STHoldings Ltd

Told through narrative interludes and a musical score capturing windows in our tale; ‘A Wandering Journal’ is a voyage through experimental electronica; the debut long player from London-based producer, Sabre, and the first solo artist album on Critical Music.

Hailing from north London, 27 year old DJ turned Producer ‘Sabre’ has slowly been risen through the ranks of the global electronic music fraternity, securing as he goes a reputation as a twisted yet soulful thinker, bringing a grittier sound to the deeper spectrum of the drum and bass scene and experimental electronica.

After having spent his earliest years in the Seychelles, Sabre moved to the UK in 1989. Reaching his early teens, he found a passion for Hip-Hop and turntablism, and equipped himself as a bedroom DJ. The subsequent vinyl addiction was cemented by the arrival of the Jungle Era, and overwhelmed by the richness of the music, Sabre started to purchase the occasional release eventually switching focus away from Hip-Hop entirely in the late 90’s with the arrival of more futuristic, industrial sounding drum and bass, from artists like Future Forces, Photek, Teebee and DJ Trace.

After stints on pirate radio stations such as Rude FM a course in music technology followed and armed the young DJ with a firm grasp of studio technique; the first releases came in 2002 under the guise of the collaborative ‘Intimidation Collective’ project, a two man, self- driven enterprise selling white label music from car boots straight to the shops. The profile was growing at grass roots level in the underground, and now approaching 2004, small and mid sized labels started picking up on the ‘techy/soulful’ mix of dance floor drum and bass being produced by the newcomer. The first throws at starting a brand within music came the year after with the launch of London Zu, the now retired drum and bass club night formerly held at Londons’ La Scala venue.

“Still perhaps the most exciting era of my life, around 2002-2004 when I started to first find support in this music, mingle with people who had been my heroes for years, finally knowing that I had a niche and a following, which is all I really wanted.”

In the years since those first opportunities, Sabre’s grown to emerge as a global DJ with residencies across Europe, and secured releases and remix work for labels including Metalheadz, Renegade Hardware, Critical and Shogun Audio. Spanning many styles, this initially dance floor-orientated catalog has since evolved itself towards a more minimal and experimental outlook, resulting in 2007 with a commission from Capitol films to contribute toward the film score for the Tony Kaye feature ‘Black Water Transit’. The view looking to the future is spread across the musical and multimedia spectrum.

“Writing ‘A Wandering Journal’ has been liberating beyond expression. It’s a project I’ve had developed and hibernating for so long that looking back, I know that if it’d been left any longer it wouldn’t have been realised to its true potential. All the unwritten details of the concept and the loose narrative would have faded in my mind. Creating it when I did, whilst the concept was still strong in my mind, and my musical output was amongst the most free-spirited of my career was perfect timing. And it’s spurned me on to be even more ambitious with what I create in the future. I have to approach a new frontier now that this album is complete, and the current multimedia landscape is the perfect playground in which to elaborate on what I stand for creatively.”

CRITCD04 / CRITLP04
Sabre
A Wandering Journal

CD1:
1. Day One
2. The Intrepid
3. Quarters feat. Noisia & Icicle
4. Day Four
5. A Wandering Journal
6. Escapade
7. Follow Polaris
8. Day Eight
9. Peril
10. Ash
11. Marvel
12. Levelling Out Pt. 1 feat. Maxwell Golden
13. Have It Your Way feat. Alix Perez
14. Day Fourteen
15. Havens Verge

CD2:
1. Peril (Club mix)
2. Marvel (Club mix)
3. Quarters feat. Noisia & Icicle (Club mix)
4. The Intrepid (Club mix)
5. Javelin feat. Alix Perez
6. A Wandering Journal (Rockwell Club mix)
7. Curious
8. Levelling Out Pt. 2
9. Follow Polaris (Club mix)
10. Have It Your Way feat. Alix Perez (Club mix)

3×12″ Version:
1. Peril (Club mix)
2. Quarters feat. Noisia & Icicle (Club mix)
3. The Intrepid (Club mix)
4. Javelin feat. Alix Perez
5. A Wandering Journal (Rockwell Club mix)
6. Follow Polaris (Club mix)

Release date: 29th March 2010.

Out Now: A Wandering Journal – Sampler

CRITLP04S
Sabre
A Wandering Journal LP Sampler

a) Marvel
aa) Barefoot (Ft. Ulterior Motive)

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Links:
http://www.youtube.com/awanderingjournal
http://www.criticalmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/sabrelondonzu
http://www.myspace.com/criticalmusic

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Fast becoming one of the most exciting and diverse labels in Drum & Bass ‘Exit Records’ have a massive lineup of quality releases in the pipeline. Forthcoming on the label imminently are EXIT019 and EXIT020. Full details are right here.

