Review: Peddling heavy, sweet subs that ooze out of the scoops like syrup, Portuguese low end maestro 3WA makes his debut on Infernal Sounds with four utterly stinking brouhahas. 'Scavenger' starts the commotion on a deep but stern note and things get more and more twisted throughout the EP... 'Minotaur' grunts and growls with a over-sized toxic bassline while 'Mutt's flips from cosmic and percussive to straight-up deranged. Last but not least 'Wandering' finishes the EP on a last lingering groan. Refreshingly woozy.
Review: Beau operates at the sharp end of the UK electronic underground and creates an immersive, dark ambient sound that is influenced by trailblazers like Burial. His soundscapes combine ethereal textures with moody rhythms and that is very much the case here on Lacuna, his new album for Feat PLAtes. It is full of roomy sounds, icy glass synths, smeared pads, late-night moods and evocative atmospheres that draw you in ever deeper, sometimes looking over your shoulder, always lost in deep thought. A real lost tape from the short-lived night bus genre, you could say.
Review: DDD makes a landmark signing here with the legendary dubstep artist Caspa who is undeniably one of the genre's most influential figures from right back in the early days. CASPA's Inner Space EP finds the main man back in top form with his signature sound of ice-cold beats, deep, pulsating basslines, and forward-thinking sound design all making a massive impact. The four-track project makes for an immersive journey through 140 BPM and manages to blend introspection with hard-hitting energy. It is impactful yet refined music that solidifies his legacy while pushing the boundaries of dubstep into new and freshly futuristic territories.
Review: The latest EP by EVA808 is a bold departure from their emotionally intense past work. This new project, released on Exit Records, channels an eccentric, energetic vibe designed specifically for the club scene. The opening track, 'Let's Be Havin U,' defies easy categorisation, blending a unique tempo that feels both slow and fast. It caught the attention of Exit's Darren aka dBridge, who eagerly signed it, much to the artist's surprise and delight. Inspired by observations of club-goers too out of it to enjoy the music, the artist aimed to create tracks that make a statement on dancefloor culture. Tracks on this EP were road-tested in Reykjavik and Bristol, where their dynamic impact became cleariespecially during a memorable performance at Thekla, where the intensity of the music literally made the ceiling leak. The EP's sound is crafted using a mix of hardware, outboard gear, and creative sampling techniques, and from resampled teeth biting to gum chewing, the artist brings a tactile, unconventional approach to percussion and textures. Recommended.
Review: Dubstep longtimer Rednote presents his very first LP, also marking a first for the New Zealand label Iron Shirt. The story goes that only after a fecund period touring the Leeds underground scene, followed by a period of respite clawed out during lockdown, did Rednote catch the breath in which to hone his craft in LP form. With a title like Sanctum, we catch glimpses of the producer in a sanctified enclave, away from the deathly intrusions and bustles of the relatively Babylonian scene, all too easily seen to be a haven for musical responsibility shirking. There's something ever so ineffable or subtle about Rednote's sound, a sound that is mostly seen on display here. It persists in the drums and atmospheric tensions as a softened but no less hard-hitting mise-en-scene; the emphasis isn't on just bassweight or incitements to dance, but more on realising the otherwise unwrought possibility of crafting highly visual scenes - shady back-alleys, unscrupulous markets, nighttime wastes - out of the dubstep form.
Review: It's been a while since we last saw Sepia on Infernal Sounds but rolling deep with Rider Shafique, he fits right back into the groove with the sublime and title track 'Time Stands Still'. A fitting title for a dreamy vibe, it's backed up by a wide range of gems... 'Gatekeeper' is sludgy, gloom-coated creeper, 'Whispers' sees him teaming up with Ickle for an icy swagger while 'Trust' closes the EP on a gentle, woozy tip. Timeless.
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: We've always been hip to deep dubstep and Naan does it better than most. Their latest transmissions is from Zha who offers up an eclectic EP that seamlessly fuses Bollywood, dubstep, UK garage and breaks. The genre-defying journey begins with 'Quit Dreaming, Grow Up' which serves as a heartfelt ode to artists navigating the delicate balance between crafting their work and the fleeting nature of its consumption. Both a celebration and a reflection, the rest of the release captures the tension between creative passion and the relentless pace of modern music culture, so is impactful on many levels at once.
