With the subsequent, planet-sized addition in its musical orbit, Sentry welcomes another critically acclaimed bass music veteran to its coveted artist roster. SP:MC, a multi-faceted producer and vocalist, who cemented his status as a highly talented producer with outstanding releases through Tempa and System among others. Apart from his long-standing residency for the legendary Fabric night club, he's a regular on the microphone for some of the world's most distinguished Drum & Bass and Dubstep events, living and breathing sound system culture. For the eleventh release of Youngsta's imprint, SP:MC takes us all back into a golden age, captivating the charm of old school sonics with riveting minimalism and skank-inducing swing, and extending the iconic flavours of 2-Step, Garage and Breaks into the 21st century - clocking in at 135 BPM.
Conveying hazy and tape-ridden notions, 'Vintage' sets us off on a groove-inducing flow with tempered chord, lush echoes, and intimate vocal fragments. Murderous break-beat rhythms are laid out with unequivocal finesse as the UK-based prodigy delivers heritage sounds in contemporary attire. Classic foley samples interweaved with modern sound design - engineered for the heads. 'Slugfest' commands a more aggressive tone, introducing itself with slick, hallowed percussion and haunting ambiance. With the doomsday bassline promptly kicking in, a super-charged groove armada unfolds - heavyweight business. Hypnotic drums hook into your motor cortex as every last cell of your body intermingles with the vibrant low-frequency surges, blasting from the sound system. Scrupulously switching up the push-and-pull dynamics throughout the arrangement, every sound component working at full capacity and in a supremely refined style. Bass music connoisseurs all over, rejoice! These breaks are for you.
Through a misty, nostalgic lens of long days and nights lost in front of sound systems, Soundbwoy Killah delivers his much anticipated debut album to Sneaker Social Club. True to previous drops on this and other labels, this is rave romanticism with a bite, as much viewing the good old days with a wry smile as longing for their return. Just listen to the opening strains of “Escape Velocity,” as the MC manages a sticky situation and tries to keep cool while sending the crowd on their way “in an orderly fashion.”
As much as hardcore, jungle, acid, techno and house inform Halcyon Daze, the sonic signifiers of that ‘golden era’ of rave culture are bedded in a poignant, reflective shroud. From lingering pads to distant, reverb drenched vocal snatches, a hint of melancholy hovers over these scattered but vivid memory triggers. Reese bass has never reverberated so deep, sirens never sounded so lost at sea.
The real art in Soundbwoy Killah’s craft lies in the juxtaposition between these languid, introspective elements and bright, sharply rendered arcs of sound that bring the music right into the foreground. This isn’t a pure exercise in nostalgia – stripped of their aggressive armour plating, a lot of these familiar elements take on a new expressive identity. Whether it’s the strafing arps in “Tom Loves To Rave,” or softly nudging the rolling breaks of “Under The Influence” into a downtempo, chill-out room headspace, Halcyon Daze proves how much mileage there still is in these battle-scarred sonic tools.
It’s not all one-dimensionally downcast either – “Heartbeats” is a rude n’ ruff celebration of amen choppage, while “Wanna Hold U” channels the ghost of UK garage with one eye cast back to its US house roots. “All Night Long” finishes the record on a charging high, all tightly clipped tech step beats and bright synths that cast their gaze ahead with optimism. The themes of lost love and fuzzy memories echo throughout Halcyon Daze, but rather than wallowing in the past, this open-ended finishing move springs forward with purpose. One gets the feeling there’s plenty more to come from Soundbwoy Killah.
Maceo Plex, releases the eagerly awaiting Extended Garage Mix of the certified floor filler “When the Lights Are Out”. The synths drip over, fast paced drums and an emotive vocal. This is the sound of a master at work and is another landmark release for both artist and label.
For WRXX3 its Holloway’s premier vinyl release with the label. The London based producer serves up five heavyweight steppers that showcase the darker side of UK Garage.
Opener “Ride Dem Tight Kutz” volleys chopped percussive and vocal elements around the hard-hitting bassline, setting the foundation for the remainder of the EP.
Just like the previous track “South” takes a moodier stance.
The sinking sub-bass tones coupled with a 2-step swing brings a lively feel to the releases emotive and darker timbres.
The melodic elements of “You & Me” fuse to form a murky soundscape, chords and pads rise and fall beneath an energetic bassline which wavers below.
The Heavy drum selection of “Last Encounter” coupled with melodic rave stabs and bassline makes for a harmonious Breakbeat Garage track.
The melodic and pensive sound palette of “Pressure” sums up the E P.
