Written by Joski
Illustrated by Audrey Byrne
Our latest Sounds of the Month playlist and accompanied article to keep you up to date with new releases by our favourite artists. Below is just a sneak peek, you can listen to the full playlist here.
Drytek – Ay Señor ft Natty D
Leamington native Drytek and Birmingham badman Natty D have come together and made a heater with this one. Drytek has been releasing banger after banger recently, I remember being blown away by his previous release Machines and this one is no different. Natty D jumping on this just makes the track even harder for me.
Amplify – Lost It
Amplify is a drum and bass producer and DJ from Devon. I came across Amplify sometime last year on Soundcloud when I was rooting around for some new tunes. I was gassed when I found him. All I could think about when I was listening through was how much I wanted to hear them on a soundsystem (lockdown, please f*ck off). This tune is my favourite from his recent five-track EP Eight, with the track Eight coming in at close second.
Hexa – Mirages
Hailing from Newcastle, Hexa is a drum and bass DJ and producer. This is one of my favourite tunes of 2021 so far. This track is deep and dark which is just how I like my drum and bass. This is another one I also cannot wait to hear on a proper rig (again, lockdown, please do one).
QZB – Clairvoyant
QZB have to take the lead in my favourite production duo. Their sound is so precise with razor sharp percussion, listen to any track and you’ll feel the same. They definitely don’t have a conventional sound but that’s why their music is so hard-hitting. Pre-Rona, they were selling out venues and festivals all over the world and if you take a listen to Clairvoyant, you’ll get a great taste as to why.
Teknical – A dream Within A Dream
Teknical is another Birmingham-born DnB DJ and producer. The melancholy of A Dream Within A Dream burrows deeply into your soul. A few piano notes, a sci-fi pad and a minimal rolling beat alongside a long sub-bass couldn’t better define what a deep roller is. You can catch him on DnBRadio (Fridays: 7-10pm, UK) and Bloc2Bloc (Mondays: 3-4pm, UK).
Dunk, Nick The Lot – Phat Punani
Nick The Lot is an electrician from Brighton who makes tunes in his spare time. He’s been cooking them up since he was given a CD of Cubase when he was 17 and has been hooked ever since. Accompanied by Dunk, these two have seriously put their heads together to make a heater. It’s the kind of tune that if you close your eyes, you’re transported back to walking past the wrong side of the tracks at Boomtown on your way to get another warm Hooch.
Yatuza – Macumba
Argentinian drum and bass DJ and producer, Yatuza, has been flourishing in the underground music scene in Buenos Aires and wider South America since unearthing his passion for electronic music back in 2009. This track is a top tier special one on the playlist. Take a listen to the rest of the EP titled Macumba – you won’t be disappointed.
Mellow North – Squeffle (Twentyhood Spotlight)
Shifting the focus slightly from this jungle and DnB special, we must mention our spotlight track of January from the underground scene. North West London collective, Mellow North, teamed up with NiNE8 rapper, Bone Slim, to kickstart 2021 with their new single Squeffle. Mellow North member Ollie C makes his heavily requested return on this alt hip-hop track, delivering a smooth freestyle with rhymes of longing for everything that pre-Covid had to offer. Finch fuses indie-centric songwriting and slick autotune harmonics for the dreamy and infectious chorus. When Bone Slim’s verse hits, his gritty tone and laid-back style compliments the track perfectly. Bone Slim has also just released his new track Bat which you can listen to here.
You can listen to the full playlist on Spotify here.
The Author
Joski is a DnB and dubstep DJ from the midlands who is passionate about creating safer environments for women in the dance music scene. As one half of the Women In The Dance initiative, she is striving to educate event organisers and DJs in a male-dominated industry from the inside. You can check out her Soundcloud here and her Instagram here.
Edited by Stephanie Kleanthous
