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RIP Spirit


The drum & bass community has been rocked by word of the death of Duncan Bisto, better known to fans as Spirit.

For anyone checking out drum & bass from '96 onwards, something Spirit has done has to have rocked you. While a number of his earlier productions were released via imprints like C.I.A. and Timeless, it was his material with Digital that really cemented his legacy early on, with cuts like "Mission Accomplished," "Remote Control," and the absolute anthem "Phantom Force" coming from their collective studios. Over the years, Spirit not only released material through some of the finest imprints in the scene (Metalheadz, Commercial Suicide), but also set up his own imprint, Inneractive Music, which he continued to drop material on.



News of Spirit's health issues hit less than a week ago, with Digital (who had just recently dropped an EP he did with Spirit over on Phantom Audio) recently sharing that Spirit was in the hospital in critical condition since August 13. He shared that Spirit had suffered a cardiac arrest, and that there had been irreparable brain damage. The family was told to prepare for the inevitable. On Sunday, Digital shared the tragic news that Spirit had passed.

It's also sad when the drum & bass community loses one of their own; last fall, Spirit released a single he produced with Marcus Intalex, who himself passed in May of 2017.




For those looking to remember Spirit, there's no doubt going to be a number of tributes on the way. For starters, check out this interview UKF did with Spirit back in 2017, which looks back at the reasons why he's regarded as one of the best and most prolific producers the scene has ever produced. Spirit was also very active in remastering and re-releasing the Inneractive Music back catalog via Bandcamp; take some time reminiscing through those classics, especially his stellar 2005 album Puzzle Box.

For now, here's a three-hour set Spirit did back in 2016. We also put a bunch of his gems into this Apple Music playlist. Or just check out the mixes we've thrown down below. Rest in power, Spirit.


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Lil Pump "Esketit (Kozee Edit ft. Stormzy)"


One day, Kozee asked me if I realized how grime-y Lil Pump's "Esketit" was. I hadn't, because I don't rock with Pump's music like that. Sure enough, I peeped the track and agreed. She's since double-backed and hit the world with an edit, complete with some Stormzy bars, to prove how grime-y this new school cut is. Stream below, and make it yours via Bandcamp.

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Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz "Decisions"


On October 26, a collaborative album, Mona Lisa, from Apollo Brown and Joell Ortiz, is dropping. To help announce that, they gave away the first single from the album, "Decisions," for free. Just hearing that the Detroit-based producer and the NY spitter linked up for a project should have you pre-ordering what's sure to be a banger ASAP. Fully ready for #hoodieseason with this one.

Stream and download "Decisions" via Bandcamp.

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Young Thug "Chanel (Ase Manual Remix)"


With everyone feeling their way through Young Thug's Slime Language, Jersey club destroyer Ase Manual decided to turn "Chanel" into a certified banger. This is one for the DJs who need a proper DJ tool with a Thug touch for their late summer sets. Tell 'em who sent ya.

Stream the remix below, and grab it via Bandcamp.

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K. Sparks ft. Leslie Carron "April In Paris"

Artwork by Rafael Mattey
November 6 is a while from now, so shouts to K. Sparks for sharing the second single from his upcoming Kurser-produced album Note to Self, "April In Paris". It definitely blends what sounds like a serene spring day in France, but with a hypnotic hip-hop flavor. Peep that second verse; Sparks kicks some ill rapid-fire flows.

Stream "April In Paris" below, and pre-order Note to Self via Bandcamp today.

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Black Collar Biz "The Get Back is Amazing" (Video)


Because I've been rocking with Black Collar Biz for a minute, I know that he's never truly left the rap game. He's had situations go down, and real life is always a mother, but it's not like he's dropped tracks on the low. That said, his new album, The Get Back, is Collar's official return to the game, and "The Get Back is Amazing" is a mission statement for what he's been doing, where he's going, and a reminder that he does, in fact, do this.

Collar's practically an elder statesman for the emcees coming up in the Trenton area, which makes sense, consider all of the accolades he's received over the years as an artist. This nine-track project is one of my favorites of his catalog, and something you need to ride out the rest of the year to (at least).

Check the Jubee-directed video for "The Get Back is Amazing" below, and grab the full project via iTunes.

