Review: Fresh-faced bass-driven liquid straight from the heart of London town, Paramount's latest offering places depth and emotion above all else. Incorporating smooth brass and lush atmospherics with deep, luxurious bass, he creates a warmly emotive soundscape, showcasing his minimal percussion in its best light. Second track "Ivory" is another deep roller, this time with more of a jungle bite for the dancefloor crew. Crisp amens brighten up the top end as rumbling, storm-cloud bass blankets the melody. A perfect piece of deep liquid funk.
Review: This EP is a collaboration of work by some of Europe's finest intelligent liquid producers. A strange sub-genre term it might be, but Intelligent Manners' Intelligent Recordings has searched far and wide over the past couple of years to find music that fits the niche. Celsius have done much the same here, showcasing some of the finest intelligent drum & bass around that still holds the soul and emotive qualities of liquid. Featuring the likes of Intelligent Manners, Command Strange and Mage, it's a breezy look at what the future holds for one of the longest standing sub-genres in dance music. If you like Calibre, DJ Marky, S.P.Y or Bukem, you'll want to check this out pronto.
Review: Hungarian duo Kelle & Juha have appeared on our featured list before thanks to their unique take on drum & bass. Erring on the side of technical twitches and intricate percussion the pair take an in-depth approach to their production, immersing the listener in multiple layers of sonic texture. "Monochrome" has a top end filled with clicks and taps, underpinned by deep subby bass and loosely held together by an intertwining piano melody that drifts in and out of earshot, adding to the ambiance. "Depressed Sunday" places a lush reese under soaring strings and techy beats. It's a different approach for Celsius but goes to prove their commitment to giving talented new producers a chance to shine.
Skyweep/FullCasual - "What Dreams May Come" - (6:42)
Review: Skyweep may not have many releases to his name, but the What Dreams May Come EP shows him to be adept at a wide range of atmospheric D&B styles. "Homunculus Lullaby" combines Burial-inspired vocals atmospherics and moody bass with some intricate half-stepping rhythms, while "Coming Down" sees minimal percussive rolls take the lead on a vocal turn with echoes of Bjork. "Broke My Eyes" meanwhile combines monolithic half-step and deep bass with another big vocal. "What Dreams May Come" is the best track by far however, combining intricate rhythmic flourishes with a moody sonic backdrop that brings some of the best Metalheadz moments to mind.
Review: Command Strange has been a very busy man over the past few months. Producing some of the finest liquid rollers from one of the world's most misunderstood places, the Kazakhstan-based producer uses his idols as inspiration to create beautiful jazz-influenced D&B. With supporters like LTJ Bukem, DJ Marky, Random Movement, Fabio & Grooverider, Mutated Forms, Bailey and Big Bud all keen to back him up, Celsius had to say yes to a physical release. From the smooth lush tones of "Away From The Sun" to the deep bass groove of "Do Me Right", this is one liquid EP that pushes the boundaries.
Review: Binding soulful D&B with the melancholy cinematics of the more standard European manfestation of the genre has been Austrian duo RoyGreen & Protone's MO since they met back in 2010. Never holding back on the big bass but with a lot of time and effort spent manipulating delicate sound effects and snippets of live instrumentation, their output is always a cut above. Celsius may be a surprise choice of label to avid followers of the pair, however when the tracks are this good, who are we to argue? Head for the dancefloor and get smiling.
Review: A cheeky booty offshoot from Fokuz sister brand Celsius, here we find two mysterious rubs of the stadium-slaying Zedd. "Spectrum In Drum & Bass" is the main hit as Zedd's Spectrum remix of Miani's "Never Let You Go" is given its own coat of D&B go-faster stripes. "Right Here, Right Now" is a touch more subtle in its make-up but no less anthemic in its delivery. Whoever's behind this project needs props!
Review: Scott Allen heads up this EP on Celsius, teaming up with talent such as Faible, Flame and Deeper Connection on four of the six tracks. "Dusk" provides an atmospheric intro to the Inner Beauty EP with its rattling percussion, mournful flickers and breezy atmospherics. Next, the title track is all reflective musings with murmuring bass, glistening SFX and a rose-tinted haze. The first of the collaborative tracks, "Saw Your Face" brings in Faible for another laidback slice of jazzy D&B, whilst "Drifting Away" with Flame brings in sweeping synths and more punchy drums. Deeper Connection adds a warm, cosy darkness to "The Need In Me", before "Need You" rounds things up.
