Dubstep charts

Review: James Blake's debut album is undoubtedly one of 2011's most keenly awaited releases, and its arrival via his own (major label funded) Atlas imprint ensures their is no lull in momentum for a producer who enjoyed a watershed 2010 with releases on Hessle Audio and R&S. The results here differ wildly from his previous sonic excursions - gone are the shimmering R&B soaked melodies of "CMYK" and the sheer experimentalism of the Klavierwerke EP, which saw the young Londoner depart from the confines of the dancefloor and enter a realm where there was only a passing reference to rhythm-based music. Instead we are treated to Blake's own yearning, raw voice, delicate pianos and an underlying sense of melancholy. Ubiquitous single "Limit To Your love" and the crackly sonic terrain evoked on "The Wilhelm Scream" are among the most immediately pleasing moments, but there is much to explore here. It's a fascinating opus and surely the catalyst to a long and fruitful career at the top.

Review: Woof! Hyperdub bring together two of the most recognisable and enigmatic artists of recent times on this 10", as Zomby and Burial square down ahead of the former's new album for the label. Zomby's Ultra LP is undoubtedly one of this year's most anticipated albums and "Sweetz" suggests it may be a very moody affair indeed. Whilst rooted in UK dance, Zomby and Burial do look elsewhere for inspiration too. Just under seven minutes long, "Sweetz" veers through various sub-heavy soundscapes with intermittent rhythmic patters and a distinctive looped vocal sample whose pitch changes with dramatic effect.

Review: Of all the artists past and present who claim to let their music do their talking for them, Burial is one of the elite band of whom this truly is the case. In fact, so reluctant is he to engage with the cult-of-personality hoopla that surrounds almost every modern producer and musician of merit, that he remains a genuine recluse; he has never appeared live, only one obliquely-angled publicity photograph is known to exist, and the number of interviews he has given can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Yet despite this, his music speaks loud and wide, and the world has been listening ever since his 'South London Boroughs' EP debut on Hyperdub in March 2005. His eponymous album, which began life as a low-key release in May 2006, is now widely regarded as the benchmark release of the ever-widening dubstep genre, picking up unanimous critical acclaim along the way, and ending the year heavily featured in many 'best of' polls. Now Burial returns with 'Untrue', a new record of weird soul music, which lovingly processes spectral female voices into vaporised R&B and smudged 2step garage. Vocal lines are blurred, smeared, pitched up pitched down and pitch bent until their content is cast adrift from their original context and they whisper their saccharin sweet nothings into the void. The album continues with the debut's crackle-drenched yearning and bustling syncopations, haunted by the ghosts of rave, but also reveals some new Burial treats with a more glowing, upbeat energy. Kicking off with the skittering 2step syncopations and vocal science of 'Archangel', 'Near Dark' and 'Ghost Hardware', before long it descends into a space of radiant divas and ambience. Where 'Burial' first was humid, suffocating and unrelentingly sad, 'Untrue' is less sunless. Many of the tracks are so sweet, they become toxic, underscored by the almost geological rumbles of growling basslines. Unlike the overpoweringly melancholic prevailing mood of before, Burial's sound is now better defined as a downcast euphoria typified by the epic, muted optimism of the album's last track 'Raver'. Forget central heating the radioactivity of this album is all that you'll need to keep you warm this winter. 'Untrue' is available as full 13 track digipack CD, including recent underground hit 'Ghost Hardware', and 9 track DJ friendly double vinyl set, from which some of the beatless pieces have been edited.

Review: Alex Green and Damon Kirkham's debut album has been a long time coming. It follows an action-packed decade that's seen them morph from drum & bass punishers to dubstep fusionists and, more recently, bass music experimentalists. With such experience behind them, it's perhaps no surprise that Resolution 653 is an eclectic set. What's more surprising is the expansiveness of their approach. Within the album's 13 tracks lies glass-clear electronic futurism, brain-warping acid tracks, murky dusbtep, slo-mo 4/4 sweetness, hard edged electro bounce, off-kilter IDM and, naturally, 140 BPM bass bangers. As a summary of where British bass music's at in 2011, it's unsurpassed.

