Enter UVB-76 Music’s international arm, the Toronto connection Gremlinz & Jesta. Opening with funked fuelled jungle workout ‘Albatross’, percussive grooves and a synth line to cut cleanly through any dance floor. Backed with the frenzied bongolia of ‘RRLCO’, stabbed out scratches sitting of a bed of ricocheted apache breaks, set to inspire the most seasoned b- boy junglists. Fresh!
Following a succession of hard-hitting releases on the Droogs imprint, Holsten transitions to the UVB-76 Music imprint with a 4-track masterclass in 160 BPM junglism. Odlum EP sees Holston join one of the most elite classes in drum & bass demonstrating a first-class proficiency in rolling breakbeats, humming bass and piercing distorted pads. Dark arts aplenty, expertly cast.
The culmination of a working relationship that started in 2019, "Godless" is the first full-length release from Jonathan "Stave" Krohn (also known for his work as half of Talker on Downwards) and Thomas "Karim Maas" Cooper. After a joint live p.a. with labelmates in Bristol (suggested by UVB-76 label co-owner Nick Callaghan) a shared interest in both Birmingham-influenced techno, as well as forward-thinking bass and breaks music, led to further collaborations, with Krohn and Cooper pushing rhythm tracks and loops back and forth from their home studios based out of Chicago and Bristol respectively.
"Godless" finds Krohn and Cooper in fine form - it's a cinematic, richly detailed recording that represents some of their best material to date. After a tension-filled "Interlude", the LP kicks off with the brooding, slow-motion "Loop 002", melding scorched-earth/salted ground textures with blackened dub sonics to devastating effect. "D_A_T" follows, a throbbing industrial techno track with a mind-meltingly abrasive and psychedelic breakdown and conclusion. Side A finishes with "Blakk", a desolate, wind-swept landscape that cuts to the bone.
The second half picks up where the first half left off, with opener "track4" - all ominous atmospherics, howling feedback, and existential dread. "Project 1" and "Plan" are LP highlights here - both relentless rhythmic juggernauts that ratchet up the tension and never let up - all nervous energy and pulse-quickening suspense. The release concludes with the title track, a cacophonous and cauterising piece with evocative vocal samples and blasts of harsh noise.
Karim Maas leads a collaborative 3-track 12” alongside Outer Heaven and Charlene. ‘The Force’ with Outer Heaven true to name is a solid modern jungle stomper cutting and sliding between breaks, drum rolls and shuffles. Solo effort ‘Mosquito’ dials down the tempo to a distorted hardcore-esque noise and bass workout, crunched breaks and overdriven keys aplenty. ‘The People United Will Never Be Defeated’ alongside Charlene voyages over 9 minutes into the realms of experimental noise, a sonic finale to complete Karim Maas’ triptych descent into tempo- less domain. An EP that expresses Karim Maas’ range and versatility.
a1. Karim Maas & Outer Heaven - The Force
b1. Karim Maas - Mosquito
b2. Karim Maas - The People United Will Never Be Defeated ft Charlene
Clarity’s first solo release on UVB-76 Music arrives in the form of a highly polished, firm footed quartet. Four grounded, heavyweight churners that sit proudly at the core of relevant Drum & Bass: Torsion, Stateless and Taking Effect.Across the three original compositions Clarity commands the frequencies of the contemporary breakbeat form. Completing the circle is Clarity’s remix of label mate Overlook’s All of Them Witches, an interpretive reimaging of an already bona- fide modern classic; poise, precision and execution.
a1. Clarity - Torsion
a2. Clarity - Stateless
b1. Clarity - Taking Effect
b2. Overlook - All of Them Witches (Clarity Remix)
Next up on UVB76 is Bokeh. Delivering a variation of genres and styles over a 4 track EP. Including some experimental techno, heavy drum & bass & an ambient piece for good measure.
It's been three years since founding UVB-76 member, Pessimist put out a Drum & Bass release. The last time you could find a 170 track by Jabs was back in 2017 for his critically acclaimed self- titled debut album released on Blackest Ever Black. So we present in 2019, the Burundanga EP for UVB-76, which has been destroying dance floors across the planet.