Review: Sweet and emotional liquidy rollers which should be enjoyed with well chilled cava and beautiful women in the sunset. Well produced stuff. Our favorites on this E.P. are Night Vibes & Candy. Absolutely love the half time breakdown in Night Vibes, it could quite easily be a track by itself and will be a beautiful stop gap in a set. Kind of like pulling over during a drive round the Oregon coastline to appreciate a sweet view of the beach. While Candy makes you feel like your at a day time Ibiza pool party in a private Villa.
Review: A superb single here from upcoming talents Maduk, for the prolific Celsius - a liquid label who have consistently provided us with ear-pleasing tunes for a good while now. Maduk's original piece "Ghost Assassin" leads the way, featuring the vocal talents of Canadian singer Veela, who you may remember from Med School's "New Blood 011" compilation last year - this is all euphoric synths, warm undulating bass and uplifting lyrics. Next, he goes in on Booij's "Voices" and re-works it to huge effect, transforming it into a sumptuous slice of liquid funk with enticing, delicate melodies.
Review: Chartstalker brings the lush liquid vibes to Celsius in the aptly entitled All My Love EP which is a sonorous sweeping release which begins with the delightful, sweeping atmospherics and cooing SFX of the title track and transports us to another level with more than a touch of euphoria in the synth work.The accompanying cut "Sunlight Filters Through" is another excellent piece of musical medicine with jittering beats, shuffling melodies and a pervasive sense of energy which dances through every element of this luxurious track.
Review: New kids on the block, Flame & Incident, team up for an old-school jungle showdown on the UK's Celsius Recordings. Flame's "Let Me Feel" is as deep as it is driving, where atmospheric melodics meets rough low-end and gentile female vocals drenched in enough FX to send your jaw twisting through next week. The guys collaborate on the title track "Smoke Streets" and come out the other end with a hotter than hot breakbeat crunch-down - check the bassline!
Review: If slick, melodic and well-crafted dance music is your thing, you probably come to the right place. A Russian producer originally making trance, Mage stated making D&B influenced music in 2004. This new EP is incredibly well produced; "Let Me Go" is huge, melodic, Euro-stadium dance music with a catchy female vocal, lighters-in-the-air pianos and an urgent breakbeat. "Believe" conjures up the ghost of Robert Miles and "Sun On The Beach" unsurprisingly is glossy and sun-kissed. However, if darker stuff is more what you're looking for, the moody and evocative "All The Time" should float your boat!
Review: A sumptuous two track EP here from Simplification as he does Celsius proud with a cracking offering that will have D&B fans across the globe pricking up their ears. First up are the terse, thumping beats of "Away" which are paired so deftly with mellifluous melodies and drifting atmospherics for the ultimate in juxtaposition. This has plenty to keep you interested. Accompanying it is the equally as excellent "Keep Me Now" which takes things in a more experimental tip with ominous, futuristic vocal samples, humming sub bass and whirring SFX which look to the future and ponder over it broodingly.
Sundesire - "Some Day We'll Be Together" - (5:51) 175 BPM
Review: Next Celsius present us with another excellent EP to continue their catalogue of releases. This one, the Closer EP starts with Subranger and Sundesire's collaborative effort "Closer" which pairs light, mellifluous breaks with yearning, rather melancholic melodies to huge effect. Following this up is "Evening Stars" by Sundesire and Nelver which is a suitably calming and tranquil little number, punctuated by light percussion and gentle piano keys. Continuing the musical narrative, N4M3 and Sundesire's "Autumn Memories" is another lush, atmospheric track full of sweeping atmospherics and spaced out sounds, underpinned by booming sub bass. Last of all Sundesire brings everything to a close with the delightful sounds of "Some Day We'll Be Together". A great EP here.
