Survival is Instinct

Matt Toole:
“When I got admitted to hospital it was because I was having seizures, which turned out to be caused by a brain tumour. To control the seizures, I had to be induced into a coma. Luckily, I made it through this stage and was shocked to read that 50% of patients who are admitted to critical do not. I felt very lucky to be alive, despite the pending biopsy that was to confirm that I did have a grade 4 glioblastoma, which is unfortunately incurable.

Throughout all of this music seemed to provide a shining light at the end of the tunnel, as it always has when I faced difficulties in my life. I felt sure that I would soon return to music production and I also felt the need to use music to do more. The idea of a charity record occurred to me. Perhaps I could raise money that would help the world to discover how to overcome my death sentence?

Unfortunately for me, I have learned that any developments may take too long to help my circumstances, but I live in hope and if I could spare any individual or family the pain I have witnessed then it will be worth the effort.

I am extremely proud of the record. My friends, who have donated tracks, have all done an amazing job. Some sent lots of great tracks and it was hard to just choose a single piece. I feel the album flows very well and the difference in styles/tempos are its strength, where as sometimes this can be the downfall of dance music albums. Bob Macc’s mastering is excellent and really helps to pull the pieces together. A huge thanks must also go to Tunnidge, who designed the brilliant artwork and has also offered some excellent advice along the way.”

Suggested price: £10

Let’s beat cancer!

#survivalisinstinct #bassvbraintumours

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<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by Trekkah</a>

Trekkah
Trekkah
If Trekkah could be summarised as a musician in one word, it would be versatile. His endless energy sees him throw himself into numerous projects: he is a producer, musician, DJ, sonic artist, community arts practitioner and record label owner. His work has seen him collaborate and perform with numerous artists, including Benjamin Ziec & the Rarebreeds, The Afterdark Movement, Origin One, Zenith, Daisy Godfrey and a range of vocalist such as Yazmin-Lacey, Frazer Lowrie, Bud, Percy Dread and Motormouf. He has received national airplay from BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra from DJs such as Huw Stephens, Trevor Nelson and DJ Target.

His release with Fight or Flight Recordings sees him explore his hip-hop influences and draws influences from the L.A beat scene. However, the work was produced whilst spending time travelling in India. Trekkah expertly includes field recordings and samples to give the piece, It’s About Time, a distinctly Eastern flavour.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by Primate</a>

Primate
Primate
Brighton-based Primate produces bass music that has a clear focus on pushing the envelope of drum production as far as possible. Complex rhythms are infused with jazz and Primate’s attention to rhythm belies his background as a drummer.

Besides his own innovative music, with releases on the seminal drum and bass label Hospital Records, alongside VALE, and Night Owl Collective, Primate is a busy label boss, heading up Brighton institution, SmallPrint Recordings and hosting the SmallPrint show on Sub FM. This innovative label has released many of Primate’s own releases along with those of a wide array of artists. There is a great diversity within these releases but all share a commitment to innovation – no copycats to be found here.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by Soul Bass Project</a>

Soul Bass Project
Soul Bass Project
In their own words Soul Bass Project are a ‘collaboration designed to create Dubstep with no restrictions’. They are two brothers, and lifelong musical collaborators, Adam and Matt. They grew up together, influenced by the 90s music scene, discovering jungle and drum & bass through Kool FM Birmingham. They promoted the liquid drum & bass party, Sunday Amen, a small night that was regularly attended by the ‘heads’ of the Leicester drum & bass scene. As the 2000s moved on they became bored of the lack of progress within the D&B scene, whilst also becoming increasingly excited by the new genre of dubstep, which is where their production styles moved towards. Their releases (on labels such as Indigo Movement, SmallPrint Recordings and Might As Well), have explored a range of dubstep styles, from dark, atmospheric pieces to much more carefree, jazz and dub infused releases.

Unfortunately, in May 2019 Matt was diagnosed with a brain tumour (stage 4 glioblastoma). Matt was hospitalised and in a coma, due to seizures, caused by the glioblastoma. Upon release from hospital, glad to still be alive but with a much-shortened life expectancy, Matt decided he wanted to help in the fight against cancer. Feeling that music has always been his guiding light, he resolved to set up a record label to raise funds for cancer charities: Fight or Flight Recordings was born.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by Legend4ry & Pressa</a>

Legend4ry & Pressa
Legend4ry & Pressa
South London producer Legend4ry says the main thing that inspired his initial productions was a petty-minded competitive nature: After playing around with FLStudio (music production software) with friends he was ridiculed and felt he had a point to prove! I think its safe to say the point has definitely been proved, with a plethora of quality releases on labels such as Dank N Dirty Dubz, Might As Well, Mindstep and Dub Sector under his belt.

