Long live dbe online

So the day has finally come to up roots and enter the online market for real. We had a good run on here, albeit wildly inconsistent but always with the best of intentions.

Our brand spanking new online portal for all things dbe is now alive and kicking @ www.dbe.me. Check it out now, bookmark it, set it as your homepage, do what you need to do because things are about to be taken to the next level. Enjoy!

End of term party unveiled

End of term parties are an institution in Loughborough. In times gone by the party would typically roll into town aboard the Vengabus, but about 3 years ago we changed all that by introducing LSU to the sights and sounds of Zinc, Jack Beats, Ramadanman, Jakwob, Plastician, dBridge & Instra:mental all in the space of six hours, and we have never looked back.

On Thursday 20th June we return to LSU with the intention of ending what has been an unbelievable year of parties on an incredible high. To help us achieve this we have covered all bases and invited our favourite artists from across the spectrum of dance music, including Danny Byrd, Huxley, Waze & Odyssey and Gorgon City.

For more information on the event check out the Facebook Page, and to grab your £8 earlybird ticket check out our Fatsoma page, where you can also grab tickets for our upcoming Secret party with Breach (19th May) and our Thames Boat Party (26th May).

Back on the airwaves

We are back on air from 8pm tonight live from LCR towers in the heart of Radioland. You don't have to be there in person to listen though, you can just listen to great music and bad chat live via modern technology by clicking the link below. Magic.

LCR Live Stream

If you are feeling extra involved be sure to drop us a tweet @dubboroevents whilst we are on air, and also keep an eye out for our always super difficult yet very rewarding competitions. Keep it locked!

Breach in on secret...

Keeping in line with long time dbe tradition, we return in May with another secret party at another secret venue. Anyone who knows about our secret parties will know they never disappoint, and with a never used before outside venue with Breach on the commands this is set up to be something special.

There are a very limited number of tickets left online HERE, or alternatively check the Facebook Event for more info and ticket sellers.

Record Store Day returns this Saturday

There ain't nothing like the feeling of fresh wax in your hand, and this Saturday the world convenes to celebrate the role of the independent record store in an industry dominated by soulless dross and cash driven hype machines. The role of the record store extends far beyond physical sale, these outlets double up as an epicentre for a local music scene, a hang out for like-minded individuals to divulge in their passion of music.

In recent years some legendary stores have been forced to close their doors (i'm talking Dope Jams, NOT HMV) due to the rise of digital downloads and online availability, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and the record store is fighting back. In-store performances, vinyl only releases and a general hunger for physical collections of music have driven vinyl sales to a 16 year high in 2012, helped in no small matter by Record Store Day. The annual event is marked by a plethora of limited edition vinyl releases that have enthusiasts queuing out the door to get their mitts on, along with special in-store events involving performances from some of the biggest artists from across the board.

You can find out details of events near you and all the special releases for Saturday here , and if this will be your first visit to your local record store, make sure it's not your last. Alongside releases from Masters At Work, Jack Dixon & Jamie XX , here are three releases to keep an eye out for on Saturday, just make sure you get down there early!

Benga - Forefather



Disclosure - White Noise (Hudson Mohawke Remix)



Greg Wilson - Electro Edits

Sleazy drops Soundcast #2: 'Free Byrd'

One of the most relentlessly talented Jazz musicians of the modern era, Donald Byrd, sadly passed away in February at the age of 80. He left behind a extensive body of work spanning nearly 50 years, whilst also dedicating his life to increasing access to the study of Jazz music and more importantly fighting for equality for black musicians.

Sleazy pays homage to Byrd via a two hour soundcast, showcasing only a fragment of the great mans catalogue from across the years. SW's accompanying mix notes are well worth a read too, including a full tracklist that can be found here.

Unknown festival beefs up

Everyone knows that festivals and rain go hand in hand, but it also results in a pretty shit time and a decent chance that the festival won't even be on. Step forward Jet2, the sunshine, the beautiful Adriatic coastline and a line up that goes one further any of it's current contemporaries.

