Eastern Promise Audio releases
EARL GREY’S RADIO SILENCE EP SIMPLY DEFINES BEAUTY
Already on the previous Ear To The Ground release Manchester based artist Earl Grey debuted on the Eastern Promise label. His new Radio Silence EP however, is a piece of art on its own that perpetuates the artist’s dialectics between dreamlike vibes and pure jungle skills. Most importantly, the EP tells a story that should make listening to it from A to Z almost mandatory to experience a strange and wonderful ride with a thin layer of fine dust on top.
To fans of modern jungle today Earl Grey should already be known by now, with an album and many singles already on his slate. Still, it’s too easy to categorize the artist simply as an atmospheric or jungle producer, which Radio Silence demonstrates through four tracks in perfect harmony. A small and sweet departure from the usually darker take on jungle from Eastern Promise but yet just as mysterious and deep as the sound tends to be. Beauty defines the sound of this EP and that no path here leads back to its beginning, and to understand this is to let it just speak for itself.
The opening track Rebirth immediately sets the mood for the EP’s subtle and dusty vibe where smooth jungle breaks and Rhodes stabs pull you towards a state of bliss when orchestral pads officially set the EP on its way. In an almost meditative state, the track smoothly progresses from one melody into another with each telling its own tale but never losing the coherence the track tries to conceive. Ultimately the track blasts back into gear with some gritty bass works to build a climax but then come to a sudden close.
Oxytocin Talking is a roller pur sang, where firm jungle breaks and dreamy piano stabs slowly pull the listener in a delightful soundscape of lush strings. After a moment of pause to fully immerse the mood, the breaks fire up at an intense but easy rolling rate while pads evolve, again slowly, the track to a new level. As a trademark with Earl Grey, no theme is explicitly repeated twice and the track culminates in another melodic frenzy leaving the listener in wonder.
The title track of the EP might be its most mellow and soothing, but by losing none of the firm jungle vibes dominating the EP and having a chilling atmosphere, Radio Silence gets its namesake to evoke a certain vibe of isolation and contemplation. A subtle organ melody sets the main mood for the track and again slowly transforms through hazy guitar chords into a state where pads and strings evoke a new feeling of the track which shows that isolation can sound wonderful.
The ride draws to a close with Train of Thought which is the EP’s heaviest track opening with some thick think breaks rolling into firm amen fires, all blended under long winding pads and soulful Rhodes chords dreaming the listener away. When the breaks grow in complexity, Earl Grey doesn’t hesitate to halt everything to a sudden stop to level again with the listener again and to maintain the song’s balance. Breaks slowly pick up the pace again and to perfectly complete the journey, a very special name is called on stage to bring the EP to a close.
EPA19: Earl Grey, Radio Silence EP
Tracks:
1 Rebirth
2 Oxytocin Talking
3 Radio Silence
4 Train of Thought
Release Date: May 1st, 2020
Artwork: R. Peperkamp
Mastering: T. Van Zeytveld
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PAPA SHANTI & SOMAH BRING FORTH EASTERN PROMISE’S FIRST REMIX ALBUM
To wake you up for this new decade, Eastern Promise Audio returns with their first remix album, centered around a new jungle scorcher by Papa Shanti & Somah called Ear to the Ground. Next to the original it offers no less than 5 remixes by both newcomers and established EPA artists Earl Grey, Optimystic, Phuture-T, Pixl and Reactor Grits.
Being residents with the Unity Sessions sound system in North West England, Papa Shanti & Somah have teamed up to combine their razor sharp skills in dub and jungle to bring Eastern Promise a track which makes you feel the hot breeze of the Jamaican jungle over your skin while wild amen breaks dropkick you down to your center. Making you feel the summer in the heart of this winter, Ear to the Ground gives you the sounds of pure dub to the point of a highly meditative state along with wild jungle styles rolling from one break to the other.
