East Man returns to HI TEK SOUNDS with something a little different… A foray into stompy mechanical Techno, as well as his own hybrid amalgamation of Grime and Techno, 8 Bar Techno, which he has honed over the last few years.
The titular track, Underground Software, opens with a burst of static noise before launching into a stomping kick drum and stab combo, gradually adding hi hats and snares as the track progresses, building into a funky mechanical groove.
The second track is something of a signature tune for East Man, bringing Techno and Grime together to create the hybrid genre of 8 Bar Techno. It fires out the gate from the off, doing exactly what the title implies. This is one for the Grime dances and the Techno raves.
The last track is Primary Source. A slower beat with a plodding thud that folds into a squelchy Techno groove. Full of funk and flavour this EP covers a wide range while maintaining a coherence that few others manage to pull off.
HTS005 bring East Man & Walton back together for another collaborative single. The A side, ‘Screw Face’, is a hard as nails square wave 8 bar banger with a big bad bass line that makes you want to screw up your face and jump around the dance floor.
The B side is a hard stepper that plods along at a seemingly glacial pace. ‘Don’t Speak’ brings a mix of off kilter percussion and chest rattling sub bass that when combined bring a deep meditative quality to the track. This is one for the head nodders in the dark corners of the dance.
The next release on Hi Tek Sounds sees the inimitable JEB1 bring his distinctive sound to the label.
The A side, ‘Guyana’, is a mournful, melancholy affair full of lush melodies and choral arrangements, accentuated only by a pared down percussive rhythm track and growling bass line. The title connects the contemporary sound of inner city London back to JEB1’s ancestral heritage.
East Man steps up for the remix on the B side, stripping the track back even further, reducing it to a bouncing tin pan percussion and driving rhythms, and alternating between a warm low sub bass and a gritty growling bass lead to cut straight to the dance floor.
After the recent collaboration with Walton for the last release, this release sees the return of the ‘Stop Flapping Your Gums’ instrumentals, with the second volume in the series.
The A side, ‘Jaws’, is a sharp and steely hard stepper with a deep brooding bass line that evokes an ominous feeling. The skeletal framework of drums prop up the sub bass, lurching inexorably forward towards an unknown terror. Produced around the same time as the album on Planet Mu you will have heard it in East Man sets on Balamii, Just Jam or Rinse FM, usually accompanied by Killa P on the mic, laying his patois infused lyrics over the top of this dread riddim.
The B side is another track that those of you familiar with East Man sets will definitely know. ‘Border Clash’ is an up tempo onslaught of distorted kick drums and sub bass coupled with clattering, wood-block percussive stabs that lend an almost primal urgency to the beat. This one is ready to mash up any dance floor… Just turn the lights out and the subs up!
Hi Tek Sounds is the new label from East Man (AKA Basic Rhythm) set up after his debut album for Planet Mu ‘Red, White & Zero’.
The second release on Hi Tek Sounds is a collaborative effort from East Man & Walton.
The A side, Horse Mouth, is a dread affair. Bursting into life with a staccato drum pattern and an ominous synth drone that slowly builds up before breaking down into a calm before the storm that utilises the now infamous vocal sample of Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace, before dropping back in with militant staccato drums and a deep booming sub stab. This one guarantees damage on the dance floor!
The B side, Gunshot, starts with soft, summery chimes and a minimal kick drum and clap pattern, peppered with vocal samples taken from an old recording of a pirate radio show, before dropping into a spacious but heavyweight drum pattern and deep rolling sub bass. Definitely one for the heads!
Hi Tek Sounds is the new label from East Man (AKA Basic Rhythm) set up after his debut album for Planet Mu ‘Red, White & Zero’.
The first release on Hi Tek Sounds is the first in a series of instrumental EP’s from East Man, entitled Stop Flapping Your Gums, with the aim of exploring the deeper, instrumental side of the Hi Tek sound.
The first two tracks on the EP, ‘Twilight’ and ‘Future Tek’, are sharp and steely, with angular rhythms. A skeletal frame work of kick drums, hard snares, sub bass stabs and brief synth splashes. Produced around the same time as the album on Planet Mu you may have heard them in East Man sets on Rinse FM or NTS, or his mixes for Resident Advisor and RedBull Radio.
The B side opens with ‘Nose Bleed’, an up tempo onslaught of distorted kick drums and sub bass with metallic stabs and an emotive synth line. The closing track ‘Mash Head’ is a slower, more dub driven affair. Taking things down a notch for the head nodders.
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