Unknown festival has absolutely hit the spot this year in terms of artists representing the full spectrum of live performances and record selectahs , but what else would you expect from the people that bring you Hideout, The Warehouse Project & Field Day?!

As if their first announcement of Actress/Henrik Schwarz/Moderat and more doing their live thing with Ame/Koze/Jackmaster/Julio Bashmore and a WHOLE load more DJ's performing wasn't enough to convince you to fish out the passport and scrape together the very reasonable £109 for a ticket, then today's announcement will surely tip you hard-to-pleasers over the edge...

The Horrors,East India Youth, Richie Hawtin, Tiga, Tale of Us and a whole lot more have been added to the bill, with more to come as the weeks count down till September 10th. To check out the full line up and grab your tickets.. CHECK OUT THE OFFICIAL SITE

Lufbra Soundclash reaches climax

If you have had your head buried in the sand for the last few months, take it out. The first thing to do after you've taken it out is go and google 'Lufbra Soundclash' to see exactly what you have been missing. An idea packed with originality and creativity in equal measures, driven by some of the most passionate music & art lovers you will ever meet, has resulted in one of the freshest series of events since, well, late 2008...

Inspired by Red Bull's Culture Clash in November, Lufbra Soundclash hosted a series of 'Hijack' events earlier this year each focusing on a particular style and culture within the UK music scene. The 'Hijack' parties brought to the fore the most talented DJ's and artists from the region, with two from each hand picked to represent their scene at the grande finale on Thursday 2nd May.

With backing from Red Bull and ourselves, the main event takes place at Loughborough Student's Union on Thursday 2nd May, and will provide a platform for up and coming performers to rub shoulders with some VERY special guests indeed...

Tickets are an absolute steal at £5, grab yours from the link below:

Fatsoma Ticket Link

Breach to provide the fun in the sun

With the sun about to peek it's sorely missed face above the Leicestershire skies this weekend, we have got  a little bit ahead of ourselves and released our plans to take full advantage of whatever the mid-May weather throws at us.

Admittedly it was torture keeping it quiet for the few days since it's been confirmed, but better out than in we say... BREACH aka BEN WESTBEECH aka ALL ROUND TOP GUY AND PRODUCER will be joining us on Sunday May 19th where we will be partying all day (and night) in a secret outdoor/indoor location within our beloved LE11 boundaries.

If you know Loughborough as well as we do, which you do, you will know that space for an outdoor party is at a premium, which is why we have to restrict capacity to 350 people. Armed with this knowledge, we suggest you do the right thing and grab your ticket early avoiding disappointment. We HATE disappointment. You can grab your tickets from the Fatsoma link below:

Fatsoma Ticket Link

10 new records for the week

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Here at dbe we pride ourselves on supplying you with lineups that span every genre and every sound, whilst maintaining our dance music edge. But it’s not just through powerful sound systems and talented DJs that we can get access your musical cerebrals. We believe that music can be just as an important personal experience than feeling the vibes with hundreds of others. So combine those two statements together and you have us personally sharing with you our favourite 10 releases out today so you can choose for yourself which musical current you wish to wash your cares away.

Dark Sky – Confunktion (Tectonic)

Dbe favourites Dark Sky have been fairly quiet of late but have come up trumps today with a fresh new 2tracker out on the ever-sturdy Tectonic label. First track ‘Confunktion’ is fresh itself but it’s the other side which catches our attention. Double U. Starting off minimalistic in it’s template, water droplets intersperse spacious timp hits which grow in frequency before taking over as the main hypnotic lead. The arrangement of sounds absolutely astounds and every bar is completely different. As we move further, what sounds like teddy bear sounds are introduced before a menacing break. After we think it’s died down the arrangement takes on a whole new form in what I can only refer to the YouTube comments as a ‘coco pop’ drop. I haven’t heard such a mysterious yet what I hope will be universally lauded record such as this since Mosca’s ‘Tilt Shift’, and a welcome return to near 140bpm tunes from these guys and other Bass artists might become a welcoming surprise in the near future. Watch this space.

