- Who is Dawn Wall? That was one of the biggest questions in drum & bass during 2015, since the first 12-inch from the mysterious producer(s) dropped on Integral back in June. Now we're on number three, and it's no clearer who's behind the name. Some suggest veteran producers like Lomax or DJ Fresh, while others have floated the idea that it's a collective, owing to the diversity the project has shown so far. Diversity is the theme of Longshanks, too, weaving together smooth rollers with nastier material. It rounds off a trilogy of records that made for one of last year's most intriguing drum & bass stories.
"Spears" is a pitch-perfect Shogun Audio-style track, something that might have come from SpectraSoul's pristine studio. Built around a Nils Frahm piano sample and a wafting Floetry sample, it's Dawn Wall indulging in the most romantic impulses. "Longshanks" is even smoother, a slice of filter-happy sunshine that drapes a gushing overture around the rhythm track. Every sound, drums included, is contoured to go down as easily as possible. And then there's "Round Table," an equally big, shiny banger that takes things to a darker place. There's something knowingly cheesy about the True Detective sample, but by the time the basslines are rocketing around, there's no arguing with it. Offering up three more tracks of approachable, one-size-fits-all drum & bass (along with a strong digital-only bonus track, "Lose Face"), Longshanks underlines what makes Dawn Wall such an interesting prospect.
TracklistA1 Spears
B1 Round Table
B2 Longshanks
Digital Only: Lose Face