Guest Post: Drum & Bass Zeitgeist

I’ve always been a fan of the deeper side of Drum & Bass. Here is a short list of some of my favourite
tracks in this vein which were released in 2011. I hope you and your subwoofer enjoy them.

Icicle - Arrows

2011 was yet another great year for the Shogun Audio crew. After 2010’s prolific assortment of
releases I knew it would be hard for them to better themselves, but they waded straight in
regardless, dropping Icicle’s awesome debut album ‘Under the Ice’.

Arrows is potentially my
favourite track of last year and I think that it is made all the more intriguing by the fact that the Japanese style melody that Icicle uses wasn't a sample - he recorded it himself. A lesser producer would have found an adequate sample and run with it, but not Icicle.

He really is an interesting guy and you can see him talk through his album track by track here: I cannot wait to see what Friction & Co. have in store for us this year!

Enei, Eastcolors & Noel  - Cracker

I first heard this beast being dropped by Total Science some time in 2010 and can remember
ploughing to the front in order to read the track name from their Serato screen and save it onto
my phone.

With this track Enei, Eastcolors and Noel demonstrate for me the serious musical
potential that has been brewing over in Russia which is ready to be unleashed. Enei in particular
received a lot of attention in 2011 and has even been clocked by the mainstream, as he won the
award for 'Best Newcomer Producer' at the 2011 Drum & Bass Arena Awards. Cracker was
released on Kasra's Critical Music label.

Ingredients Records – Recipe Book

I've been eagerly following Psylence’s label Ingredients since its inception in 2009 and they have put out
some truly phenomenal material so far, for example see what you think of this tune they released in 2010. This year saw them put out their first full
length compilation, Recipe Book. In keeping with the rest of the Ingredients catalogue everything about it
is excellent; from the tunes (obviously), to the artwork, to the recipes which were included with the vinyls
for such culinary delights as ‘Krakota’s Pasta with Spinach and Creme Fraiche’ and ‘Pessimist’s Thai
Green Curry’.

Mute & Mako – Astral Transmission

Here is yet another joyous collection of songs on an EP from Ingredients. I was torn that I didn’t
include the digital exclusive from this EP which is under Mute’s alias Fields, so you can find it here.

Amit – 9 Times ft. Rani

After dealing with four years of dark depression by re-discovering his faith in Ganesh, Amit went on a pilgrimage to his spiritual home in Poland.

He then got busy with making some seriously interesting music
which was released as an album on Klute’s label Commercial Suicide.

Optiv & BTK - Music Within ft. Podage & LaMeduza

These boys are normally more than happy when they are on home turf, releasing their own brand
of heavy bass rinsers on labels such as BTK's Dutty Audio. However this is a track which was
released on Demand Records and it's a lot more chilled than their usual output. I like it a lot though, and it illustrates their capability to venture outside of their comfort zone and still produce material which sounds great.

Spinline – Made Guy

Ant-TC1’s imprint Dispatch Recordings had it's tenth anniversary in 2011, and over in that camp they are still all about pushing crazy shit like this number by Spinline.

Andyskopes – Reading by the White Lake

To be honest, I’m scared that my vinyl copy of this is going to wear out after being rinsed so much. It is a truly
epic song, but I wouldn't really say that this is one for the dancefloor due to the soporific effect it has on me. By Andyskopes, it was released on Mako’s label Utopia Music.

Vicious Circle & Nocturnal - Last Chance Saloon

Another belter from Commercial Suicide. This tune by Vicious Circle & Nocturnal was around for quite a while before it was finally released, but it still sounds as fresh as ever.

Spinline & Hydro - Perimeter

Another nutty one from Spinline, this time with the aid of Hydro. On a bit of a minimal flex with punchy snares and a huge rolling bassline. Perimeter is the b-side of Junction 13 and was put out as Swiss label Demand Records' fifth release.

Seb Bruen - 538

I hadn't come across Seb Bruen before I heard this track and I was enthralled with how well he mixes different ambient sounds together, all the time complimenting them with a switching
bassline. This track was released by Abyss Records on their 'Mystical Deep Vol. 2 Sampler'.

Nuage & THRN - Don't Exist (Anile Remix)

What an excellent remix for Anile to end 2011 on! Out on Translation Recordings. The original by Nuage & THRN is sick too.

Marcus Intalex B2B Klute ft. Justyce

As a little bonus, here is a downloadable recording of a set by Marcus Intalex and Klute which they played at one of the We Fear Silence Metalheadz nights at Cable that I attended this past year (17/09/11). If you've never been there before then I highly recommend that you check yourself and get down there. 

So there it is, my D&B zeitgeist. If you like what you've heard then please explore the artists’ music further and support their hard work! - Ocelot out.