The Unearthed Sounds crew members have compiled their weekly picks containing collectively, in no particular order, our favourite tracks/releases of the week.
Here are the selections individually from the crew:
Taking you back to the sounds of Underground Garage with the bumping 2-Step flex of Jodo Kast.
Showing tribute to the sounds of Dem 2, Steve Gurley, El-B and Chris Mack; and a nod back to labels such as Confetti, Locked On, Public Demand, Ghost and New York Soundclash.
‘Zillah’s Groove’ originally released on digital only on Roska’s Kicks & Snares imprint back in 2016 by demand has been pressed onto vinyl for the 2-Step connoisseurs backed with a brand new track
‘Anyway You Want’ which has received support from the likes of Smokey ‘Bubblin’ B and DJ Redhot.
Bristol’s Few & Far Between shine the spotlight on a rare Sub-Love track from the vaults. Originally released in 1992 on an Earth Recordings white label, now lovingly remastered from the original DAT tape. An anomaly in the duo’s catalogue, 'The Other Side' diverts from their signature hardcore and breaks sound in the form of a techno/speed garage hybrid influenced by the early Warp Records releases. The track opens with classic 90s pads, kicks and stuttering breaks, before being transformed by a throbbing bass line.
Label owners Sam Hall and Ongo Gablogian have enlisted friend and Hessle Audio affiliate Bruce for the B-side, who has reshaped the original elements into future-facing dancehall-infused techno in the form of his ‘Black Ice Mix’.
a1. Sub-Love - The Other Side
b1. Sub-Love - The Other Side (Bruce's 'Black Ice' Mix)
Ever since he first stepped in the production game in 2013 with his self-released debut, Newcastle’s Junes has worked tirelessly on establishing an identifiable sound, exempt from ephemeral trends and bound to withstand the test of time. The Berlin-relocated Englishman now escapes from his home platforms Galdoors and Dote to land a round of his typically atypical dub blends and elegantly pared-down electronics on KOC.
A crisp, opium-scented bassy tech number in its own right, “Witching Hour” kicks things off to the sound of rattling darbukkahs, chirpy hats and thick volutes of Prince of Persia-extracted synths. A2 “Vessel” keeps the mystery intact with its curtains of randomly cascading chimes and bloopy signals gone astray.
Flip it over and let the title-track “Shifting Sands” work its stealth magic on you. Whereas the original takes us on a speleological ride across mineral chambers and bottomless spectrum depths where weird machine monsters and their warped cousins reside in relative tranquility, Aarhus-based producer and Help Rec. boss Central drops the hammer with a shuffling, oneiric reshape primed for an all-organic workout in the wild.
Sheffield breakbeat champions & Club Glow collective members Denham Audio make an appearance on Lobster Theremin with Transcendence.
Club Culture is a heady tribute to UK rave culture, combining classic breaks with a monologue from generations past. Denham Audio speed things up on Retort, fusing their love of breakbeats with a sound palette ubiquitous with acid house. On the flip, patois bars punctuate the bleeps-and-breaks of Run Da Ting, while the vocal layered between Top Boy’s whirling bass and digitally distorted drum programming may be recognisable to some. Closing track Transcendence is an ethereal jungle roller with guest vocals from 7ip703, that rings true to its name.
Behind the healthy noise of the current 140 scene lays the innocent, unearthly sounds of Kodama. Nestled in the sun kissed streets of Barcelona, Kodama has sparked many an emotion across his growing body of work, from 'Cronauer' EP on Subaltern Records to most recently, 'Clear Your Head' EP on Infernal Sounds. Although he enjoyed a couple of features on two of their compilation projects last year, the one imprint Kodama has been destined to grace his presence with is Rarefied.
Throughout their four years of mind bending, experimental projects, Rarefied has taken us on emotional journeys through both the dark, festering undergrowth and the magical, other worldly regions of left field bass music. Their taste has remained impeccable, signing some of the most creative, enigmatic producers in the scene today. And it doesn't stop at RARE15 either, as Kodama blesses the imprint with two compelling tracks, abundant in colour and familiar moments of rarefied intoxication.