Review: Hyperdub kick off the vinyl side to their ten-year celebrations with this weighty four-tracker from some of the leading lights from the label's story. Mala is in a strident mood with "Expected, Level 10" carrying through that extra touch of melody from the Mala In Cuba LP. DVA cuts loose with the leftfield scattershot groove of "Technical Difficulties", reveling in tonal experimentation and jagged rhythmic flair to a stunning end. Still locked into the sci-fi trap tangent that characterised Severant, Kuedo turns out the haunting "Mtzpn" and Helix pops up for a remix of Kode9's "Xingfu Lu" that strips down to bare essentials with a little starlit soul rubbed into the framework.

Review: Last year Burial and the Bug joined forces as Flame 1, delivering an in-demand EP on the latter's Pressure label featuring two sizable slabs of industrial strength soundsystem science. Here they return as Flame 2, once again offering up a pair of weighty dancefloor excursions. A-side "Dive" is a loud and claustrophobic affair, as the duo wraps dystopian dub bass and sparse, mutilated post-drill rhythms in layers of apocalyptic aural textures and mind-altering dub techno style processed noise. Flipside "Rain" is arguably more suitable for dancefloor plays and sees the esteemed twosome combine pulverizing sub-bass heaviness with dancehall style drums that come smothered in mind-melting effects and paranoia-inducing aural smoke.

Review: Kahn & Neek return to local hub Peng Sound for some self titled double plated dubplate action under their steppahs project Gorgon Sound, housed in a rather lovely stamped gatefold sleeve. Although primarily known for their incendiary grime bangers on their own Bandulu imprint, and the dancehall sounds of last year's Backchat single, Kahn & Neek's steppahs-influenced Gorgon Sound project is a chance for them to expand on Bristol's rich legacy of dub, reggae, and soundsystem culture. Since the pair decided to begin the project in 2010, Gorgon Sound has since evolved into a full dubplate DJ operation, with a show made up of entirely their own material. Last year saw the Gorgon Sound project see its first vinyl release, in the form of "Find Jah Way", which featured on the debut released from Bristol's Peng Sound; this double 12" release presents a more expansive take on their steppahs sound, featuring four cuts of West Country bassweight with guest vocalist spots from Brazil's Junior Dread and Bristol's Guy Calhoun.

Review: Burial drops his latest two-tracker on XL, two chaotic breakbeat balancing acts firmly rooted in rushy UK 'ardkore and day-glo 80s freestyle respectively. The A is a nail-biting, cavernous tweak out, which Burial pipes out into the darkest, most paranoid corners of the rave, exhuming frazzled dancers and inducing a queasy euphoria that any seasoned hedonists will recognise all too well. 'Boy Sent From Above', on the other hand seems to chart the passage of an obsessive, icy winter graff mission, with tinny drum machines, saccharine squarewave arpeggio hooks and spraycan samples harking back to the heyday of B-Boy electro, Miami freestyle and NYC breaking with devastating efficacy, albeit seen through Burial's unmistakeable misty-eyed LDN gauze; chrome and black over day-glo. Dreamfear marks yet another welcome switch up in Burial's artistic direction, and makes for one of the most evocative, moving and transporting entries in his much pored-over catalogue.

Review: Released right at the very end of 2019, Stormzy's much-trumpeted second album, "Heavy Is The Head", is one of the most significant releases in recent times. Made with a gigantic cast list of producers and guest vocalists - Aitch, Burna Boy, Headie One, H.E.R, Tiana Major9, Yebba, Fred Gibson and MJ Cole included - the set includes some of his most thoughtful and incisive lyrics to date, as well as some particularly ear-catching mutations of grime that will further solidify his place as one of Britain's most important artists of the 21st century. Yes, it does include more nods towards pop music - he's a Glastonbury headliner after all - but the beats remain tough.

Review: Over the years, Modeselektor have forged a reputation as fearless innovators, neatly sidestepping genres and frequently confounding critics. Given their tireless touring schedule and the fact they run two prolific labels it's perhaps no surprise that it's been some four years since the last full-length Modeselektor album. Monkeytown flits effortlessly between skittish 140 BPM bass music, clandestine electronica, sludgy hip-hop and even warehouse-flavoured tropical rhythms (see "German Clap"). There are some real standouts, including a dreamy, slo-mo pop outing with PVT, two collaborations with Thom Yorke and a droning Anti-Pop Consortium hook-up. Must-check.