The first release for 2010 on Exit records comes in the form of two tracks by Russian newcomers Abstract Elements, made up of two producers Bop and Diagram. Their tracks caught the attention of label owner dBridge with their seemingly fearless quest for experimentation and have featured heavily in the sets of DJs such as dBridge, Instra:mental, Loxy, ASC and also on the Autonomic podcasts. Both tracks sit just as comfortably at clubs such as FWD as they do in an all out DnB party.

A) Abstract Elements – Wrong Way

“Wrong Way” takes us into a void of sound and space, built around a metronomic radar blip, the track sinks down deep through the uncharted depths of the subsonic bass realms. Attention to detail, intricate use of atmospheric sound effects and devastating low end bass give this track a unique sensation which just cannot be ignored. Repeated listening is required to fully explore the vast soundscape that they have created here.

B) Abstract Elements – Abysmal Depth

“Abysmal Depth” could be described as a distorted fusion of dub and electronica but also delves into the 4×4 genre. Once again, their use of constantly transforming effects and mood altering atmospherics give this track the quality of being able to take the listener on a journey and leaves them with an awkward sense of not knowing exactly where they’ve just been. Check out the Farbric Live 50 -dBridge & Instra:mental present Autonomic CD to see just how versatile this track be work in the mix.

Released on 12″ Vinyl / Digital on 1st February 2010.
Audio Clips now available on the Exit Records myspace page.

Mark System is by no means a newcomer to the music world having been performing as an MC and producing music for labels such as Digital Soundboy and Shogun Audio amongst others for over a decade. His debut on Exit Records consists of two tracks which underline his production skills and originality in sound design and arrangement.

A) System – Peach Fuzz

On the A-Side we have “Peach Fuzz”. A track created and named by System after attending and gaining inspiration from Carl Cox’s closing party at Space. He claims that Danny Tenaglia’s set stimulated him to think about new ways of approaching tracks. “Peach Fuzz“ was the result and what a result it was. This track oozes originality and is a pearl in the boxes of many top DJs at the moment such as dBridge, Instra:mental, Ed Rush, Commix, Friction etc etc.

B) System – The Voices

On the B-side we have “Voices” from System, which is an elaborate workout of glitchy beats, choppy break edits and curious melodies. This track is far from formulaic, having been started as an experiment to vent creative juices with no intention of it leaving his computer, were glad it did!

Released on 12″ Vinyl / Digital on 15th February 2010.
Audio Clips now available on the Exit Records myspace page.

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It’s been nearly four years since Gridlok’s debut album “Break the System” solidified his dynamic sound into the vanguards of Drum and Bass. Considered one of the best producers in the genre, Gridlok’s music disturbs and excites dance floors across the globe.

Since his start in 1999, he has released tracks with some of the most respected labels in Drum and Bass, including RAM, Shogun Audio, C.I.A., Violence Recordings, and Renegade Hardware. His studio prowess has found him doing remix work for some of the brightest stars in electronic music such as Sasha, Josh Wink, Ed Rush & Optical, Mampi Swift, and Pop Will Eat Itself. An artist not only limited to consistently releasing chart-topping dance singles, Gridlok’s other noteworthy accomplishments include his work with Konami for their massive “Dance Dance Revolution” franchise, and his Grammy-nominated collaboration with AK1200 “Autopsy”, which was up for Best Electronic Album in 2008. Throughout all of this, Gridlok has maintained a relentless touring schedule taking him everywhere from Russia to Australia, delivering a vibe that is undeniable to all those that dare to strap in for the ride. Now it is time for the latest chapter in this prolific artist’s journey…

Project Fifty-One is proud to present, Gridlok’s second full-length album:

P51UKLP-02
Gridlok
Void

CD Tracklisting:
01. Skuffle *
02. Radar *
03. Steady *
04. Worth Forgetting
05. Short Term Memory *
06. The Void *
07. Alone In The Dark
08. Chatter *

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09. Fade Out *
10. No Gravity
11. Parallel Universe *
12. Escape Pod
13. R.E.M.

* These tracks also feature on the 4 x 12″ Version
The CD version will only be available as part of the Vinyl edition, it’s not available seperately, tracks will also be for sale digitally.

P51UKLP-02-S
Gridlok
Void LP Sampler (To be released prior to the full LP)

01. Chatter
02. Flame Thrower Remix

About Project Fifty-One:

Initially conceived as a sinister plot against all things mundane and unchallenging, Project Fifty-One provides worldwide access to music designed to rock dancefloors and synapses with equal ferocity. P51′s focus is presenting Drum n’ Bass that is unafraid to shatter boundaries and create musical situations unavailable from any other label. From its beginnings as an outlet for Gridlok’s more esoteric material, the label has evolved into an underground powerhouse distributed by ST Holdings and featuring world renowned artists such as Dom & Roland, Hive, Rymetyme, Optiv, the Upbeats, Silver, Echo, AK1200, and Gridlok himself.