Buy here

DJ Rashad – Rollin’ (Hyperdub)

Hyperdub snap up Rashad for a footwork come RNB future thinking four-track workout just when everyone thinks that it was a fad that came and went. Kode 9 obviously knows his stuff, and it’s no surprise this is not just another footwork record. ‘Rollin’ continues Rashad’s fixation with smooth vocals and synths yet his drum palette has clearly matured. ‘Let It Go’ completely flips the script as he ventures into Jungle territory which to me is completely bonkers considering where Footwork came from, but understandable listening to how Machinedrum has recently utilized and edited it within his sets. ‘Broken Hearted’ sounds more familiar as he teams up with Spinn but it’s ‘Drums Please’ which gets our vote this time. Insane cut up drum hits interspersed with Rashad’s and Manny’s persistent hi-hats and synth cuts send us dizzy in a good way, but the record smooth’s out with a g-funk lead which lets us groove on out until all the elements come together to lead us out. Gangster.

Buy here

Les Sins – Grind / Prelims (Jiaolong)

It says a lot about our weather when I say as soon as I heard this I felt like it wasn’t snowing outside and sunshine was beaming through my window. In truth it was the new sepia glow I had installed on my mac, but for a moment the music took me sun-soaked beaches, filled with surfers, ice cream vans and slow motion bikini babes waking past me. Les Sins aka Toro Y Moi’s Chaz Bundwick has crafted possibly one of the most smile-inducing tunes since last years ‘Inspector Norse’ which became a dbe anthem of sorts. Although much more chill in comparison, who’s to say that this wont became as big. After all we have journeyed from dark dubstep to deep house within the past few years without too much drama! Anyway, sophistication is abound within ‘Grind’, with pitched up and down smooth vocals, paired with a bouncing bassline and a loose and funky synth line which switches and swirls it’s way magically through the track’s duration. If this doesn’t put a smile on your face then the weather really must be getting to you!

Buy here

Martyn – Newspeak EP (Dolly Dubs)

NEW MARTYN EP! Surely that should be enough!? But if you need some words to help you decide then so be it! ‘Oceania’ is a welcome return to his well-known breakbeat/steppers style that we grew up on back in the day and title cut ‘Newspeak’ may be the pick for all you fans of his darker housier stuff. But for us it’s ‘What Is Room 101’ which thrills us from the start. Kicking off with a mysterious vocal that could take us anywhere, the record builds and builds through our man’s genius use of those increasing in volume pads. With a truly deep house template, the sound is also rooted in the past with bleeps and bloops making us reminisce about ‘Pacific State’ and ‘Can You Feel It’ all over again! We can’t wait for another album if it’s gonna be this nice!

Buy here

Calibre – Fabriclive 68 (Fabric)

Personally, being a drum and bass head back in the day when I first started DJing, I was always drawn to the softer liquid styles of Calibre rather than say the tear out styles of Hazard or Pleasure. That may be down to the man’s interpretation of the genre in his own melodic and one of a kind sound. His back catalogue is huge and nothing is below par. I’m surprised it’s taken this long for him to get on a Fabric mix, but never the less I will always have time to take in his stylistic take on one of the defining genres of my youth. And he doesn’t disappoint. Blending in seamless mix after mix of beautiful up tempo rhythms and blissful vocals and melodies, Calibre has crafted a near-perfect example of his own style and by using 14 of his own productions or remixes shows us the quality of his material. On hand on the mix are drum and bass classics in my opinion, including DBridge’s amazing ‘Inner Disbelief’, the perfect remix of Zero T’s ‘Refusal’ and the newer fantastic remix of TEED’s ‘Garden’. Rolling.

Buy here 

Krystal Klear – Addiction (Rinse)

  

Rinse have once again smashed it and possibly created the next London anthem which should be blasting out of car windows by this summer. Krystal Klear’s joyous DJ sets and productions have vastly impressed us over the last year or so and every time we see him love it puts a smile on our face. Here though we’re treated to something in between his housier original productions and the 80s boogie funk he often plays out in his sets. Re-creating the vibes of the 80s is no easy matter though, and through the record we hear wonderful pastiches such as ringing bells, flange synths and bouncy bass that encompassed the vibe back then. Along with a spectacular and different vocal performance from Jenna G, this track ticks all the boxes for the revival of the 80s which seems to be gathering pace as of late. Smooooooth.

