2nd Drop Records release 'Seven Lies', the debut album by Felix Manuel aka Djrum (pronounced "Drum"). Its sounds are inspired by the rawness of urban London, influences of Portishead, DJ Shadow and The Cinematic Orchestra, jungle, minimal techno, classic house, broken beat - all seamlessly segued with a nod to jazz vinyl and film music.
Fans will recognise Djrum's iconic tropes on 'Seven Lies': widescreen atmospheres, dub chords, dusty and melancholic strings, obscure film samples. But this time its spread over a bigger, more luxurious canvas that dips like an undulating terrain of sound; techno troughs, bumpy hip hop breaks, euphoric drum and bass, all filtered through the Djrum node.
Felix would admit himself he is a not a prolific producer. Preferring to craft and hone, often allowing music to mutate and diverge down different paths, his tracks often top the 8-9 min marks in length. However, each track is never at risk of becoming staid or boring, quite the opposite as ideas mutate and evolve, subtle differences and nuances are evoked and explored.
Inspired by the sounds of Ninja Tune's Solid Steel radio show, Oxford born/London based Felix became involved with the free party scene and helped set up the seminal Yardcore nights in 2005. A night of wild extremes, it swept from acts as diverse as Hellfish, Andy Stott, Breakage and Various Production in one night. An aesthetic he still faithfully adheres to in his all-vinyl DJ sets, a seamless blend of techno, garage, dancehall, hip hop, old-school hardcore and jungle.
Just as the dominant dubstep scene was in a painful, if fertile, transitionary period in 2010, Felix made his production debut as Djrum with 12" singles on the On the Edge and Smokin Sessions labels. This would ultimately provide him with the perfect platform for his own hybrid sound. A sound that instead of reflecting the brash energy of his DJ style, turned inwards, almost ingesting and metabolising those sounds to create an introspective and more sensitive and tactile crossbreed.
The 2nd Drop label were lucky enough to pick up on his latent talent, drafting him to remix the wonderful lament 'Explode' by LV and Message To Bears ft Zaki Ibrahim, to widespread acclaim. In 2011 the 'Mountains EP' followed. A four track suite of music that captured the imagination of many: Francois K, Gilles Peterson, Craig Richards, Berlin's highly respected T++, and featured in end of year charts across the board. The 3rd part of the 'Mountains EP' came the following year - as 'Watermark' b/w 'The Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn (Undercoat Pt2)' - completing an epic body of music and setting up the realization of 'Seven Lies', this highly accomplished debut long player.
The wonderful, celestial artwork is by an artist friend of Djrum's called Jaya Mansberger.
Seven Lies tracklist (available as triple pack vinyl):
1. Obsession
2. Como Los Cerdos
3. Dam
4. Arcana (Do I Need You)
5. Lies (ft Shadowbox)
6. Honey
7. Arcana (Coda)
8. Anchors (ft Shadowbox)
9. Thankyou

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* Continuing a strong line of afro inspired works, men like Pedestrian & Jasperdrum drop another scintillating technoid excursion on 2nd Drop. Deeper, moodier with dynamically carved esoteric angles, 'Origins' moves forward from the superb Kalakuta, the afrobeat meets bass music bomb supported by Giles Peterson, Scuba, Midland, Mr Scruff and many more, from last year, to deliver a heads down destroyer. Off kilter, wonky and expertly crafted, Pedestrian & Jasperdrum's 'Origins' is pure class, led by a host of syncopated percussion, haunting flute lines and distorted vocal samples, this is what Fela would have sounded like if he'd teamed up with Carl Craig in 2014! On the flip we welcome Alix Perez, best known for his DnB production but widely talented as shown by his Arp101 outings on the likes of Eglo. Here, Alix takes the tools to Kalakuta, transforming the original's afrocentricity into a tense, punchy roller, dominated by a bass line which literally jumps in to your ears. Toss in a stabby synth line, rifle shot drums and plenty of bass with space, this a beautifully crafted refix.
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We are super excited to present Jack Sibley aka Pedestrian’s first solo single with 2nd Drop Records. After his killer remix of Djrum’s
Mountains in 2012 and the slow-mo house magic of Sliding Down Rainbows on the Future Foundations compilation in March this
year, Jack once again shows his breath of influences and versatility as a producer by dropping two dope afrocentric bombs in our
lap. Teaming up with his childhood friend Luke Tomkinson aka Jasperdrum on lead track Kalakuta (a title inspired by Fela Kuti’s famous
Kalakuta Republic from the 70’s), the music immediately transports you to Nigeria with its strong atmospherics and field recordings
introduction, that is until the killer syncopated rhythms spiced with a charged afrobeat swing drops and the bassline rumbles and off
you go, racing back into modern club culture with it’s powerful sub bass and twisted chords. An awesome dancefloor weapon that
sounds so fresh in a world awash with saccharine house music. Continuing to explore this afrocentric thread, Ndizi on the flip ratchets up the bpm into Juke territory and slinks off into the deep jungle where it stumbles across a dark, mysterious tribe awash with vibrant colours, raging fires and hypnotic dancing feet, stamping
out mystical juju rhythms that infect anyone who hears them.
