Release Date: 18th December 2020

Nikki Nair rounds off 2020 with a return to Scuffed Recordings for the ‘Trying To’ EP, featuring three new originals and a remix from Hermeth.

Originating from Knoxville, Tennessee, but now based in Atlanta, Nikki Nair’s productions have marked him out as one of the most exciting underground electronic producers of recent times; with a style that flits between electro, broken techno, and breaks, and an instantly-recognisable approach to sampling vocals.

One of the longest-running members of the Scuffed roster, Nikki has had a stacked schedule of releases in 2020, with appearances on Banoffee Pies, Worst Behavior, Gutterfunk, and Barely Legal’s Pretty Weird Records.

The ‘Trying To’ EP will be Nikki’s first full release with Scuffed since 2019’s ‘Exit Strategy’ EP, which saw support from the likes of Four Tet, Peach, Mr. Mitch and Moxie among others.

Opening the EP with ‘Justtryingto’, Nikki comes straight out of the blocks with a French Touch-esque disco sample giving way to glitchy breaks and weighty bass. Next up is the supercharged ‘Trunk’, an all-out warper clocking in at 150bpm.  

On the B-side is ‘cclluubb’, a broken-beat DJ tool which sees Nikki’s trademark vocal sampling carrying along a Baltimore Club-influenced beat. Closing out the EP is Swiss producer Hermeth, who brings a rowdy injection of acid to his remix of ‘Justtryingto’.  

The EP will be arriving on 12” vinyl and all digital platforms in late 2020, and will be the last artist EP from another strong year for Scuffed Recordings, which has featured releases from returning artists like Chungo and Stones Taro, as well as new names to the label like Heritage and An Avrin. 

a1. Nikki Nair - Justtryingto

a2. Nikki Nair - Trunk

b1. Nikki Nair - cclluubb

b2. Nikki Nair - Justtryingto (Hermeth Remix)

Release Date: 18th December 2020

For their next venture, Infernal Sounds brings together two titans in the scene marking #IFS026 with a collaborative EP from returning family member Chad Dubz, and debutant Somah. The Business EP is a goliath, featuring full-throttle sounds on the title track 'The Business' to kick things off properly. 'Naraka' follows in the same vein, producing a rough and rugged low end which you can feel deep in your chest, whilst 'Amplify' provides a stripped back, bass heavy affair. 'Unresolved' closes the EP, rounding things off with a more melodic skanker. 

The release has already received some strong support in the scene from the likes of Truth, J:Kenzo, Sicaria Sound, N-Type and many more, making it a must own 12".

a1. Chad Dubz & Somah - The Business 

a2. Chad Dubz & Somah - Naraka 

b1. Chad Dubz & Somah - Amplified

b2. Chad Dubz & Somah - Unresolved

Release Date: 11th December 2020

The second release from Sufferah’s Choice is a one-riddim collaboration 12” EP between Dubkasm and Ashanti Selah, the son of the great Aba Shanti-I, and a huge talent in his own right. It opens with a rare guest vocal by the legendary Keety Roots.  A conscious mystic who is renowned for 90s gems like his legendary vocal ‘African Blood’, and for his heavyweight productions on his own Black Legacy label. 

Keety usually only voices his own productions so having his gentle but righteous voice over Dubkasm’s trademark bass and horns and Ashanti Selah’s bubbling keyboards and frenzied drums is a huge and rare honour. A pounding echo filled dub follows.  The b-side is given over to a jubilant horn cut, blending Ashanti Selah’s digital power with Dubkasm’s deep organic sound, and the sparsely melodic instrumental cut.

Dubkasm have known Ashanti Selah since he was a boy, through their friendship with his father, and have watched him grow up in the roots tradition. This collaboration, which has been championed worldwide by the great Aba Shanti-I shows a deep dub connection.

Like all Dubkasm releases, this was mastered on 1/2” tape by Lewis at Stardelta; much requested and highly sought after, this is not a release to sleep on.

a1. Keety Roots, Dubkasm & Ashanti Selah - Love & Overstanding

a2. Dubkasm & Ashanti Selah - Dub

b1. Dubkasm & Ashanti Selah - Jubilant

b2. Dubkasm & Ashanti Selah - Instrumental

Available: February 2021

My DJ is back in the place...Much needed green vinyl repress of Mosca's legendary release for Numbers.

Bax is back. First released in 2011, Mosca’s UKG homage, ‘Bax’, did big things when it landed. Almost 10 years on, it’s time for a repress.

