021. Allied & Phyon - Osirus

Most of the music I buy isn’t new, its second hand. This is rationalised under the idea that I’m ‘consolidating my back catalogue’. Once that’s done, I can concentrate on the new stuff! Realistically it’s because I think that old records tend to be better. With disappointingly few exceptions, the state of contemporary electronic music is neither healthy nor engaging. You can find what I do think is good by looking through the 2008 and 2009 tags. Still, as a record collector who is known to share his collection with others on occasion it is important to keep your hand in with new releases. With the recent visit to Hospitality Oxford in mind, I thought it appropriate to share with you the Drum & Bass sounds which I like: Tech-step, example tune: Allied & Phyon - Osirus. House is to Drum & Bass as Techstep is to Looped Techno. It’s about experimentation, drive, rhythm and repetition. With this genre you are encouraged to use your records a protean resource, from which one is expected to carve your own distinct musical pattern. What draws me to Techno, draws me to Techstep.

Allied & Phyon - Osirus
[Sinous : SIN-LIMITED001]
(2009)

Juno: £6.00

019. Hopsitality Oxford @ The Regal [21-02-2009]

It’s easy to forget that Drum & Bass is a parent genre. Like House, Techno and Electro before it, D&B has spawned a numerous progeny of sub-genres and styles. Indeed, sub-genres have grown out of sub-genres. Despite sharing an identifiable common ancestry, each of these variations on the theme have their own individual characteristics, tone and atmosphere, sounding incredibly different. Techstep and Neurofunk are my progeny of choice, so I was slightly reticent when the chance cropped up to attend a Hospital Records club night, headlined by Marky, London Elektricity and High Contrast. Still, you never know until you try, right?

Thankfully, giving it a fair roll of the dice was the right decision. The musical texture of the night was varied and diverse and we were treated to a spectrum of sounds from the D&B family. The music was then complemented by both the crowd and the venue. The Regal Oxford is a great place to spend the evening, the open plan of the club makes the place feel big but manageable; the DJ booth afforded a great view of the dancefloor, plus drink prices (a pint of diet coke!) were reasonable for this sort of event. Lovely low res phone photos attached to give you a flavor of the night.

Hospitality Oxford @ The Regal
[21-02-2009]

Ticket price: £16 o.t.d.