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R.O.E. "No Time to Waste" (Video)


R.O.E. and J. Slikk fit perfectly together; it does help that I heard R.O.E. spitting over Slikk instrumentals eons ago, but it's dope that they've continued to churn out material together. This XBT 91-directed video takes this jazzy number to new heights.

If you need the actual track, grab it from R.O.E.'s latest album, Better Late Than Never. Peep the video below.

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DJ Snoopadelic x Green Lantern 'Live From the Mothership' Mix


What do you get when you have Snoop Dogg, Green Lantern, some bomb weed, a stack of classic funk, soul, and R&B, and an empty studio? Live From The Mothership, a mix from Green and Snoop's DJ Snoopadelic alias. They took classics, added some hip-hop flavor to it, and let Snoop go ham on the mic (at times). Clean the house or fire up the grill to this.


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Virgil Abloh Gets Busy for Solid Steel


While Virgil Abloh has been known for being everything from one of Kanye West's creative partners to being the genius behind Off-White, he's also been on his DJ grind as of late. That persistence has ended up with the Louis Vuitton Creative Director of Menswear getting an hour's worth of time for his exclusive Solid Steel mix, which he recorded in London.

"DJing in London is always a great time," Abloh says, "because I like to create a contemporary dialogue with the audience but also root it in vast history of the many sub-genres that makes London super unique."

This set features an interesting selection of tunes; everyone from Pearson Sound and Donae'o to Roy Davis Jr. and Boddika get some shine. Stream and download ASAP, and peep the tracklist below.


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DJ Ends Drops His Latest, 'Walkin'


Been interesting to see DJ Ends develop his sound. Obviously influenced by the likes of the TEKLIFE camp, he's been sending his own edits and originals our way for what feels like the better part of the last year or so. With his new album, Walkin, it feels like he finally honed in on what makes him unique while maturing his sound. This eight-tracker will definitely have something for everyone who loves to get their footwork on, trust. Stream below, cop via Bandcamp.

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Reckonize Real & Guilty Simpson ft. M-Dot and Mayhem "Can't Runaway"


Detroit legend Guilty Simpson linked with Queens-based producer Reckonize Real for Carved In Stone, which isn't out until October 26, and this week they dropped off a hypnotic cut entitled "Can't Runaway" featured two cats from Massachusetts' EMS camp, M-Dot and Mayhem. It's been a minute since they used to damn-near run roughshod over this site, so it's hype to see them still out here building. Stream the full cut below, and be sure to pre-order this one via Bandcamp.

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Illingsworth ft. Denmark Vessey "DnD"


While mostly instrumental, Illingsworth's forthcoming album You're No Fun has some, well, fun moments to it. Or maybe I'm just that hungry for Denmark Vessey bars. Something about the way he dominates a track is clearly what I need more of in my life.

You can grab their collab, "DnD," for free over on Bandcamp, where you can also pre-order You're No Fun before it drops on September 28.

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Kaytranada Is the Only Person Who Should Be Remixing Sade


When it comes to funky, club-ready edits, Kaytranada's owned that bag for a minute. He proved so recently during a spree of four uploads to his SoundCloud account. The most dynamic is his take on Sade's "Kiss of Life," which feels like what the grown and sexy bop to during Friday happy hour at the bar. Proper adulting with a stiff drink in your hands.



Kaytra didn't end there, though; he kept that exact same energy on his edit of A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight," turning the opening loop of the 1994 classic into an early-night club banger.



He added a couple of gems as well, for good measure. These spring 2018-produced cuts aren't available for download, but work perfectly for your Sunday vibe.



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Noisia & Two Fingers "Dzjengis"


Back in June, Noisia's Thjis linked with Amon Tobin in the studio. The result was "Dzjengis," which they describe as a tune coming from a "dark place". One for the Mezcal (and Tonic) sippers who are trying to work out their problems over menacing, brooding material. Stream below, and cop it ASAP.

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Lando Chill ft. Quelle Chris & REY - "Peso"

Image by Taylor Noel Photography

LA's Lando Chill is back with another album, Black Ego, which is due out on October 12. What better way to hype us for that than with a new single featuring Quelle Chris and REY? "Peso" has a massive blunted on reality vibe, and there's something about the styles of Lando and Chris merging; it's unique.

Stream "Peso" below, and pre-order via iTunes today.

