Harrison BDP - "Virtual Resistance" - (6:37) 131 BPM
Ed Hodge - "Hot Point" - (6:05) 132 BPM
Ed Hodge - "Untouched" - (6:12) 130 BPM
Review: Across the breadth of 2021, we were so impressed with the pure consistency of the Dansu Discs team, with this latest offering being the perfect way to continue that theme into a brand new year. We see them welcome both Harrison BDP & Ed Hodge inside for a gorgeous display of breaks-inspired mastery, kicking off with the glittering glitchy beauty of 'Seeing Spiders' a dizzying introduction from Harrison, exploring the more abstract side of breaks with some futuristic sound design. He plays lead on the next track as well with the moogy disco flavours of 'Virtual Resistance' unleashing a tonne of blippy energy. We then find ourselves perusing Ed Hodge's pair of originals, with the pulsating house-inspired drum skips and sliding bass alternations of 'Hot Point' unleashing a rave-inspiring display. Finally, 'Untouched' gives us a wicked finale, utilizing high ended melodic beeps and groovy drum flicks for a tech-driven sign off. Lovely work!
Review: Dansu Discs, as an imprint, have had a seriously impressive 2021, constantly raising the bar on their previous drops as soon as a new one lands. This time around, they invite the heavyweight sounds of Yosh inside for another successful display of electronic mastery, kicking this EP off with the crisp drum processing and bulbous sub pulses of 'Has It Got To Be', which sit below a super catchy vocal line for good measure.From here, the super-syncopate drum swipes of 'And I Start Rocking' give us a much more UKG-sentric feel, before 'Mad Scientist' takes it old school with some lo-fi breakbeat sampling and potent bass design. Finally, 'Skyline' gives us the start of an airy finale, focussing on glittering melodic glides and distanced drum expressions, all then reworked into a hardcore epic with Angel D'lite on remix duty for a top notch closer.
Review: Dansu Discs is a record label based in Manchester bringing you electronic music from around the world. MKII lands next on the label for an nifty six-tracker fuelled by breakbeats that hark back to the glory days of '90s warehouse raves. Shut up and dance to the proto jungle of "Flashback" then step back in time to the second summer of love on the rave euphoria of "Can U Feel It" before the retro hardcore stormer "Get Funky" hammers the message home, followed by a strobed-out and banging techno remix from Bailey Ibbs.
Review: It's becoming a regular theme with the Dansu Discs team, that they continue to unleash gems into the world with their extremely precise A&R process. This latest exploration into garage and breaks from Alfredo Romero is a perfect example of that, kicking off with the chord-driven sonic drifts and unpredictable drum switches of 'Raspect', with Interplanetary Criminal's sub-heavy rethink giving us two alternate versions of a top quality creation. Next, we move up the tempo ladder into the realms of jungle as 'Pet Nat' gives us a precise look into the breaksy drum rhythms and powerful sub-processing, before 'Wan More?' unleashes a classic spread of UKG chord progressions and 2-step rhythms. Finally, the highly energetic sub-textures and masterfully crafted vocal slices of 'Mad Man' sees the project out in style, rounding off a seriously impressive collection.
Review: The Dansu Discs team have been on a great roll with their recent EP run, with this latest 'Various' drop giving us something very tidy to work with indeed. We open up this mystery display with the groovy vocal expressions and tidy bassline grooves of 'Natural', which leads nicely into 'Together', another super-syncable singalong, pushing those vocals to the front amidst vibey subs and minimal drum textures to match. The flavours then turn slightly glitchy as the polyphonic-sounding vibrations of 'Know What To Do' give us a more lo-fi sounding approach, before 'Take You Home' splashes old school garage flavours across our eardrums for a kick-ass final ride. Wavy work!
Review: Following up some impressive ones on Houseum, Chat Noir and Unknown To The Unknown, Vitess joins the London-based label Dansu Discs with his Hacking System EP, where he delivers a release full of classic house and early trance motifs - an aesthetic that the Parisian is becoming increasingly renowned for. From the heady bleeps and breaks rave energy of "Computer System", more euphoria awaits you on the low end driven "Holy Kush" that's aimed squarely at the main room dancefloor. Elsewhere, enjoy the ride on the throwback to the Second Summer Of Love with the retro elevation of "Eurostep" which also receives a groovy UK tech house rework by label alumnus ADMNTi - founder of the 4Plae Records and Yamanu imprints.
