Juno Recommends Bass August 2018

Review: Much has changed since Walton's last full-length excursion, 2013's Beyond. Back then he was being nurtured by the Hyperdub label, which gave him the time and space to develop his own brand of melodic bass music. Since 2015 he's been signed to Pinch and Ginz's Tectonic stable, delivering 12" singles that expand his sound palette earlier. Black Lotus, his sophomore album, is arguably his most impressive release to date. While it boasts a wealth of sparse, bass-heavy, dubstep workouts (see "Koto Riddim (VIP)" and "No Mercy", featuring the distinctive flow of Riko Dan), you'll also hear more experimental takes on the bass music template ("Mad Zapper" and the deliciously percussive and Brazilian-influenced "Angry Drummer") and the kind of beautifully melodious and breezy fare that's as attractive as it is hard-hitting.

Review: Following up some great ones by Samba, Hebbe and Sleeper, the UK's Crucial Sounds are back with more bass driven/street-level shenanigans courtesy of newcomer Opus. He has a seemingly intrinsic musical prowess, coupled with a knack for reaching far beyond the constructs of conventions and expectations. This sort of ravenous creative mentality has earned Opus a debut release on White Peach Records, as well as a subsequent release on Encrypted Audio. Bridging the gap wonderfully between dubstep and grime on the darkside wobble of "Sharpie", the eerie "Peel follows featuring pounding beats and immersive/textural sound design. On the flip, delve deep into the exotic on "Newspeak" where its Middle Eastern instrumentation meges with fierce breakbeats.

Review: Bristol's Temple Of Sound emerges with an inaugural release by Kent based DJ Tom Wood aka Sub Basics. Exploring some of the deepest strains of dubstep on the Shipment EP featuring brooding sound design and skillful execution of tension and suspense throughout. From the unsettling fever dream of the title track, the hypnotic freefall of "Ancient Eyez" where we start to hear some good old fashioned bass wobble for good measure. Finally on the flip we have "Keep It Moving" a fervent polyrhythmic workout that reaches near tribal moments.

Review: More experimental 140 noise from Chicago low end specialist Jon L aka Spectra here, on the always reliable Encrypted Audio. Since first receiving a track from him when they played a show together recently - EA knew this guy had to be on their label. He has an ability to distort and manipulate sounds into his own amazing palette, according to the label. Moreover, this release is testament to that ability. From the deeply hypnotic dubstep of "Rain" on the A side with its sublime bell melody facing off with speaker rattling vibrations, to the violent B side cut "Wrestling With Flesh" with its frantic, hyperaware and downright unsettling groove.