Review: Although Rhythm & Sound and Basic Channel man Mark Ernestus has worked with or remixed many different artists over the years, we didn't expect him to join forces with D&B scene stalwarts Calbre and DRS. Yet that's exactly what's on offer here, as the Hardwax founder delivers two typically deep, dubbed-out techno outings crafted from portions of the pair's collaborative cut 'Badman', which is due to feature on Calbre's forthcoming sixteenth studio album, Feeling Normal. Both 'Bad' and 'Badder' are typical of Ernestus' ultra-deep and hypnotic style, with snippets of the duo's original instruments, beats and vocals echoing in and out of a warming, all-encompassing, sub-heavy groove. In a word, it's superb.

Review: Having announced his new Jon Convex endeavour with two slices of formidable futurism for Martyn's 3024 imprint, Damon Kirkham returns to the familiarity of Non Plus with a double clutch of equally essential productions. Fans of cult TV might recognise the snatch of Badalamenti strings that announce "Radar" in such ominous fashion, though it's they way this element is weaved amidst ever groaning insect like bass and murderous strains of dystopian acid that truly impresses. And of course the brittle click clack of drums that always threatens to smash to pieces. In contrast, "Vacuum States" offers a more optimistic slant on the sci fi electro poise, gradually letting loose a succession of kaleidoscopic synth flutters over the stripped down kick thrust and glooping bass.

Review: Deep Medi releases are always a cause for excitement, so it comes as no surprise that some of their earliest output is now being given the reissue treatment, nearly 20 years on from the label's inception. 'Kalawanji' is the infamous debut release by London producer Kromestar, with vocals by Cessman, and first came out on Deep Medi in 2006. Now on a limited green vinyl edition, to contrast to the original black, 'Kalawanji' and 'Surgery' are as raucous a pair of tracks as ever, recalling the period in which growly wobbles were just about taking over.

Review: It's been a long time since Skrillex (Sonny Moore) pioneered his distinctive complextro sound, characterised by roaring vocal samples, bitcrushed melodies and novelty growls and wobbles. Surprisingly hailing from from an emo background, Moore has leveraged this sound to become an established force of nature, becoming the instigator of an entire tidal sea-change in electronic music. His latest bout of albums, though - one of which is Quest For Fire - hears him exercise his penchant for collaboration more than ever, indulging something of a DJ Khaled-esque streak, but for the EDM-pop crossover world. It's also much less fidgety, erring more on the melodic pop side. Referring to the film of the same name, in which figurative prehistoric cavemen embark on a quest for the discovery of fire, the album is equally a reflection of Skrillex's quest for musical exploration and innovation, as well as his passion for global culture and diversity. We admit: only Skrillex could bring together underground greats like Mr. Oizo, Sleepnet, Joker, Dylan Brady and Flowdan; fresh faces like Starrah, BEAM and Nai Barghouti; and pop-consciousness occupiers like Swae Lee, Aluna, Missy Elliott and Bibi Bourelly.

Review: Instra:mental's Nonplus imprint are set to unleash US based producer ASC's debut album, Nothing Is Certain next month but first deliver a three track taster of this highly anticipated LP. "Phobos" sets industrial noises and sparse, dramatic tones as its backdrop but entwines electronic grooves and micro samples over the top to create his unusual but wholly captivating sound. "Oort Cloud" drops out into some cosmic, downtempo atmospheres of weightless space before "Matter of Time" explores wind-like sounds and melodies, deep oceans of bass and his intriguing use of Oriental sounding percussion. Once listen to this will have you holding your breath for July's LP.

Review: Even before you hear the first beat, there is something incredibly exit about seeing the names Male - a pioneering beat master and pivotal figure in the early emergence of the dubstep sound - with Joe Armon-Jones, talented musician and master keys man. A Way Back comes on Aquarii, Armon-Jones's own label with him on keys and synths, Mala on drums and bass and Maxwell Owin featuring on 'Oh Lord'. It brings back memories of the golden dubstep years with cavernous bass and heavy weight drums all finished to perfection with Armon-Jones top lines.

