Review: The return of Sorrow, characteristically with a gracefully morose new six-tracker, 'Unrequited'. "How can I forgive?" goes the rheum-smeared vocal sample opening out the Bristolian artist's new opener 'Monologue', after which amnestic choral lines follow like heavenly flights, singing thee to thy rest. Many a temporal restretching of the 2-step grief-garage paradigm follow, as on the slo-mo dancehall of 'Fallen Angel', the pan-fluting, blossom treeing dubstep of 'Unrequited', and an unlikely future downtempo saudade, 'Hedron'. It's nice to hear Sorrow back in action; without his continued presence, we might otherwise drown our own in other, less musical liquids.
Review: SPD makes a striking debut on Sneaker Social Club with a four-track EP designed for powerful systems and refined style. Will Sheppard has long established himself on labels like Keysound, EC2A, and Roska Kicks + Snares and here he channels UK bassweight while infusing it with a futuristic edge. First cut 'Genbu' features stripped-back, snaking sequences that keep dancers moving while 'Systema' delivers a bleep-speckled roller with a firm grip on deep, snarling bass. 'Willman' introduces a choppier groove that shows Sheppard's patient approach before leading into the emotionally rich 'OK'.
Review: It's sleepy liminal steppers' zones aplenty on Sub Basics' latest full-length for Temple Of Sound, Rooms In Time-Space. As if imagining a purely abstract, extremophilic lifeworld, seed-generated for the pure purpose of headnodding, the latest incarnation of Sub Basics' enduring dubstep sound reflects the artist's unyielding exploration of a certain form, in thrall to which one simply cannot go wrong, provided one has mastered it. With its considered track titles like 'Basement', 'Wilderness', 'Quantum Zone', 'Observatory', 'Nonlinear' and 'Tangent', a detached, stoic, hard-scientific mood is evoked throughout, as if to liken the art of dubstep that of an oblique graphical process, void of emotive distortions. But that's just the front face of the project; deeper listens reveal an abiding humanity behind the beats, an aspect of our being that never tires of such driving broken propulsions, such immersive post-blast movements.
Review: Ubsism is back with more sonic adventures that explore hybrid and aquatic sounds and blend shifting atmospheres, spiraling variations and adventurous rhythms. Inspired by the ocean's deepest zones, this dawn dance album invites listeners into a world of sonic immersion with its pulsating dub basslines, ethereal pads and high-energy grooves. Hadale creates an otherworldly experience here as he oscillates between tranquility and intensity. The EP's unique approach offers a journey through deep, immersive soundscapes that mean it is perfect for both reflective listening and the dance floor alike. It's a bold and fluid work.
Review: Sub Basics is back on his own fledgling label Temple of Sound - but under a new alias. As Tommy Basics he leads into a fresh house sound but still serves it up with plenty of his textbook bass-heavy low ends. 'Latitude' is a bubbly groover with dusty drums and fleshy basslines that get you moving and warmed up. 'Longitude' is even deeper, with smeared dub chords and woody percussive hits peppering the laid-back and inviting groove. Two stylish sounds from this versatile producer.
Review: Toupaz is a new name on our radar but he'll stay firmly on it after this release on forward-thinking London label, Well Street. The EP kick-starts with a fusion of techno, bass and club rhythms spliced with brilliantly bubbly toms & synths that fall down the face of broken beats. The flip side explores a new take on UK funky with whirring machines and fractured vocals, whilst the closer 'Maudlin Lakitu' features the most experimental and skeletal rhythms of the project.
Review: Yuku come correct with this special blue vinyl remix 12". Two vibes per side, both Traka and Granul go under the knife. On one side we have Serbian crew Traka under scrutiny as Commodo flips 'Yosai' into a menacing slab of tension while Muqata takes the Killa P-fronted 'Start Taking Note' into a brutalist sonic rainbow. Flip for two remixes of Turkish maverick Granul; Jtamul turns two-step inside out with stacks of eerie space on 'Deformity' while Iskeletor turns 'Interconnected' into the twisted, halftime heaver of your dreams. Stark sermons!
Review: AD 93 is fast approaching a century of releases and helping them on their way is this fresh 12" from TSVI and DJ Plead. It brings plenty of bouncy to the party with elastic opener 'Triple It' layering up big kicks and hits with playful bass. 'Swanky' is another blend of Afro rhythms and UK funky, fizzing synths and heavy bass and 'Gallop' picks up the pace with a more lithe and loopy groove. 'Breath Work' flips the script with Eastern string melodies and percussive beats and 'Twos & Fours' is a fourth and final fantastically inventive sound that will stand out in any set for all the right reasons.
