DUBSTEPREVIEWS
MRK1 feat Trigga & Flowdan
Stand & Deliver Profound Audio 6.5
Great to hear that the wobble and mid-range has been reduced to a bearable level on this half- stepper, but you’ll be glad to hear it retains its edge, even adding a little rockier motif towards the end. Trigga and Flowdan ride it with the usual energy and lyrical hard man flex. N-Type’s remix features added bars from Rikodan, bringing increased yardage to the agitated riddims.
Spare
Slacking EP Well Rounded Individuals 7.0
FeroX
Gargoyles EP Black Acre
9.0
October would have been a more suitable time of year to release such a horror- inflected single from FeroX, not the lovebirds month of February. But, I suppose it’s just as scary going to a speed-dating event. Either way, this is the soundtrack to a rave Leatherface just walked into; blood, guts and limbs splattered across the walls, screams in the air, as the DJ continues to play ‘Gargoyles’ and ‘Critters’ on repeat. Terrifyingly good.
C.R.S.T. vs Chesus
Monster Munch EP Local Talk 8.5
A stonking four-track EP from the South Wales house mafia aka CRST via Stockholm’s Local Talk imprint, run by Raw Fusion’s Mad Mats and 24:HRS’ Tooli. ‘Monster Munch’ and ‘Newark’ are quality house garage hybrids, but ‘Life’ is the stand-out joint here, with soulful vocal snippets, soft, bouncy chords and snappy drums that thoroughly energise the hedonistic receptors, leaving the sampledelic ‘Special’ to take it back to the old school with a spot- on Philly disco bomb!
048
djmag.com Clay Wilson
BASH002 Styles Upon Styles 7.5
An intriguing concept ties the Bangers And Ash (aka BASH) series together. The A-side is reserved for heady experimentalism, whilst the B-side is all about banging it in da club. Clay offers four noodly numbers for the A, with ‘Reset’ and ‘Pfizing’ standing apart by fizzing through the speakers with atmospheric aplomb and percussive distortion. ‘End Game’ and ‘Toe The Line’ on the B take moody techno to hand, treating it to a vigorous shoe shine for the tougher club vibes.
Glenn Astro
The Power WotNot 8.0
The eighth release from this burgeoning London label, which has seen the likes of Deft, JJ Mumbles, Charo and K-15 release forward-thinking electronic dance music, now welcomes Germany’s Glenn Astro, a hip-hop and house aficionado who paints a wonderfully shuffling serenity via ‘90s house music pastiche across his four original tracks. The Medlar remix is nice enough, but Deft tears the ass off his ‘Stutter Shades’ remix. Holy moly.
A melting pot of rave bones and other dance music genre ephemera from this new Nottingham-based artist for his debut on Well Rounded. Check the short but brooding grime buzz on ‘Slacking’. Again, a proto-grime influence can be felt on ‘This Weekend’, but with a dancier edge. ‘Makin Em Seen’ channels a fervent post-dubstep charge, whilst ‘Spare Room Offence’ bites a big ole ravetastic chunk, spitting out a wonky version, with ‘Kankle’ distorting an 8-bit and grime bass workout to round things off.
Synkro
Acceptance Apollo 8.5
This clever fellow from Manchester has distilled all the energy, culture and character of dance music into a cerebral listening experience by refining the disposable elements of club music out, and keeping the key tropes that transcend in. Synkro opens up a post-club world of lush, delicate melodies, twinkling guitars, and ethereal electronic soundscapes that brings the classic material of Kruder & Dorfmeister, Nightmares On Wax and LTJ Bukem bang up-to-date.
Various
Dovercourt EP 3024 7.5
With limited info on the idea behind this four-track EP with tracks from Nautiluss, Kevin McPhee, Gingy and Bruce Trail, the one binding theme is that of a Canadian passport, it seems. And of course, of four slices of techno- slanted house music. The most effective coming from Gingy with his aptly-titled ‘Swirlie’, a tough, wickedly whirling beast dizzy with echo and reverb, although the mysterious Bruce Trail sneaks
Trapped Somethinksounds 7.5
A colossal hybrid of Blawan and Untold, but with a little more soul, and plenty of dancing triggers.
Borai Moonlight On The
Malago Tasteful Nudes 7.5
A clammy fist of progressive housers laced with sex appeal and dollops of rolling funk. Very danceable.
MARKLE 58a Tetherdown, London, N10 1NG QUICKIES
Artifact The Way It Do/We
Mr Benn feat Serocee
Rising Star Nice Up! 6.5
Big party time reggae x dubstep riddims as usual from the Nice Up camp. Check JStar’s remix, tastefully done.
Yot 4
The Cure feat Soom T Raha & Tunteet 6.5
Bleepy wonk-step with shades of Harmonic 33 and Zomby about it, with a decent vocal from Mungo’s Hi-Fi collaborator Soom T.
GEIOMBERKANE SOL
01. LAST JAPAN‘Storm Trooper’ Signal Life “Cleverly refined drum activity and moody atmospheres combine to make this
subtle dancefloor classic.”
02. TYPESUN‘The PL (Behling & Simpson Remix)’ Root Elevation “A lush vocal track from the fantastic Typesun album, remixed inna UK kwaito
style by the inimitable B+S.”
03. DIRTY THREE ‘Toward The Low Sun’ Bella Union “An outstanding new album from three Australian guys who attack their drums,
guitar and electric violin with deadly precision and a lot of soul.”
04. DJRUM‘Mountains Pt 1 (Pedestrian Remix)’ 2nd Drop “An irresistible blend of slow-attack bass and classic house swing.”
05. PATSCAN‘Swoosh (Spandex Remix)’Digital Distortions “Spandex on a broken electro flex, glitchy beat delights propped up with punish-
ing bass, sick.”
06. MR MITCH‘Mind Machine EP’ Slit Jockey “Tuff-but-sleek grime riddims from Mr Mitch. My favourite tracks on here are
‘Dance Tonight’ and ‘Bills’.”
07. SERGIC & LYKA ‘Hacker (Hizatron Remix)’Mimm Recordings “An intense acid workout from two talented new Notts producers, fed thru the
mind of the Hizatron.”
08. NAZAKET TEYMUROVA ‘Mugham’ Felmay “This lady from Azerbaijan has one of the most amazing voices I’ve ever heard. A
demanding-but-incredibly rewarding album.” 09. GEIOM FEAT TERRIBLE SHOCK ‘246 (Desto Remix)’Well
Rounded “My old party classic turned into dark crunk by the expert fingers of Mr Desto.”
10. GEIOM‘Glesprin’ Frijsfo Beats “Tuff, moody and chunky, this EP has it all (!)”
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