New releases last four weeks: Dubstep

Review: Cologne-based Belfast boy Dominick Martin has been delivering deliciously good albums as Calibre for the best part of a quarter of a century, frequently departing from his trademark drum & bass sound to showcase his love of other sub-heavy and mind-bending sounds such as dub techno, ambient and dubstep. On Little Foot, his first album in two years and 22nd in total, he leans into this considered eclecticism. For proof, compare and contrast the tactile and dreamy 4/4 dub of 'Blame Dub', the dub-wise junglist bruk-up of 'Special', the mutant two-step delight of 'Ukrained', the angularm, sub-heavy UK techno of 'Threadvare' and the Mark Ernestus style spaced-out dub techno of 'Choosing Beggar'. And that's just CD1. A genuine triumphant from one of bass culture's most distinctive musical voices.

Review: This has been described as Shelflife for Calibre's 120-140 material. If you know the means, methods and magic of Dominic Martin, you'll already have this in your basket. But in case you need a little extra info or new to the abyssal vaults of Calibre, the Shelflife series is a regular collection of projects and unreleased material he's made over the years. While best known for his d&b, his house, techno and dub material is just as prolific, deep and mesmerising. As is the case here as we range from steppy, curmudgeonly techno ('Front Loader') to funky electro style breaks ('The Saki') to bumping shufflesome house ('Ukrained') to vast spacious dub ('Come With Me') Complete with many other deep and reflective shades between, this is yet another fantastic body of work from one of electronic music's most unique and revered artists.

Review: Albion Collective's new dance-focused sublabel, Gold, launches with a fierce three-track EP from debut artist Adel Force. Though new as Adel Force, the Estonian producer is no stranger to the scene, having spent 15 years crafting essential cuts as Bisweed. The 'Twirl' EP is a smart evolution in which he impresses by delivering experimental yet dancefloor-ready dubstep. The opening track, 'Is This What You Want,' perfectly captures Gold's mission to ignite crowds with bold rhythms and killer bass, and that only continues through the rest of the Ep, which comes with unique gold-embossed artwork to reflect Albion Collective's DIY ethos and commitment to originality.

Review: Fast Castle opens up its 2025 with a five-tracker from Gent1e $oul that expands his bass-heavy sound into new club terrain. From the swampy overdriven bass of opener '4TC Boom' to the jersey-infused 'Paladin', which is a fine collab with Rolex3k, each track hits with intent. '+390' brings grimy M1 flutes to UK techno rhythms, while 'Steppe Lancer' channels dark, twisted energy for late-night floors. Closer 'Parthian Tactics' dives into introspective dubstep that is heavy yet hypnotic. With rich Bronze Age-inspired artwork by Jonas, Stable Units is both a superb sonic weapon and furtherment of deep dubstep.

Review: Following 'Happy Lovers' just over six months ago, Leo Gibbon returns with another inspiring collection. While the last EP flung its arms wide open to embrace the worlds of house, garage and soulful categories in between, this time we find him zoning in on the 140 grime vibe as he links with Trim for two exceptional messages. 'Orbit Step' is a woozy spacious stepper that gives plenty of space for Trim to flow out some ridiculously smart 16s. 'Danny & Darren' carries much more of a harder edge as Trim gets guttural and unleashes his inner yardman wisdom. Complete with instrumentals and acapellas, Leo and Trim have delivered something really special and super versatile right here.

Review: London dubstep producers Hijinx (Kyle Smith) and De-Tu (the trio of C-Side, Christopher Iona and Jevon Ives) team up in an enviably collaborative form, reserving five 12" grooves spread evenly and fairly over two originals each, not to mention these serving to top-cherry one more collaborative number, '3310', which leads the charge on this White Peach juicer. The mood on the record is dynamic and midrange scoopy as ever, with a no-more-no-less production approach squeezing just the right sense of scape from the mix, never saturating its sounds in wetness.

Review: Boy Better Know founder, vegan grime MC and one third of the Adenuga family legacy alongside Skepta and radio presenter Julie, JME has always floated above grime and bass music airspaces as an incontestable voice. Integrity first arrived through BBK as a fully self-produced banger set in 2015, corralling heavyweight collaborators Wiley, Giggs, Skepta, and D Double E to hammer home a certain message: simply put: don't mess. Wavering between dreamy and tearout instrumentals almost always orbiting 140bpm, and circulated between then "in" producers Joker, Deeco, and of course the inimitable Swifta, JME's subject matter always matches the vibe, be that as it may, boxing the opposition with car key fobs, or treating producers like prostitutes, giving them P for a beat. A certain nostalgia will wash over 10s grime listeners, as this limited edition clear vinyl reissue reinvokes the mouthy verbiage of one of grime's toppest guns.

Review: The debut full-length from Bangladeshi-Canadian producer Raf Reza fuses UK soundsystem culture with his own deep-rooted Bangladeshi influences. Raised in Tokyo and musically shaped in Toronto and Glasgow, Reza blends dub, bleep, breaks and jungle with Baul music samples and vintage Bengali film soundtracks here and it results in a brilliantly original style. The album explores sonic futurism and asks how diasporic and Dhaka-based electronic cultures can intersect. With a unique mix of field recordings, semi-obscured monologues and dubwise textures, Reza's identity-driven narrative comes to life and cements him as a bold, genre-bending voice in cultural fusion and sound.

Review: Akte is the Cologne-based event series rooted in timeless ambient, minimal and techno sounds and here it launches its own record label with a debut 12" EP by founder Philipp Stoffel. Featuring four original tracks and a signature remix by dub-techno icon VRIL, these sounds are less about cooking up direct dancefloor tools, more about immersive storytelling. The EP channels dub textures and deep sound design that compresses the emotional depth of an LP into a tight, cohesive selection. With mastering by the legendary Stefan Betke aka Pole, it's a top draw package with vision and substance aplenty.

Review: Mindful missives of the most intriguing order; Spanish collective CEE continue to curate their multi-genre Primary Forest series with the widest remit imaginable. From the pulsating, pensive 140 licks of Pugilist & Forest Drive West's brooding opener 'Polygon' to the more rampant, frazzled slaps of Cocktail Party Effect's dubby, steppy stomper 'Sandpaper Chatter', we're wrapped up tightly in unusual ideas and refreshing arrangements. Elsewhere Flore goes full tribalistic on 'Come Up' while Om Unit & Delay Grounds press the electroid button and hit all the right pleasure sensors. And that's not even the whole EP. It's time to get lost in a whole new forest. See you there?