The Burundanga EP consists of three Drum & Bass cuts. Think Ruffhouse meets tribal shamanism, gutter breaks with amazonian field recordings and thick atmosphere, you'll feel like you've been spiked by some ritualistic witch doctor. Also included within the four track EP is the long awaited Paian remix by Downwards Records and CUB affiliate, Simon Shreeve aka Mønic & Kryptic Minds, taken from Jabs's debut EP for The Buzzer. Trust us when we say this is not for the faint hearted, we're truly excited to have Pessimist back on the label with these four vintage, signature Pess, killer cuts.
Coventry’s second son of Drum & Bass returns to UVB-76 Music for his first release on the label since 2017’s ‘Pathos’ EP. Two years on, and four tracks strong, ‘The Last Men’EP delves into the darker caverns of modern jungle, tethering howling pad works to a sturdy hull of abrasive percussive rhythms.
Coarse high end peaks are trussed against bottom end vibrations which are fixated to the ground as three tracks are firmly rooted in the dance while a fourth track is the fallout at trip hop tempo.
Flagrantly disregarding tempo restrictions Overlook effortlessly traverses from beat free passage into cyberpunk tinged Techno fare. The ‘Public Image EP’ directs his already affirmed palette of sound in an archetypal dystopian framework. Just when you think there is little more that can be said in praise of Overlook’s work, he reinvigorates perception with a fresh take on his own aesthetic. A modern master at work.
a1. Overlook - Déjà Vu
a2. Overlook - There Was Truth And There Was Untruth
Exhibiting an almost timeless quality, the latest EP from UVB-76 Music is a four track, various artists endeavour into the most solid of fundamentals. A four-man hit squad of label newcomers assembles in the form of Entire, Nekyia, Forest Drive West and DB1. Going against the grain of contemporary production fad, each track is a reduction to core sonic ideals. Unapologetically raw and refined in a directly contradictory manner.
UVB-76 Music’s latest offering ushers in new blood to the camp in the form of Stave. The Chicago resident’s ‘ATK’ EP sees the tempo submerge to lower depths and the pressure intensify amidst the harsh dynamics and sonic battery that the label is now synonymous for. A four track rhythmic cavort that plays the urge to dance and the allure of subversive nature. plays on*
From UVB-76 Music’s fractal personnel rises Karim Maas. A familiar face behind a new mask, Maas, one of the sonic panjandrums at the core of the labels sound submits an aural experience that bleeds between genre and tone with striking ease, negotiating a through line that is hard to pin down in any moment before it shifts again. A stunning EP that remains true to UVB-76 Music’s core tenants. Four absolute steamers and a Huren remix for good measure.
Following his widely praised 'Smoke Signals' album, Overlook returns to UVB-76 Music with 'All Of Them Witches', A five track EP steeped in occult suggestion. Four original works and a Positive Centre remix coerce the listener into a sound palette that maintains the powerful dynamics of Drum & Bass while Overlook's masterful story telling lends compelling narrative: Ritualistic, seductive and arcane.
a1 Spirits Moving Through The Walls
a2 Magick
a3 Ritual ft. Mono
b1 All Of Them Witches
b2 Travelling Without Moving (Positive Centre Remix)
Limited 3x12" Vinyl w/ A3 & A4 Inserts. UVB-76, the record label from Gremlinz and Ruffhouse, is only concerned with carrying out its vision; supporting artists that it genuinely believes in and pays no mind whatsoever to trends.
Overlook as an artist fits perfectly into UVB76’s ethos. A music maker that has earned himself fans and respect by shaping his craft with a series of well -considered releases, not shouting for the rooftops but instead letting the music do the talking, something very novel in the age of social media led insecurity.
For UVB-76 to release Overlook’s debut LP felt like a natural step for both parties. The foundation of the project may well be drum n bass but the building itself is so much more than that, equal parts dance music and soundtrack influence.
The album is a statement of intent for Overlook, only three collaborations are featured across the album and it’s truly the sound of the young artist being comfortable in the specific niche he has created and blossoming into one of electronic music’s most promising talents.
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