Review: The Vivid label is yet another one from Burnski who also runs Constant Blanc and Instinct. He is s single handed garage hit making machine and he knows how to tap into the next gen, too. Here he calls upon Peaky Beats for a naughty and nasty three track affair that has retro feels but contemporary style. 'Can't Stop' opens up with a 2-step shuffle and steely hits, then 'Get Ready' gets more free and melodic with some boxing little melodic patterns and oscillating bass. Last of all is the most menacing and dark - 'Wildcat' flips into a dub wise swagger mid-way through that is going to blow up the clubs.

Review: Dark dubstep allstar Dayzero first came to out attention with 'Allca', where they pitted themselves alongside contemporaries Gantz or Coki in their unique displays of wonk and lo-fi production techniques. 'Pages' and 'Sen' continue this charge; watery, knocky and psychopathic, both tunes sound like a tank trudging through sludge. Militant and gritty.

Review: Zomby returns to Hyperdub with his first album in three years, trailed in high profile fashion by that Burial collaboration "Sweetz." That particular tune is one of Ultra's headline attractions, alongside eyebrow-raising collaborations with Darkstar, Banshee and Rezzett. What really impresses, though, is the skewed, left-of-centre nature of the mask-wearing producer's heavy, post-grime rhythms, sparse but sparkling synth work, and the breathlessly cut-up R&B vocals dotted throughout the set. Interestingly, there are subtle nods towards new wave synth-pop, ghetto-tech, spacey ambient and alien IDM, making Ultra Zomby's most intriguing and consistently on-point album to date.

Review: We've been saying for a hot minute that a dubstep reveal is due, if not already here - even though, as is the case with any revival, the purists will say the sound never went away. We would like to submit as supporting evidence this reissue of a stone cold classic split 12" from 2009 from serious dubstep heavyweights Loofah and Coki. It came on the pioneering Deep Mehdi Musik label and some 14 years on still has plenty of dark late night allure and killer low end wobble. Two definitive tracks that we can't wait to start hearing out again on loud systems.

Review: Blind Prophet & Ishan Sound come together for their first pan-atlantic collaboration here in what is a fine return to the ZamZam label. The pair first met in Portland in 2019 and so it's good to finally have some sounds to get stuck into from their meeting of minds. 'The Labyrinth' kicks off with hefty and stepping drum rhythms that are overlaid by bright synth lines and mystic flutes. The interloping melodies and a menacing bassline finish it in style. On the flip, things get much more dark with 'Minotaur Dub' which is a shadowy world of refracting drums and oodles of reverb and echo. There is a predatory sense to the rhythm that never lets up as fizzing bass pries every deep into the dead of night.

Review: Thankfully there has now been enough time passed since the original dubstep movement that people are turning back to the genre to reinvent and reinvigorate it without prejudice. There is plenty of like about dubstep 2.0 not least this EP from Dubamine on Dub Stu, which leans heavily on the original dub sounds of the 70s with its natty vocals and rolling drums all brought up to date with crisp contemporary production. 'Cool & Relax' (feat Nazamba) is a sublime tune to sink into while 'Nature's Dub' is as organic as the title suggests, with bottomless bass and endless depths.

Review: One riddim track, three hugely distinctive voices; Dub-Stuy continue their riddim series with "Santa Muerte Riddim". Loose, spacious, mystic and led by cold steel string twangs, Jonah Freed's beat sings on its own merits but each vocalist adds their own touch. Rider Shafique takes the lead with his signature smoky tones and poetics, Jahdan Blakkamoore contrasts between his gravelly spoken word and musicality on the chorus before Pupajim lets the beat breathe a little more before going full harmonic ham. Holy moly.

Review: After the massive impact of Vex'd in the breakthrough years of dubstep, it was big news when Jamie Teasdale chose to swerve in his own direction and emerge as Kuedo. Released in 2011, Severant was a bold statement of intent which didn't wholly shirk what had come before, but placed emphasis on the kind of romantic synthesis you'd readily associate with Vangelis and saw trap and other influences sneaking into the mix. In hindsight, Severant is typical of the times we live in, drawing on a glut of influences and presenting its own idiosyncratic vision, but above all that the emotion and intent of Teasdale's ideas make it an enduring, captivating listen.

