Signature レコード& CD

Review: Just as they were likely originally intended, two of Calibre's said-to-be most coveted productions come remastered fresh from the vaults, and reissued on black vinyl via the sonic conservationists over at Signature. First comes the 2001 remix of Badmarsh & Shri's 'Signs', to which Calibre lends an extra rolling signification, its no-nonsense industrial break and tensing, two-note pads doing most of the legwork here. Then there's the original 'Soul 80', a unique fusion of dub-delayed chipmunky vox splices, modular synth piques, and a massive, untechy breakbeat.

Review: This has been described as Shelflife for Calibre's 120-140 material. If you know the means, methods and magic of Dominic Martin, you'll already have this in your basket. But in case you need a little extra info or new to the abyssal vaults of Calibre, the Shelflife series is a regular collection of projects and unreleased material he's made over the years. While best known for his d&b, his house, techno and dub material is just as prolific, deep and mesmerising. As is the case here as we range from steppy, curmudgeonly techno ('Front Loader') to funky electro style breaks ('The Saki') to bumping shufflesome house ('Ukrained') to vast spacious dub ('Come With Me') Complete with many other deep and reflective shades between, this is yet another fantastic body of work from one of electronic music's most unique and revered artists.

Review: Is there a more consistently policy and famously high quality producer in all of electric music - let alone just drum & bass - that the universally respected Irishman, Calibre? The don of drums and baron of bass is by now a master of his art and the one going Shelflife series continually proves that time and time again. This seventh volume is once again jam-packed with silky rhythms, soulful sounds and meticulous craftsman ship across a wide range of tempos and moods. There are roomy steppers like 'Ready Beek' next to darker, edgier and more menacing cuts like 'Snoopy' signature emotive sounds like 'Nearly Nothing.'

Review: Dominick Martin's Shelflife series takes us back into the very core of Calibre over the past 20 years, finally sharing tracks which were previously only aired in his DJ sets. It's testament to his rigorous approach to the music he released over that time, given how incredible some of these cuts are, but it's also a relief to finally be able to cop the likes of 'Breather', 'Home' and 'I Don't Care What U Say'. The range of d&b on offer here is remarkable too, from moody, heads-down tech steppers to gorgeous, soul drenched swooners, with an unerring quality which lets you know it's Calibre at the controls.

Review: Calibre as we all know is a machine. The man has produced thousands of records, each one as exceptional as the next, across drum & bass, house and bass music. His latest album Rudy shows no dip in quality with another a masterful display of his signature sound making it another timeless classic. Each track is a journey into his famously lush melodies, intricate rhythms, and soulful vocal touches, all of which showcasing Calibre's unmatched skill in crafting emotive drum & bass compositions. From dreamy atmospheres to the pulsating low ends, heart aching samples and driving drums, every moment captivates with its depth and keen sense of musicality.

Review: Cologne-based Belfast boy Dominick Martin has been delivering deliciously good albums as Calibre for the best part of a quarter of a century, frequently departing from his trademark drum & bass sound to showcase his love of other sub-heavy and mind-bending sounds such as dub techno, ambient and dubstep. On Little Foot, his first album in two years and 22nd in total, he leans into this considered eclecticism. For proof, compare and contrast the tactile and dreamy 4/4 dub of 'Blame Dub', the dub-wise junglist bruk-up of 'Special', the mutant two-step delight of 'Ukrained', the angularm, sub-heavy UK techno of 'Threadvare' and the Mark Ernestus style spaced-out dub techno of 'Choosing Beggar'. And that's just CD1. A genuine triumphant from one of bass culture's most distinctive musical voices.

Review: Although Rhythm & Sound and Basic Channel man Mark Ernestus has worked with or remixed many different artists over the years, we didn't expect him to join forces with D&B scene stalwarts Calbre and DRS. Yet that's exactly what's on offer here, as the Hardwax founder delivers two typically deep, dubbed-out techno outings crafted from portions of the pair's collaborative cut 'Badman', which is due to feature on Calbre's forthcoming sixteenth studio album, Feeling Normal. Both 'Bad' and 'Badder' are typical of Ernestus' ultra-deep and hypnotic style, with snippets of the duo's original instruments, beats and vocals echoing in and out of a warming, all-encompassing, sub-heavy groove. In a word, it's superb.

Review: Dominick Martin is best known as stone-cold drum & bass don Calibre, a prolific producer with a masterfully deep and smoky sound. He has also made tech house under his own name, but lesser known is this album
Valentia which was originally released in 2013 and has now been remastered and repressed on 180 gram vinyl with a sleeve containing the lyrics. It was written on the amazing Valentia Island, joined to the west coast of Co Kerry in Ireland by a bridge t and battered by strong winds. Says Martin, "I took my computer and mic with me not knowing what to expect when I got there. In one of the rooms sat a piano, and as my fingers touched the keys I knew there was a story there waiting to be told."