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12"
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DICA 013EP
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Schmeichel is back on Defrostatica with new tales from the 160bpm footwork continent. Again, he demostrates a deep understanding of the unity of body, mind, and soul. Schmeichel is a beatsmith and electronic music producer from Leipzig. His puzzling artist pseudonym (to schmooze someone) is nothing but purposely deceptive. Since 2013 or so, he has been busy making and releasing music which never sounded quite like the same as before. His diverse musical flex in abstract hip hop, drum and bass, broken beats, techno, acid and ragga too shows his ability to sweep away genre-expectations. He is committed to fuse every style into an immediate but ever-exciting minimal music experience. As a DJ he switches virtuosic between jazzy improvisation, stoke-y UK-rap, dark, and spiritual dance redemption. Nothing really much beside his work is known about Schmeichel since he is not playing the social media game that much which forces attendees of his performance to listen and enjoy without any distraction. When he turns on the amp in his basement studio underneath one of Leipzigs record stores he leaves mundane matters behind. Schmeichel loves being in the zone when he is exploring new sound territories. Like a sculptor he carves out a vision of soul with a minimalistic blues vibe that is looking for an essence rather a presence. While the title of his five-track EP Mana, Focus & NoBreakfast sounds like a work spec it deflects humbly from the musical richness of his second release on Defrostatica. Once again, the whole is more than the sum of its parts: he is telling different stories in each track that belong to one carefully composed saga. "Feel" in its intensity resembles the soundtrack of a remake of Scenes from a Marriage. "Sting" could be the melancholic story of a hip-hop writer about his most epic stunt. Another hip-hop reference and artist wisdom drops in "Judge Mee" almost prayer-like. The B side of the record opens with "G I O I", a powerful mantra of an unknown procession. "Yin Yang" marks the outerworldly coda to this EP as a soothing salvation.
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12"
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DICA 012EP
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Moscow trio Champion Sound debuts on Defrostatica Records with dancehall legend Hawkeye from Kingston for "Ghetto Youth", a hard-hitting 85 bpm declaration to own the weekend with a little less conversation. The Russian jungle soundsystem crew vibes more casually on "Talk" but the tune can't shake the warning undertone. The B-side features two international remixes: the US vaporwave king Nmesh channels his inner crowd control abilities on "Ghetto Youth" whereas Sun People from Austria rebuilds "Talk" perfectly for an all-out 160 bpm breakbeat twist. Champion Sound is a producer trio who played together in a reggae band and then decided to form their dub and jungle love into modern club tracks. Neekeetone, Distant Roots, and General Koondoongoo are pushing a sound within the Moscow bass scene that is tearing down the city's techno barriers for a diverse vibe of dubstep, jungle, and footwork. With a recently released 12" on Berlin-based label, Through These Eyes Records. 140 gram vinyl.
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12"
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DICA 010EP
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Burnout 2099 EP is replete with lowrider bangers spilling out of a burning white Lamborghini purpose-built for the worldwide underground. This six-track offering of heretic bass music whispers into the subconscious of the masses with hard-hitting kicks. Canadian producer HomeSick has compiled a selection of club-facing molotovs that eat through speakers like flames through rubber. Features atypical combinations of DnB, dancehall, footwork jungle, and even RnB. HomeSick's mission to leave genre limits behind aligns with Defrostatica Records approach to blur the boundaries between jungle, juke, and autonomic sound. Features So Loki.
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12"
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DICA 009EP
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Dispondant's Acid Jazz EP is a near-future paranoia soundtrack that could as well be the ending credits of the next Black Mirror season. Each episode has its minimal and focused intent from captivating synth pads and flashlight 160 bpm beats to signaling 303 lines and anodyne chords. Yet it is the sum of its parts that made the Londoner's debut release on Defrostatica Records not just a fit but a label blueprint of modern footwork inspired electronic music.
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12"
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DICA 006EP
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Leipzig producer Schmeichel presents Alteration EP. "Evidence" is the suave overture of the 80/160 beats per minute EP. It evolves around a deep and grounded kick, filtered and vibrating pads. "IKillWantU" is a seven-minute beast, with many hidden and interfering layers and elements like dissected vocals, a distorted distant bass line, and steady rimshot. With "Talkin" we reach the spiritual center of the EP, a wonky beat is place among a reminiscent and unshackling choir of male chants over a heavy sub bass. "Uhhhwheeee" is optimistic and melancholic at the same time, driven by Chicago bass kicks, hi-hats, and rims.
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12"
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DICA 005EP
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For Rogue Style 2 EP Defrostatica continue the mission for a global b-boy homage with artists from England (Digital), USA (6Blocc, Calculon, Shamanga), Finland (Fanu), and Iceland (Agzilla). 140 gram, white vinyl; 45 RPM; Includes download code.
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12"
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DICA 002EP
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With Getstacked EP, Kator delivers a crisp imprint of his seamless style. By matching sharp-edged beats and soft melodic chords as in "Getstacked" or "Clapfresh", he adds his flavor to the footwork sound. Kabuki said it best: "It's good to see that the number of artists and labels that are determined to blur the boundaries between jungle, juke and autonomic sound is growing. Kator's Getstacked EP is a fine example of futuristic footwork with British hardcore DNA."
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12"
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DICA 003EP
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Singapore's Kiat delivers three tunes that are impeccable in style and substance. From the soothing yet purposeful "Brooklyn" to the acute manifesto that is "Procession" and the final but cathartic "Slider", Leipzig EP offers a unique perspective on drum and bass music. The 160 bpm "5 Boroughs Remix" by Kabuki reflects the aesthetics of his Berlin series "New Forms", which he runs in collaboration with dBridge.
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12"
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DICA 001EP
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Young and gifted, Kator delivers the tune that founded Defrostatica - 160 BPM minimalism, with a smell of aerosol leaving the can after midnight. Lightless label boss Fanu delivers an arctic heart breaker, a yearning slow-fast reinterpretation with bursting drum fills. Singapore's Kiat squared the circle with a catchy drum and bass beat, razor-sharp percussion and a bold surprise. Daniel Myer, aka Hexer, found himself on the b-boy tip, layering and destroying old-school breaks on a firm sub bass.
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