue while the mysterious Brakken collaboration output has born fruit on their very first release.

A special shout to Trigga & Chimpo who’s massive Who Run Tingz track I finish off with. I’ve been hunting this tune for the last 12 months thinking it was new and only to realise it came out about 3-4 years back. 😛

If you like your beats hard you’ll love this, if you unsure give it a go and who knows you might just grow to love it as much as I do.

Rudebwoy – 1hr of Hard D&B

Blocks & Escher – Something Borrowed, Something Blue
Brakken – Rat
Lowriderz & Electrosoul System – Face Off
1991 – Jungle Cats
Ulterior Motive – Step Change
Soul intent – Give You Back
Synth Ethics – Cloudbreak
Chase & Status – Tribes
Surreal – Change the Program
Andy Skopes & Mr Joseph – Call to Arms
Technimatic – Night Vision VIP
Goldie – I Adore You (Total Science Remix)
Alibi & Command Strange – Skyline VIP
Brakken – Blue River
End.User – Stillness (Re-Edit)
Mohican Sun – Sprialled
Alibi & Command Strange – Ahead of Me VIP
Trigga & Chimpo – Who Run Tingz

2017, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Ephemory – Ear & Drum Session 137

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We’re going deep and hard in this eclectic mix of slammers from 2017. It’s been a good year for D&B with old school jungle sounds being mixed in with the minimalist ethic of 2015-6 with some pretty devastating results. Tracks like Leaf’s – Groove, Kid Drama’s – Brutal D and Derrick & Tonika’s – Fata Morgana sound so fresh and new but still with a nod to days gone by. It is great to see new producers being able to put their own spin on the true and tried sound.

As always I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did mixing it.

Ephemory – 1hr of deep hard D&B

Tim Reaper – Straight Forward
Andy Skopes – Heroin Wash (feat. Coerce)
Hyroglifics – Swish
Leaf – Groove
Rude Operator – Witchdoctor (feat. Ornette Hawkins)
1991 – Kabuki
Dub Phizix – Hack
Ulterior Motive – Anode (feat. Icicle)
Mitekiss – Forma
Kid Drama – Brutal D
Halogenix – Blej
1991 – Dim Sum
Rude Operator – Gunman
Vromm – Level Up (feat. Rider Shafique)
Bungle – Cocooned
Need for Mirrors – Ethos (Spirit Remix)
Derrick & Tonika – Fata Morgana
Flaco – Inferno (feat. Submorphics)
Rude Operator – Arrowhead

2017, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Concrete – Ear & Drum Session 134

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It always takes me around 6-12 months to collect enough heavy D&B to pull together a good hard D&B mix. The good thing about me being fussy around this style is you know that what you are getting is carefully curated and every tune brings something different and interesting to the mix.

In this case we have tracks like the UFO Mix of Ed Rush & Optical’s classic roller Pacman which was never released and only ever popped up as a dub plate on some 2002 mixes coming out of the US. Or Rockwell’s excellent nod to rave in the cheekily named Please Please Please (Play This on the Radio). Digital and Spirit feature heavily too, which is never a bad thing.

For those about to rock, we salute you.

Concrete – 1hr of Hard D&B

Total Science, Digital & Spirit – Fall Down
Skynet – Underground –
Apostroph’ – Tolerate
Ed Rush & Optical – Pacman (UFO VIP)
Future Cut – Horns (Gremlinz & Overlook 2015 Remix)
Keen x Krakota – Reality
BCee & S.P.Y – Is Anybody Out There (The Vanguard Project Remix)
Clart – Team Playa
Ray Keith – Virus
Gremlinz – Tactical Rail
Mefjus – Dissuade (Emperor Remix)
Signal – Descent
Rockwell – Please Please Please (Play This on the Radio)
Ulterior Motive – Tech2
Rockwell feat. Sam Binga – itsok2behapp-e
Digital feat. LJC – In the Lurch
Mecca – Analysis
Spirit – International
Survival & Script – Sahara
Vicious Circle & Nocturnal – Welcome to Shanktown

2017, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B, Minimal

London Sound – Ear & Drum Session 126

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Grime is totally distinctively – part ragga jungle, part dubstep, part hip-hop and entirely London in sound. In terms of D&B the first Grime inspired track I remember back in 2011 was Dub Phizix & Skeptical’s – Marka. It was heavy, but stripped back and raw and I loved it instantly.

Since then Dub Phizix has been joined by Chimpo, Sam Binga and others in turning the BPM up on the Grime sound to create a unique niche D&B genre. I haven’t heard a whole heap of tracks like these, but when I do the hairs always stand up on the back of my neck at the thought of them in a mix because they just creep on up and slam every time.

Here’s to London for keeping it underground, real and always cutting edge.

London Sound – 1hr of Grime inspired D&B

Sam Binga – Badman Skin (Feat. Redders)
Fracture x Chimpo – From Early
Dub Phizix – Contact (Feat. Skeptical)
Sam Binga & Chimpo – Sassy Riddim
Dub Phizix – Do One (Feat. DRS)
Dub Phizix – Bounce
Dub Phizix – Jus’ a Nuvver Divvy (Feat. Strategy)
Dub Phizix – Bugs
Sam Binga & Chimpo – For Those That Like It Sweet
Sam Binga & Chimpo – Selection Dark
Chimpo – Bedsprings Riddim
Rockwell Feat. Sam Binga & Hyroglifics – Itsok2behapp-e
Chimpo – Haymaker
Chimpo – Bun It (Feat. Fixate)
Dub Phizix – Gaana
Sam Binga (Feat. Redders) – AYO (Ivy Lab Remix)
Dub Phizix & Skeptical – Marka (Feat. Strategy)
Chimpo – War Tanker
Sam Binga – Run The Dance (Feat. Slick Don)
Sam Binga – Greatest Distance (Feat. Romaine)

2016, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

Eats the Soul – Ear & Drum Session 120

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I’ve been missing in action.