Review: The mysterious UK duo Two Shell continue to disrupt techno conservatism with their woozy, unpredictable brew. This time on Mainframe Audio. Non-linear, disarming yet soft-focus and awash with different textures and instruments, we're eased and teased between hypnotic, lo-fi flavours... the percussive insistence and dubby ripples of 'Memory', the intergalactic big beat of 'Mainframe' and stuttering cosmic moombah of 'Ghosts' are just three of the provocative and intriguing highlights. Iconic.
Review: The Unknown-Untitled gang is back with an eighth mysterious outing from the self-titled production outfit behind the label, whoever that may be. Again this is a limited edition 12" and again it is pure fire. 'rack 1' sounds like techno from a distinctly UK perspective, if you ask us - the bass drills deep, the synths fizz like static and chopped up vocal fragments bring the hype. The rest of the EP is a varied one that takes in clanging loop pieces, industrial tinged workouts like 'Track 3' and futuristic rhythmic explorations such as the tense, textured sounds of 'Track 5'.
Review: Upsammy's ever mutating, morphing sound seems to melt before your very ears on this new body of work. A distinct beaty twang, and even drum & bass, comes into the mix as the Dutch maverick takes us on a unique trip. Highlights of her navigations include the deconstructed d&b of 'Relict' and the hypnotising chimes and shimmers of the title track which feels like a trip to a temple in Tibet while cruising the back pocket of an automaton. Powerfully mesmerising; minimal in dynamic, maximum in feels. Don't sleep on this one.
Yonghegong Lama Temple Exit F (Priori remix) (5:45)
Review: Wherein Dutchman Vincent lays down a heartfelt study of the soul entitled 'Pre Melancholy'. His findings are as follows... Before the melancholy one can expect a wave of emotions and pressures, all of them ingredients for a tumultuous storm that flies in a whole flurry of directions. Technoid drum & bass causing anxiety with every rolling fill ('Mono No Aware'), timeless breaks triggering moments of unsolicited joy ('Agent Of Distraction') and spacious leftfield that's so disarming and abyssal that it comes in two forms ('Yonghegong Lama Temple Exit F'). Embrace the melancholy.
Review: Brand new Italian label Reflue launches with a remarkable five-track odyssey from co-owner Viola. A heady analog portrait of inner city intensity that ranges from electro to drum & bass - and blurring every possibly boundary in between - Viola's 'Sunburnt' takes us from the most visceral, physical body music ('Il Tek') to the most abstract, far-out head-tickling snapshots ('Yard II') with equal levels of style and sleaze, grittiness and prettiness. A bold opening statement.
Review: Dutch titan Orlando Voorn was always a European with a musical sound that linked us to Detroit and Chicago. As well as house and techno he can also do searing electro bangers too as this Outerworld EP on Trust shows. It's potent tackle for peak times, with 'Shockwave' a collision of drums and percussion and wild spraying synths, then 'Outerworld' taking on a ghetto flex with more kinetic drum funk. 'Reverse Psychology' then slows it down to a more atmospheric and spaced-out vibe and 'Space Trap' is an experimental broken beat that is the best track on the EP.
Review: Classy dancefloor-slaying action on 10" vinyl no less from West Norwood Cassette Library, combining a thumping four to the floor beat with nifty percussion, a fairly well known snippet of hip-hop vocal and ravey stabs. The results are as hard to resist as they are to classify, except to say it leaves absolutely zero prisoners. "This one had been previously doing the rounds as a 'dubplate only' exclusive," WNCS told us, "cut especially for the Futurepastzine tenth anniversary bash just on the cusp of lockdown ... so it seemed only appropriate to ask FPZ head honcho and fellow Cassette Librarian, Rawtrachs, to attend to remix duty." So flip it over for that equally excellent reworking from Rawtrachs and stand well back - we predict not only a riot, but an awful lot of spilt beer too.
Review: A seamless blend of bass-driven soundscapes and emotive intricacy unfolds across this five-strong remix collection. 'Patient' is euphoric and melodic, bass music meeting orchestral beauty in a stunning interplay. Following it, Hold Me A Bit Longer (Ehua remix) sees the broken beat aesthetic exploding with jittery, cut-up keyboard edits, crafting a fragmented yet catchy rhythm, before Sinistarr's mix of 'Divinity' offers an ambient and atmospheric dive into lush, beautiful textures. Flipping to Side-2, listeners are greeted with R&S alumni Synkro offering up a downtempo version of 'Birth' that balances growling basslines and ethereal vocals, enhanced by delicate piano notes. 'Prayer' (Itoa remix) closes proceedings with a slow-churning groove, blending techno influences with inventive twists, resulting in a hypnotic and creative sonic experience.
