For its 4th release, Piff Records recruits from as far afield as possible, tapping Adelaide-based Subjoi who adds to his already diverse and sought-after discography. He presents a set of tracks that are somewhat of a departure from previous releases, employing a UK Garage sound all the way from Australia.
A1’s “Give It To Me” uses side-chained pads to form a perfect loop while melodic wooden block sounds dance around. Assisted by Adam Emil on percussion, “Paradise” whips up the notch on the UKG vibe before giving way to the record’s B side.
The EP’s title track, “Swerve” sits nicely above the most subdued sounds of the record. It’s an ethereal cut with barely-there vocals, the kind that’s saved for the very early hours; first light coming through to a gently swaying dancefloor. “Tears” – it seems of joy, not sadness - dips in and out of halftime, with breathy jazz instrumentation, similar to “Swerve” as an early hours selection but here, as the uplifting closer.
Well you know what they say, home is where the heart is. I must say it feels all nice and warm to be back on the label myself as Desert Sound Colony.
I’ve put together a few more rippers for you to enjoy. I hope they serve you well in the club and spin a few people from one side of the dance floor to the other. Imagine everyone’s brains are attached to yoyos and you have control of them. You could metaphorically be walking the dog with their minds if you play these at the right time. Doesn’t that sound appealing...?
It is too awkward for me to ‘big up’ my own productions in the way that a normal press release seems to want, so I will just say that I have been playing these three out for the last six months and the results have been pretty much as described in the paragraph above. They are aimed straight at the dance floor, peak time tackle for when you also want to get everyone feeling pretty weird. Expect swingitty swung rhythms throughout and the feeling of having a rave in a drainpipe.
OK enough of my blather. Go and listen to the damn things yourself and decide if you like them, rather than trying to work it out from reading a bloody press release you weirdos.
All three tracks are produced and sculpted for the club. They want big sound systems and dark rooms.
Close your eyes, hold hands and experience transcendental space flight...
a1. Desert Sound Colony - Tickle Me Pink
b1. Desert Sound Colony - Birds Fly Dry
b2. Desert Sound Colony - Grabbing The Golden Goose
Etch's 'Ups & Downs' album is a collection of dubs which date as far back as 2014 and up to the present day. The album's tracks are united by being examples of the artists' efforts to escape the shackles of reality by using music as a vehicle.
The theme of space recurs across the material - both the 'outer-space' of the universe and galaxies that surround our planet and the 'inner-space' of exploring the infinite recesses and depths of our mind's imagination.
However these creations were made during a period experiencing a (not-uncommon) lifestyle of mad peaks, joy and optimism, and yet also, times of struggle, adversity and depression. That is of course a familiar human tale - but expressed here through Etch's own singular musical vision. Etch's music is informed by psychedelic experiences, sci-fi, occult and horror themed films and the evolution of gaming - (these being tools often used to escape the prescribed tedium of society's rules and roles).
This is then combined with a deep love of sampling vinyl and rearranging breakbeats in an unforced homage to his family roots in UK hardcore breakbeat, jungle and d'n'b. Furthermore, these hybrids are often filtered through a keen understanding of current musical developments which are then explored and deployed where it feels appropriate. Add to this a smattering of teenage Goth influences that rear their heads within the dark sound of certain tunes and you've got a serious distillation of culture being explored within these beats.
TRULE presents its first release and the latest from Deadboy, the Klint EP. Four swung out club focused tracks exploring the meeting point between techno and UK garage music. Deadboy uses a stripped back percussive sound palette with shuffling drums and a hands on hardware approach to create four individual, jacking, crisp joints for the dancers.
Klint is the first release on TRULE, a label operated by Al Wootton aka Deadboy to release straight up dance floor club tracks from across the spectrum.
"Dream Cycle returns with his second instalment on Sneaker Social Club. Offering up 3 distinct moods across the EP - “Influence" is a stripped back, technoid stepper, "Afters (3am mix)" explores the dubbier side of UKG while "DCYX 5" takes things into more uplifting territory - a skippy piano roller arriving just in time for Summer."
DJ Support: Andy Hart, James Zabiela, Benji B, Tensnake, Octo Octa, Sascha Dive, Dimensions Soundsystem, Contours
New Berlin based label Fox and Hound Recordings’ first release brings experimentation into the leftfield from relative newcomer Cocktail Party Effect.
Building from his release on Pinch's Cold Recordings last year and past releases for R&S's sister label Apollo as Kasket, Cocktail Party Effect shows us there is plenty of exploration to go with an idiosyncratic two step adventure of an E.P. A familiar UK bass feel with an explicit character of its own.