Both tracks have received big support already from Gilles Peterson, Akkord, Djrum, Dark Sky, Simbad More

After first meeting Stef Smith aka Lakosa at a Birmingham warehouse rave back in 2010, the 2nd Drop camp have been keeping an eye on this burgeoning talent, especially as he’s popped music out on Kerri Chandler’s Madtech imprint among others. Co-producer Rick Grant is 1/3 of Take Records and with releases on George Fitzgerald’s ManMakeMusic label, another key talent making moves this year. And despite having never met each other (they communicate via email and bass frequencies), it seems that when they collaborate the magic happens. For the A side we have Core, a murky, brooding slice of house infused with strong techno characteristics: tough kick drums, dub chords, scattered clattering snares, ghostly African voices and a deft mixture of off kilter synths and nuanced pad work. This is not your average 4x4 number, it’s a track that plants its seed into your ears and allows its subtleties grow into your brain like climbing ivy. We are very happy to welcome back Boya, last seen adorning South London Ordnance’s debut release on 2nd Drop. This very talented graphic designer, illustrator and photographer delivers a delicate, yet powerful graphic for this 12”, blending psychedelic influences with an amazingly delicate feather motif for a beautiful piece of artwork. More

After 20 superb 12” single releases over five and half years in the game, UK label, 2nd Drop, is proud to present its first compilation, Future Foundations, featuring a mixture of established artists who have graced the label previously, alongside a handful of exciting new acts generating some serious hype on the scene right now. This compilation is the first of many that will bear the Future Foundations title. We have assigned each 12” with a number, “Foundation 1, Foundation 2” and so on, viewing these chunks of superb music as the foundations of an on-going, multi-layered aural concept that will document the rich and varied output of the label and its artists for the foreseeable future. The compilation presents eight exclusive tracks that sleekly demonstrate the quality, variety and depth of sounds the label has come to be known for; new sounds from familiar faces begins with the deep, lush techno/house of Youandewan, then a beautiful torch song from LV & Dan Bowskill, followed by Pedestrian’s synth-funk houser and the textured techno of Djrum, terminating with a creeping leviathan from South London Ordnance.
The first artist making his debut on 2nd Drop is Manchester’s Alex Coulton with his stuttering techno machinations, followed swiftly by Last Magpie who presents a superb number that shifts, skanks and weaves throughout, frantically culminating in the balls-out juke of Brighton’s Manni Dee & Deft. And finally, we wanted the artwork to be something special, timeless and iconic. We were lucky enough to stumble across the bold
abstractions of Adam Daily, an artist from Philadelphia, who now lives in New York State and exhibits frequently and widely. Adam likes to produce big, bold and beautiful pieces, bursting with colour and vibrancy, working big geometric shapes via painting, photography, collage and digital techniques. We think he’s a badman! http://adam-daily.com/ More

Still a relative newcomer, Tessela has had releases on Ireland's All City label back in early 2011 which pricked our ears. However, the rush of excitement when we first heard Darlene, Please was intense and unforgettable. With a racing, industrial sound palate, the Bristol born and Bath resident, has literally built this track from spare carboretta, dump valves and exhausts pipes, engineering a precision industrial mix of pushy house with cold, growling techno. This guy knows how to build a killer groove, keep you guessing and squeeze the most out of a sound. Let Up is a more understated, minimal offering. Focusing heavily in percussive detail, Tessela's skills flourishes within the added space, riveting more of his industrial pads and banging oil drums to a submarine sized bassline that will send torpedoes into your chest cavity. Fans of our friends Pearson Sound and Blawan will identify with this immediately, relishing the power and intricacy of the syncopated drums, machine-cut pads and found sounds that pull together to crate a whole that begs to be played loud to truly appreciate its full sonic detail. We are also very happy to be working with a brand new illustrator from Scotland. Verbals Picks is a exciting illustrator who has worked with a range of great brands and clients, establishing his clean, visually challenging dada-esque style as one of the most in demand creatives on the circuit. For this release, we felt that the sound conjured up images of classic pinball machines with their lively, iconic aural identity. So this illustration draws on pinballs' art heritage whilst being inspired by Tessela's industrial sound palate. For more info: www.verbalspicks.com
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Sometime you can't keep a good remix down, and we certainly felt that with these two beastly versions by two very exciting producers of bass music.