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: Pressure Dome's Yussh gets busy with her debut EP on Wisdom Teeth. Flexing fully across four tracks, her signature fusion of breakbeat, bass, jungle and club hits the spot in true Bristol brutalist fashion. 'Look Mum No Hands' eases us in with a dreamy, spacious halftime trip while the recent single 'Same Same' continues to keep the subtle sense of chill with its floating chords and slinky percussion. Elsewhere 'Close Fall' sounds like it could have come from the desk of Kid Drama and dBridge's Autonomic HQ while 'Self Conscious' closes on a deep space cosmic jungle/techno hybrid. No hands, no fear.
Review: Garage powerhouse Zed Bias is back with more old school garage brilliance with the new single 'Shell Them Again' featuring the vocals of Yung Saber and Brakeman. The original has plenty of retro signifiers from the low-end wobble to the withering synth effects, plus crisp hits and jostling drums. After the dub mix comes a remix from Zed himself alongside Safire which is much more dirty and raw. The beats are broken up so the track takes on a dubstep quality as the low-end oscillations bring the weight and drums hit with more force. Finally, the acappella closes out this fresh 12" on IFG.
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.
Shanzhai (For Shanzhai Biennial) (feat Helen Feng)
Szechuan
Wudang
Loading Beijing
Hainan Island
Shenzhen
Dragon Tattoo
Forbidden City
Shanghai Freeway
Jade Stairs
Review: Multidisciplinary artist Fatima Al Qadiri aligns with Hyperdub to release Asiatisch, a keenly anticipated debut album that's described as a "simulated road trip through an imagined China". First coming to prominence on the UNO label in 2011, Al Qadiri has subsequently provoked critical acclaim for the 2012 Desert Strike EP for Fade To Mind that played on her time spent living in Kuwait as a child, while her work under the Ayshay moniker for Tri Angle explored vocals in a unique manner. Asiatisch expands on the political themes of Desert Strike in a new and unexpected way, and acts as a homage to the style of grime known as "sinogrime". Asian motifs and melodies are prominent throughout whilst conceptually Al Qadiri runs through "the fantasies of east Asia as refracted through pulpy Western pop culture". If that wasn't enough to sell you on the concept, opening track "Shanzhai" is a "nonsensical Mandarin" language cover of Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U".
Review: During recent interviews, James Blake framed Playing Robots Into Heaven, his sixth album, as a kind of return to his club roots - an idea borne out by his decision to structure the album as a kind of imaginary "night out raving". Of course, this is Blake we're talking about, and while the album does lean heavily on the post-dubstep sound that made him famous (which itself drew as much from experimental electronica and outsider pop as dubstep, house or techno), it's not like he's suddenly turned into Ben UFO, Scuba or Mala. It's a highly enjoyable album, though, and one that combines his most familiar and cherished elements - heavily treated, emotive vocals, piano motifs, woozy electronics and ghostly chords - with grooves rooted in techno, house and UK bass. If you're a fan, you'll love it.
Review: Maintaining his trajectory into the upper echelons of alt-pop with carte blanche to do as he pleases, James Blake returns with his sixth studio album Playing Robots Into Heaven. From his brief dalliance with the post-dubstep underground into his sombre strain of electronic indie songwriting, Blake has confounded expectations at every turn and the drop of lead single 'Big Hammer' should maintain that trend. There's no big vocal turn from his delicate voice, but rather a twitchy, sub-loaded beat somewhere on the outer edges of trap with some diced up MC samples, pointing to an exciting foray into unpredictable waters from a truly gifted major league maverick.
Review: Lil Yachty and James Blake's Bad Cameo showcases their fearless creativity, blending Yachty's dynamic vocals with Blake's signature production. Tracks like 'Missing Man' and 'Transport Me' shine with captivating depth, while 'Red Carpet' offers a soulful, gospel-infused highlight. The album's experimental nature, especially on tracks like 'Save the Savior' and 'Midnight', reflects the duo's bold approach, pushing boundaries with each song. Even in its unexpected turns, Bad Cameo remains an exciting exploration of sound. Available on limited magenta vinyl, this release is a fresh, innovative take from two artists unafraid to try something new.
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