Optimystic starts off with a firm drumfunk twist on the track, where Arabic sounds and growling bass stabs accompany the original vibe, ultimately culminating in a state of bliss without losing its firm grip. Earl Grey then takes over in a mind soothing jungle lick where one seems to drift further and further into an intense dream state with each passing minute, making for a calmer but also firm and sexy vibe. Reactor Grits then takes the track into the realm of modern jungle techno sounds where after some firm rave stabs and jungle mashup ultimately a big climax shall dictate its sound. Pixl takes the track into the depths of drumfunk science, twisting the breaks over the original serene sound with percussion drums to add a deep and funky groove. Finally, it is up to Phuture-T to close the curtain with a storm of funky mule breaks breaking your teeth, roaring bass works and the dub vibe of the original expanded into infinity.
Drawing to almost three quarters of an hour, Eastern Promise’s first remix album not only provides you with both new and established talent it always aims to push, but also with the vibe of a track which keeps its edge strongly throughout listening. This is a trip celebrating dub and jungle’s finest hour.
EPA18: Papa Shanti & Somah – Ear to the Ground EP
Tracks:
1 Original
2 Optimystic remix
3 Earl Grey remix
4 Reactor Grits remix
5 Pixl remix
6 Phuture-T remix
Release Date: January 2020
Artwork: R. Peperkamp
Mastering: T. Van Zeytveld
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EASTERN PROMISE AUDIO BACK WITH OPTIMYSTIC
Eastern Promise Audio is finally back with a storming EP by the upcoming artist Optimystic to roll some dark mysticism into the heat of summer. His new Jakigo EP out on the label once again shows a new force into the Eastern Promise sound that doesn’t skew innovation yet guarantees full dancefloor madness. A raw mix of full on jungle and jaw dropping atmospherics is the result that will set the tone for a new series of Eastern Promise releases for this year.
Bristol-based producer Optimystic has just started to conquer his space in the scene when Eastern Promise found it just to provide him a space for his compositions which can do nothing but give right to his name. Teaming up with featuring and recognized producers Ko and Relapse, he crafted the Jakigo EP to heights which do more than just to the now established catalogue of the label: a small but mind-blowing trip that from the start to finish takes you to space, dark forests and pagan rituals.
The first track ‘Airlock’ starts off where after many years travelling through the vacuum of space the decision is made to return to earth. An eerie and disturbing sweeping of pads predicts a feeling of alienation and darkness, where one finds itself far away from familiar surroundings and deep into nothingness. Soon firm jungle breaks set the tone to expand the look into the void, culminating in a deep drum ‘n bass ride with rattling drum works and bass sounds of machinery and mechanics blended in a backdrop of bleakness.
‘Watering Hole’ sets you back to our planet, although a feeling of safety and security is yet to be found. A tribe set up camp by a lagoon, a camp fire burns, drums are beaten to fend off the beast that stalks them. Accompanied by classical but desolate sounds on one side and tribal percussion on another, repeating chants against the sounds of a warm and damp summer nights reminisce of dark rituals being conducted. Rolling apache breaks accompany the percussion and growling basses intensify the presence of a looming danger that seems to lurk around the corner during every moment in this track.
‘Herald’ takes you momentarily back to some more lush, atmospheric vibes where serene pads are heard and a saxophone plays jazzy melodies. But then deep in the forest branches creak, and leaves rustle, animated by a supernatural force. Basses start to ooze in and as a thunder crashing through a clear sky, rave vibes set on under firm jungle breaks which constantly intertwine. From there on the track plays a perfect middle field in being a pure drum ‘n bass stepper while evoking a deep and spiritual feeling.
What began in space ends in an inhabited area where yet no sense of security is fully found. A village afflicted by drought summon a water spirit to bring the rains. Sounds of a ritual dance full of mystic percussion open up the track to summon, and if there is one track where you can hear a bright light it is ‘Water Spirit’. When it comes, the full serenity that it brings is soon disturbed by deep and dark jungle breaks that bring, as Eastern Promise always tries to bring, no good or evil but perfect harmony between the two. The Jakigo EP concludes in a state of perfect balance, in the bright light which ultimately remains ambiguous. What that really holds is for you to decide.
EPA17: Optimystic ft. Ko & relapse
Tracks:
1 Airlock
2 Watering Hole
3 Herald
4 Water Spirit
Release Date: June 2019
Written & produced by: Jack Jariwala, Keira Cheung and Gordon Apps
Artwork: R. Peperkamp
Mastering: T. Van Zeytveld
Format: wave, flac, mp3 and more
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EASTERN PROMISE WELCOMES KYAM TO THE STAGE
Eastern Promise Audio returns with a promising newcomer in the world of drum ‘n bass, UK-based producer Kyam. Proud to present his first solo single on the label, containing the tracks Kinship and Depth. Kyam perpetuates the both dark and spiritual jungle sound the label is always eager to seek in today’s world of drum ‘n bass: A both hypnotizing and stomping ride that makes you stand on edge.
