Throwing hi-def sounds into three-dimensional space and rendering bass in increasingly uncharted waters, Walton arrives on Sneaker Social Club with a future-leaning EP of dance wreckers for the tough crowd.
Even his earliest releases were pushing things forwards as the weightless grime thing gathered momentum, but Walton always swerved the rest of the pack and simply approached grime-rooted club music with his own experimental instincts. His mammoth body of work takes in totemic labels like Tectonic, Hyperdub and Ilian Tape, and as time has passed and music has moved on from micro scenes to a generically fluid individuality, so Walton has grown as an artist. Recent drops including his Maisie By The Sea album have started to embrace more experimental spaces alongside his familiar twist on grime, and this mini-LP for Sneaker continues that level of progression.
On the A side, long time Walton fans will be more than happy with the intensity of ‘PJD’, which is as fierce as we’ve heard Walton go to date. As ever, his beats are never a simple matter, with every hit embellished with needlepoint sound design. The sound zips around the stereo field, but never at the expense of the track’s impact. Still, there’s space for other vibes too, as on the deep, sweeping pads and electronica twitch of ‘Quasar’.
By and large, Walton keeps the pressure up. ‘Rush’ is a bludgeoning instrument and ‘Dread’ teases with a jerky, stop-start demeanour which lands heavy blows when it kicks in. But shorter cuts ‘Detach’ and ‘Shots Fired’ also allow space for other aspects of Walton’s craft to come through. It’s these cuts which add to the overall listening experience and show just how much he ahs to offer as a producer.
Big Michael Audacity (feat Headie One) Crown Rainfall (feat Tiana Major9) Rachael's Little Brother Handsome Do Better Don't Forget To Breathe (feat YEBBA - interlude) One Second (feat HER) Pop Boy (feat Aitch) Own It (feat Ed Sheeran & Burna Boy) Wiley Flow Bronze Superheroes Lessons Vossi Bop
A future proofed masterpiece of hybrid rhythms, basslines and metallic funk created on a MPC3000 and recorded as live jams over many studio sessions in the Witness Rooms, Scotland.
The recipe is futuristic but the main ingredients come from the UK with subtle tastes of the West Coast and Detroit. This new LP holds off the retro rave appeal keeping this record placed well into the years ahead.
The Sell_By_Date LP, is undeniably Landstrumm laced with his signature sound and vibe.
Double Vinyl and Digital release with 3 bonus tracks.
One of the all-time great hubs of soundsystem culture and musical free-thinking, it was only a matter of time before Bristol had DNO Records in its grasp. A quadruple threat from the city’s Young Echo collective members, rappers Manonmars and Bogues join forces with revered producers Ishan Sound and Neek on the ‘Burning Paper’ EP, broadening the expansive horizons of DNO further still.
This time, the dish of the day is experimental rap four ways. Opener ‘Cool Runnings’ finds Ishan Sound and Neek on an upfront tip, strapping titanium beats to unruly 808 low-end that leans towards the signature slides of drill. With the battleground set, Manonmars flexes cut-throat bars, switching up to double time for the final coup de grâce.
On ‘Nuke The Threat’, Ishan Sound slows the pace, bringing in eerie chimes that tumble forth behind Manonmars methodical slur, while ‘Skinhead Chick’ — a four-way bout — continues to drop the tempo, descending from weed-induce fuzz into full codeine blur. Here, both MCs’ pitched-down vocals form a layer of sludge around sparse, creeping hats — it’s uncomfortably dark and evil but oh-so addictive.
Final masterpiece cut ‘Burning Paper’ is not so much chopped and screwed as plunged and drowned. An Ishan Sound & Neek beat gurgles below the surface as Bogues and Manomars deliver lyrical craftsmanship and precise bars on smoking, the grind and girls amidst a haze of bong rips and horrorcore weirdness. The first DNO release that primed for home-listening release as well as doing damage over a system, the ‘Burning Paper’ EP is out on the 25th of February 2022.
Rhythms of postmodern realism at the very bottom of the DNO.
a1. Manonmars x Ishan Sound & Neek - Cool Runnings
Fiesta Soundsystem cements his reputation as one of the most exciting and dexterous producers currently working in electronic music, with his spellbinding Not To Be EP.
Augmenting crystalline bass workouts and swirling acid euphoria with his own unique blend of future-focused jungle and darkside drum & bass.
Pulse Fiesta sets out his intentions from the off as we’re exposed to a richly textured, atmospheric and complex exercise in bass and breaks. Following that is Acid Tool a frantic and ever-evolving slice of corkscrew shaped acid, that pushes all the right buttons with its precision engineered drums and hydraulic percussion.
Kicking off the B-side is Not To Be (Rude), a deliciously rich and elaborate fusion of otherworldly jungle and drum & bass. A salute to everyone who’s came before and to those who continuously push the envelope.The Slip brings the journey to an end as it cruises into play, blacked out windows and all. A nod to the darker sides of jungle and drum & bass. A masterclass in atmospheric sound structures and cinematic stylings.
Not To Be features some next-level audio engineering and trickery that pulls from many genres to form something totally unique and captivating. The perfect showcase for an artist with unbelievable potential and a deeply engaging story to tell.
Introducing ‘SWITCH’ from Reflec, the first release on his brand-new imprint SOAKER SOUND; a label intent on exploring left-leaning club sounds as we make our imminent return to the club. A powerful statement of serious things to come; SWITCH is an ice-cold, eski 6 tracker that puts a fresh spin on the golden days of UK grime. Released on 03.05.2021 on vinyl and digital, SWITCH drops in time to soundtrack the summer and can be pre-ordered here.