The debut EP on Council Work from label owners Frankel & Harper. The Trimmers EP contains 2 originals, the first in the form of "LHR.AMS", a heavyweight slice of UKG with strong influences taken from the European house scene and also their drum n bass background. "Trimmers" is a raw dub and jungle infused cut with a sub layer guaranteed to shake speakers stacks. INSTINCT joins for a remix and switches things up by adding a catchy vocal which definitely passes the old grey whistle test.
Known for his pioneering Smash ‘Dangerous’ which inspired the Grime, Dubstep & Speed Garage scenes. Here we have another E.P. of highly sought after, rare, deleted Gems, such as ‘Musical Rush’ & ‘Favorite Song’ al be it from an old crusty Dat tape recently found, these tracks were unobtainable until now.
These Gems were never officially released, but now get an outing on his imprint Existence Is Resistance Cult Record Label. A true Underground Artist that is still inspiring the next generation, ‘’watch ya bass bins im tellin ya’’ This is another one for your collection...
First released under the moniker ‘Artist Formally Known As P.P.’ (Persian Prince). This E.P. is One of the Holy Grails of UK Garage, with obscure tracks like ‘Omid A Man’ fusing the evocative sounds of the middle east with Sound System Bass Culture.
Persian is the first Iranian Electronic Artist from the West to have done this, previously in 1992 under the Moniker Persian Prince, he released ‘Desertism’ a unique innovating Hardcore Jungle track that fused eastern & western cultures together, making history in that Scene.
Check out the breakbeat section in ‘You Get Me’, the listener is treated to something with the potential to do dance floor damage. The rest of the E.P. stays true to the London Garage Sound Culture...
Piff Records pulls a petal from it’s 004 with Subjoi, recruiting Adam Emil- who featured on the track Paradise back in September - and Slim Hustla who go twos on the new EP, “Travellers”.
Emil’s side features A1’s “Genuine”, driven by auto-tuned contemporary style vocals that ice all over the melancholy synth work, giving way to “Hovedspring” which presents itself as liquid drum and bass at house tempo - intricate drum programming and trance palet of ambient sounds, well padded throughout.
Slim Hustla takes over the B side, complimenting the ethereal sounds of Emil, first with “Newfound Love” - no less than a synth work out - dripping with arpeggiated notes that open up to their fullest, bouncing between stabs and waves of atmosphere electronics. “We Forget that the Water Cycle and the Life Cycle Are One” takes the beat format of electro, mobilized by acoustic drum sounds, setting the listener up for a full-blown acid hardcore breakbeat closer on “Midnight in Copenhagen”.
a1. Adam Emil - Genuine
a2. Adam Emil - Hovedspring
b1. Slim Hustla - Newfound Love
b2. Slim Hustla - We Forget that the Water Cycle and the Life Cycle Are One
Launching in late 2018, Outlook Recordings rolls into 2019 with another massive release, this time from one of drum & bass biggest names and boss of Symmetry Records, Break. Widely regarded as one of the scenes finest producers and DJs, he is hugely respected by fellow producers and fans alike. Not content with sitting in just one genre, his Degrees Of Freedom project with Kyo spreads out across dub, house, garage and techno - which is showcased on this EP perfectly.
"Excuses" has been creating hype on dubplate for over a year, with minimal percussion and strings making way for deep sonics and those trademark drums. Over on the flip things get eclectic with the deep dub of "For You" featuring Kyo's haunting vocals whilst "Take Your Time" flexes a 2-step vibe, perfect for the dancefloor. As a digital exclusive there are also 2 deep house tinged gems, "Monoxide" which slowly trickles into acid territory and the beautiful sun-soaked "Walk Away".
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.
![Soundbwoy Killah - Halcyon Daze [2x12" LP] - Unearthed Sounds](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0488/8057/products/snkrlp004_{width}x.jpg?v=1607051486)
![Frankel & Harper - Trimmers EP [180 grams] - Unearthed Sounds](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0488/8057/products/cwr001_{width}x.jpg?v=1607034034)
![Chavinski - In The City / Colours Of You [ltd whitelabel] - Unearthed Sounds](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0488/8057/products/snkrx_{width}x.jpg?v=1607028573)
![Etch - Ups and Downs LP [2x12"] - Unearthed Sounds](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0488/8057/products/snkrlp003_{width}x.jpg?v=1607033165)
![Cocktail Party Effect - Donkey Fight EP [10" Vinyl] - Unearthed Sounds](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0488/8057/products/fhr001_{width}x.jpg?v=1607029000)
