skip to main |
skip to sidebar
The ambient and atmospheric sounds of Crimean are truly unique. Eclectic cultural influences from time living in Japan and Australasia have obviously influenced his writing, as has his deep-seated knowledge of the history and development of DnB. Crimean has been busy since leaving NZ shores to reside on the other side of the ditch.‘This Side of Tomorrow’ rattles with more familiar Drum and Bass beats- it has an old school feel for sure- reminiscent of old Big Bud tracks and Good Looking Records from the late 90’s- a drifting roller. It would be fair to say these are not your everyday drum and bass tracks- in fact some don’t even fit that genre label at all- they are dark and experimental border crosses- cinematic sound-scapes that make me think of night time train journeys through neon lit urban environments. ‘Lonely souls (Crimean remix)’ pulls on those inner heartstrings and is surprisingly uplifting in its pared back and melodic makings. I like this track a lot. Listen to Crimean @ soundcloud
http://soundcloud.com/crimean/music
Renegade snares and lung vibrating bass riffs transformed the dance floor from an empty bath into a decadent sea of sound and energy.
Saturday 2nd saw the return of Geoff Presha to the Southern coastal city, giving Duds a taste of Samurai Music's LP/ CD project 'Way of the Samurai'. Presha's opening track set the atmosphere for the rest of the night immediately and got booth dwellers on their feet- TREi's bit and instant hit- planting that old familiar yet strangely new feeling in your belly. ASC who I remember from the 'warm radio' sessions on bassdrive a few years back was unmistakable, and his new work combines his distinctive atmospheric sounds with contemporary syncopated beats (check out his back-stepping yet forward marching 'Porcelain' on myspace) solidifying his role as an important, diverse and progressive producer. As the night moved on inertia ensued... Presha bouncing off the crowds ever increasing energy and enthusiasm for good quality Drum n Bass. Reminiscing only makes me feel old but I just couldn't help feeling nostalgic; dancing in the corner with old friends to a track once new and now remixed for the umpteenth time. The re-production and recontexturalization of tunes proves good tracks are timeless and in this club the world of newbies and old hats travelled on the same journey. After hours of solid dance floor action- Zero T and Calibre 'What I feel' described my state - body tired/ mind alert- need bed/ but can't pull myself away- "Don't wanna stay / don't wanna go". And as time disappeared into the aether Presha continued and the tracks got deeper- tunes were dropped that exist on the boundaries of DnB- hybrid tracks. Instra:mental's sound continues to permeate my brain and hearing 'Sakura' on those big ass Bath St bass heavy speakers, took the track looping on my iPod- to the next level- and 'Watching You' an explanation of Presha's position with his crowd (he's just as aware of the crowd as they are him). This is undoubtedly good music- good times- good crowd- good party and yes Duds there is DnB life beyond Pendulum! 2nd May - one of Bath St's more memorable ones- demonstrating the future sound of Dunedin drum and bass is in force. To check out more of the Samurai sound go to:
Samurai DistributionSamurai Music -on myspace
Returning from a short stint in the UK, VOLITION returns to NZ shores with number of golden goodies, feeling more international than ever. This underdog producer has been making and collecting since way back when, and. finally he’s posted a few products online so his experience of atmospheric DnB and downbeat can be shared. Although contemporary, warm, feel-good tracks with deep and heart felt bass lines create a common thread within VOLITION’s works, he sneaks in the occasional old-school sound and break, demonstrating his DnB history knowledge. Look out for SUFO- reminiscent of older Paradox tunes- this roller reveals the traditions of DnB dynamics as the sounds create atmosphere and depth of space by moving from speaker to speaker. His more down beat mellow tracks demonstrate the same warmth with a melancholic edge, only added to by BKMC (JUST SO) on vocals or acoustic guitar (THE TITLE). It’s easy to get lost in the atmospheric space created theses deep haunting but somehow uplifting tracks. http://www.sensorybank.com/volitionproductions.html