Kodama feeds the soul with '2D'. A hypnotic track that politely persuades you to close your eyes, count to ten, and lose yourself in Kodama's new wave of magic and wonder. The heaven fed harps and warm synth lines could be construed as anywhere between hopeful reminders of breezy summer evenings to something deeper and more soul consuming. Whilst '2D' doesn't offer tangible sounds of nostalgia, there's still something rather sentimental emanating from it's core as we continue to follow the elegant melodies and eventually, the endearing, warm-hearted vocal licks that simply drops the jaw. '2D' is wistful and romantic and encourages conflicted thoughts of moments gone by, missed and longed for, with a more optimistic sense for the past, present and the future. A captivating soundtrack carried by smoothly driven bass to keep those subs smiling.
The sister track 'Honeyed', maintains that golden glow with sweet 2-step flavours. Kodama frees all inhabitations with this uplifting 2-stepper, releasing any pent up energy that may be bottled up in the feet of an enraptured dancefloor. Although this is very much an injection of dancefloor energy, Kodama still waves his wand over the rumbling lows and conjures another enchanting creation. A magical manifestation of an alien rainforest, growing in abundance between your ears. Friendly beings chatter between themselves amongst vivid, healthily pollenated flowers and foliage of vibrant greens and blues. It's a world of nirvana where Kodama's shimmering synths are once again the oracle, formulated and modulated in a completely different dimension and language. The melodies grow and transform of their own accord like a flourishing sonic ecosystem, buoyant and bright.
Rarefied continues to be an unstoppable vehicle for those looking to venture away from the beaten path. Plenty of travellers have hopped on and found a home for their mesmeric productions, from the likes of Soukah and Primer. And Kodama is the latest to do so for RARE15, sharing two tracks of carefree bass music, albeit inexplicably stirring and thought-provoking.
For us at 1985 Music, our Various Artists series are extremely important to us. It not only provides a great platform to celebrate music from a wide range of artists, it enables us to promote both veterans and newcomers in the scene, and to introduce them as part of our extended family.
We have had great success with our first series of VA releases called Edition, for which there were 3 parts. This year, we present our next Various Artists release, and it is named Atlas. This LP features both established artists and newcomers to the scene, as well as label staples and label newcomers. Atlas features Deft, Visages, Drone, Nymfo, Monty, Alix Perez, Echo Brown, Foreign Concept, Headland, Sfaire, DRS, Nymfo and of course, Eprom. Atlas is a journey through numerous styles and tempos, showcasing a group of the most talented artists in bass music today.
From a stylistic perspective, all bets are off as modernist bass music bowls forward with its sights on the dance. Over the past three years, J-Shadow has embodied that ethic more than most with a hybridised flex snapping fluidly between lurid grime waveforms, rave-indebted structures and hi-tech sound design. A perfect fit for Sneaker Social Club’s own omnivorous tendencies, then.
Following drops on Super Hexagon, Nous, Comic Sans and Bun The Grid, Shadow lands on Sneaker Social with no less than six shellers packing a potency which has to be heard to be believed. Proceedings start off comparatively mellow with the atmospheric, vocal-laced ‘Fade’ – all cascading breaks and airy pads, before pivoting towards a kind of weightless style sprayed with blaster fire and dislocated snare rushes on ‘Kugelblitz (The Inescapable Rewarp)’. ‘Diffraction’ leans in on grime rudeness, albeit with a flamboyant twist up, before ‘Atlantis’ shakes up the B-side with an aquatic excursion into jungle territory clearly nodding to early Bukem. ‘Particle Horizon’ continues the uptempo charge, but straps starry-eyed arps to the barefaced breakbeat choppage with soul-quaking results. ‘Hibernation (Lumina Falls)’ acts as a kind of mood leveler to round out the EP, but even in these more patient moments the sound palette is vast and dynamic.
At every step, Shadow’s production prowess shines through in glorious technicolour, all shimmering surfaces and molten sonic matter. The degree of detail is frankly staggering, from cascading sample arrays to infinitesimal FX tweaks. His vibrant personality comes through whether he’s tearing it up at 160 or dropping the kicks out altogether, celebrating the eclecticism that embodies modern club music.
a1. J-Shadow - Fade
a2. J-Shadow - Kugelblitz (The Inescapable Rewarp)