Review: Expect to hear some lovely stuff from Pixel here in the "Hangin About EP". Opening with "Here Again" its all birds twittering and murmuring melodies in the intro, with ticking beats and sonorous vocals transporting us into the main tune which continues to meander along with gentle ease right til the end. Light, liquid flavours are definitely the order of the day here and the effect is magnificent. Accompanying this is the title track "Hangin About" which has a more upbeat appeal with rolling, percussion, echoing vocal snippets and shimmies of piano keys amongst the insistent pattering drums.
Review: Vector and Macca join forces on Celsius and bring us the Autumn EP. Getting things started is the collaborative cut "Autumn" which sees the pair bring in the talents of 3quent too - expect gentle, lilting atmospherics here with crisp breaks and murmuring bass booms. Next is the awe-inspiring "Celestial" with its sweeping atmospherics and eerie excellence, before Vecca goes solo for the murmuring "Days Gone By" with its sparkling SFX and jungle breaks. Last of all, Vector brings the EP to a close with the glorious bass-driven roller "After You Go". Stylish stuff here from Vector & Macca.
Review: This two-track EP heads straight into the old-school with "Temptation", with soulful vibes backing up scattered percussion as it rolls out into serious fast-paced dance floor grooves. Pushing that tempo but gathering a little more beauty, "Time Is All We Need" matches a Lenzman-esque shimmer and fresh instrumentation to rolling bass and techy keyboard accents. Bringing definite hints of summer to mind, Mage are set for a fantastic festival season with this EP. Laid back but still tasty enough for heavier sets, both tracks are perfect for interesting transitions from dirty to old-school soulful d&b, or simply for chilled home listening.
Review: Dipping and soaring over a sharply crisp drum and bass backdrop, the piano-driven verses of "Protaras" are delicate and melancholy, lifted by the relentless percussive tap of kicks and snares. "Beacon City Skyline" is a deep beauty of a track, featuring the harmonious vocals of Dennean. Experimenting with breakcore textures and euphoric samples it's truly unique and showcases his trance and breakbeat influences. Final track "Year In The Rain" samples a rain storm - of course - but matches it tastefully with the sing-song lilt of Strife II's favourite instrument, the piano. Building atmospherically until a break in the clouds, it's liquid at it's best.
Review: Celsius have a relentless release schedule, the benefits of which include getting the freshest new music out there before other labels have caught a breath. It's a strategy that's kept them ahead of the pack, such as on this new release, where regular collaborators Roygreen and Protone hook up with Paul T for a killer two tracker. "Outlaw" contains some seriously tough beats, haunting backdrops and creepy vocal snips, while "Sideways" keeps the tough beats but adds distant, echoey melodies and throbbing, menacing bass notes. Spooky!
Review: St. Petersburg-based Shiny Radio might have an unconventional name but this originality shines though on his Feel The Fire EP. Featuring the powerfully soulful vocals of La Kos, this EP might originate in icy climes but its heart is definitely in soul capital Brazil. "Travelin" skips and rolls along happily with a very welcome breakdown around the 3 minute mark that shows off SR's impressive percussive skills. "Fall In Love" is a sweet stepper with a huge rolling bass and lush vocals, while "Let's Blow" brings deep, bouncing bass and atmospheric instrumentation to the forefront, exposing a more experimental side. "Final Track" comes back full circle to a brass-tinted sunshine-drenched drum and bass celebration. Warm, fresh DnB from a producer to watch.
Review: Russian newcomer Nelver has only a few releases to his name on liquid-minded label Focuz. This, his first outing on Triple Vision's Celsuis, is a double act of emotionally-charged drum and bass straight from the Moleman and Netsky school of twinkling piano ad-libs and soaring strings. "Back To The Past" is an airy-light swooper, fiddling with percussive textures and bright sparks of soulful vocals. "Last Challenger" comes down smooth with melancholy guitar meddlings and sharp percussion driving things forward. Two well-balanced tracks any new producer would be proud to put their name to, Nelver is definitely one to watch.
Review: A mainstay on the online liquid D&B scene, Malaky's mixing talents have already been proven repeatedly, and this two track release on Celsius hopes to cement his career as a producer of gorgeous liquid funk as well. "Late Nights" immediately gives the impression that this dream isn't far off; with glistening washes of synth and melancholic piano brightening a deep, rolling bassline, this is chilled liquid perfection. "Forgotten Times" pairs emotive melodic sections with deep bass and bright top end embellishments. Full of surprises, these are two tracks any liquid fan should add to their arsenal.