Buy here

Midland – Trace EP (AUS)

Well here we go. You should all know this one by now. Dark, deep and nasty in the subtlest of ways. Our man of the moment should be fresh in your mind after a stonking performance at last week’s dbe. ‘Trace’ is definitely one of the most strangest anthems we’ve encompassed to date, but that’s what is happening thankfully nowadays, with wonder and craft taking over straight forward song writing. FACT Mag said it best when they described the track as ‘Isaac Hayes singing with a mouth full of bees’, but it’s the other elements which create the tension, the pounding and insistent bass, the skipping drum elements and the punching timps. Our producing residents think this is impossible to recreate and I don’t disagree. Masterful.

Buy here

Tessela – Hackney Parrot (Poly Kicks)

Well this is absolute madness. Looks like breaks are back in fashion! From the start you have breakbeat/jungle hallmarks all over this. The pounding drums, the cut up vocals, the dreamy pads. Then without warning all hell breaks loose. Getting proper hardcore the vocal becomes insistent, the breaks beef up and the bass runs riot over it all. This is bound to cause mass body movement in the dance whenever anyone drops it, and I mean everyone cause it has that universal appeal. My head went mad when I first heard this and still does, and I mainly listen to Jazz, so lord helpa you all!

Buy here

Semedo – Love Illusion (Bodywork Music)

  

We’re looking at another dancefloor killa here. Although the whole thing is worth checking, the Capracara Remix is the one for us. With a jacking groove and a hardcore mentality, the bass is bound to play havoc on a full dancefloor. The vocal reminds us strangely reminds of ‘Rhythm of The Night’ which it could possibly be, but that only lends to the track’s mystical feel and subtle hints of the past. We could be in a warehouse in Sheffield or in Ibiza so it’s universal appeal is clear. Worth a chance this one!

Buy here

Lockah – Only Built 4 Neon Nites (Donky Pitch)

Okay, let’s have a little fun with this last one. Lockah is a little unknown to us, but the label Donky Pitch isn’t. Responsible for some of the most mental tunes of the past few years, they keep it gangster through and through and have a certain ‘’don’t give a fuck’ air about them which we love. The brilliantly titled ‘Only Built 4 Neon Nites’ reminds us of the days that Kavsrave was massive for like a week and Rustie and Hud Mo were still bubbling under. ‘Guards Red Carrarra’ takes this on and cements it in the present with added footwork style beats. Our pick ‘Platinum Blonde’ sounds like we’re crusing through GTA 3 ready to pick up some broads armed with only our baseball bat and a pack of explosives from 8-Ball, which is obviously a great thing. Pure ridin’ material.

Buy here

PEACE ;)

No rest for the wicked!

Ok... so it has taken us all weekend and two tubes of Berocca to recover but WHAT A PARTY. Just keeps on getting better and better with you lot, massive thanks to all who attended and also to the artists who made the night complete. Shy FX, Stamina, B-Traits, Dismantle, Ben Pearce & Midland... we salute you!

You should know that there is no such thing as an Easter holiday for us, and we will be back in action on Saturday at our holiday home in the sun... Sophbeck Sessions. Come down and join us Saturday night for some more no frills late night debauchery in Leicester, it's always a blast. dbe: Leicester Facebook Event

Caught On Film

Just in case you missed our last party, or were frankly too inebriated to remember, Will Brown has produced a video on our behalf perfectly capturing some beautiful people having a beautiful time wiling out to Eats Everything, Shadow Child & Nic Correlli.