Review: Pushing a deep and ethereal sound touched up by glitches, percussion funk and that all too familiar UK vibe, Dansu Discs outta Manchester introduce Ocean Stirs. Opening up its account with a sweet five-track release this Through Twist & Seam EP the artist sends in a unique cross section of genre amalgamation; be it the jungle rhythms amid house vibes in "Valley" to some downtempo UK sub-pop in "High Noon". Touches of nu-trance make it into "Latch" with some electro breakbeats and flecks of acid adding to the grooves of "Spawned In Motion" with some hybrid R&B experimentations in "Interscape". Boxed up beats ready to twist and shout!
Review: Next up from the team as Dansu Discs, we have a fabulous display of new school garage creation from the one and only Wilfy D, who delivers a colourful six track expanse for us to enjoy. We kick off with 'My Life', a nostalgic bombshell complete with catchy vocals and lively chord progressions, followed by more vocal slicing and colourful arrangements in both in '2 Good 2 Be True' and the LD mix. Next, 'Lockdown Soul' gives us a much more unique take on the UKG sound, with tight percussive grooves leading the way, closely followed by the darker compositional styles a deep basslines of both 'Make Up Your Mind' and the lively Yosh remix. It's a wicked selection to say the least!
Review: The Dansu Discs team have assembled a killer selection for our enjoyment here, from the one and only Bailey Ibbs, unleashing six tracks of UKG flavour. We begin with the softened chord maneuvers and crunchy drum processing of 'Gurl', a worthy title track, which is closely followed by the much more breaks-driven influences of 'We Run' and luscious, bubbling soundscapes of 'What's My Chance?', giving us a super-wide sounding selection of originals. On remix duty, we see three parties give 'Gurl' the once over, with Groovy D giving us a throwback 2-step rethink, Denham Audio sending the stems to the junglist chop shop and AK Sports combining gnarly, acidic basslines and hardcore drums to take it somewhere completely different.
Review: Next up from the Dansu Discs team, we see them unveil the second edition of their extremely popular 'Dansu For Mental Health' compilation, which sees them unleash eight fabulous bubblers. Focussing primarily on the deeper side of garage production, the project works perfectly, with a solid balance of influences etched throughout, from the dubwise delays of Dubrunner's 'Scattershot', to the subtle breakbeat additions of 'Irresponsible' from Bailey Ibbs. There are a number of highlights for us, with the nostalgic melodic plucks of 'Hold On' from Stones Taro leading the way, alongside the acidic bass pulsations of 'Jet Stream' from Nicolas Duque. Lovely stuff.
Review: The quality level for garage music worldwide has never been higher in our eyes, a theory perfectly exemplified by Lavonz on this bubbling new six tracker, kicking off with the groovy moog subs and vocal chops of 'Satisfied'. From here, 'Paradise' unleashes an array of nostalgic 2-steppers drum lines before 'Wicked Things' provides us with a more experimental, scattered slap. From here, Donna Dee & Rhallia get involved with some fabulous vocal interventions over 'Lurvin' You', before the sunshine skips and glittering guitar riffs of 'Sexy Coolin' alongside Brace. Finally, mashes together throwback drum processing with a busy selection of melodic inputs to provide the perfect high energy outro.
Review: This 14-track VA comp will delight anyone who loves UK garage but has really had enough of partying like it's 1999, as London-based Dansu Discs showcase new directions in post-UKG bass music. Opener 'December' does for Al Green what High Contrast's 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' did for Julie London, and sets the scene for an album that's full of surprises, from the prog-isms of DJ Life's 'Blue' to Pinder's broken beater 'Hot Feet' to Warwick's ominously rumbling 'Only Way'. Elsewhere, Suki's 'Mind Control' could cross over onto deep house floors, while 'Original Style' from Main Phase will please the ragga-garage diehards.
Review: When it comes to churning out sweat-soaked, rave-era revivalism, few producers are quite as adept as Chrissy, in part because he's genuinely studied the turn-of-the-90s styles he's emulating (and has the record collection to prove it). For proof, check the cut that kick-starts this EP, "Can't You Feel It". Built around bustling breakbeats, fizzing synth bass, simmering strings and sweaty female vocal samples, it's a thrill a minute ride - as is the stomping, acid-powered, bleep-laden track that follows it, "Depeche Moines". Soundbwoy Killah kick-starts the remix portion of the EP with a hybrid UK funky/UK garage revision of "Can't You Feel It" that boasts one of the weightiest sub-bass drops we've heard for yonks - seriously, it's massive - before Denham Audio re-casts "Depeche Moines" as a breakbeat hardcore-goes-tribal house smasher.