After the storming Yishi trilogy showcasing a wide array of talented drum ‘n bass artists from all over the world, Eastern Promise continues to brew big plans for 2017. The discovery of Kyam, who has started appearing on some promising compilations from last years, prompted the label to not hesitate and make his first single a fact. As they have done with many more now wide established drum ‘n bass artists, this single is sure to set the stage for Kyam.
The opening track ‘Kinship’ is a both raw stomping and atmospheric dancefloor roller as one can only be. Opening with most warm trumpets and oozing pads, certain drum spasms signal the coming of a soundscape both lush and beautiful but also dark and mysterious. Quickly developing in a jungle ride where the drums and deep rolling basses interplay to make the track rather have a marching kind of vibe rather than a straight four to the floor roller, the track feels like marching soldiers in a strange purgatory of twilight where all reasoning seems lost.
‘Depth’ takes the listener far more steep down towards a now full dark world where pads prophesize nothing but doom, strange voices utter, and angry rising drums set the tone for a jungle vibe celebrating some deep snare roll madness. When this track eventually does drop, this first hinted madness surely seems an understatement as Kyam plunges you in angry drumfunk which smacks around the ears. These hit even harder through growling bass stabs to accompany the breaks with, as unearthly sounds creep you even deeper into the vibe. Whether you think of hearing animal, human, or other sounds in the process, by the end of this roller no more certainty persists.
EPA16: Kyam
Tracks:
1 Kinship
2 Depth
Release Date: March 2017 (available later on Juno and Digital-Tunes)
Format: wave, flac, mp3 and more
Artwork: R. Peperkamp
Mastering: T. Van Zeytveld
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DEVOTION MAKES YISHI’S DESTINATION NEVER FINAL
The second part of the Yishi trilogy by Eastern Promise Audio marked its burial, but where to go when something is buried and done with? The final part of the compilation series tells is nothing ever is really done. And although this third part concludes the Yishi series, from EPA’s point of view devotion is only the beginning of a new dawn. This is marked by four new artists displaying their breathtaking skills on the Eastern Promise label to bring this compilation to a relentless ending.
Artists QR or Quasar, Kindred Spirit, Fox, and Drum Cypha are four artists that have been storming the drum ‘n bass grounds in recent years, and can tell us no like other the importance of keeping a true sound alive by being devoted to crafting its art continually and without losing its true spirit. They tell us so through the sound that is Eastern Promise; take darkness with light, having no distinction between beginnings and endings, and never lose sight to what truly shines.
Devotion opens with pioneer QR and a track that is this kind of finesse in its purest form; a simple but steady jungle break just grooves without any trickery, until slowly a Rhodes tune warm like the sun seeps in to warm your skin. A deep bassline soft as a blanket truly opens up the process of devotion in a relaxing and meditative way, making this tune one of the most light tunes EPA ever had the chance to release. Still, listen to this beautiful jazzed up roller and understand it fits right in with the other Yishi material.
Eventually though, this warm up of meditation has to evolve in a more raw form of devotion through the sounds of Greek-based collective Kindred Spirit (featuring Skru), which takes the warming sound of the first tune in the form of oozing oldschool pads while going for a hard hitting jungle grind with delightful jazz flutes and dub sirens to pace the vibes up a bit. Taking us for a while on a deep jungle trip to what is one of the finest bridges we heard for a while, Kindred Spirit easily takes us back to its earlier theme whilst juggling wild styles with extreme ease and control.
Producer Fox then takes us on a much darker path, paying devotion to Yishi by showing its dark side through first taking us through shrieking mentasms and deep bass stabs in a ravey sauce. A deep amen mashup then land you in a wild dance of jungle breaks, while in the background a bright light of pads keeps shining through the darkness, paying a perfect homage to the track’s own title. It goes without saying that the track is a logical continuation of this part of Yishi with a dark and hypnotizing roller signaling the series’ ending.
