STHoldings Ltd

[OBLIVION] is the final instalment of the Quarantine Trinity. The Follow up to [DOMINION] and [ZENITH], presented by Fierce and his legendary Drum & Bass label Quarantine which will now be available via STHoldings distribution.

Released first will be a 2 track 12″ vinyl sampler:

QRNUK011
Fierce & S.P.Y
Fierce Presents [OBLIVION] Part 1
a) Fierce & S.P.Y – Fury
aa) S.P.Y – Bloodshed

Released 10th October 2011 on Ltd 12″ Vinyl / Digital.

Fierce presents [OBLIVION] Fierce & S.P.Y ‘Fury’ [QUARANTINE] by stholdings

In conjunction with the digital album release on October 24th, [QUARANTINE] are also releasing two more  12” Vinyl’s with tracks from Optiv, Fierce, Vicious Circle, Jubei & Nocturnal.
DJ support from Andy C, Friction, dBridge S.P.Y, Doc Scott, Bailey, Ed Rush, Marky, Total Science and more…
Andy C – “Some serious tunage on there”
Pendulum (Paul) – “S.P.Y – Bloodshed – reminds me of those nasty old rollers from the late 90ʼs and early 00ʼs. This is a good thing!”

QRNUKCD003D
Various Artists
Fierce Presents [OBLIVION]

01. Fierce & Vicious Circle – Euphoric
02. Fierce & S.P.Y – Borderline
03. Vicious Circle & Nocturnal – Skylark
04. Fierce & S.P.Y – Bloodshed
05. Fierce & Survival – Myriad
06. Fierce, Vicious Circle & Jubei – Fiend
07. Fierce & Vicious Circle – Feedback
08. Optiv – Waterboard
09. Fierce & S.P.Y – Fury
10. Fierce & dBridge – Exhale

Digital album released on 24th October 2011.

http://twitter.com/QUARANTINEUK
http://www.facebook.com/pages/QUARANTINE/55355826804
http://soundcloud.com/quarantine-2

Share

This summer, Blu Mar Ten follows up the success of their 2009 LP ‘Natural History’ with a two-part set of remixes that bring together the finest in fresh and established talent from across the globe. DJ support is coming in from right across the scene, including London Elektricity, Friction, Doc Scott, Lynx, John B, Nookie and many more.

Blu Mar Ten – Natural History Remixes
Part 1 – Seba / Bop / Badmammal
Artist: Blu Mar Ten
Label: Blu Mar Ten
Catalogue No: BMT003
Release dates: 26th July 2010

a) Blu Mar Ten – Overwhelm (Seba Remix)
aa) Blu Mar Ten – Believe Me (Bop Remix)
Digital-only) Above Words (Badmammal Remix)

Overwhelm (Seba remix)
Seba assaults the calm of the original ‘Overwhelm’ with a battery of old skool breaks and signature cosmic sweeps that recall the highlights of the Good Looking Records era. Lifting the tune away from the bedroom and up towards the dancefloor Seba’s remix has immediately become a favourite of some of the biggest names in d&b, effortlessly demonstrating why he’s remained at the top of the game for more than 15 years.
Seba’s remix of ‘Overwhelm’ is featured on DJ Friction’s forthcoming mix CD for Ministry of Sound.

Believe Me (Bop remix)
Bop takes the opposite route with his interpretation of ‘Believe Me’, opening up a bottomless well of reverb and throwing the components of the original into it, piece by piece. The result is a beautiful inversion of the original, showcasing the near-beatless melancholy the young Russian has become famous for.

Above Words (Badmammal remix)
‘Above Words’ is completely transformed by San Francisco’s master of quirky folktronica, Badmammal, who rewrites the tune’s Autonomic-via-Detroit stylings into a gorgeous montage of dusty acoustic Americana. A hypnotising, waltz-time guitar rendition of the original loop builds up into crashing waves of chiming bells and choral vocals, taking the listener on a breathtaking and emotional journey.

Part 2 featuring remixes from Klute, Stray & Kastle coming soon…..

www.blumarten.com

Share

Voodoo music is the new label from Offkey. In the last year Raiden has increasingly begun to explore his love for tribal & percussive based drum n bass and after a recent trip to Latin America the concept for Voodoo Music was born.