After watching that, there is no way you will be wanting to miss the next one with Digital Soundboy crew, Ben Pearce & Midland this Thursday, so get involved and grab your ticket whilst they are still around: http://dbe.fatsoma.com/events/81741/

Midland in the mix

Upcoming dbe guest Midland has released a free download of a recent set performed at Panorama Bar in Berlin. The 2 hour mix covers house, techno and all in between, and is certain to help you get your weekend off to a flyer...

Also playing on the 14th March are Shy FX, B Traits, Dismantle & Ben Pearce. Grab your tickets here: Event Ticket Link

Punchbowl announces 2013 date

Punchbowl Festival returns to the Wiltshire countryside this summer on the weekend of Saturday 31st August - Sunday 1st September. The event raises money for the small local charity Wylye Valley Disabled Children's Riding Fund, and has been running since 2009 to focus on the basics that make a festival fun. That's beautiful music, strong cider and good company, in case you wondering!

The dbe crew will be heading down to end the summer in style, keep up to date with the details on the Facebook Page Here!

A new week, a new competition!

Ok so by now you know that we love a good competition here at dbe, so to brighten up everyone's Monday here is another chance to win a £30 bar tab at the upcoming dbe on 14th March.

1) Buy a ticket for the event before this Thursday (28th February) from any of the ticket sellers listed on the event page
2) Take a photo of your wristband and post it on Facebook
3) Tag Dub Boro facebook page in the photo
4) Tune in on Friday to find out who wins!

dbe Leicester Returns Tonight

After a much needed winter hibernation the dbe family return down the A6 to take over Sophbeck Sessions tonight, with a residents select ready to bring the sounds to what is always a special party. Expect the usual dbe blend of House, Garage, Techno, DnB, Disco, Hip-Hop... basically anything goes tonight!

There is a free bus to the venue leaving from Amber Rooms (LE11) at 23:30, if you want to jump on board pop your name down on the Facebook event wall:

Facebook Event

Sophbeck Sessions

Parklife Location Revelaed!

After three mightily successful years down in the South of Manchester at Platts Field, Parklife Festival has upped sticks and moved north of the city centre to the celebrated Heaton Park, confirming it's status as one the highlights of this summers festival season.

The festival will take place across the weekend of Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th June, with confirmed guests so far including Plan B, Rita Ora, Disclosure (Live), John Talabot (Live), Julio Bashmore... i'll stop now as we could be here for a while! For full line-up and up-to-date news check out the OFFICIAL SITE HERE.

We are also incredibly proud to announce we have been selected as an official clubbing partner for the festival, so for all your ticketing needs look no further than yours truly. Give us a call on 07921023082 to get hold of your ticket, and don't hang around because this festival sells out every time without fail.

Free Tickets & Bar Tab Up For Grabs

Here is your chance to win free tickets to the next LE11 dbe, with the Digital Soundboy Crew, Midland & Ben Pearce all gracing our merry little town. All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below. Remember £30 goes a long, long way in Echos...

1) Like the two pages: 'dbe' / @Dubboroevents | Hideout Festival Croatia

2) 'Join' the event: dbe: Hideout Festival Launch Party

3) Share this picture (linked to facebook) and remember to share to 'Public'

Easy as 1, 2, 3.

Sleazy Wonder's Soundcasts

This week our resident musicologist Sleazy Wonder unveiled his plan to take us on a year long aural journey through a range of music close to his rum-soaked heart. In the form of 'soundcasts', each episode will focus on a different theme and guide the listener through a hand-picked selection of music bringing to the fore some unearthed gems, forgotten classics and downright leftfield.

The first soundcast 'Red Sun Rising' showcases the often overlooked contribution Japan has made to musical culture over the decades, focusing on the Japanese take on Jazz, Disco, Funk & Rock

We cannot recommend this enough, it is well worth a listen and we will be sure to let you know when future episodes become available. Enjoy...

dbe Leicester - This Saturday!

This Saturday we begin our brand new residency at the wonderfully intimate Sophbeck Sessions in Leicester. Our residents will be supplying the grooves all night long, doors open at 11 and close when we run out of records. See you in the pit.... ;)

Grab your £4 ticket here... FATSOMA TICKET LINK