Review: Kazakhstan might not be the first place that springs to mind when you mention dark, filthy beats, but that's exactly where bass master Command Strange resides. Working together with UK-born Malaky, this release sees them hitting new low frequencies in "Hyperbug", a frenzied darkstepper with instant dancefloor skank appeal. "Regrets" on the other hand is a cinematic spine-tingler, raising pulses and stepping hard to a lush, vocal-driven melody. With huge bass and technical drums this is a release for the darker-minded.
Review: Smooth, flowing and ultimately serene, these two are a partnership made in liquid paradise. Blending gorgeous soulful grooves with big, lush bass and sharp production, this is already an essential purchase for D&B fans of a more chilled persuasion. On the other side things pick up a little more emotional ambiance, as a harder stepping rhythm backs up impressionist piano and a head bobbing bassline that almost passes into the realms of funk before plunging into a surprising half-time breakdown. Bright and beautiful.
Review: Releasing on Focuz for some time now, UK-based Malaky has been bringing his own blend of harmonious liquid and breakbeat-inspired rhythms to the worldwide D&B scene. This two track EP explores his deeper side, starting with the lush textures and widescreen sound of "Vibrate", a true liquid stepper that should sit high on any D&B setlist. "Own World" features soulful vocals from Lyndsey Murray and launches straight into whimsical string sampling and hard stepping beats. Warm rolling bass smothers the low end in a deep, resonant glow, leaving a barely heard sax to echo into the sunset. A gorgeous way to finish your evening.
Review: Three Fokuz originals take their places for a sunkissed journey through the skies. Without any more cheesy plays on words, title track "Cloud Surfing" lines itself up to bring one of the Reeces of the year. Add to that stunningly light harmonies and vocals, and it's a beautiful feel good track. The rest of the EP follows suit with a host of gorgeous tunes made for serious chill sessions. "Hardest Thing" brings in some harder drums, "The One That Got Away" gets melancholy and a little edgier with electro pads and finally "Morning Sun" steps it up for a lighthearted leap through sunnier times. Gorgeous stuff.
Review: Not content with appearing on their 15 year anniversary selection, rising D&B upstart Malaky gets deep on his own EP, too. "High Tide" sums up his skills to perfection; a tight weave of delicate strings and skippy drums, it washes over you with oceanic physicality. "Days Go By" is deeper again thanks to some very neat piano arrangement and an unrelenting drum dynamic. Finally we hit his own remix of his 2013 release "Own World". Softening the bass but adding more direct drive to the drums, it's a subtle touch-up that fans of the original will instantly lap up. High fives for "High Tide".
Review: mSdoS and Malaky - two of Soul Deep's most reliable family members - hook up for a couplet of soul-coated rollers, and the result is a seasonal sonic sensation. "Autumn Leaves" whirrs and purrs with trembles of delicate piano touches, harp licks and an undulating sub bass arrangement. "Strings Of Relief" is a little heavier on the rhythm front, pushing and shoving with big bold hi-hat splashes and sweeping strings. Both live up to Soul Deep's continuously high, yet impressively understated benchmark.
Review: UK liquid maestro Malaky has created another buy-on-sight opportunity for you lucky lot with this, his first release of 2015. "In Blue" is a perfect example of his flow, rolling out languorously over beefy bass and loved up jazz pianos. "Reflection" cools off on the sexy vibes for a more aloof feel through minimal brass. No matter what, the effect is a crisp roller, tightly wound around rapidfire percussion and the slightest breeze of chilly atmospherics. A gorgeous piece of drum and bass.
Review: Two of Soul Deep's most recent golden finds return to the label's Exclusive sister label with a dazzling collaborative effort. Beginning with the soulful sounds of "In Your Arms Again", the pair head for the sun with all the sizzling heat of a Brazilian classic distilled into swelling strings and woozy atmosphere. "Fell In Love On The Seafront" is a complete contrast. Bursting in with zesty xylophone melody and chirpy walking bass it's a big rolling delight perfect for summer evening parties. "DMT" then changes the mood yet again in a minor key for a darker, dreamier stepper. Three totally different tunes from two amazing artists.
Review: Bringing together the most talented young upstarts in soulful drum & bass right now, Celsius UK are really spoiling us. Smooth, rolling tunes are exactly what everyone needs to brighten up those dark mornings and tracks like "Still Blue" and "Knights Like These" with their deep grooving basslines do just that. Malaky's doomy effort "Soon" has the potential for some real dancefloor action too, with growling bass and a touch of dark and techy experimentation. A real mixed bag of tunes, get yourself a treat.
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: Next on Soul Deep is Malaky's excellent All I Know EP - a two-track cracker which needs to be heard if you like your D&B deep, rolling and full of feel-good experimental vibes. First up is "All I Know" which builds from a delicate intro full of humming beats, instrumental chirrups and echoing vocal snippets into a lush, soulful roller with warm bass and plenty of depth. Teaming up with Bone Man for the accompanying "Morality" and it's another curious underground venture with quirky vocal, swirling atmospherics and a hazy glow about it. Well worth checking.
Review: Following on from last year's incredibly popular instalment, Shogun Audio have brought back Point of Origin for a third time. This series emphasises the rolling, minimal-ish side of the scene from some younger, more hungry producers and boy, is it a good formula. Exemplifying this is Revaux with 'Ibex', probably the nastiest tune on the album and arguably the best, as its crunching bass tabs inject fantastic groove. Rizzle and Malaky add something more sultry with 'Solstice' and 'Requiem', the former focusing on the vocals of Sydney whilst the latter opts for a more instrumental roll-out. Gerra & Stone represent the old guard amongst the newbies, holding up their end with a growling amalgamation of low-frequency force. This is an exquisite album of D&B, with every corner covered and every flavour recognizable - special props going to Shogun for supporting new talent as well.
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