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Von Pea & The Other Guys ft. Donwill "The Twist"


Less than a year after releasing their 2017 album The Fiasco, Von Pea and The Other Guys are back with another EP, I'm Good Luv, Enjoy, and most recently, they dropped the first single, the Donwill-assisted "The Twist". It's a dope way to reintroduce us to their cipher, seeing as the first time Pea and the Guys linked up was a collab with Tanya Morgan.

"The Twist" is a chilled cut, perfect for your Sunday loungin'. Stream it in full below, and pre-order I'm Good Luv, Enjoy, which drops on September 14, via Bandcamp.

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Root for the Villain Preps AGN7 Audio Release With Special Mix


On Friday, August 24, the AGN7 Audio crew is dropping a new two-tracker from Root for the Villain, a name that you might not be aware of. If you are drum & bass with a tinge of juke, you should be all about this. The single ("Got This" with Jimmy Hoffa b/w "Special Guest") finds intriguing ways to well in that bouncy 160 BPM range while still keeping things rough for the dancehall.



To prep for this mix, and ultimately to get you into his zone, RFTV cooked up a promo mix featuring material from this single, Chimpo, Sully, Dexta, J:Kenzo, and others. Stream that below, and cop the release when it drops on Friday.


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Random Tracks of Flyness


Years back, when I realized I had no time or money to be a DJ, I started making these odd mixes using old software. I guess I woke up this morning with a song (well, a bunch of songs) on my heart and decided to churn this out. There's lots of radio static, a bunch of random sounds and sketches that might only be funny/clever to me, but this also represents a bunch of material I dug during that timeframe of not making rockthedub radio mixes. #shrug.

Featured artists include Elucid, Pusha T, Westside Gunn, DJ Paypal, DJ Manny, Wen, 03 Greedo, and others. It's also the first time using hearthis.at, which allows you to not only upload shit, but give it away. Trying to figure my life out with this. Stream and download the demo; tracklist is below.


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Slim K is Back For 'Purple Children 8'


Slim K's Purple Children 8 has been on repeat for most of this week. If you aren't up on his Purple Children series, it's where Slim makes sure to chop mostly new school rappers for the next generation. This edition has some really ill chops on it; I'm a personal fan of his chop of Valee's "Juice & Gin". That's my type of hype, and that cover from AWGE's Rob Gallardo fits the vibe perfectly.

Stream the full project below, and cop it via Bandcamp. Then go back and run through his chop of Jay Rock's whole Redemption LP.

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Eprom & ZEKE BEATS "Humanoid 2.0"


In August of 2016, EPROM murdered my brain cells for the rest of the year via his Solid Steel mix. It was so dub-laden that cuts from it are just now getting out. The mix kicked off with his collaboration with ZEKE BEATS, "Humanoid 2.0," which is a bass-drenched, robotic-voiced banger that highlights exactly why both producers are the cream of the crop. It dropped this week via Division, and is a scorcher. Stream it below, and cop it ASAPula.

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Method Man "Grand Prix"


Some unexpected heat from Method Man? We'll take all of it. This Dame Grease-produced cut "Grand Prix" is from Meth's The Meth Lab: The Lithium, which is being billed as a "collaborative album". That project is set to drop later this year, and hopefully "Grand Prix" is one of many gems on the release. Check out Meth's ginsu-sharp wordplay on this one.

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UNIIQU3 "Phase 3"


The Jersey Club dynamo UNIIQU3 is back with a brand new EP, Phase 3, set to drop via NLV Records on August 24. This week, she unleashed the title track, and it's a monster. The cut, which finds the Jersey Club Queen infusing a number of throwback sounds into a futuristic club stew, also features UNIIQU3 rockin' her shit on the vocals. Not too many producers are doing it like her, on such a consistent level, but that's just how Jersey does.

Stream "Phase 3" below, and if you need it in your playlists, cop that shit.

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Cloudy Uchiha ft. 1iSinny "Shot Caller"


I don't know Cloudy Uchiha, 1iSinny, or DJ Creecha from a can of paint. Not sure how they found me. I will say is Creecha did the damn thing with this beat. You know the horn, but throwing it under a trunk-rattling set of drums and bass like that? This cut from the Detroit spitter could've gone a different way if it wasn't for that instrumental. Facts.