For those wondering where the new mixes are I’ve been rudely interrupted by real life matters such as organising a wedding, getting married and work. But I am back and after the longest break from mixing since I took to the decks back in 96′ I’m glad to say I have an absolute belter for you.

This is a mixture of old and new thanks some my favourite producers, Rawtekk, ASC and TeeBee, remastering and re-releasing some of their classic old and unreleased tracks. But that’s not to say there isn’t some future classics in here either such as Deadcode’s infectious Ratatata, Tech Itch’s epic Souls of Impatience and the hard hitting Favela from a producer who is new to me Lavance.

I hope you dig the vibes and you won’t need to wait 4 months until the next mix. 😛

Eats the Soul – 1hr of Hard D&B

TeeBee – Let Go
Nasty Habits – Shadow Boxing (Om Unit VIP)
John B – Evolve (Alternative Intro Mix)
Gremlinz – Tactical Rail
Deadcode – Ratatata
Scar – Temptation (feat. Orkyd)
Paperclip – Afterdreamer
Technical Itch – Souls of Impatience
TeeBee – Snake Funk
Rawtekk – Inside Tekk (Reloaded)
Ed:it – Babylon Step
Scar – I’m Gone (feat. Naomi Prior – 3am Intro Mix)
Lavance – Favela
Mako – The Gap (feat. Fields)
TeeBee – Deceive
Digital & Spirit – Mosquito
DJ Krust – Cloaking Device (Fracture Remix)
Jay Drop – Insight
ASC – Automaton
Technimatic – Trigger Warning
Technimatic – The Stage (Interlude)

2015, Amen, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B

One Tonne – Ear & Drum Session 113

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One of my rarer forays into hard and heavy D&B these days, this is strictly for the headstrong. You have been warned.

Part of the reason I don’t roll these set so much any more (other than I’m getting too old for this sound) is that it takes me a long time to find quality heavy tracks to make up a set I consider worth playing. That being said, when I finally get enough together for a decent throw down it is usual quality all the way through.

This set kicks off dub wise with Break & MC Fats – Free Your Mind, but doesn’t take long to get serious with tracks like the incredible Bro Safari x UFO! x Beauty Brain’s – No Control (Deiselboy x Mark The Beat Remix) and Digital & Spirit’s – Creeper. From here on it it just rolls out the heavies one after another with notable highlights for me being Total Science & S.P.Y’s – Whoonga (Chroma Remix), Digital & Spirit’s – Mosquito and total unknown Verb’s insanely good Total Control.

Probably not a set you’ll chill out to on the couch I suggest you turn it up load, annoy the neighbours and jump around the lounge room like a mad bastard.

One Tonne – 1hr of Heavy Drum & Bass

Break & MC Fats – Free Your Mind
B-Complex – You Better Run (feat. MC Fava)
Skyway – Moving Like a Train
Bro Safari x UFO! x Beauty Brain – No Control (Deiselboy x Mark The Beat Remix)
Chromatic – Open Your Mind
Digital & Spirit – Creeper
Fanu x Coleco – Triple X
Lenseman – My Tearz feat Steo (Ulterior Motive Remix)
Skeptical – Square Breathing
Total Science & S.P.Y – Whoonga (Chroma Remix)
ArQer & Realtime – Derpetroid
Klute – Westernized
Actuaries – Vision Quest
Digital & Spirit – Mosquito
Randal & DJ Vapour – Angels Warning (C.A.B.L.E. Remix)
Spirit – Dial VIP
Verb – Total Control
Icicle & SP:MC – Dreadnaught (Phace Remix)

2014, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B, Minimal

Unbreakable – Ear & Drum Session 93

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Been quite awhile since I’ve brought the tough stuff and this mix has some absolute rippers. Gridlock’s Westbank has a Messiah type feel to it, dBridge & Skeptical’s Move Way was one of last years perfect minimal moments and Jubei’s Rufige11 is an ode to the classic Metalheadz sounds of yore.

Combine all this with BIG comebacks from the likes of Total Science, Sub Focus and the mighty Klute and you have a mix that has plenty of flex and is ripe for working over the sub-woofers. There’s only one break that breaks the unbreakable, and that break is right here.

Unbreakable – 1hr Deep Hard D&B Beats

Calyx, Teebee & Polar – Pensile Dreamer Part.1
Gridlock – Westbank
Lung – Starving Artisite
Sub Focus – Original
Nitri feat. Grimm & Level 2 – Secrets
dBridge & Skeptical – Move Way
Mutated Forms – Blop
Total Science feat. Riya – Suspicious (Alix Perez Remix)
DJ Fresh vs. Diplo feat. Dominique Young Unique – Earthquake
Jubei – Rufige11
Klute – Turnaround
Klute – Give It All
Sub Focus feat. Alpines – Tidal Wave
Michinedrum – Rise N Fall
Naibu – Just Like You (Fracture Remix)
dBridge – Death of a Drum Machine
Friske – Venture
Machinedrum – Gunshotta
Om Unit – Grey Skies Over Chicago
Frederic Robinson feat. Stray – Bloom
Blocks & Escher – Slow Wave
Sango – Frutiful (Maliyah’s Theme)
Sub Focus feat. Kele – Turn It Around