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Top 5 Releases || February
Massive Attack return with Dead Editors a cut off their Ritual Spirit EP. Your immediately drawn into this huge track with dark synths, layered with non other than Roots Manuva’s vocals. The track continues to keep incredible movement with a thumping 808, syncopated percussion and eerie vocal samples. Check out the rest of Ritual Spirits Voodoo In My Blood is another great track.
Chosen by Tobias
Urulu once again proves what a master he is in the studio. His new track Orion has a beautifully dreamy atmosphere to it, especially due to those rising filtered sweeps we see present throughout the track. Everything in this track just meshes so well together creating such a gentle smooth flowing piece of music. The bassline is raw but still keeps a soft relaxed vibe to the song, the little things such as the birds chirps from the very beginning set a mood that this ones for kicking back to.
Chosen by Henry
The Arkestra EP, a collaboration between Alix Perez and Ivy Lab has been awaited with baited breath by anyone with the vaguest or most fleeting interest in Drum & Bass music. It is not hard to tell why - the EP, and ’The Last Light’ in particular, is an exhibition in Liquid Drum & Bass production, an unsurprising fact when one considers who is behind it. London-based producer Alix Perez has been at it without hesitation since his debut album dropped in 2009, and his obnoxious talent can only be enhanced when standing next to the indomitable trio of Halogenix, Sabre and Stray (who are, of course, Ivy Lab). It is nice to see the both Perez’s and Ivy Lab’s styles blending here, with the 'Calibre-esque’ shuffling drum beat so often employed by Perez a homage to one of his greatest inspirations as a young DJ. This, combined with Ivy Lab’s precocious talent and watertight production that comes with having 3 talents side by side in the studio means we as listeners and treated to an aural feast. Make sure you grab a copy of this on 12”, released on Feb 28, on the Critical website.
Chosen by Tom
This 3 track EP provides deep melodies and massive soundscapes. Ivan Masa, Italian born proudcer has realesed on the newly established Ein2 the little brother of Berlin Label Einmusika Recordings. This 3 track EP provides beautiful synth work alongside powerful back beats that will give you that extra energy on the dancefloor. Both “Tomato” and “Red Control” are the powerhouses in the EP with euphoric melodies. “Luna” is a slow beginner but definitely manages to provide what any house fan is looking for. Expect more similar releases from EIN2 which is stating it” is open minded allowing a new playground for talents with a unique style to thrive” and if Ivan Masa is just the beginning for them I am looking forward to future releases.
Buy: Vinyl / Digital
Chosen by Barney
Munich's Ilian Tape shares many similarities with Bristol's Livity Sound; both releasing records from a small core roster of artists and both moulding the sub-heavy sounds and twisted percussion of jungle down to slower tempos. Skee Mask has been responsible for two of the best 12"s on Ilian Tape over the last two years, marrying epic, soaring pads with some seriously agile breaks torque. His records have always displayed evidence of favouring real song-writing beauty over dancefloor convention, with much less reliance on 8 and 16-bar repetitions than many of his contemporaries, which serves him incredibly well over the longer format. Ambient, drum and bass, techno and IDM references never feel like imitations, as Skee Mask surpasses expectations on a coherent debut album that will find you both reaching for your gunfingers and digging out your old cradles.
Chosen by Matt J