今週

Review: Biome's at the top of his game with this new EP on Deep, Dark & Dangerous, which is the label's first of the year. It's a masterclass in dark dubstep wizardry that is expertly put together across four compelling tunes. Opener 'The Joker' is a haunting tune with a whispered vocal and cavernous grooves. The icy hits are to die for and the low end wobble is irresistible. 'Boxed' then gets heavy with more crashing hits and fizzing, dystopian synths. There is plenty of weight in 'Monster' and its poised drums and big drops and last of all 'Never Listen' is a fine example of tension and release that keeps you locked.

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: ZamZam 82 is a first ever collaboration with another label and it is the nighty Dubquake Records from Geneva who get involved on this special cut. The story goes that 'She Solid' was born when Dubquake's Rico and Steph played Nazamba the Von D instrumental while driving in the Alps. He was immediately struck with inspiration and began writing in the car. It's a tight, bubbling tune with clean, modern bass and shiny synths as well as tumbling toms and oodles of reverb. The dub is taken in more weird and tripped out dictions thanks to some mad nob twiddling.

Review: Sheffield-based Dom Tarasek aka Commodo has been making tracks for nearly 12 years now and returns to Mala's Deep Medi Musik with the Procession EP. The three tracks on offer are loosely based on a H.P. Lovecraft inspired story "where an investigator shows up at an unfrequented hotel and discovers a supernatural cult." After the trippy wall of sound polyrhythms on the introspective 'Lobby Music,' more Cthulhu Mythos vibes await on the deep dubstep journey 'Eldritch' before going further down the spiral with the arcane and dusty downbeat epic 'Procession'.

Review: Italian vocalist Marina P is the guest on this new 12", and she brings something different than anyone who knows her work might expect. On the brand new single from the forthcoming Radikal Guru album 'Beyond The Borders', she offers a soulful and human counterpart to the shiny metallic drums and urban dubstep bass all around her. She muses on the struggles communities face in the modern day and the mediative beats only serve to heighten the message. The original is backed by two roots style exclusive remixes by the Guru himself.

Review: In the press blurb accompanying their latest EP, Subchaser, Truth's Andre Fernandez and Tristan Roake describe their return to Deep Medi Musik as "coming home". Certainly, it was Mala's label that helped them establish their reputation and the Digital Mystikz man has a knack of signing their best material. There's certainly plenty to get the bloody pumping across the EP, from the warped, machine-gun style wobble bass pattern, hot-stepping beats and clandestine electronic sounds of the title track, to the mellow chords, undulating high-range electronic melodies, rumbling bass and hot-stepping beats of 'Shadow Samurai'. Also worth a listen is 'Tui', a wonderfully evocative, textured, musically layered and atmospheric collaboration with legendary New Zealand producer Tiki Taane.

Review: This new EP by Quasar is a deeply emotional release. It's about the evolution of the French producer's state of mind in recent years, taking in his mistakes, success and love. All in all it's an evolution heard across all tracks, and he hopes to make you feel the same as he did while composing them. Beginning with the meditative piano timbres of the title track, followed by the deep and dusty dubstep of 'Inutile' on side A. Over on the flip, we have the knackered, off-kilter and arcane vibe of 'Ambivalent' followed by the tripped-out low end theories of 'External Single Processor'. Following up equally impressive releases for the likes of Artikal Music and oundation Audio, bear witness to yet more masterful minimal bass by Remy Gallet.

Review: Since launching in 2014, Portland's ZamZam Sounds imprint has offered up a string of beautifully packaged seven-inch singles from a mixture of big hitters and rising stars from the global bass music scene. Their latest missive comes from Dayzero, a Japanese dubstep producer best known for his outings on Wheel & Deal, Sentry and, most recently, Vomitspit. The two tracks here are weighty, intergalactic and otherworldly, mixing dub style rhythms with the kind of angular, razor-sharp sub-bass motifs more often associated with dancefloor dubstep. Both cuts are quality, though it's rolling A-side "Orbit Dub" - all lolloping dub beats, wobble bass, metallic effects and paranoid aural textures - that really stands out.