Legned4ry’s music is admirably economical. Elements are allowed to breath, each expertly selected and serving a function, somewhat reminiscent of jungle, where technical constraints drove immense creative use of minimal elements. Everything you hear is only there because it needs to be heard. Sladedale Funk, co-produced with Pressa, is typically minimal and en-point. Head-nodding is compulsory.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by Pressa</a>

Pressa
Pressa
Pressa flies the flag for the UK underground with junglist beats and big rave Reese bass that will bring a wide grin to any ‘old skool’ jungle heads and an urge to dance amongst practically everyone else. Clearly Pressa has an eye on the past, but also the present and future, with beats slowed down to 130-140bpm, allowing for a more considered, less frenetic sound than tracks of the past that he invokes.

South East London-based, Pressa is clearly a master of his craft, not only in the studio but also behind the decks, hosting a regular Sub FM show and promoting the night, Subsidence. His music has been released on labels including Top Drawer, MindStep, Warehouse Wax to name a few, with releases in the pipeline including one on Boss Mode (Slime Recordings Co).
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by ADM</a>

ADM
ADM
ADM’s drum & bass productions feature frantic, chopped breakbeats combined with a dystopian sound palette and obligatory chest-pounding bass to form highly intense, compelling compositions. Relaxing, ADM’s music is not. Tracks evolve and shift relentlessly, yet always with a laser focus on the dance floor. Anyone who has experienced ADM’s DJ sets will recognise the same intensity levels in his production.

Whilst no-one could accuse ADM of being retro in the slightest, his commitment to jungle is evident not only in his promotion of the Dissonance jungle night in Bristol, but also his adherence to the old school methods of jungle drum production – that of slicing and dicing funk breakbeats (see his recent release on Criterion Records). His music also belies an encyclopedic knowledge of bass music: ADM has released and DJ’d extensively in other genres under different names and formally ran the vinyl record shop, Drop Records, in Bath.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by Sophia Syndicate</a>

Sophia Syndicate (Technical Finger Remix)
Sophia Syndicate (Technical Finger Remix)
Technical Finger lives and breathes music. His day job sees him run Seaview Recording Studio, in Folkstone. However, when he is not getting his fingers dirty with technical issues, Technical Finger explores his creative side, often producing work with his regular collaborator, vocalist Sophia Stutchbury. This work regularly sees them explore varied genres, including house. However, Technical Finger’s roots lie in jungle and drum & bass.

Technical Finger has released on a number of labels, including Twisted Individual’s Grid (as Dirty Fingers) and was a regular DJ at Formation Records’ dances. Technical Finger is capable of creating jump up drum & bass that could rock any dancefloor. His release on Fight or Flight Recordings, Nothing Matters, sees him blend his drum & bass style with his house sensibilities, resulting in a track exudes that big, main room vibe.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by Braidee</a>

Braidee
Braidee
Leicester-based producer, Braidee, is a man who has obsessed with the liquid side of drum & bass for decades. In the 2000s, he brought big hitters such as Marcus Intalex, Alix Perez and London Electricity to his renowned Filtered>> nights in Leicester – intimate parties that are indelibly etched in the minds of all who experienced them.

Whilst some of Braidee’s releases, such as those spun by legendary DJ, Fabio, certainly bear all the hallmarks of the liquid sub-genre, it would, however, be unfair to pigeon-hole his productions in this way. The Black Gate, released by Fight or Flight Recordings, is as deep and brooding as it is uplifting and melodic. This imbues it with a sense of tension and melancholy somewhat reminiscent of the jazz music Braidee was brought up on – something he cites as a key influence on his musical journey.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by Books</a>

Books
Books
Books’ otherworldly music, showcased on cutting-edge labels including Ortem, Detuned Transmissions and One.Seventy, has to be some of the most innovative music currently being released, irrespective of genre. Notionally drum & bass music, such tags soon become meaningless once one immerses and loses themselves in his deep, cinematic compositions.

Books’ music is not overtly ‘musical’ within the traditional parameters of harmony and melody, and it’s rendering of rhythm is most definitely not generic when it comes to drum & bass. However, the deliberate decisions made to create such virtuosic minimal compositions, purposefully pulling back from utilising more traditional compositional tools, demonstrate a deep understanding of the functions these elements serve within the genre. It would be impossible to successfully create such unconventional, narrative-driven music without this awareness, alongside both a natural-born and highly developed musicality and musicianship.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by Duckem</a>

Duckem
Duckem
Duckem blends a rich tapestry of influences into his deep, moody dubstep productions. Coastal Drive is a reverbladen, highly melodic track, richly infused with dub. Yet it is idiosyncratic, with a subtly shifting bass line lending a slightly off-balance feel.