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blctxt "Time"


The other day, the homie blctxt hit me saying he had some new material. I feel like it's been forever since I've heard him do his thing, so it's dope to see that he's back at it. Speaking on his new song, "Time", blc says "Reality binds us with the concept of time but in our minds, time is almost nonexistent. The cool Jazz flip with big drums is produced by Cheeze Beatz (co-producer of "Bartier Bardi") while blctxt explores this theory of handling time in the verses with Joshua Worden crooning on topic via the chorus."

Peep the dope visual below, and keep your eyes on blctxt; I have a feeling he's got some more fire up his sleeve.

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Ase Manual "Oh Okay"


Ase Manual is someone UNIIQU3 put me onto. They collaborated on her cut "2 The Floor", and I was a big fan of his Black Panther: The Album remix project. On "Oh Okay," some hypnotic guitar strums play on a loop as he lets some club-ready percussion boom on the under. Big body track that makes for a very unexpected banger. Grab it over on Bandcamp.


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Jansport J's Feeling "blue"


Jansport J has been a favorite of this site for a while, so we're loving news of a new instrumental album from him. LOW, his ninth instrumental project, is set to drop on September 28, and this week he let "blue" go. The track's lead by some chopped vocals and moving pianos. Great Sunday soundtrack, trust. You can cop "blue" today, and pre-order the full project via Bandcamp.


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Milo and Elucid Team Up For 'Nostrum Grocers'


Crazy how these things work. According to the receipt I found stuck under the driver's seat, Nostrum Grocers (aka the collaboration from Milo and Elucid) was born almost three years ago, when Elucid flew out to Milwaukee to chop it up with Rory. They then sat on the project, not getting back into the project until 2017. Interesting enough, during the time this album was conceived to when it was released, both emcees became fathers. You can hear growth and optimism in the lyrics, although it packs equal amounts of black power and clarity in the 10-track opus as well.

Stream and cop this album via Bandcamp, and if you're in the NY area, you can hear it performed live on August 19 at Elsewhere (Zone One) in Brooklyn.

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Kev Brown Returns With 'Homework'


Kind of crazy when you read that this new album, Homework, is Kev Brown's first in 13 years. Kev's not been quiet, but a solo offering from him? It's been long overdue. Guess that's why he made sure gift us with 27 tracks on this longplayer. The best part? It's exactly what the game's been missing.

We'll shut up, you'll press play, then you'll cop via Bandcamp (or HERE for CD/vinyl options).

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rockthedub radio (July. 2018)


I KNOW, I KNOW; I said we'd be doing this month to month, and then dropped the ball back in the Spring. That's my bad. Either way, we're back bringing you our favorites from July of 2018, with an added bonus: drum & bass maestro Jaxtella has returned with a massive mix of treats from last month, featuring everyone from Social Misfits to Need For Mirrors. Of course, I also drop a hodge podge selection of cuts from Blood Orange, DJ Earl, Curren$y and more before him. Hopefully we've returned to form. Don't beast me up.

Stream below, download via iTunes, and check the tracklist down bottom.


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Royal-T Unleashes His "Flat Shoe Riddim"


This guy Royal-T always gets me. He's been around forever, stays consistently dropping heat, and always finds a way to amaze. His new release, "Flat Shoe Riddim," got official vocals from three MCs: ONJUICY, Smack, and my personal favorite, Riko Dan. It's a truly international affair, with Riko spitting in English, ONJUICY going ham in Japanese, and Smack busting lyrics in Czech. For any grime MCs who want to get their own country inna grime riddim, grab the instrumental and kick the linguistics. International grime soundbwoy killah!

Stream below, cop via Bandcamp.

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Kendrick Lamar "X (Rickyxsan x YehMe2 Remix)"


Throughout this Black Panther: The Album standout, Kendrick Lamar asks "are we on 10 yet?!" K. Dot was certainly on 10 during his appearance on last week's episode of Power, and Rickyxsan and YehMe2 certainly took "X" past ten with their monster of a rework, which you can grab for free.

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Manz Rivalz ft. Chris Rivers, Meet Kaur "Don't Mean Nothing"


I don't know what's doper, the Vic Jones instrumental or the illustration in the cover. Either way, Manz Rivalz linked up with Chris Rivers and Meet Kaur to give you what's described as "new age hip-hop," whatever that means. I just call the shit hot, dead ass.