Review: London-based drum & bass producer Karl Future is up for creating some of the finest back-to-basics soulful music around the 170 mark that you can find, and we're down with that. "Summer Groove" takes us through a balmy afternoon in the late '90s with lush samples and rapid-fire percussion melting sweet soulfuness and sharp beats together like a Solero in the sun. "Time" has the old-school breakbeat sound of Optiv & BTK yet somehow weaves gorgeously swooping female vocals and hot reggae brass into the breaks creating a multitude of layers and textures. "Afterglow" is another back-to-basics full-on vintage roller, harking back to a time when drum & bass was soul and tracks lasted forever. Raise a glass for Karl Future's 2013, a year of soulful D&B.
Review: Hungarian liquid funk producer Kelle and Canadian vocalist Veela get together to create two beautifully smooth releases fresh from Celsius' ever-growing catalogue of European D&B producers. Swooning synths and punchy bass pins "Frozen People" to the top of 2013's liquid list, with icy, barely-there vocals adding another layer of texture. "Yellow Curtains" is perhaps not the most inspiring of track names but the mixture of techy sounds, hard stepping rhythm and ethereal vocals make this track pop. It sounds like a big-name release and deserves coverage. Show your support for these upcoming artists.
Nelver - "Your Mover To The Club" - (5:58) 175 BPM
2sides - "Take Control" - (5:24) 172 BPM
Review: Combining the best in European liquid, Celsius never fails in releasing some of the finest new drum & bass from in and around Europe. Featuring artists with their own loyal following alongside newcomers, the Eastern Symphonies collection has so far explored Eastern Europe for some lessons in deep, emotional D&B. Russian production dons 2sides and Mage head up Vol. 3 with their individual takes on crystal clear, contemporary drum & bass, while newcomer Nelver adds his own tech-driven twist; Urbandawn & Rotate's offering grows into a break-laden slow-burner that stays with you. A strong release from a label determined to be different.
Review: Release provides the next release on Celsius; teaming up with Stephen J Wood for the "Take The Hint EP", it's all chiming instrumentals, ticking breaks and lilting loveliness across this nice little 2-tracker. First up is "Each Day" which begins with whispering, beats, chiming SFX and slowly develops into the main tune with rolling, purposeful drums and warm instrumentals. "Take The Hint" continues to weave the same musical narrative with clinking, chiming SFX, sweeping atmospherics, a hint of breathy vocals and pounding drums setting the pace.
Review: Celsius bring us another great EP, this time from the one like Severity Zero. "Analysis Paralysis" begins with a soft, lilting melody broken by a whispering lyric and bleepy SFX, and develops into a lovely roller with murmuring bass, gentle lyrics and plenty of summery atmospheres. The accompanying "Metamorphosis" is another surreal and dreamy piece of mastery, with its floating melodies, gentle rippling atmospherics and sense of peace, love and harmony. A quirky and very accessible release here from Severity Zero.
Review: Bristol-based gamer Actraiser returns to Celsius with four more slices of rolling dynamite. Deep, soulful but entrenched in dark texture, he peddles the same sophisticated grooves you'd usually find on Bukem's seminal Good Looking imprint or Utah Jazz's Vintage label. Highlights include the icy, paranoid "Espionage" and the bulbous sub-soaked hook on "Voyager", the dreamy, sky-staring synth whooshes on "Missing Paradise" and the soaring, yearning soulful vocal on "Away From Me".
Strife II - "Summer In My Heart" (feat Oscar Michael) - (4:24) 166 BPM
Review: Newcomer to the scene Marshall Watson is no regular upstart. A highly-trained sound designer by day, he makes 'computer music' for some of the world's largest corporations. By night he decided that messing around with sonic textures for his own amusement wasn't enough any more and launched his own D&B project, and gorgeous it is too. Beautifully multi-layered and using the rich vocal talents of Arae Haller, side one is brilliantly shimmering with influences from trance through to liquid. Working with Oscar Michael and Strife II on side two for an ambient, live instrument-littered sound, his work is as fresh as it is uplifting.
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