Back catalogue: Dubstep

Review: This is a four-track sampler taken from parts one and two of the One Hundred and Fifty Steps VEP series which is all about exploring the rise of 150 bpm dubstep, a sound that characterised by fast basslines, broken rhythms and heavy halftime pulses. From VEP pt. 1, L.A.'s Carre delivers pacey wobblers and then Berlin's Formella debuts with playful breaks and more wobbly bass on 'Dripstep'. VEP pt. 2 features Leipzig's Old Man Crane with their intricate, syncopated style shinning through on 'Grey' and Valencia's Andrae Durden then shows class with a Kryptic Minds-inspired low-end powerhouse.

Review: Dubstep and garage pushers Hotflush make a surefooted return, welcoming Perth producer Odd Occasion to their roster with an al dente next-gen garage cookoff. This 'Jukebox' offers six choices to the discerning listener, though you'd be hard-pressed to find a pub owner who'll take them on in toto - unless the landlords happen to be real heads, that is! All's well that this is a machine with niche appeal, with its formal calculations and dark contusions tempting fans of all things bass-led. Though the record begins on a volatile yet minimal note, the A3 'Simple' takes a glassy dubstep turn, virtifying the mix with hollow sound design and a stealthy grime vocal sample. The B-side betrays a sacrifice of genre focus, with 'Salt' bringing brutal trade zone techno via experimental trap sound design, and 'Tape' progressing through tender zithers, which help uptick the mix to reach a snappy folktronic finish.

Review: After deciding to sidestep off-kilter bass music bangers in favour of exploring the more experimental side of his musical personality, Jim Coles AKA Om Unit has seen his career get a deserved bump. At the heart of this transformation has been the superb Acid Dub Studies series of albums, which here reaches its third and final instalment. Like its predecessors, Acid Dub Studies III offers an enticing mix of weighty digi-dub 'riddims', deeply psychedelic TB-303 trickery, boisterous dub-leaning bass music grooves, trippy effects aplenty and some of the most immersive sound design around. Yet while there are some genuinely weighty and forthright dancefloor moments - see the rugged 'The Chase', bouncy 'Hungry World' and steppas-powered 'Usurper' - Coles also finds space for warmer and more loved-up excursions, with the gorgeous 'Lost & Found' standing out.