In preparation for Voodoo music this year Raiden & Khanage have been busy been creating music that has gathered ‘every set’ support and rewinds from Alix Perez, Loxy, Doc Scott, dBridge, C4C, Rockwell, Icicle, Ink & Bailey amongst others. The tracks have become anthems for the new emerging sound and its followers. Thinking with a mind toward the future we have been keeping our eyes and ears on a few emerging artists that we can develop on a long term basis- Morphy and Khanage to name a few.

Voodoo Music will also feature contributions and collaborations with Rockwell, Loxy, June Miller amongst others, each release will come with its own identity and we will be working closely with the artists to make sure their work is represented in the truest sense.
We are able to work with like minded artists within drum n bass as our work has been received very well by peers and in turn these artists are writing music specifically to fit the sound and concept of Voodoo Music.

The debut release for the label is the long in demand tracks from Raiden entitled ‘Baptism Of Fire’ b/w ‘Danzon’. Baptism Of Fire is a brooding track that thrives on holding a sense of cold tension whilst ‘Danzon’ is a latin inspired skank out that doesn’t go down the trad-latin formula but instead concentrates highly on the complex rhythms of Cuba.

The second 12″ will be another instalment from Raiden & Khanage’s ongoing collaboration with ‘Amnesia Haze’ & ’8798′, two tracks that ignited the initial spark for the Voodoo Music project during a very late in the studio between the pair.

VOOMUSIC001
Raiden
a) Baptism Of Fire
aa) Danzon

Audio previews up now on the Voodoo Myspace

Expect the debut 12″ / Digital formats to available in March/April 2010.

http://www.myspace.com/raidenoffkey
http://www.myspace.com/offkeykgbrecordings
http://www.myspace.com/tmgagency

Share

Largely considered two of the most progressive and interesting Drum & Bass labels in the world right now, Exit Records and Non Plus Records are proud to announce their upcoming and imminent releases from label boss dBridge and ASC.

Released on 16th November on Non Plus:

NONPLUS003
ASC
Porcelain / Focus Inwards

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Instra:mental welcome a new addition to the Nonplus+ camp who goes by the name of ASC. This producer is by no means new to making music, but recently his productions have become an essential addition to dBridge & Instra:mental’s Autonomic podcast series and also frequents their club sets.

‘Porcelain’ is a perfect illustration as to why Instra:mental have been paying ASC’s music so much attention. It begins with a glitchy yet groove-laden beat coupled with dramatic piano and fx stabs, then fills out with a warm drawing sub bass and smooth atmospheres. As the track progresses and you think it’s reached its climax, ASC cleverly layers an almost oriental sounding percussion stab to accompany the bass line and picks up the track to another level. This track is a prime example of being able to express the utmost with the minimum.

‘Focus Inwards’ is the deeper side of this 12” and as the title suggests, takes you on a journey into yourself. Fully charged with progressive chords and melodies alongside electric sounding drum fills and percussion, the arrangement, musical content and pure elegance of this track give us an insight into ASC’s compositional abilities and potential for the future.

Youtube Hype video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0TAFidrE8o

Released on 7th December on Exit Records:

EXIT018
dBridge
Inner Disbelief / 5th Floor

Exit Records bring their busy 2009 release schedule to a close with this outstanding 12” from label owner dBridge, featuring two tracks that have been consistently played over the last few months by djs such as Goldie, Friction, Alix Perez, SpectraSoul, Fabio, Doc Scott and Marcus Intalex amongst others.

A 12” getting massive DJ support from across the scene. ‘Inner Disbelief’ is reminiscent of some of dBridge’s Gemini Principle LP tracks with a more dance floor friendly edge, but as usual without compromising quality control. It’s yet another example of dBridge using his vocal talent to compliment his productions and create his signature flavour of “aggressively beautiful” music. A re-arranged piano hook sample layered upon a moody bass line and driving beat provide the backing for this very catchy and listenable song.

On the flip we have another track from dBridge entitled ‘5th Floor’. What appears at first to be quite a sparse track slowly builds into an all out roller with its musical elements becoming more and more frequent and drums gradually layering up to create pace and energy. This track screams out classic dBridge in every sense with its clever use of musical stabs, eerie atmospheres and growling sub bass.