Review: Mancunian Walton heads to Munich label Ilian Tape for anther of his cutting edge EPs. No stranger to esteemed labels like Hyperdub and Techtonic, this soundsmith once again draws on ambient, techno, bass and IDM across six immersive and cinematic tracks. The first two are largely wide open, cavernous, ambient affairs in which to allow your mind to wander. The inventive rhythms and powerful drums then arrive on 'Dread II' and remain throughout the skittish synth energy of 'Rewind Riddim' and automated factory floor sounds of 'Overload Destruction.' 'Unknown Territories' ends on a more far gazing vibe with pensive pads over scattered kicks.

Review: As one third of the Hessle Audio triumvirate, Kevin McAuley - better known as Pangaea - has been responsible for some of the label's best releases. The eight track Release represents his most potent statement to date; continuing the rolling pirate radio techno direction he started with last year's Hex and Inna Daze EPs. Beginning with the Missy Elliot sampling "Game", he sets out the stall for the rest of the EP, a combination of tough, steeled-up steppers rhythms and dub techno textures. Whether listening to the abstract melodies of the title track, the blistering pace of the searing "Majestic 12" or the broken garage of Middleman, its clear that Pangaea is still light years ahead of the competition.

Review: Ghett's Conflict Of Interest album late last year was one of grime's finest. It now makes its arrival on wax and still hits hard. There are plenty of hugely evocative and biographical stories in this record that make it all the more real and impactful, from tales of street life to memories of his childhood to worries about being a parent. Those many different sides to Ghett's personality are reflected by the artwork which shows him at different ages all at once. The dark production makes for long and shadowy moods but guest spots from the likes of Emile Sande and Ed Sheehan bring a lighter soul sound that will have you singing along.

Review: To mark a century of releases, admirable Bristol imprint Tectonic has served up something rather special: an EP of future bass business that sees long-serving grime MC Riko Dan adding his flow to fresh beats from some of the label's heaviest hitters. Check, for example, the woozy "purple" synths, ragged sub-bass and stepping beats of the Joker-produced "Hard Food", the indsustrial-strength grime assault of the Pinch-produced "Vibration" and the sparse, clandestine rumble of "Hungry", where Riko Dan's gruff patois flow rises above a skeletal groove. Elsewhere, the Ziro-helmed "Alright Then" sounds like a club anthem in waiting, and Walton's remix of "Big Slug" - a previous club cut from Pinch and Mumdance - is an ethereal, string-laden treat.

Review: Skrillex (Sonny Moore) is back with a bang - or rather, two. Don't Get Too Close is his second album in as many days, immediately following the desirous Quest For Fire (it was dropped the following day, making up a duet of LPs). A similar cast of characters accompanies the acclaimed producer on his quest for creative innovation as 'Quest For Fire' - but this one is more introspective and eclectic, blending emo rap, urban pop, and memecore with Moore's signature bass-heavy production. A willingness to keep up with the times is clear, despite Skrillex's emergence in an older 2010s era: production collabs with Gud, Corbin, Lido, PinkPantheress, Virtual Riot and Danny L Harle accompany cameo features from drained starlets like Yung Lean and Bladee and regular Skrillex-adjacent favourites like Justin Bieber, Chief Keef and Swae Lee.

Review: There was much talk ahead of the release of Darkstar's debut album as to whether the London based outfit could live up to the promise of their stunning breakthrough single "Aidy's Girl Is A Computer" on Hyperdub in 2009. The answer, in short, is yes. In the course of the past 12 months Aiden Whalley and James Young have morphed from a production team into a band, adding vocalist James Buttery along the way, and North, the fruits of their labour, is a fragile, delicate and beautiful record. Tracks like "Gold" and ""Dear Heartbeat"" showcase an 80s synth pop sensibility, forming the backbone of an album that is steeped in worry and melancholia. Buttery's vocal talents add an extra layer of depth to the music, particularly on the poignant, piano driven opening and closing track "In The Wings" and "When It's Gone". There is much to explore on North, which will go down as one of 2010's most affecting electronic albums.

