Blu Mar Ten – atmospheric originators and heavyweight titans of cerebral drum & bass science return with their first new material to cross the 170bpm threshold in three years. Musical chameleons, this North London trio has spent the last couple of years crossing genre boundaries with their much acclaimed downtempo album 'black Water'. As we move deeper into the new millennium Blu Mar Ten's return to d&b is long overdue.

This first set of tracks gives us a tantalizing taste of what we can expect from their forthcoming album. 'close' Recalling the growling groove of the early Virus output, Close has an angry tech-step flow, peppered with mentasm and menace. It's likely to take a few people by surprise, and, as we've come to expect with Blu Mar Ten, the music is written in more than two dimensions.

An inquisitive vocal and some silky synths layer a curious narrative over the raging tsunami of buzzing synths. Dj support is already coming from names as diverse as Marky, Ed Rush, Utah Jazz, Big Bud, Spectrasoul and the Hospital Djs, so expect to hear Close intimidating a dancefloor near you soon. “above Words” In stark contrast to Close, Above Words showcases the more ethereal sound for which Blu Mar Ten are renowned.

Hybrid beats and a monstrous mixdown remind us that these boys remain technically well ahead of the game, with a towering reese bassline, Derrick May-esque strings and a heartrending piano line. Showcasing the best in romantic drum & bass, Above words is getting heavyweight support from d Bridge, Instra:mental, Metalheadz, Ink, London Elektricity, Crissy Criss, Tom Middleton, asc, Kubiks & Lomax and many more.