Artist: Various Title: Mosaic Volume One Label: Exit Records Genre: Drum & Bass, Leftfield Format: Gatefold 4xLP, CD, Digital
Former Bad Company man dBridge has always been one of the most forward-thinking D&B producers around, as his recent ambient/IDM effort for the Autonomic label neatly proved. Even so, few expected him to curate a compilation quite so eclectic, atmospheric and otherworldly as this. Although firmly rooted in drum and bass and dubstep, Mosaic Volume One delights in confounding and confusing. It’s not so much a D&B compilation as a collection of IDM, next-level electronica and wonky futurist beats. It even steps into slo-mo four-four territory on occasions (dBridge’s own “Decayed”, which will be of interest to fans of Om Unit and Arp 101) – something previously frowned upon by many within the junglist community.
Of course, such an eclectic approach would mean nothing if the material were sub standard. Thankfully, Mosaic Volume One is good… very good. In fact, it could be argued that it’s the most revolutionary set of tracks to emerge from the D&B scene for a decade. As you’d expect from dBridge, the overriding feel throughout is one of tech-tinged paranoia. Yet there’s much more to Mosaic Volume One than mere sci-fi obsessed darkness. Musically, there are moments of intense, shimmering beauty (see Stray’s ambient era Aphex-ish “Pushed”, Synkro’s blissful “Open Arms” and Dan Habarnam’s “Nu Este Roz”). Invariably, it is these moments that stand out.
A glimpse at the tracklist would suggest a raft of ‘standard’ big name contributions included to pull in punters – Commix, Skream, Instra:mental, Loxy & Rasound and Indigo are all involved – but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The vast majority of these producers deliberately stray outside their comfort zone, largely with breathtaking results. Engaging, engrossing and enjoyable in equal measure, Mosaic Volume One should be essential listening for anyone with a passion for electronic music. This way lies the future.
Being chosen to do a FabricLive mix CD is no mean feat. Over the years, the likes of James Lavelle, John Peel and LTJ Bukem have made their appearances on what is undoubtedly the most pre-eminent series of mix CDs to ever grace our ears. Now marking their half-centenary, D-Bridge and Instra:mental bring us the culmination of sounds from their respective labels, Exit and Non Plus, and their Autonomic podcast series.
Beginning the sonic journey with the uplifting, sonorous vocal work of Riya (who, incidentally is set for big things this year), in “Seems Like”, and moving through some minimal, downtempo numbers from Stray, Dan Habarnam and Vaccine, things get a bit more quirky and explorative in Consequence Lover’s “Shell and Genotype – Distorted Dreams”. Alix Perez’s “Self Control” is a particularly poignant and beautiful moment in the mix, as are the string of Instra:mental tracks – “End Credits”, “Watching You” and “Fist (Level 2B) mix” – which meld together seamlessly in a stream of sparse, melodic beauty. Separated off from the rest of the mix by two acapellas – courtesy of Meleka – “Go” and D-Bridge – “Inner Disbelief” – this middle section marks the ever-so-subtle movement into dubstep territory, which dominates the second half of the CD.
Here we see the likes of Hotflush head honcho, Scuba featured (with the dBridge remix of “Tense and Eclipse”) alongside the Hessle Audio-affiliated Pearson Sound; Code 3’s “Living Proof” and Skream’s “Fire Call” should also get a special mention, with strong contributions from both dBridge and Instra:mental cementing it all together. It’s a phenomenal selection of fresh, cutting-edge music that sets out to defy genre boundaries and re-introduce musicality, space and depth to production, and exceeds expectations on every level.
Whilst dBridge & Instra:mental have their own salubrious solo careers (former Bad Company member, dBridge, and hot shot producers, Al Bleek and Kid Drama, Instra:mental), it is perhaps as their collaborative tripartite that they have garnered the most interest. Drawing together a wealth of influences, the trio have attracted the attention of techno, house, dubstep and drum n bass aficionados around the world with their eclectic, far-reaching forays into electronic music, with their genre-hopping ‘Autonomic’ podcast series.
Artist: Martyn Title: Is This Insanity? (Remixes Part 2) Label: 3024 Genre: Dubstep/Grime, Techno Format: 12″, Digital Buy From:Juno Records, Juno Download
The second set of remixes of Dutch producer Martyn sees three more top names take on songs from the incredible Great Lengths album. As a digital exclusive, UK Funky star Roska takes on one of the biggest tunes from the album, “These Words”. Dropping the tempo down a little, Roska adds his distinctive beats to the track, which work well with the vocal courtesy of dBridge. The effect is funky, but still retains the ghostly and moving vibe of the original.
German Ben Klock also puts a haunting Minimal edge on “Is This Insanity?” Losing the tabla drums but keeping the husky vocal from Spaceape, Klock’s arrangement is thrillingly sparse and perfect, and a nice departure from the Martyn original. Manchester’s Illum Sphere, who’s been getting attention from Radio 1 to Radiohead of late, also does a neat job with the epic “Brilliant Orange”, adding some tastefully off-kilter and hypnotic beats to the originally dry, beatless track. Some essential remixes from an already classic album.
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