Kontrol - Into Oblivion EP (MSXEP34)
Having had releases on Metalheadz, Renegade Hardware, 31 Recordings and Tech Itch and having honed his production skills by collaborating with the likes of Futurecut & Calyx, Toby Kontrol weighs in with a double pack of original heaviness to seal his long connections with Moving Shadow. This guy lives and breathes drum and bass and has been heavily involved in the scene since the early 90’s. This decade or so of influences comes out in this EP most notably in the title track ‘Into Oblivion’; An ode to the old school which transports you back to the bluenote days with it’s pulsating pads and shifting breakbeats, as the almighty robotic basslines thunder in; injecting a heavy underground groove. This brooding vibe continues throughout the rest of this thunderous EP. With the Kung Fu samples and liquid metal basslines of ‘Eagles Shadow’ and the huge chord shifting synth lines and crisp breaks of ‘Slipstream’ to the atmospheric Sci-Fi beats of grand finale ‘Borrowed Time’ with it’s rising acid lines and extra terrestrial distress signals. With a new release ready to go on Hardware it looks like Kontrol’s time is finally coming, those in the know will surely agree.
Corrupt Souls - No Room In Hell EP (MSXEP35)
Corrupt Souls turn in another Heavyweight EP for the Shadow Camp following the huge response to their last MS outing – the ‘Wicked Life’ EP. Josh ‘Impulse’ Clarke and his production partner in crime Marcio Alvarado hail from Virginia USA and between them them have notched up some outstanding releases for labels such as Renegade Hardware, Subtitles, DSCI4, No U turn, Cryptic Audio, Nvision, Commercial Suicide & Ohm Resistance. Impressive no? They continue to fly the stars and stripes for stateside DnB here with four slabs of pure techno funk. Check out their own story board / script / description for each track of the EP below. Deep huh?
Trioxin 245: (Enter) vast sound-scapes of unparalleled emptiness. Drums activate, Trioxin is released, and the change begins. (Stand steady) Deep breath's as you take it in. The breakdown commences and there is no turning back. Sharp crooked stabs reverberate over top of the desolating atmospherics and sub. This is the fate, this is the solution, this is Trioxin.
Broadcast: (This just in)… The administration is in the midst of focusing all projected costs on military intelligence (change). Showing no mercy Corrupt Souls combine technical production and deep melody all while keeping the dance floor in mind (change). What was once thought to be housing for political is actually a day care center, more details on this bombing to follow (change) Rolling drums, haunting arpeggio's, esoteric midrange, and apocalyptic atmospherics all make the case (change).
Drop zone: (This is a simulation) At all times be aware that the outcome is predetermined. Spacious synth repaginations and rolling bass swells fuel the ride. Fast drums and machine chants concentrate inertia to the point of paralysis. Once the low end and distorted bass line come into play it’s easily understood: This is a simulation, you have nothing to fear.
No Room In Hell: Darkness falls over the persistent blowing of the horn. The slow, sweeping strings build tension as the synth melodies intensify. The army rages forward as the drums begin. The drop breaks into chaos with hard beats, intricate synth work, moody strings, and a bass line thick enough to shake the earth beneath the bodies. No one is victorious.
Noisia - Block Control EP (MSXEP36)
For the last year solid, Noisia have absolutely bullied their way into the global drum and bass scene. With their consistency of high quality tracks and the niche for making a style completely their own, this crew from the Netherlands has proven themselves as red hot, time and time again. Now with their debut EP on the mighty shadow, they have shown the world that they are also a legacy in the making. ‘Block Control’ is dancefloor at its finest. This one has graced the bags of nearly every top DJ the last several months. Intros with nice roller break perfect for a long mix, nice floaty pads swirl around the subtle filtered bass squelches, and when the sample says, its going down, that’s just what it does, and hard. Hands down one of the most intense and effective tunes you could play in a set right now. Right from the start, ‘Cold Veins’ grabs your attention and keeps you on the edge of your seat, Noisia delivers again with a break that could cut glass, accompanied by their trademark mid-bass that simply oozes warmth throughout the track. Nice contrasts between dark and light while managing to share moments of minimalism with undeniable depth. The other main gem to this EP, ‘Believe’ starts out with an eerie set of pads and half time beats lasting just long enough to aid in a mix. Very epic strings on this one, think superman meets the andromeda strain. When the drop comes you are on your way, filled with bubbling basses and fierce beats. This is future funk at its best. ‘Exorcism’ is a moody bastard though, Noisia style. Crisp punchy beats guide you through a layer of dramatic pads and washes until the bass drops, letting you know its time to move. This one is straight and to the point, giving you everything it has all the way throughout the track. A more than fitting way to close out an EP, especially one as complete as this.