Review: ZAMZAM goes bang bang once again as the dutty dubstep label hits release number 80. Cause keeps it utterly filthy on the a-side with 'Hiss,' a heavyweight nobler with a menacing bassline that's so fat it wiggles as it walks. Crashing hits and sci-fi synth motifs make this a most astral crawler. 'Palms' has whirring synths and a bassline curried oceans below. Freaky vocal sounds are haunting and dark and add tension to the track as it prowls along through an utter wasteland. Atmospheric stuff, to be sure.

Review: Infernal Sounds return with family member Chad Dubz (Foundation Audio) alongside debutant Somah - the latter previously of Deep Medi Musik, Scrub A Dub and Chord Marauders fame. The Business EP features the wonky wall of sound of the title track and its proper progressions in grime, followed by the sinister street level futurism of 'Naraka' going down a dark dubstep route. On the flip, the dread infused mediative dub on "Amplified" is an EP highlight, followed by the equally minimal and contemplative halftime journey "Unresolved".

Review: Sleeper man Alex Fox debuted the GRAMZ alias earlier in the year via a two-track 12" on Sentry Records built around paranoid sonic textures, serious bass-weight and rolling 140 BPM beats. For this 10" outing on Crucial, Fox has taken a deeper approach, ratcheting up the smoky atmosphere while retaining sizeable low-end pressure. "Joken" and flipside "Get Them Bags" are hazy, ultra-deep dubstep workouts, with both doffing a cap towards hip-hop and grime (check out the manipulated MC vocal samples on the latter, in particular), as well as the crackling sonic textures of Burial. "Joken" rolls along nicely while remaining pleasingly subdued, while "Get Them Bags" has a little more sonic strut. Both, though, are excellent.

Review: London's Encrypted Audio are back with a new release by Stockholm's Kloudmen, who started sending music to the label back in 2015 - that chief Content described as 'next level'. Getting rinsed by major scene players such as Caspa and Hatcha played a large part in this EP's early potential. By now ENV 0121 would mark their seventh release for the label, where the duo collaborated with Kevin Clark aka REZ, a producer out of St. Louis, Missouri. Featuring the brooding atmosphere of deep dubstep jams such as 'Problem' and the contorted, off-kilter beat action of 'Paracusia', while on the flip Clark goes solo on the darkly dystopian dub of 'Politics'.

Review: Jack Sparrow's Navy Cut returns with more smoking sounds as Manchester murker Maes makes his debut on the vinyl-only label. Following his cuts on the likes of Soil & Sound and Dub Communication, it's another adventure into the minimal unknown. 'Tallawah / Stand Up Strong' is total soundsystem dream. Just a big old flabby frequency doing a belly dance around soft-focus kicks, this truly comes to life when played on a big rig (when we can finally play on them again) Elsewhere the brilliantly-titled 'Flippy Neck' takes us back to the wobbly late 2000s before 'Gods Gold' closes the show with more of a digi dub energy; skippy kicks, reverbed melodica blasts and bassline strong enough to make you quit the ciggies in a jiffy.

Review: Dubkasm's digi-dub roots dig deep into the early 90s. Boosted into the future by fellow Bristolians Pinch, Appleblim and Headhunter, here we find them declaring "Victory" with this instantly show-stopping horn-heavy skanker. Laced with space and complete with myriad versions, a fine balance of meditative bass and mind-blowing sonic creativity is at play throughout. Those with a penchant for the abyss-levels of dub science should jump straight on "Verse IV". Hear that stretched horn sound and you'll soon understand why it's been sub-titled "Raw Piece". Victory is yours!

Review: "Stableface", one of the standout tracks from Lithuanian producer Eleven Tigers' debut album "Clouds Are Mountains" found itself pride of place on this 12" release from Soul Motive. Opening with an extended intro of cracked Burial-like atmospherics, the track soon gains a life of its own with its minimal 2-step beat and cracked vocal samples, complete with the kind of intricate melodicism of Four Tet. On the flip side Bristol's Peverelist turns in a fine reworking of the track. Taking the already sparse original and extending its panoramic reach even further, he concentrates on the micro qualities of the rhythms, opens up huge holes in the original's deft tapestry and creates a masterful reworking which brings out the dubstep within its DNA.