Hailing from Greece, Duckem is an example of a producer heavily influenced by dubstep’s rapid global expansion in the late 2000s. This spread is often talked about negatively, as many new producers and DJs cashed in on the new sound, subverting its meaning and misunderstanding its vibe. However, this rather simplistic narrative overlooks the contribution of people such as Duckem, who have stayed faithful to the original dubstep vibe, whilst contributing their own twists and cultural influences – something which is, after all, at the heart of the dubstep sound and culture in the first place.

Not only has Duckem released many tracks of his own (on labels such as Dirty Beats Music, eatmybeat and Foundation Audio), he also owns and runs the innovative Indigo Movement label from Bradford, where he is now based. This has provided a platform for many like-minded, pioneering producers.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by Soul Bass Project</a>

Soul Bass Project
Soul Bass Project
In their own words Soul Bass Project are a ‘collaboration designed to create Dubstep with no restrictions’. They are two brothers, and lifelong musical collaborators, Adam and Matt. They grew up together, influenced by the 90s music scene, discovering jungle and drum & bass through Kool FM Birmingham. They promoted the liquid drum & bass party, Sunday Amen, a small night that was regularly attended by the ‘heads’ of the Leicester drum & bass scene. As the 2000s moved on they became bored of the lack of progress within the D&B scene, whilst also becoming increasingly excited by the new genre of dubstep, which is where their production styles moved towards. Their releases (on labels such as Indigo Movement, SmallPrint Recordings and Might As Well), have explored a range of dubstep styles, from dark, atmospheric pieces to much more carefree, jazz and dub infused releases.

Unfortunately, in May 2019 Matt was diagnosed with a brain tumour (stage 4 glioblastoma). Matt was hospitalised and in a coma, due to seizures, caused by the glioblastoma. Upon release from hospital, glad to still be alive but with a much-shortened life expectancy, Matt decided he wanted to help in the fight against cancer. Feeling that music has always been his guiding light, he resolved to set up a record label to raise funds for cancer charities: Fight or Flight Recordings was born.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by LUUDUS</a>

LUUDUS
LUUDUS
Luudus claims to live on Earth, but we are yet to receive evidence of this, nor its National Insurance number. Despite geographical disadvantage, thanks to the internet and blackmail, Luudus has forged deep links with the music press. This has resulted in rave reviews in Pitchfork, although unfortunately for Luudus it hasn’t reaped the rewards this might bring as they misspelt its name as ‘Radiohead’, whatever that is.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by Rob Sparx</a>

Rob Sparx
Rob Sparx
Rob Sparx has a huge number of releases to his name, covering many genres and labels. This includes drum & bass, where he made his name with releases on Grid, Formation and Propaganda, before broadening his scope to release some classic dubstep on Nexgen, Affectionate Grooves, Z-Audio, On the Edge, Dubting, Dubbed Out, Audiophreaks, Smoking Sessions, as well as his own imprint, Migration.

Whilst this is fairly well-worn path, Rob Sparx also has releases in other, more surprising genres, including for Dutch trance tsar, Armin van Buuren, alluding to a versatility whereby his fingers have touched many other releases through his work as a mix engineer. His work in groups Kachina, Impure & Dirty Thieving Mongrels further indicate a man who refuses to be pigeon-holed.

This wide-range of releases all display a mastery of the technical side of electronic music production surpassed by few. Along with technical virtuosity and a hawkish attention to detail that are his calling card, Rob espouses the philosophy that a heavy bass line coupled with soulful, emotional musical elements is the recipe for a good tune. All these components are certainly on display in his aptly titled track, The Docktor, on Flight or Flight Recordings.
<a href="http://fightorflightrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/survival-is-instinct">Survival is Instinct by APB (featuring Carla)</a>

APB (featuring Carla)
APB (featuring Carla)
DJ APB has been at the heart of the Leicester drum & bass scene since the early days. He was formally head of DJ SS’s seminal label, Formation Records, working with the likes of Twisted Individual, Influx UK, Zen, Generation Dub, NERO, Shy FX and John B. He was also responsible for, alongside DJ Priceless, legendary drum & bass night, Sonic Boom, making his name with hard-hitting sets every inch as impactful as those from the big names he’d play alongside, such as Andy C and DJ Hype.

Those who are lucky enough (ahem, old enough!) to remember the heady days of Sonic Boom, will certainly identify the same energy in APB’s production for Fight or Flight Recordings, Don’t Hold On. Hard-hitting drums and bass mingle with poignant melodic motifs to create the sort of dance floor smasher only a man like APB could create.

Suggested price: £10

Let’s beat cancer!

#survivalisinstinct #bassvbraintumours

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