Links:
www.projectfiftyone.com
www.tmgsonik.com – VOID World tour info
www.myspace.com/gridlokp51

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Few musical acts can lay claim to such dynamic and consistent evolution as Blu Mar Ten. Formed in the big-bang of 90’s drum & bass and regular faces at Rage, Metalheadz, Speed & AWOL, Blu Mar Ten were rapidly spotted by LTJ Bukem and signed to Good Looking Records, cementing their position in the genre as originators of complex, atmospheric music.

They quickly grew and mutated beyond the confines of the jungle into lush experimentation with downtempo, ambient, house, breaks, techno & left-field for labels such as Naked Music, Guidance, Big Chill, with two full albums of non-d&b material on Exceptional Records.

This new material saw Blu Mar Ten gain support from DJs such as Tom Middleton, Rennie Pilgrem, Pete Tong, Felix da Housecat, Ben Watt, Carl Cox, Lee Burridge, Erol Alkan, Howie B and Mary Anne Hobbs.

Blu Mar Ten also remixed a series of major and independent artists, including Erykah Badu, Annie Lennox, Alicia Keys, Terry Lee Brown Junior, Jakatta, The Ananda Project, Doc Scott, Fink and Blame.

2005 saw Blu Mar Ten return to the drum & bass scene, with the next 18 months producing a string of releases on labels such as Hospital, Renegade Hardware, Shogun Audio, 31 Records, Tangent, Phuzion, Vibez & Basement.

2009 has already seen the release of the ‘Close’ and ‘Believe Me’ EPs, preludes to Blu Mar Ten’s long-awaited first full drum & bass album. Scheduled for late 2009, the album promises to deliver an incredibly wide range of drum & bass tracks from the deeply abstract to the unashamedly dancefloor, all bearing Blu Mar Ten’s trademark stamp of quality.

DJ support for Blu Mar Ten’s new material has been pouring in from right across the d&b family tree, leaving you in no doubt at the trio’s position at the forefront of the scene…

Coming soon in Late October / Early November:

Blu Mar Ten – Natural HistoryCD / 2×12″ / Digital

Returning to their ancestral roots, Natural History is the long-awaited first full drum & bass album from Blu Mar Ten, leaving you in no doubt of their position at the cutting edge of the genre.

From the storming remix of vocal opener Starting Over, through the deeply abstract Grey Area to the VIP rework of massive club hit Close and the epic Last Dance, Natural History showcases the trio’s ability to enrich and develop their DNA, resulting in an album full of surprising twists and turns that all carry the Blu Mar Ten stamp of quality.

CD Tracklisting:

01. Starting Over (2009 Remix)
02. Above Words
03. God’s Lonely Man
04. By The Time My Light Reaches You I’ll Be Gone
05. Grey Area
06. Believe Me
07. Close (VIP)
08. Clipjoint
09. If I Could Tell You
10. Nobody Here
11. Last Dance
12. Overwhelm
13. Bedroom Eyes

2×12″ Vinyl Tracklist:

A) Close (VIP)
B) Clipjoint
C) If I Could Tell You
D) Last Dance

Digital Version will feature the following Bonus Tracks:

(14). Made Of Air
(15). Eight Rounds Rapid (Digital Exclusive Track)

Support for these tracks comes from:
Marky, London Elektricity, Doc Scott, Teebee, Instra:mental, D Bridge, Hype, John B, Logistics, Ed Rush, Marcus Intalex, Utah Jazz, Makoto, Spectrasoul , Apex, SPY, Craggz, DKay, Seba, Loxy, Ink, Lynx, John B, Randomer, Data, Nerm & D-Kode, Annie Nightingale, Crissy Criss, Mosus, Furney, A Sides, Tom Middleton, ASC, State of Mind, Kubiks, Lomax, Alleycat, Big Bud and many more…

Blu Mar Ten – Drum & Bass Mix Sept 2009

Blu Mar Ten – Drum & Bass Mix Sep 2009 by blumarten
Go here for tracklist: http://www.blumarten.com/home/drum-bass-mix-sep-2009

Out Now:

BMT001
Blu Mar Ten
Close

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BMT002
Blu Mar Ten
Believe Me

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Links:

www.blumarten.com
www.myspace.com/blumarten
www.facebook.com/blumarten
www.twitter.com/blumarten
www.youtube.com/chrisblumarten

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