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Frank Knight "New York Summer"


Summers in any city can be a nightmare, but there's something different in New York. Might be the desire to get on, might be the skyscrapers; it's just different during the summer in NYC. Frank Knight perfectly encapsulates that whole scene in his new single, "New York Summer," which is produced by Rediculus. Close your eyes while this one plays and let Frank paint you a picture. And if you want this track, grab it for the free.

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Hablot Brown Kicks Off Soulection's Black Label Series


If you're in the need for a chill, Sunday vibe of a five-track release, LA's Hablot Brown is here to rescue you. On the first release from Soulection's Black Label series, HB has something. The infusion of the deeper R&B flavor with the guitar-driven beauty? The seductive vocals? This release is one for the loungers. It also helps that there's a cut on here with Esta.

You can stream the full project below, and grab it for free via Soulection.

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Walmer Convenience Drops "Midsummer Mix 2018"


It might already be August, but there's still a shitload of summer to turn up to. If you need some sounds to properly shake your ass to, Walmer Convenience has got you covered. This week, he dropped his 2018 Midsummer Mix, chock full of UK funky, Afro house, and much, much more. Featured artists include Roska, LH4L, Munchi, JLZ, and many, many more.

Stream and download the full mix below, and be sure to check out that tracklist.


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The Perceptionists "Lemme Find Out (Paten Locke Mix)"


Last week, we previewed the Paten Locke remix project, Low Resolution, which flips choice tracks from The Perceptionists' Resolution LP. This week, we have an official remix from the project to hit you with...for free. On his rework of "Lemme Find Out," Paten finds a way to soundtrack the illest dance party before the end of the universe. Lemme find out he's tucked some gems on this project.

Stream the full remix in full below, and grab it for free via Bandcamp.

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Homage CVG Brings Listeners to His 'Hacienda'


If you were in need for some chill, Western-themed hip-hop, Cincinnati, Ohio's Homage CVG's got you. On Hacienda, which is his sixth project, Homage produced a mostly-instrumental montage of sounds that found a way to build a narrative (mostly) without the need for lyrics. That's doesn't mean that this is totally rap-less, though; Lessondary representative Rob Cave picked up his pen for this, as did Boogie Bang, Ill Mil, and more.

Trust, just pour yourself a few fingers of whisky, press play, and vibe out. Stream the full project below, and cop it via Bandcamp.

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Who the Hell Is Nuff Pedals?


I don't know what I was doing when Nuff Pedals dropped The First EP back in 2016, and I'm pissed because I missed out on some excellent music. This week, The Second EP dropped, and you can file me under blown away by this release. There's something about the jazz-y, bass-fueled, broken beats on this project. I've been a longtime fan of jazz, just by listening to the shit hip-hop producers would sample, but there's a twisted funk to cuts like "Hang Glide" that will be stuck in my head for the next month.

The identity of Nuff Pedals is a mystery by design. It's apparently "the super-secret alias of an artist that you already know and love," which is intriguing. This dropped on Gutterfunk, which is DJ Die's imprint, but he's been so all over the place, BPM-wise, for me to think it's him (although it could very well be him). I also know that Die, along with Krust, Roni Size, and the rest of the Full Cycle camp, used to drop all kinds of music during the '90s, under various names. Wonder if it's one of them. Either way, it's someone who called on DRS to vocal a tune, so I have to wonder if they are in the dnb genre and took to Gutterfunk to explore. Either way, this shit is very necessary. Stream it below, and cop it over on Bandcamp.

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The 2018 Trenton House Music Festival Features First Ever All-Female Lineup


Trenton's an interesting town. It has a storied hip-hop history, with loads of West Indian roots. There's also a deep house history in the city. There's something about the soul of true house music that resonates with the area. Not even on some fist-pumping shit; just pure, deep house music. So there shouldn't be any surprise that the Trenton House Heads United crew has been putting on their Trenton House Music Festival in the city for a number of years. In 2018, though? They have something special lined up.

This Sunday (August 5th), the first-ever all-female line-up to hit the Trenton House Music Festival will kick off at 12PM in Mill Hill Park. It's a free event, and runs until 7PM. What's dope is not only is the line-up full of women, but it's very international. DJ Venus 7 reps Thailand, while DJ Sabine Blaizin reps Haiti. Yuko Jikido is repping Japan, and finally, DJ Zandy Shejay is bringing the sounds from South Africa.

For more details on the DJs and the live performances, hit up their Facebook event. To get you right, here are some mixes from the wonderful women on the card.







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