Share

Utopia Music is a new Bristol based drum & bass label founded by Mako, a DJ/producer with longstanding residencies at Dissident in Bristol, Spectrum in London and promoter of the infamous Utopia parties that have played host to guests including Randall, Fierce, Break, dBridge, Sabre, Lynx, Storm, Squire and more since starting in 2006.

Opening the label’s musical account, Bristol resident and long-time Utopia supporter Break (Symmetry) steps up to deliver Natural Progression. On the reverse, dBridge (Exit Records) remixes a track created by label boss Mako and Andy Skopes (Good Looking) back in 2006 that remains unreleased despite a large amount of DJ support and an appearance on Fierce & Break’s cover-mount mix CD for ATM Magazine.

UM001
Break / Mako & Andy Skopes
A) Natural Progression – Break

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

AA) In The Raw (dBridge Remix) – Mako & Andy Skopes

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Released: November 2009
Format: 12″ Vinyl / Digital

DJ support: LTJ Bukem, Doc Scott, Fierce, Makoto, Bailey, Loxy, Total Science, SpectraSoul, DJ Lee, Flight, Instra:mental, Survival, Invaderz, Squire, Insiders and many more.

Links:
www.utopiamusic.org
www.myspace.com/utopiamusicuk

Share

Back in May of 2009, Blackdown posted an in-depth interview with Kryptic Minds and Loefah, breaking down how Loefah started his brand new label Swamp 81. They spoke at length about the parallels between DnB and dubstep, especially from a label-sound point. Well, at the end of this month, you can own what’s sure to be one of the scene’s more captivating releases to date.

“What I want to push with Swamp 81 is the gap that isn’t really being represented anymore. The roller, the halfstep… spacious“.

What Loefah heard in those first few Kryptic Minds beats is edgy, rolling, stripped back spacious dubstep that was spectacularly well made and also had its own identity – emotive, organic in places, very junglist in spirit – unlike the vast number of producers who tried to clone his sound in 2006, and failed. The first fruits of the partnership are Kryptic Mind’s “One of Us”, a deadly 12″ that encapsulates producers who understand the difference between edgy and too angry; that restraint often has more impact than chaotic release. This deft understanding of the tensions and contradictions buried within dubstep, and how you use them is played out yet further on their new album.

“I’m thinking Wax Doctor, Doc Scott, Goldie– that kind of thing. It’s that transitional phase between Reinforced and Headz that is in my heart” explains Loefah.

“That’s what I’d like to do with Swamp. And I don’t want it to be labelled as ‘the halfstep label.’ I want it to have that kind of tunnel vision Metalheadz had in 1996, that kind of ‘we’re going this way. I’m not watching what you’re doing – I’m going straight ahead“.

In that spirit, Kryptic Minds’ One of Us zooms in on edgy 140bpm halfstep, forcing the listener into a headspace where perfectly placed details come into vivid focus, like the hyper-real intensity of night adrenalin. Everything is tautly coiled, as if priming the listener for a flight-or-fight reflex. The tension is barely unleashed throughout the album.

“To me the album – and this may be really gushy,” enthuses Loefah, “it’s like a night out. Leaving the house or wherever you are, going through the night and the last track is morning. The sun’s come up and it’s time for bed“.
“I think the Kryptic Minds album and the 12“, concludes Loefah, “it’s just making a bit of a statement. We’re saying ‘you know what? It’s not this, it’s not that, we’re right in the middle and we’re headstrong with it“.

SWAMPCD001
Kryptic Minds – One Of Us (CD x 1 / Digital)
Release Date: 28th September 2009.

01. Intro
02. One Of Us
03. Generation Dub
04. Stepping Stone
05. Something To Nothing
06. Six Degrees
07. Three Views Of A Secret
08. Secure Lost
09. Dissolved
10. Chosen Few
11. Organic
12. Distant Dawn

Also out now, SWAMP001:

SWAMP001
Kryptic Minds – One Of Us / Six Degrees LTD 12″

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Keep your ears to the floor for up coming Swamp 81 releases, the next release (SWAMP002) will be a two track 12″ from the man Skream….

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/swamp81
http://swamp81.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/krypticminds1
http://www.myspace.com/loefah

Share