Review: Climate of Fear follows up Soft Boi's debut LP with a mammoth drop: 12 tapes ripped straight from the first two years of Berlin parties. Released one per month, the series moves from Izabel's shivering chug through Nkisi's deadly anarcho-gabber psychedelia, Polar Inertia's sleek techno throb and DJ Python & Mad Miran's impromptu closing b2b. For the fourth installment in its twelve month tape series, Climate of Fear brings out a scorcher from the one & only Bruce. Recorded in the fall of 2019, the set shows the UK artist in unflinching form, weaving strains of UK club music with the effortless grace and power that has made him a household name. No genre is safe in Bruce's hands. Plug in your sub.

Review: For the latest volume in FatKidOnFire's vinyl series, boss man Will Benton has handed over the reins to Foundation Audio founder Chad Smit AKA Chad Dubz, a producer who can usually be relied on the deliver the sub-heavy goods. He begins by joining forces with Biome on '455', a laidback but weighty slab of punishing dubstep creepiness, before uniting with Eddy Seven on a fine fusion of bassline style warped bass and crunchy post-dubstep beats ('Strictly'). He goes solo on 'Nilaari', an aggressive and angry slab of dancefloor dubstep peppered with 8-bit electronics, before DJ Madd delivers a sparse, stripped-back and insanely sub-heavy re-wire of '455'.

Review: The inaugural release for new Belgian label Basskruit comes from Sweepa of Version Collective, featuring the producer Tosti (Foundation Audio). The ?Kopstoot EP features some deeply reflective and hypnotic expressions in deep dubstep as best heard on the title track, which is chased up by an immersively rhythmic remix by label co-head Hebbe (Overdue/Next Level Dubstep). In addition, we have the groovy and bass driven party vibe of 'Ketel' over on the flip, which also gets treated to yet more worthy renditions. The mesmerising polyrhythms of TMSV's perspective were bang on, while Redquake's low end pulsations add more to an altogether dense, wall of sound presentation - killer!

Review: Dub maestro Mala joins forces with prominent British writer, dub poet and Rastafarian Benjamin Zephaniah and Natty for this heavy hitting, hand-stamped 12". "I'm a bad man anyway, this is my sound" says Zephaniah with real passion as spaced out pads and delicate chords soften his battle cry, and his musings on the black man's struggle, righteousness and Rastafarianism play out in absorbing fashion. Best believe this one is going to become a real cult favourite, not least because of the exceptional sound design and sense of space inherent in any Mala tune.

Review: The original enfant terrible of the bass music world marks his second long player for 4AD with a sprawling opus of more than 30 skits and skirmishes daubed in his trademark colourful sonic scrawl. There is plenty here that reminds you of the early days of the producer's emergence when dubstep was a younger beast, from the spacious "Horrid" to the measured arpeggios of "Pray For Me", but you'll also find more intricate musings such as the dynamic and dramatic "Memories". Hype abounds on the creepy Funky of "VI-XI", while "Overdose" launches enthusiastically into a jungle tear out. At any given turn, you'll find yourself surprised, lurched from a serene mood into a manic one, only to be tempered again. There's a staggering range of ideas and styles to comprehend here, but would you want it any other way from one of electronic music's most outspoken upstarts?

Review: At long last, Von D makes his Deep Medi debut and he's packing some serious Egyptian-Greek wisdom for the ride. We kick off with "Chestlick", a tune that lives up to its name with thick sludgy waves of low-end dynamics oozing out of the speakers. It's followed by the EP title track "Hermetica". Featuring the vocals of Sinerise, there's a deeper sense of contemplation as the wonky loose beats swagger with dubby hypnosis and all manner of trippy layers. Finally Von D signs out with "Symbolism". Tapping into the traditional dub style with consummate ease, it's the sound of Von D delivering an EP we've been eager to see for a long, long time. Salute.

Review: Talk is cheap but these sounds are rich. A big moment from Ishan Sound as he lays down the smokiest of steppers beneath Dread MC and Rider Shafique. A true graveyard creeper loaded with enough feels to get the undead raising their lighters, it's one of the biggest 140 moments this side of lockdown. The vibes continue with a crisp instrumental and the sharper instrumental bumper "Red". Power sounds. Less talk, more listening.