Review: Fent Plates keeps it utterly deep with this new selection, Slowed & Reverb Versions. It's the work of Aether and comes pressed on white marbled vinyl in mad limited numbers. The beats are seriously heady and kick off with heart aching vocal slurs stretched over a lazy rhythm. Elsewhere the likes of 'Should Have Known' is another codeine paced sub-aquatic crawl with heavy-hearted hits and linger, melancholic vocals drifting forlornly. 'Together We Will Live Forever' is a divine closer with delicate melodic droplets and more drowsy vocals sure to slow your pulse and chill you right out.
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: Kevin Richard Martin, known for pushing the boundaries of sound as THE BUG, unleashes his latest full-length, Machine. The album, released via Relapse, is his first solo instrumental work under the moniker, following a series of self-released EPs on PRESSURE. Each track is a sonic barrage, merging futuristic dub with crushing electronic elements, heavy bass riffs, and industrial weight that recalls his earlier work with Techno Animal and King Midas Sound. Machine takes the listener on a journey through dense, dystopian soundscapes, where each beat feels like a seismic event, making it perfect for oversized systems in sweat-drenched clubs. Tracks like 'Buried' and 'Bodied' epitomise this, with the former dropping tectonic bass lines over heavyweight beats, while the latter smoulders with industrial doom. Martin's signature "ice cold and dystopian" sound is at its zenith here, blending visceral sub-bass pressure with masterful production. It's a brutal yet nuanced record, one that demands to be felt as much as heard.
Review: Seven years have passed since Burial first stopped us dead in our tracks with this universally acclaimed second album.. Sounding so different, so removed and far away from anything else, it changed the game entirely - and created a whole school of imitators in its wake. Now repressed by Hyperdub, this is a rare opportunity to grab it on fresh wax. Even if you have this on other formats in your collection, the dusty weight and chasmic crackles sound so much better on vinyl.
Ready 4 War (feat Sharky Major, Armour & Stormin) (4:40)
Street Fighter (instrumental) (2:42)
Go (instrumental) (4:28)
Ho (instrumental) (4:06)
String Ho (instrumental) (2:44)
Ting Ting (instrumental) (2:06)
Wheel (instrumental) (3:51)
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: "Eclectic digital dub" are the words Digital Sting use to describe the latest from Feel Free Hi Fi. Given Feel Free Hi Fi also run the label, we can take the phrasing as gospel. A few minutes into 'Blood' and you'll be short of any evidence to suggest otherwise, too. Bringing together the timbres, aesthetics and tones that have defined their preceding short form and extended play output, this is a debut album which defines the idea of an amalgamation of sounds. Drawing on their own experimentations, but also a multitude of canons and sub genres, industrial meets weirdo dancehall, meets broken techno, meets spacey stepping beats, meets frog sounds, and then some more. Cinematic, au naturel, yet also born from machines as much as Mother Earth, if you're not hearing this come 10am at one free party this year we'll eat our steel-toed hemp shoes.
Review: One of the most interesting artists to have emerged from the Czech and Slovak based crossbreed movements that dominated the first decade of the century on the harder side of d&b, Forbidden Society has evolved and morphed with the times to a much deeper, emotionally-wrought but still hard-assed sound. This seventh studio album (released on Noisia's iconic Vision imprint) is the best version of his fusions so far. From the dark industrial strength dubstep swagger of 'Wish' to the sci-fi hurricane of cuts like 'Deception' and 'Reaching Zero', this is an incredible body of work from an impressive and unique craftsman.
Review: Ghetts presents a new album, On Purpose, With Purpose, which follows 2021's epic Conflict Of Interest and continues the ongoing artistic evolution of one of the UK's foremost rappers. Ghetts returns sounding sharper, more unflinchingly honest and boldly confident than ever before, expanding his sonic palette by reaching out beyond rap and incorporating wider genre elements such as soul ('Double Standards'), r&b ('Mine'), gospel ('Hallelujah'), Afrobeat and amapiano ('Gbedu', 'Blessings', 'Tumbi'). With every contemporary stylistic box ticked, Ghetts' purpose is made abundantly clear: to please.
