Juno Recommends Dubstep August 2018

Review: Finn "Drone" Donohue appears to be a producer on the rise. This may only be his second 12" single (his first slipped out last year), but he's already showing signs of developing a trademark sound all of his own. Both "Sapphire" and "Down This Way" are dark, clandestine and paranoid, with grime style stabs and spacey electronic effects clustering around a bustling, hot-stepping rhythm track that seemingly charges from the speakers towards your sound-space. Closer "East Coast", which is exclusive to the vinyl edition of this release, is arguably even more raw and aggressive, with colossal sub-bass pulses, creepy melodies and densely layered background textures (think cut-up vocal samples, white noise and unusual field recordings) all catching the ear.

Review: Don't be fooled by the title; this ain't no sampler from Skeppy's fantastic debut album Enjoy This Trip, these are two fresh new tracks that remind us the Exit artist depths and versatility. His first 140 jams in a while, "Paper House" shudders under the weight of DRS's crystaline poetry while "Nebula" shoots us to the edge of the sub bass cosmos on a rocket made of spacious, skippy beats and shows us no way of returning home. It's the trip that keeps on giving...

Review: Truth deliver the uncut stuff once again. Five tracks deep, it's their largest body of work since Wilderness Of Mirrors and it features a killer range of collaborators; Sgt Pokes reminds us why he's the boss on "Grampian", Lelijveld casts her signature mystic spells over us on "Crushed" while Taso joins the fray for the ominous, aggy doom-mongering "Atomic War". Elsewhere "Mushrooms" promises a fulfilling excursion with offbeat clock-chiming tripiness while "Burma" brings the EP to a close with cavernous dubsapce and precision tuned croaks. We'd like to say more about this on-point EP but there's not mushroom for any more words (sorry).

Review: Croatia's Ognjen Zecevic, otherise known as Egoless, has been absolutely smashing over the last three years, with releases for imprints like ZamZam Records and Deep Medi Music instilling his sound at the top of the contemporary bass game. To that point, here he is on Youngsta's Sentry Records, home to producers like dBridge, Caspa and Gramz - so you know the quality is on point. The title tune "Decolonize" is an Eastern riddim, mashing up tough dub-steps with flutes and chimes from the Levant; "Global" keeps that narrative going with some Middle-Eastern melodies blended up and filtered-down into a heady, percussive groove for the ultimate mood-switcher.

Review: Deep dubstep heads may already be aware of Dalek One. He's been releasing good quality music for a couple of years digitally, though the Witchcraft EP appears to be his first appearance on vinyl. There's much to admire throughout, from the bombastic, pulverizing sub-bass and clandestine, Burial style sound soup of opener "Breakthrough", to the fantastically heavy and suitably trippy title track, where both bassline and beats change tempo and time signature several times throughout. The EP's other moment, "Terror Strike", is a dark, stabbing dubstep roller primed for peak-time plays at venerable bass music institutions.

Review: Don't believe the name; Sepia's running on full technicolour right now as he continues to push new ideas and sounds to the ever frothing 140 cauldron. Having appeared on Infernal's second release, the Bristol magician returns for their 10th with four slabs of fresh bass weight. Ranging from the head-bending trippiness of the second drop on "Mordecai" to the heavy pressure swagger of "Instinct" via the overt dreaminess of "Sekhmet", it's another immaculate document from the man who can do no wrong right now.

Review: Gnischrew's label hits its third outing with Bristol's Chad Dubz. Maintaining the meditative theme from previous Sub Audio outings, Dubz opens with "Wisdom" wherein a whole barrel of space funk is ripped open and the skanks are so textured you feel you get lost inside them. "Stuck In The Loop" plays the consummate foil as the Bristol producer takes us on a much more paranoid, tunnelling trip. And if that's not enough, man of the moment Hebbe provides a killer remix for good measure. Be wise.

Review: More inspired work form one of dubstep's most influential producers appears again on World Of Wonders - a label devoted almost entirely to the work of Gemmy since 2011. Gemmel Phillips is a producer and DJ from Bristol, UK who has released previously on tastemaker labels such as Punch Drunk, Pinch's Tectonic, Mike Paradinas' Planet Mu, Soul Jazz and Earwax before forming his own imprint in 2011. This new three-track EP here follows on from his Bamboozled EP for the label last year, and shows off Gemmy's keen talent for crafting 'purple wave' influenced bass music. From the wonky grime attitude of "Nah Tek Bk Chat" on the A side, to the booming speaker rattling B side cut "Stop Dat" - this whole release is a killer!

Review: Returning to Melbourne based Modern Hypnosis is local DJ Adam Dickson aka Pugilist with some frantic and hyper aware bass assaults - Aussie style! This follows up some terrific releases in recent times on Navy Cuts, Artikal Music and Green King Cuts. On the A side, we have the entrancing polyrhythmic workout of "Cha" which is geared for some deep meditation on the dancefloor, guaranteed. On the flip is the modern jungle deconstruction of "Syncopate" which builds the tension and suspense with its intricate riddims and rolling bassline.

Review: This debut release from Subtle Sound System and their new record label (aptly named Subtle Recordings) is bringing some heavy weight - straight out of Christchurch, New Zealand. Inauguration duties are bestowed upon local legend Gene Warriner aka Headland (Innamind Recordings / ZamZam / Well Rounded Records) from Wellington, who plunders the tombs on the menacing and subterranean deep dubstep of "Quiver". On the flip, be prepared for some serious alien sub-frequencies (guaranteed to cause some serious tremors) on the sci-fi dystopian dubstep of "Deathbed".

Review: Smokin' Sessions is a winning label. Nuff' said. Each and every time the Z Audio sub-label drops a new 12" it means that we're in for some quality bass tactics forms the best and freshest talent out there. Escapism Refuge returns with his second EP for the imprint, dropping yet more contemplative dubstep vibes in the finest of traditions. The Compa remix of the title tune "Misfit" kicks the single off with a hazy, off-kilter beat structure glazed in dreamy, cinematic melodies that recall the winter days. On the flip, the main man's two originals flow smoothly between one another; first with the gentle tones of the broken "Misfit", and then with the glitchy, sub-heavy rhythm of "Stuck". Badman vibes.

Review: The latest missive on Joe Nice's North Carolina-based Gourmet Beats stable brings together label regular (and frequent collaborator) Saule and fellow Subaltern Records artist Prism. On the A-side you'll find the EP's joint sole production, "Grow Stronger" - a punishing affair that flits between passages of gentle, soul-fired beauty and floor-focused sections where punchy drums and fuzzy, razor-sharp sub-bass dominate. On the flip, both producers go solo. First, Prism serves up a mangled but attractive deep dubstep roller built around distorted drum hits and creepy bells, before Saule goes even deeper via the ricocheting percussion hits, rumbling bass and horizontal, near ambient electronics of "Backwards".

Review: Sub.FM resident and Subaltern Records co-founder Gabriel "Mentha" Romeo has always championed music that sits on the more melodious, sun-kissed end of the dubstep spectrum. Even so, he's previously released little as beautiful, summery and alluring as Chromatic Narrations, a mini-album rich in ear-pleasing instrumentation, tuneful compositions and expansive musicality. While the accompanying rhythms bubble, spit and skank in all the right places, it's Romeo's lilting trumpet solos, rich keys, Balearic guitars and fuzzy trombone passages that seemingly surge from the speakers. The result is a wonderfully relaxed and ear-pleasing collection of cuts set to soundtrack the last throes of the UK's hottest summer in decades.