And what can an ending for Yishi hold anyway? Drum ‘n bass pioneer Drum Cypha provided us with the one and only answer through Kill List, which won’t do nothing but makes your hair stand on end. The bright light of devotion is still present in the intro, leaving at first little clue where the already quite raw breaks are first taking you. And when it comes, the drop will make you feel like being smacked in a complete void, where industrial percussion and hard hitting break are intertwined with bass drones reminding one that between all the light and goodness of the start of this EP another world is to be held in regard, which without Yishi can never be complete.
EPA15 Yishi : Devotion
Tracks:
1 QR – Rising Sun
2 Kindred Spirit – Holy Amen Love
3 Fox – End Of The Tunnel
4 Drum Cypha – Kill List
Release Date: February 2016 (available later on Juno and Digital-Tunes)
Format: wave, flac, alac, aac, ogg, mp3 and more
Artwork: R. Peperkamp
Mastering: T. Van Zeytveld
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THE SECOND RITE OF YISHI: BURIAL
The trilogy of mystery continues as Eastern Promise Audio’s first compilation series enters its second chapter. The second ritual of Yishi follows the former procession which has come to a halt and trusts Yishi to the ground. For this process some known EPA names have signed up to accompany, such as Phuture-T, the Dam Nation crew, Kodama, and newcomer to the label Scale.
As to some a burial can be a sad thing and acknowledging life that once was has come to an end, EPA sees things different in as all things that end must always give way to new beginnings. In this context, it is a celebration and acceptance of the infinite which is both showing its force, yet is too far beyond human understanding to ever reach us fully. It is this contradiction which both devours and enlightens that Burial is trying to achieve in the form of soundscapes.
EPA’s in-house artist Phuture-T opens up on these aural depictions with ‘Stand Firm’, a title which the track does nothing but live up too. Indeed this is a the foretelling of something wicked that is coming, when mysterious pads and horns bring forth vibes of mysterious serenity, while rumbling low filtered breaks foretell a peace which is about to burst. It is when the peaceful sounds stop you realize you’ve been thrown in a world of mayhem and eeriness, where T’s skills morph his amens to such an extent it will make even the most hardcore junglists wince.
The Dam Nation crew takes over next with a track which both is reminiscent of jungle techno vibes and industrial sounds, but at heart being a straight to the floor, no bullshit dancefloor masher.
With one melodic central theme morphing in every direction, the whispers of ghosts and cries of wonder are both heard, while drums of an ominous size pound steady blood pumping jungle breaks under a deep rolling bassline. As a stepper for the floor, ‘Temperature’ demonstrates the cold of the earth itself.
New label member Scale slightly continues the pace of Dam Nation as his piece ‘Motherboard’ is a hard hitting dancefloor stepper with all its ingredients right at your disposal; creeping mentasms, screaming drones, low filtered bass stabs which hit like sledgehammers, and raw pounding breaks which are nothing but reminiscent of the turn of the century hardstep sound being reborn. As Burial brings ends and beginnings together, ‘Motherboard’ does exactly this.
The burial of Yishi closes with a true piece in the spirit of the Eastern Promise Audio franchise, by Kodama (as embodied by Acid_Lab), bringing a hard hitting remix of Akinsa’s track ‘Constant’. Oriental percussion and mysterious strings set the spiritual vibe once again, but soon Kodama keeps on continuing the stepping sound of the EP with hard hitting drums and larger than life bass stabs in an oldschool fashion. Once again spirits are crying like the wind as morphing leads do to accompany them. As such, Yishi’s burial ends in style.
Yishi will come to a close in the not too far future in a way that, for now, we can only say is going to be relentless but just. Soon.
EPA14 Yishi : Burial
Tracks:
1 Phuture-T – Stand Firm
2 Dam Nation – Temperature
3 Scale – Motherboard
4 Akinsa – Constant (Kodama Remix)
Release Date: December 2015 (available later on Juno and Digital-Tunes)
Format: wave, flac, alac, aac, ogg, mp3 and more
Written & Produced by: T. van Zeytveld, H. Terpstra, K. Ekman, P. Krause, D. Schwerdel
Artwork: R. Peperkamp
Mastering: T. Van Zeytveld
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