Formed in 2004 by Friction & K-Tee (real names Ed Keeley & Keir Tyrer) and firmly established as one of the finest leading labels in both drum & bass and wider electronic music for years now, Shogun Audio are at the very pinnacle of club and festival-primed drum & bass. Alongside label affiliates Elevate Records and SGN:LTD, the critically acclaimed group of imprints have provided a platform for new and established artists alike, retaining an exceptional homegrown current roster that includes Pola & Bryson, Document One, GLXY, Monrroe, Koherent, Sustance and GEST (formerly Gerra & Stone). With one of the widest back catalogues and discographies in the business that includes full length projects, EP’s and singles from the likes of Break, Alix Perez, DJ Marky, Spectrasoul, Technimatic, Icicle, Joe Ford, Fourward, Ed:it, Ulterior Motive, My Nu Leng, Rockwell and many more, Shogun’s commitment to each and every strand of drum & bass magic they’ve released to the masses is unparalleled. With plenty on the horizon, countless live appearances and new, sought-after ventures like their exclusive, vinyl-only ‘Skuriken’ series, it looks like Shogun Audio are just getting started, with more to come on every level.
Review: One of Shogun Audio's most stand-out sound crafters, Sustance comes correct with his debut album Perceived Connections. Featuring the likes of Strategy, Flow Dan, T Man, Visages and many other collaborators, the whole album is a slide and glide across the most futuristic plains of D&B. From the autonomic style opening title track through to the final woozy beatsy closer 'Lost Inside' via the booming swagger of 'Ten Ton', the poignant soul 'Sweet Relief' and all kinds of cool trips and twists along the way, this is an exemplary debut artist album. Get connected.
Review: Groove doctors GLXY finally deliver their highly-anticipated debut album. No three-part EP business. No early singles. Just boooom... One fat PHD-level slab of research on intergalactic soul and bass. Peer-tested and approved across disciplines, it's everything we've come to expect from the Shogun duo. Sublime, heart-hitting soul ("She Sings For Me" with DRS, "Conclusions" with Steo), deep midnight prowlers ("Falling") and dirty little grizzlers ("Fourth State") are all dominant flavours in the R&D mix along with subversive surprises such as the sweet two-step vibes of "The LP Track" and ghostly future garage with "Crescent". All laced together with the dreamy cosmic consistency they're known for, the results are conclusive... This is one of 2020's big D&B albums.
Review: Exactly two years since their debut album Desire Paths, Shogun duo Technicolour & Komatic dish up their sophomore and it's even slicker and consistent than the first. With a finely honed signature that's unmistakeably their own, no other act do liquid in this way. From the cloud-bouncing floatation session of "Parallel" and raw string power of "Clockwise" right the way through to the final salvos of the soulful mourns of "Hold On A While" and the halfstep dreaminess of "It Must Be", every track here has a purpose without so much of a hit being chased or a vocal being added for feature's sake. Authentic and unashamedly deep.
Review: What a year it's been for Shogun Audio: albums from Spectrasoul and Rockwell, new signing Karma, the epic Point Of Origin collection and killer singles from every artist on the roster. Here they wrap up the year with 34 bangers, blissers and blunderbusses. If you've been following the label you'll know just how heavy this weights in bass gold. If not, it's the best possible place to play catch up. From the Jenna G-fronted Submorphics chiller "The Divine" and the gospel-level heaven of Spectrasoul's "Shelter" to the much darker, thunderous slammers such as Friction and Icicle's "Crucifix", Fourward's "Exile" and Calyx & TeeBee's gamechanging remix of Spor's "Aztec", this is a spotless sonic calling card for the label and its many multifaceted talents.
Review: It's taken Birmingham-based duo Spectrasoul three years to make the follow-up to their promising debut album, Delay No More, but it seems to have been time well spent. The Mistress is a pleasingly varied set, rooted in their deeper, more melodious take on D&B, but blessed with a range of other influences. "Hot Head, Rock Bed", for example, sounds like vintage James Blake, while "More To Give" - featuring the soulful tones of vocalist Tamara - expertly blends half-step rhythms with luscious modern soul. They even go experimental and gnarly on the frankly quite odd "Kutchi". For all the twists and turns, they've not forgotten their roots, and The Mistress also contains a number of straight-up D&B rollers that should appease DJs and fans alike.
Review: Joe Ford is one of those producers who manages to tie up sound design with hard-hitting beats to create the type of noise that'll rip through the fabric of existence. Exclusively signing to the biggest cult label in the business, Shogun, in 2013, Joe has made it his mission to produce increasingly heavy UK neurofunk since his early days at Bad Taste and Med School. This EP shows just how many bad habits he's picked up while touring with Noisia. If nasty's what you like, this little beauty is right up your darkened nightmarish alley.
Review: Three years on from his debut album Under The Ice, Dutchman Icicle commits another long player to the Shogun Audio cause in the shape of Entropy. Bass weight meets sound design on this ambitious 16-track set as Jeroen Snik offers a compelling argument for his personal development since Under The Ice. What sets Entropy apart from most D&B long players at the moment is Snik's willingness to weave different stylistic elements into his productions with genuinely thrilling results. See the relentless, grime flecked nastiness of "Isolation" and the downbeat "Superimposed" for evidence, though there is still plenty of science fiction indebted bass futurism to satisfy the heads.
Review: In their official biography, Technimatic describe their particular take on musically rich liquid D&B as "hyper-coloured". In many ways, it's an apt description. Certainly, there's a baggy vibrancy to this belated debut album, which is gloriously breezy and deliciously soulful from start to finish. There's an almost horizontal feel to the duo's classic blends of vintage jungle rhythms, drifting vocals - most notable on the beautiful "Looking For Diversion", featuring the folksy voice of Lucy Kitchen - twinkling pianos, undulating strings and sun-bright chords. This kind of liquid jungle is always eminently listenable, but Andy Powell and Peter Rogers' particular take on the style is more cultured and mature than most. As a result, Desire Paths is an impressive and hugely enjoyable body of work.
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