Calibre – Fabrivlive.68 [FABRIC136]

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Dominick Martin’s a little bit of an anomaly in terms of contemporary drum & bass. Having been active and continually releasing music under his Calibre alias since 1998, it feels a little odd in a modern world so besotted with over sharing to think that he’s never had a remix made of his material, nor has ever released a commercial mix CD or ever managed an online presence. He’s one of those artists whose reputation simply precedes him; thanks in a large part to his incredible body of work that covers seven artist albums and countless 12”s, EPs and remixes. It’s an outlook Calibre draws on quite heavily for the duration of FABRICLIVE 68, using his own music and that of his peers to create a mix that’s both reflective of the way that he plays when he DJs and the bafflingly bountiful body of work he’s produced.

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Calibre – Fabrivlive.68 [FABRIC136]

Consequence – Atrium / Box Rituals [RED012]

Cameron McLaren as Consequence with two tracks on Pushing Red. ‘Atrium’ is a steppy affair with it’s splintered kicks and shuffled snares. Warped atmospheres weave in and out of the background while bass works the chest and keeps thing interesting. ‘Box Rituals’ is a super deep, uplifting affair. A steady 4/4 pulsates throughout the tune while serene melodies float above keeping everything together.

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Consequence – Atrium / Box Rituals [RED012]

Calibre – Rennaisance [PRINT007]

Dominick Martin aka Calibre contributes 3 different tracks on the “Renaissance EP”on Footprints. While “Plugs” runs on a bass heavy Drum N Bass mode, it is the title track that offers deep atmospheric dubbed out house music. The soulful uptempo version on “Reach” round off this recommended package.

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Calibre – Rennaisance [PRINT007]

Usio – Kuwa Huru LP [BARN012]

Years after rumors of the mysterious Usio first started spreading, Studio Barnhus are finally ready to release the project’s debut outing, an LP called Kuwa Huru. This is emotional, intricate electronic blues for the modern dance floor, with 8 tracks ranging from afro-beat influenced house jams to starlight spangled techno compositions.

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Usio – Kuwa Huru LP [BARN012]

Tony Lionni – Midnight Manoeuvres [FR180]

Tony Lionni ahead of his Madhouse album comes this three solid modern house tracks on Freerange. Title track ‘Midnight Manoeuvres’ is a main room stomper with a looped grooves that slowly builds and drops as the track progressive. A great cut that hasn’t been overworked. ‘Two Dark Figures’ captures that New Jersey vibe, but with a deeper, techy touch. Warm, soulful underground house sounds. ‘When Time Began’ gets on the synth arpeggio wave, letting the spiralling keyboard lines ride off into the distance.

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Tony Lionni – Midnight Manoeuvres [FR180]

Parris Mitchell – Juke Joints Vol. Two EP [DEMO006]

The second volume of Parris Mitchell’s Juke Joints presents his first new material since 1997. The A-side is taken up with “Across My Machine”, an uptempo deep house roller whose furious rhythms are joined by an insistent dub chord, sounding quite unlike anything we’ve ever heard from the producer. “Near My Eyes” is closer to the sample-based ghetto house of his past, with juddering vocal samples ploughing across a firm, bumping and deep Chi town groove, but it’s “The Track Stars” that sees him really return to his Dance Mania roots, with a lithe, elastic drum tool reminiscent of his classic “Rubber Jazz Band”

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Parris Mitchell – Juke Joints Vol. Two EP [DEMO006]

N.A.D. – Dawn Of A New Age [RHRSS007]

Sometimes, through a combination of misfortune and bad timing, a fine record will go largely unnoticed on its original release. If it’s good enough, though, it will be rediscovered and reappraised through the hard work of record collectors. N.A.D’s The Dawn of a New Age, an unheralded British deep house classic, is one such example. Originally released by Tony Thorpe’s short-lived house label BPM Records in 1990, The Dawn of a New Age was on sale for little more than a week before it vanished from record store shelves, the victim of Rough Trade Distribution’s demise. BPM folded shortly after, consigning N.A.D’s first and only album to the annals of history as a little known and little-heard obscurity. The misfortune that beset the project arguably denied listeners more material from its hitherto unheralded creator, an English producer called Mustafa Ali. Before recording The Dawn of a New Age, he had created an early UK house classic, 1988’s “Close Jack Encounter”, as L.E Bass. Unlike much similar material of the period, The Dawn of a New Age still sounds fresh, futuristic and far-sighted. listen
N.A.D. – Dawn Of A New Age [RHRSS007]

JTC – Park Days EP [HOYA004]

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Hoya:Hoya welcomes the multi-talented Tadd Mullinix with his JTC alias. This time round, on ‘Park Days’, he flexes a house side that’s not been seen too often in his career of 13 years. Whether the driving groove of South Brooks, the late night drum machine jam of Argo, Creal’s ever evolving scatter, or the delicate Gallup, ‘Park Days’ is one of those records where everyone has a different favourite.

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JTC – Park Days EP [HOYA004]

Michael Ferragosto – Synthdrome At The Disco [MUZIQUE011]

Marcello Napoletano presents Michael Ferragosto’s “Synthdrome at the disco” a banging four track EP starting with “Amore jacking per 77” & followed by “Risque Intentions”. On the flip, “V2021” and the title track continue with the raw Chicago influenced warehouse vibe, old drum machines & synths. Some deep acid trax.

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Michael Ferragosto – Synthdrome At The Disco [MUZIQUE011]

VA – The Love [STX009A]

LAZERCAT/TAKESHI KOUZUKI/SKATEBARD - The Love

Finest back in the day house cutz on snuff crews own imprint snuff trax. Various Artists “The Love” is our contribution to springtime. And as we all know is this season a really wonderful time for deep love and big emotions… The three tracks by Lazercat, Takeshi Kouzuki and Skatebård will take you on a melancholic and melodic journey

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VA – The Love [STX009A]