UK Garage charts

Review: It's been at least a hot minute since the last heavyweight release from Swamp 81 dropped (and they don't get much heavier than a double pack of body music from Boddika). The wait has totally been worth it as Funkbias sees UKG legend Zed Bias team up with Rinse FM's excellently named Funk Butcher for two drops of typically forward thinking music. "Last Forever" burst uneasily out of the rumbling groove that opens the track into masterful concoction of vocal affectations, burning synth beams, snapping tribal drums and trademark Zed Bias bass. "Heaven Sent" does indeed begin like it was sent from above with gentle piano melodies lulling you in before being engulfed by a heavily pressurised flex of 808s and more crafty vocal dicing. The interplay between the soft and harsh elements is quite brilliant. Those who like a fine example of cover art will go weak at the knees over the Will Bankhead embossed design too.

Review: The Mancunian tones of Swamp81's resident MC Chunky are well known to those who tune in to the label's Rinse FM show on a regular basis. However, this debut EP, forwent any kind of vocal showcase for the kind of hefty, refined fusion of garage and techno we've come to expect from Loefah's empire. Arriving as a 12" doublepack featuring four tracks, The Chunky EP shows Chunky to have the production chops to match his skills on the microphone, showcasing a wide range of influences channeled through a uniquely dark mood; "Decca" is a straight up piece of rolling deep house with a shadowy basement vibe, while "Experiment 727? recalls the syncopated techno of Bambounou or Boddika's leaden beats, while on the second 12?, "Thang" is a masterclass in stripped back garage mechanics, and "Rugged" provides a lo-fi beat that ploughs the darkest recesses of instrumental grime for inspiration.