Posted by: Cor

It seems like it’s been a long while since I’ve posted any proper electronic dance music, so today I’d like remedy that by to introducing you an unsung favorite. Meet Sam Hell. He’s quickly becoming my go-to producer for ass-shaking funky electro, now that the Plump DJs have gone all rave-wobble on me. And while he doesn’t seem to have as many different tricks up his sleeve as the aforementioned duo, he consistently delivers bouncy beats that get a reluctant dance floor moving. Let me give you a taste of Hell…

Cosimo
An older breaks number, this is the song that made me sit up and take notice of Mr. Hell. It reminds me of the Plumps of yore… especially when it gets around to that funky melodic hook near the end of the track.

Algebra
This is his latest single. Not much more than a syncopated bassline and some techy stuff on top, but sometimes that’s all you need in a club track.

Mothership
And rounding out the sampler we have this rolling progressive house cut. I love the breakdown in this one. That dramatic piano and synth combination almost has a Muse vibe to it.

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For those of us with shit to do.

If you like what Sam Hell’s got going in these tracks, you can pursue more of his work on Beatport and even Amazon.

Posted by: Matt

First, Adam Freeland was after your soul. Then Benny Benassi needed satisfaction. In 2010, England’s Cakeboy steps up to fill the chantable, disaffected robot vocal gap with Swamp Thing.

Surprisingly often the A-side of many singles end up in the shadow of any of many remixes that may follow (or were deliberately solicited to maximize commercial viability). In this case though I think the original version holds ground quite firmly as a sunny electro-breaks jam that doesn’t break any new ground but hits all the right notes and sweet spots you would want/expect from this well-flogged territory. The JFB remix turns the lights down a bit and staggers into Dubstep territory, but don’t let that scare you away. The crunch is all still there along with a few new melodic phrases that add a nice darkness to the track that is missing in the original (hey, it’s about a monster after all!).

Cakeboy - Swamp Thing (Original Mix)

Cakeboy -Swamp Thing (JFB remix)

Buy the full release and more remixes on Beatport

Posted by: Cor

Ready for another beautiful summer weekend? I sure as hell am. And to kick it off right, here’s a (relatively) fresh Krafty Kuts mix to get you in the mood. Enjoy!

Krafty Kuts - Fresh Kuts 2010 (right click to download)

Posted by: Matt

Douster’s tropical bass rework of The Lion King theme is not only mildly entertaining, but actually catching on with some big name DJs.

Original

Don’t believe me? Hit the jump to find out…
Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: Matt

The debut album from Dutch Drum n Bass trio NOISIA (VISION flipped vertically, if you can picture that) is a curious beast. Though known primarily for their slew of DnB 12″s, they branch out quite a bit into Electrohouse, Downtempo, and Dubstep on their long player. This type of spread is generally common among acts crafting an album for home listening, however what makes Split the Atom an interesting experience is that while the styles vary greatly, they didn’t adjust their toolset much (or at all), really.

The end result is an enjoyable listen, but also an interesting experiment in genre definition. Is it all Drum n Bass but at wildly varying tempos? Can we still call slow tracks Downtempo if they have dirty, crushing basslines? Is this visionary or lazy?

Soul Purge (feat Foreign Beggars)

Square Feet

Alpha Centauri

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Would You Like To Know Moar?
Noisia on Myspace