The debut release from the bossman himself, Reflec takes us on a journey through the classic eski UK sound across SWITCH’s six tracks, also pulling influence from Grime, UK Techno and Dancehall. Inspired by one of the most influential strains of grime, eski, SWITCH is grime for the dancefloor and for the ravers; intense, energic, and cold as ice, Reflec updates Eski with a 2021 approach.
PAV4N - ALL ON BLACK EP invites some serious talent to reinterpret his fire so far:
’98 style Drum & Bass from Fixate on ALL ON BLACK Indian Classical from the don of textures, Kromestar Epic strings and heavy Dubwise stepping collide on Hebbe’s rework of STASIS Nascent Hip Hop stars Yung Raj and Nate08 take on the track that started it all, KARMA
PAV4N is a founding member of Foreign Beggars. Name checked at the Grammys, playing every major festival there is and hitting the UK Top Ten charts, PAV4N has been responsible for introducing wave after wave of underground music onto the world. After the highly influential multi-genre group parted ways at the end of 2019, he blasted back into view with his prolific solo project, which he describes as “A living art piece - the reality of forging a unique path in music, art and the life of a perpetual foreigner”
PAV4N is due to unveil his theatrical, highly produced live show in the UK this June/July after two years of intense development.
A1 - PAV4N - ALL ON BLACK (Hyroglifics Remix)
A2 - PAV4N - ALL ON BLACK (Fixate '98 Spesh Remix)
The second EP being released in the wake of the recent Extended mixtape, Social Distancing showcases Modeselektor’s talent for bridging the gap between hip-hop and the rave. The title track reunites the Berlin duo with Flohio, who first appeared on their 2018 single Wealth. Social Distancing is the end result, and while the swaggering cut could easily carry an EP on its own, Modeselektor have decided to up the ante by inviting a talented crew of friends and colleagues to put their own spin on the track.
Brainfeeder affiliate Little Snake transforms Social Distancing with his corroded beats and playful sound design, while looking closer to home in Berlin, Modeselektor tapped frequent partners in crime (and Spandau natives) FJAAK, who cooked up a rowdy bass-techno hybrid.
Like all good hip-hop EPs, Social Distancing comes with an acapella version of the title track, but here, Flohio’s rhymes have been maniacally stretched, smashed and warped by veteran producer Richard Devine. Rounding out the record is Social Engineering, a sleazy, static-laced techno reimagining of Social Distancing. It’s a lot of fun, which makes sense, because even after all these years in the music game, having a good time is still Modeselektor’s primary m.o.
A1. Social Distancing feat. Flohio A2. Social Distancing feat. Flohio (Little Snake Remix) B1. Social Distancing feat. Flohio (FJAAK Remix) B2. Social Engineering feat. Flohio (Ad Lip Edit) B3. Social Distancing feat. Flohio (Richard Devine A Cappella Edit)
a1. Anxious a2. Kukoc (feat Nav) a3. Bringing It Back a4. Cherrleaders b1. Draft Pick b2. Eurostep b3. Cherry Blossom b4. Glockie c1. Little More Love c2. Top Dog c3. Summertime Shootout (feat T Pain) c4. Perfect Storm d1. Coupe (feat Kehlami) d2. Numba 9 (feat Millie Go Lightly & Sahbabii) d3. Dinner Guest (feat Mo Stack) d4. West Te
a1. Big Conspiracy a2. Helicopter a3. Fight for Your Right b1. Triumph b2. Play Play b3. Cucumber b4. Repeat c1. Fortune Teller c2. Reckless c3. No Denying c4. Must Be d1. One and Only d2. Love, Peace and Prosperity d3. Deeper Than Rap
To celebrate 10 years of Butterz we begin with celebrating two of our favourite MCs, and long term collaborators Newham Generals, Footsie & D Double E.
We have unearthed two unreleased dubs the infamous 'Frontline' and a lesser known banger 'Humpty Dumpty'. War Wid and Prangman are two early Grime classics that have been out of press for at least 15 years.
They've all been remastered by Joker so are sounding better than ever. It's a crazy year, but all we are going to is bring things back to basics and release 12" after 12" until we can rave safely again.
There are bonus tracks included which serve as a complimentary piece to this record you will enjoy too!
For the second release on his emerging Dark Knight imprint, Dutch producer JLSXND7RS has teamed up with Croydon cult hero Rocks FOE for the two-track instrumental offering “Warren & Justin”, available both digitally and on 12” vinyl.
In the same vein as label debut “Marching”, the title track will already be familiar to attentive grime fans. It first surfaced as a dubplate a few years ago, championed by the likes of Slimzee, Mala and Commodo in their DJ sets, and featured in one of Sir Spyro’s ‘Sounds of the Verse’ freestyles on BBC Radio 1Xtra.
Juxtaposing thunderous 808s and trap-inspired hi-hat rolls with frenetic flurries of violin and striking eastern melodies, the original mix is a cinematic, metamorphosing journey with new twists around every corner. On the flip side, Bristol 140 dons Hi5ghost and Boofy deploy syncopated rhythms, clattering percussion and tense vocal cuts to transform the track into an altogether darker number that’ll leave an equally lasting impression.
Influential Dutch grime producer JLSXND7RS debuts on Dream Eater with the four-track Ceres EP, enlisting MC Armour, a member of the trailblazing N.A.S.T.Y Crew, for vocal duties.