Repress of proto Garage Classic ‘Music’ from Legendary UK Garage Record Label ‘Same People’, which brought you ‘Dangerous’ the track that inspired the Dubstep & Grime scene...
Don’t miss out on this Collector’s Limited x 100 Press Only 12” of UK Garage History!
Holy smokes batman! Brand new label straight outta MCR here as esteemed clubnight House of Wax launches a new, vinyl only imprint entitled Jupiter's Melody. What a coup for this debut release - The Drop are a London based, 9-piece reggae band operating since 2009 and with a soundsystem informed mentality. Fitting then that soundsystem operative, UKG legend and accalaimed bass music progressor DjRum is enlisted on remix duties to take these UK reggae skankers into the club for some grooving 2-step business. Felix Manuel has a storied history across UK dance music, most notably through releases on the iconic 2nd Drop records and a much lauded Resident Advisor mix. "Looking To The Sky" is THAT festival burner you wish you'd have packed for the Summer just gone. Gliding in on waves of undulating bass, punctuated by a typical but none less arresting 2-step beat, the rastaman vox from the Drop fit so well you won't actually believe it's a remix! Deep, emotive and beautifully poised, its retroist in many ways but this only adds to the warm and welcoming nature of the track. The flip is more introspective, and in someways melancholic, but with a massively uplifted message. Again, taken from a completely different OG piece (check youtube for The Drop's original vid), the vocal sits perfectly in another crisp and frenetic take on the UKG beat. This side builds slowly, with a defined song structure and lush musicality, never quite climaxing but simmering gently with a mindful glow. Appearing out of nowhere and instantly having us climbing over each other to see what was playing, we expect this to be a big smash here in Manchester over the coming months. If you've felt something missing in your life since MJ Cole, Zed Bias and Todd Edwards last released summat, then you could do much worse than adding this to your collection! Limited copies so get those orders in quick folks...
Never Ready Records welcomes Dublin's Major Grave to the label delivering Grime, Garage and Dubstep munitions from the Major's sonic arsenal, decimating all that lays in his path.
"Take Charge" drops like a depth charge of shimmering bass cannons and 2-step snaps. Waxing lyrical with "If You Want" sees Grave notch the mood down and get melodic, while still keeping proceedings bouncy. The B-Side is reminiscent of early FWD days with the woofah bass galore of "S.W.A.T" and the dark transient melodies of "Dem Nevah Ready".
From Dublin's first Boiler Room event to 12”s released on Big Dada , Local Action , Sulk and with years behind the MPCs as part of Ireland's premier underground bass crew ‘Standard’, Major Grave cements his position as a force to be reckoned with in the instrumental grime and bass scene.
Never Ready Records' second release in a four part salvo of underground ordnance continues with cover artwork from Nerog, 180g coloured vinyl and limited pressing of 300 units.
The third Cachai Ltd comes from the Russian heavy weight Tripmastaz who almost single-handedly has been making Russia decidedly more funky over the last 10 years.
This tune has been on dubplate for quite some time. Something of a UK Garage anthem on the underground, Jodo Kast is an alter-ego of J:Kenzo the prominent Dubstep producer/DJ and to celebrate the launch of this release he has also relaunched his ShadowTrak label in order to reboot that imprint to cater for his garage productions.
a1. Jodo Kast - Watch Ya Bassbins
a2. Jodo Kast - Watch Ya Bassbins (Klient Remix)
b1. Jodo Kast - Watch Ya Bassbins (MindofaDragon Remix)
b2. Jodo Kast - Watch Ya Bassbins (Murder He Wrote Remix)
Kickin' off our new off-shot 'Dolphin Traxx', D. Futers takes the rains with a pounding two tracker of aqueous goo, molecular body deposits and corrosive laser stains, pressed up loud + harddd.
Cyber-hounds might recognise the first track 'I Care' - a pitched up vocal garage house jam bootlegged on your bros Samsung RazorBlade and running piano keys hoisted in the back of the multi-changer.
On the flip, Never Givin' Up is for the jungle heads, bringing back the oscillating machine gun funk of the warehouse, crashing between broken beat euphorics and shimmering pads.
And so the final piece of the Drums Of Death Waves Trilogy EP’s snaps into place, DoD caps his latest run of releases with 4 tracks of varied, taut, emboldened dance floor rhythms.
a1. Life in the Machine a2. Let No Shadow Fall Upon You a3. Life in the Machine (Acapella) b1. Transistor Rhythm b2. Waves City
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