Though Mosca missed the golden era of garage in the nineties, he caught on to darkside pioneers such as Horsepower Productions, Benny Ill and El-B later on. A blend of homegrown British styles lies at the core of his electronic music influences, early dubstep, jungle, minimal grime and bassline, which he’d experienced first-hand at Sheffield’s legendary Niche club. (Little known fact: The name Bax is a partial nod to Steve Baxendale, the man behind Niche).

All these elements coalesced in the studio and the two-tracker materialised in a couple of days. Both sides of the record do their thing on the floor; ‘Bax’ with its now infamous ‘My DJ is live in the place’ sample, that earworm melody and a ruffneck b-line.

On the flip ‘Done Me Wrong’ sees Mosca incorporate several key garage tropes; the bassline swinging alongside soulful vocals (which get sliced and diced), not forgetting that cheeky rewind.

My DJ is back in the place...

a1. Mosca - Done Me Wrong

b1. Mosca - Bax

Release Date: Friday 15th December 2017

Welcoming Sibla to the label for Episode 5 where he presents 3 sound system bangers, unleashing our most dancefloor focused release to date.

a1. Sibla - You Know What

b1. Sibla - Huckster

b2. Sibla - Guzheng Zither

Available: 27th November 2020

a1. Zha - Snails

a2. Zha - Daisy

b1. Zha - Shattered

b2. Zha - Tunnels

Release Date: 4th December 2020

Mission #5 from Challenger Deep: Stillhead steps forward, brightening the darkest of places. The descent begins with an approaching menace from the deep, deftly handled by the helmsman. The Scottish mastermind then delves further still, delivering a forward thinking piece of electronic dub music, forged in the ceaseless depth of the abyss.

No digital, no bandcamp, always exclusive to physical and online record shops.

a1. Stillhead - Mastermind

b1. Stillhead - Challenged

Release Date: 30th October 2020

Fresh off the back of his latest installation of rollers and heavy hitters, FD drops in for a welcome visit to CIA. Already a firm favourite of the label, the producer’s recent form has seen him consistently stepping up through the gears, firing off a volley of dancefloor weapons and soulful cuts.

FD’s latest offering sees the producer deliver three refined yet weighty DJ tools, as he helps to connect the dots between sound for the more daring listeners and selectors. As usual with his work, each track turns in different directions, thoughtfully yet powerfully constructed.

‘First Sound’ is a lesson in class and stripped back simplicity, rolling and weighty yet with a character all of its own, making for a classic DJ tool. ‘Timberline’ takes proceedings a little darker and more techno-tinged with it’s looped soundscapes and layers, while the latest collaboration between FD and Total Science, ‘True North’ brings things down a notch, yet is loaded with enough bassweight to do serious damage.

a1. FD - First Sound

b1. FD & Total Science - True North

b2. FD - Timberline

Release Date: 18th December 2020

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.

a1. JLSXND7RS & RocksFOE - Warren & Justin

b1. JLSXND7RS & RocksFOE - Warren & Justin (Boofy & Hi5ghost Remix)

Release Date: 11th December 2020

"For the eight release of notorious Paris based label Houseum, Ricky Razu buddies up with Marc Brauner to deliver a bustling and bumping EP titled 'Two Of A Kind'.

Ricky opens the record with the enigmatic 'Alive', an undeniably groovy track featuring an astral and dreamy feel. He fuses this cosmic ambiance with thoughtful synth work and bumpy house drums, ensuring a track suitable for the peak-hour as well as the late night ride home. Featured on A2 is the lively 'Drift', where dubby chord progressions and sharp synths ride a chunky bassline, delivering a more intense but no less huggable and danceable fist-pumping moment. To finish things off, Ricky comes out with the jazz-flecked and luscious dream house track 'Freefloat', an energetic yet thought provoking affair perfect to wrap up the A-side.

Marc continues with the Bside of the record, as the name gives away already the B1 is an homage to the old school and the way Marc pictures house music from the past while still giving it his own twist and sauce of today. A catchy vocal sample, a bumping bassline, piano stabs and long string notes complete the classic sound arrangement. The floating pad and melancholic melodies of Dinner 4 2 are coming as no surprise for everyone familiar with Marc's recent work. Forward aimed drum patterns are combined with a 303 acid melody that leads thru the track, making it a smooth but still club orientated piece of music. The B3 is the follow up track to 'In A Dream' which was part of Marc's last EP on Houseum 'Sad But Ambitious'. Accompanied by a deep bubbling bass, the drum parts are highly influenced by electro / breakdance music from back then with bleeps, zaps and hits that bring back memories from the 80s/90s."

a1. Ricky Razu - Alive

a2. Ricky Razu - Drift

a3. Ricky Razu - Freefloat

b1. Marc Brauner - Old School

b2. Marc Brauner - Dinner 4 2

b3. Marc Brauner - Day Dream