Future Prophecies - Concrete Combat EP (MSXEP37)
Future Prophecies return to Moving Shadow after causing a stir in the scene last year with their last track ‘Dreadlock’. These guys are one of the busiest outfits in the scene since their first release back in 1997. Since then they’ve notched up releases on labels such as Renegade Hardware, Breakbeat KAOS, Certificate 18, Kickin, Subtitles, Breakbeat Science, Disturbed & Outbreak to name but a few. The Concrete Combat EP is Future Prophecies second release on Shadow, their first being last years ‘Overdrive EP’ which update mag called ‘Quality hard edged Drum & Bass - four boundary-pushing cuts’. With this latest EP the Norwegian duo have definitely come up with much of the same as they conjure up four edgy tracks that transcend the genre. From the grimey bass, echoing war cries and solid beats of title track ‘Concrete Combat’, the buzzing, stuttering chainsaw basslines of equally dancefloor friendly ‘417’ - the rising strings and flutes of operatic workout that is ‘The Dawn’ to the euphoric harmonies and driving stabs of ‘Final Fantasy’, this package is sure to have something for everyone.
Counterstrike - Wardance EP (MSXEP38)
Counterstrike has played an instrumental role in putting South Africa on the world drum 'n bass map. Justin Scholtemeyer AKA Animal Chin and Eaton Crous AKA 500 Mills, have been active drum 'n bass DJ's on the club/rave circuit since the mid Nineties playing all over South Africa and recently England, Germany, Norway, Poland, Belgium, Holland, Austria and Switzerland. Counterstrike has been producing drum 'n bass as a collective since 1998. After Dieselboy toured South Africa in early 2000 he was so impressed by their production skills that he offered to help with the promotion of their demo. Pressure/Questions on Canadian label Allied Recordings was their first 12" vinyl single to see the light. It got excellent reviews and sold out instantly. This lead to a string of successful vinyl 12"s (17 to date) for various international labels and a mix CD, Biogenesis on their own Algorythm Recordings. Their tunes are played out by all the big names in international drum 'n bass such as Andy C, Dieselboy, Pendulum, Dylan, Dom & Roland, Paul B, Kryptic Minds, B-Key, Evol Intent, Future Prophecies, The Mixologists, AK1200, the list goes on... Watch out for the first 12" release on their own Algorythm Recordings distributed worldwide by Nu-Urban.
‘Merciless’ starts with dreamy techno influenced pads then opens up into a high energy metal / industrial / drum 'n bass fusion with double bass drum edits and angry vocals and trademark Counterstrike pitch bend reese... Loosely based on b-grade horror movies, ‘Phantasm’ has all the right elements that hint at an anthem. It opens with eerie analogue strings only to unleash into a full on drum 'n bass / metal assault. ‘Zaire’ hints at the classic '96 techstep era with a unique ethnic influence. Rough, rolling bass over crisp Paris breaks are completed with a steel panpipe... watch out for the dangerous switch on the second drop. More ethnic influences... this time with the turn of the mighty ‘Zulu Warrior’ building from the depths of the Zulu's ancestral spirit and explods into a fierce mash-up of distorted bass lines, tribal drums and real sampled Zulu wardance chanting.
Deep Roots - The Vice Grip EP (MSXEP39)
Deep Roots returns again after his 12” featuring ‘Critical’ and ‘Caliente’ kicked up a storm on the Fiasco E.P. ‘Vice Grip’ is a driven track with a techno arpeggio intro setting the pace for the EP. This track has an intense drop and as the vocal suggests "its like my brain being held in the grip of a giant vice". With it’s subtly entwined tribal influences, African chants and bass that thunders towards you like a swarm; the aptly named ‘Africanized Bee’ delivers everything it promises and more. ‘Mechanical Mayhem’ is a lo swung roller from Roots. A little different, with dub style hits and electro vocals, its subtle vibe proves very effective. An old skool vibe with a new skool twist is very apparent in ‘Retrospect’, as this track borrows vocals and beats from then and bass skills from now. On plate for a while, this one has proven its damage capability.
... STOP PRESS ...
Look out for plenty of Moving Shadow tunes gracing the latest version on Rockstar Games' Midnight Club 3 : DUB Edition! More details on all that in the next edition of the news :-)
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