First up is an exciting producer 2nd Drop have been talkin to for over a year now, Atlanta's Distal has been making a lot of noise across the bass scene with releases on Tectonic and ? Alongside putting a vast array of music on his own Embassy Label. Inspired by Gerry's original, Distal has produced something truly brilliant. In stark contrast to the sublime Youandewan remix and Gerry Read's killer original, Distal grabs the key elements and transforms them into an awesome juke workout. Drawing on an arsenal of stunning original features, this hyperkinetic version is bursting with character, energy and colour. On the flip, we welcome back Sully, who first saw wax on 2nd Drop with the anthemic Give Me Up in mid 2008. As a big fan of 23hz & Numaestro's original, Sully asked to remix Zumo soon after it's release in early 2009. Failed hardrives and a quiet 2010 for the label sadly meant this remix with its shifting syncopated beat patterns and moody El-B-esque swing, was sat on. Until now. Beautifully placed to carry on the Sully sound after his critically acclaimed album on Keysound in September, this long overdue remix now gets the release it deserves. Coincidently, the artist on both of the original releases was our mysterious Portugese illustrator and graffiti activist Uiu. So in the spirit of the release we asked him to remix both the original illustrations to create a new version for this release. The featured art ensued. Slightly bonkers, but amazing!
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There are a number of producers who are known for being prolific; Roska, Cooly G, Benga to name a few, and now Gerry Read can be added to that list. The Cambridgeshire producer has only a handful of actual releases to his name, but a vault of hundreds. We can well imagine his hardrive straining from the sheer velocity of ideas that he sends our way. Raw, urgent and frequently off kilter, Gerry's production challenges your ears but always manages to lock in the groove. Roomland is classic Gerry, bristling with syncopated energy, driven along by crisply stretched rim shots, muted key stabs and a wickedly snakey shaker, only to be pierced by a killer synth line, which has won support from a host of key tastemakers and DJs including Untold and Ben UFO among others. On the remix, is rising star Youandewan, who has been getting love from the underground dance press, as well as a debut release of
deeper dubstep orientated material on Skream's Disfigured Dubz label. Here the "north Londoner" delves deep under the skin of Roomland, digging out the underlying essence and subtly incorporating its rhythmic character into a reshaped, dubbed out house/ techno lather. You can still hear the slight broken beat, but the synths get more covert, almost throbbing away and building the pressure as the baseline peeks in and out; subtle and powerful. One of our favourite illustrators/ artists returns for his 3rd time to adorn the label artwork. Portuguese man of mystery UIU, delivers his most abstract design to date, an awkwardly symmetrical sludge of technicolor. Playful and oddly brilliant. Check out his further madness here: www.Uiu-Uiu.com
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The second and third parts of the Mountains suite nestle snugly together on pt 2 of the EP. Dissolving from the lush techno of Mountains pt 1, Rum lightens the pressure accenting the melodic motifs of pt 1 adding an almost lilting, percussively funky rhythm, only to be broken with a galloping gabba style beat washed over by his trademark string and synth blanket. However, the pressure is short lived, as once again the track gives way to a verdant and lush pasture of classic Rum ambience.
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The second release from south London based LV on 2nd Drop, but this one is a little different, you might say more international. Basking in the afterglow of their much hyped Kwaito inspired bomb, Boomslang on Hyperdub last year, the LV trio stick the brakes on and crank up the soulful vibes for this release. With well established roots in South Africa, a recording session at the Red Bull studios in Cape Town saw LV record a number of vocal collaborations with the honeyed-voiced Zaki Ibrahim. Zaki's Canadian and Burmese heritage not provides her with striking looks but also politically charged ammunition for her lyrics. The third angle of this collaboration is a young band from leafy environs of Oxford. After discovering Message to Bears on YouTube trying to make more dubstep / electronic music, 2nd Drop saw the opportunity to link the disparate groups together. Explode was created, with M2B providing lush piano motifs and subtle strings. So, with such great music and beautiful vocals, we had a hard time limiting our remix options! DJ Rum brings more than most to his remix duties, here displacing the vocal pacing and adding luscious strings, creating something really special. Lastly, dragged kicking and screaming out of 10 years of retirement, Charlie Dark, former Attica Blues-man, urban poet, and seasoned DJ, brings together a
deep and rolling Theo Parrish-esque remix.
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The second release from south London based LV on 2nd Drop, but this one is a little different, you might say more international. Basking in the afterglow of their much hyped Kwaito inspired bomb, Boomslang on Hyperdub last year, the LV trio stick the brakes on and crank up the soulful vibes for this release. With well established roots in South Africa, a recording session at the Red Bull studios in Cape Town saw LV record a number of vocal collaborations with the honeyed-voiced Zaki Ibrahim. Zaki's Canadian and Burmese heritage not provides her with striking looks but also politically charged ammunition for her lyrics. The third angle of this collaboration is a young band from leafy environs of Oxford. After discovering Message to Bears on YouTube trying to make more dubstep / electronic music, 2nd Drop saw the opportunity to link the disparate groups together. Explode was created, with M2B providing lush piano motifs and subtle strings. So, with such great music and beautiful vocals, we had a hard time limiting our remix options! 1st up
is the mysterious Mothy with his Implosion redux. Sounding like Mount Kimbe on Novocaine, the original is dubbed, filtered and squeezed into a cerebral paste.
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