Review: Grime might now be one of the biggest sounds in the UK music scene, but it arguably might never have been without the much earlier work of scene forefather Dizzee Rascal. The Londoner broke through just after the turn of the millennium and onto the international stage with his in-your-face bars, mashed-up dance sounds and big samples. Quite possibly his best work is Boy In Da Corner, the stunning Mercury Prize winning long player on XL that is now 20 years young. It gets a special reissue for the occasion with all the big ones like 'Fix Up, Look Sharp' present and correct, as well as a load of fine instrumentals.

Review: It might come as a surprise that dubstep favourites Kahn & Neek have only just gotten round to releasing their debut album, but their repertoire has spoken for itself over the years, so this is more than deserved. Translating from the Latin phrase "the wolf and the bear", Lupus et Ursus draws heavily on the image of the pair's occupation of the top of their very own hierarchy; the carnal apex predators of bass music. That in mind, the music is just as alarming, as if we were mere bunny rabbits at their mercy, as a barrage of complex, earthen, and arid grime and dubstep is flung our way, with all the favourite MCs - Rider Shafique, Riko Dan, Flowdan, Mez - joining in for a due exchange of bars.

Review: Few are aware that the historic city of Bristol is still home to secret cabals of subaquatic explorers, the most open secret among which is the Challenger Deep crew. From the depths, one of their many regiments, duo Inner Echo, break the surface tension with two new ones, 'Aurora' and 'Ruminate'. Both tracks are masterclasses in deep dubstep, the first revelling in a low-bubbling lead line that leans heavy on the harmonics, the latter preferring a subtle ambience of piracy and novel Atlantean exploration.

Review: Former Grid member and now ambient superstar Richard Norris delivers two new oracular divinations for his very own Group Mind label, the imprint formed in and after the COVID-19 lockdowns to help mindfully assuage the creeping anxieties of the age. A six-track 12" limited to just 30 copies - numbered and signed by the artist himself (move quick, hares) - these six tracks segue between dub and deep listening, fronting the bass and keeping percussive elements spread and panned. Best on the obverse is the A3, 'Mystery Dub', whose endlessly delayed stabs and cutoff conga samples well convey a vacuum-of-space vibe. The B-side moves into snake-charming dancehall territory, the punning, chordophonic 'Rockers Sci Fi' and the vocal blissout 'Stronger Together' being the ethereal highlights.

Review: It's not often we pass on much trappy EDM to listeners at Juno, but Eprom is a special case, having made a name for himself for pushing the glossy post-dubstep trap style that made many artists like him famous. At the same time, Barclay Crenshaw (Claude VonStroke) is another name in the EDM world whose direction isn't quite the same as Eprom's, but nevertheless shares a space with the former artist for having also remixed Yung Skrrt's wilfully trashy hit 'McDonalds' of late. As both artists have dropped their respective cuts in many a DJ set all over the world, Skrrt's label DIRTYBIRD have now orchestrated a meeting of the two minds - not least to mention this juicy vinyl compilation of the two remixes.

Review: The superb Om Unit label has assembled a mighty fine crew of subheads to serve up their own interpretations of a load of Om Unit originals for this great new double album Acid Dub Versions II. Stylistically this is as diverse a collection as you can imagine given all the tracks operate within a similar dub grounding: some artists like Yushh keep it deep, cavernous and empty, while Hodge lays down his pumping rhythms and runs them through with echo hits and driving acid. VIVEK's take on 'Bristol Theme' is another dubstep doozy that rumbles along with the smell of THC thick in the air and the Nadia Struiwigh remix of 'Electroacidspringwater' is an eerie way to close a fine collection.

Review: After making a big impression with his first 12" on Senaker Social in 2019, Low End Activism is back with a superb full length. It finds him 'sum up the conflicting emotions attached to memories of home' as he explores his own sonic roots through the prism of future-rushing soundsystem sonics. The tracks are wrought with street level tensions and urban and suburban gimme, with darkness adn frustration. But there is also home and solidarity in these sounds which are sure to unite people of all backgrounds on the world's dance floors.