Review: It seems fitting that the hundredth and final volume in the "FabricLive" mix series should also be its most hotly anticipated. Coming from heavyweight heroes Kode9 and Burial - whose previous back-to-back mix for Mary-Anne Hobbs' show eight years ago has reached near mythical status. The album is a wonderfully full-throttle and mixed-up affair, with the shadowy bass lieutenants giddily flitting between quick-fire sections focusing on South African gqom, footwork, Juke, vintage hardcore, early jungle and more contemporary dancefloor experimentalism, each broken up by typically blazed and paranoid ambient interludes and the occasional surprise selection. There's a lot going on throughout, but that only adds to the fun. In other words, it's a triumphant finale to a landmark mix series.

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: 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: 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: Since 2015, deep dubstep explorer Corin Bornoff AKA Karma has put out one EP a year. This year's was delayed, it seems, but it has finally appeared - just as 2018 is wheezing its' last, scarlet-faced breath. Opener "Bluefoot" was arguably worth the wait, though. Built around a skewed but still stepping, reggae-fired dubstep "ridim", the track shuffles along on a wave of hushed shakers, ultra-deep sub-bass and intergalactic dub-wise effects. Over on the flipside, "Choose Life" is surprisingly positive, with Bornoff wrapping ear-catching synthesizer melodies, alien electronics and UK steppas style bass around a punchy drum track.

Review: William Bevan has now been operating long enough under the Burial alias to be awarded a celebratory "best of" compilation by Hyperdub, the imprint he's been releasing on since 2005. This is no ordinary retrospective, though. It deliberately ignores the celebrated early portion of his career, with the artist choosing to focus not only on tracks made and released in the last eight years, but also those tucked away on B-sides and the darker corners of his EPs. It offers a fine snapshot of the subtle evolution of his sound, quietly creeping between the hushed field recordings and glacial synthesizer lines of "Nightmarket", the intensely up-beat breakbeat madness of "Rival Dealer", the haunting, near 14-minute melancholy of "Rough Sleeper" and the future garage rush of recent single "Claustro".

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: ***B-STOCK: Outer sleeve torn and corner creased, but product in perfect working order***


It's easy to see why Loefah snapped up this single for Swamp 81. For starters, bass-heavy beat-maker Sumgii has already contributed a number of killer missives to the label's digital catalogue, and "Wanawake" contains one of his fattest beats to date - a sparse, warped, sub-heavy affair that sits somewhere between regular hip-hop and 21st century grime. Then there's the fine bi-lingual English/Swahili rap that sits atop it from Nah Eeto, a rising star of Kenya's blossoming underground. Her style and delivery is distinctive and on-point, working in perfect harmony with Sumgii's killer backing track. Loefah naturally supplies the obligatory remix, placing Eeto's vocal atop a crunchy bed of hip-house style James Brown breaks and stirring synthesizer chords.

Review: White Peach bringing the juicy freshness once again... This time Bristol duo De Tu step up with three slabs of uncut mysticism. "Koshi" takes the lead with alluring pipes, a loose clanky beat and a vibe so introspective you'll feel you're turning inside out. "Sippin'" extolls the virtue of moderation over an iced grime hybrid, all tricky snare rolls and wild pitch vox. "Slap" brings us into submission with tightly plucked steel strings, a big belly bass tone and more loose limbed drum work. Joie de tu vivre.

Review: More frequently spotted on one of his other labels - Naan - White Peach impresario Zha celebrates the label's 50th release his first solo EP on the label since 'Southampton Lengman' way back in 2015. Taking off where wonky, left-sided instrumentals like 'Floating' and 'The Tale Of She' left us, once again we're taking to pastures previously unexplored... 'Snails' is all detuned twangs and curmudgeonly bass burps while 'Daisy' is pure hip-hop in its dusty jazz tone and timbre. Meanwhile on the B, 'Shattered' captures the repetitiveness and discipline of a kata while 'Tunnels' digs us deep, deep, deep underground with one of the gruntiest basslines Zha's cooked up so far. Juicy.