Review: Inner Echo's latest venture dives into dub's atmospheric underbelly with an ear for intricate detail and deep emotional resonance. Basslines don't just anchor the compositions but ripple through them, creating a sense of movement and weight. Vocals surface like apparitions, haunting but never overpowering, while percussion glints at the edges, sharp yet restrained. The production leans into space and silence, allowing melodies to linger and decay in equal measure. There's a timeless quality here; it's dub imagined not just as a genre but as a state of mind, with every element fine-tuned to pull listeners into its reflective core.
Review: Since 2018, the Marble Elephant duo has been colliding drum & bass, deep dubstep and future garage into suns that are both physical but rife with emotion. Truth is a full length which goes deep into their style and shows how versatile they can be. There are atmospheric, immersive sound worlds like the title cut next to glitchy, skeletal garage workouts with sunny melodies like 'Believe', ambient jungle soothers like 'Serenity' and Burial-esque late night cuts like 'Discovery'
Review: Dutch DJ/producer Martyn has always been one of techno and bass music's most thoughtful and diverse operators, with a trademark production style that draws on many interconnected styles and now a Substack newsletter full of interesting essays about different aspects of the music culture he's been part of for decades. Through Lines, seemingly inspired by his ongoing desire to make sense of the musical shifts he's contributed to, is his first career retrospective - a fine collection of personal favourites and hand-picked club workouts featuring tracks recorded and released at different points between 2005 and 2015. It's a terrific collection filled with tracks that variously mix and match elements of dubstep, polyrhythmic techno, UK garage, Detroit techno, broken beat, 140, drum and bass and deep techno.
Pretentious Friends (feat Busdriver - Call by Pillowtalk)
Shipwreck (with Thom Yorke)
Evil Twin (vocals by Otto Von Schirach)
German Clap
Berlin (feat Miss Platnum)
Grillwalker
Green Light Go (with PVT - additional synth by Siriusmo)
Humanized (feat Anti Pop Consortium)
This (with Thom Yorke)
War Cry (guitar by Sascha Ring of Apparat)
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: Restricted to a devilishly numbered 666 copies worldwide, this vinyl edition of Modeselektor's inaugural volume in the Modeselektion series is the one final tease before the full finished product drops on CD next week. Presented on crystal clear vinyl, this double pack features eight exclusive excursions into electronic excellence from some of the world's finest proponents. The brushed minimalist Burialism's of Apparat's "King Of Clubs" sets a standard that is maintained throughout. Dabrye's Tad Mullinix & Daniel Meteo adopt a cavernous bass approach to stripped back head nodders on "The Good Star" which is complemented by the short but sweetly demented hip-hop of Siriusmo's "Das Geheimnis". Housemeister breaks loose from the confines of BNR with the kaleidoscopic "Kristalle" which drops a multiplicity of lucid synths over ever mutating electro throbs. Equally "The Assistant Manager" demonstrates Feadz's talent when removed from the day glow environs of Ed Banger. Further tracks from Mala, Ikonika and Cylob lend this release an inimitable aura of must haveness.
Review: The accompanying notes with this say "don't call it a comeback" for NOT_MDK (aka Martin Wood-Mitrovski), even though it is an album that finds him exploring an all-new style. It is a meeting of steady 70/140 bpm grime drums and beats with IDM synth details and evocative breaks that soundtrack an all new type of late night urban conurbation. It's menacing and fresh, perfect for both body and head and is a long way from the jungle this artist made in the late 90s, or the cid and breakbeats he made in the years after that. It's a brilliant reinvention.
Review: Om Unit's Acid Dub Studies album, an inspired fusion of outer-space ambient sounds, deeply psychedelic TB-303 tweakery and outer-space digi-dub riddims, was for our money one of the standout electronic albums of 2021. This surprise sequel more than lives up to the high bar set by its predecessor, with the Bristol-based producer subtly expanding the project's boundaries (see the borderline Balearic brilliance of 'Camo') while delivering more fusions of ambient techno, acid and digi-dub. Highlights are plentiful, with our picks including the slow-motion strut of 'Strange Brew', the intergalactic squelch of 'Pursuit', the warming loveliness of 'To The River' and the borderline tropical melodiousness of 'Liberation'.
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