Cosmic Bridge Records | Om Unit

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Es.Tereo - Ra

Cosmic Bridge Records

£8.04 (£9.65 Inc VAT)

Various Artists - Om Unit Presents: Cosmology - Dark Matter [3x12"]

Cosmic Bridge Records

£25.00 (£30.00 Inc VAT)

A.Fruit - Nocturnal

Cosmic Bridge Records

£8.04 (£9.65 Inc VAT)

Margari's Kid - We Are Ghosts Now

Cosmic Bridge Records

£8.01 (£9.61 Inc VAT)

Release Date - 8th March 2019

Om Unit and Cosmic Bridge announce "Earthbase" a new club focused release series. Over to Om Unit for the full announcement.

"I am excited to announce 'Cosmic Bridge - Earthbase Series' a new series of releases that will showcase the more 'club' side of what we do at Cosmic Bridge. The EARTHBASE catalogue numbers will represent music aimed at the dance, whilst Cosmic Bridge's main label series will continue to examine the possibilities offered by exploring the depths of space..."

Earthbase begins with TMSV - a label favourite who with his past releases for Cosmic Bridge, have showcased his unique approach to 160-170 bpm music, melding tropes from dubstep, footwork and jungle with apparent ease. as TMSV, Tomas Roels has influenced a new generation of producers operating at these tempos while simultaneously being a central figure in the modern dubstep movement, where he continues to release explosive sound-system weapons.

Om unit says... "TMSV is the perfect candidate to begin our journey with Earthbase. His precision sound-design and expertise as a DJ make for a explosive mix in the studio, so we proudly present EARTHBASE01 - TSMSV - 'Ego Death'."

The EP opens with 'Ego Death' - A title which gestures towards the phenomena often reported by psychonauts during psychedelic experiences, a chugging half-time workout complete with old skool dubstep elements and dizzying synth lines. The A2 comes in form of 'Nobody Asks' which goes for the jugular with a 170bpm half-stepping jungle-led frenzy complete with enourmous bass-drone and piercing drum programming aimed straight for your nearest forest rave. The B side kicks off with 'Smarter Than You' which is a thick slice of energetic dancehall junglism with some grime elements thrown in for good measure, finishing with the contrastingly mellow and spacious 'Ending One' which harks back to Cosmic Bridge's early days, taking in a loose 'wonky' feel whilst maintaining wisps of the modern jungle sound.

All in all a well-rounded set of gear that whilst aimed for your local sound-system, works equally well in the headphones thanks to Tomas's legendary sound-design and mixing skills.

a1. TMSV - Ego Death

a2. TMSV - Nobody Asks

b1. TMSV - Smarter Than U

b2. TMSV - Ending One

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TMSV - Ego Death

Cosmic Bridge Records

£8.04 (£9.65 Inc VAT)

Release Date - 26th October 2018

Cosmic Bridge welcomes back Crypticz, aka English producer Jordan Parsons, for another EP of deep dancefloor experimentation full of dubwise textures and surprises. Since his 2017 release for the label, Parsons has shed technical limitations in the studio, opening himself up to new ways of writing and performing. This growth is reflected in The Path with four tracks that further stretch and redefine the sonic boundaries of jungle and dub.

The opening title track is an epic jungle-influenced roller inspired by ideas of predetermination, choice and the butterfly effect. At just over 8 minutes long, “The Path” stretches out ahead of the listener, letting some of what’s ahead be heard while still leading the listener down unsuspecting detours. Melding tribal, dub and cinematic approaches, Crypticz takes jungle to a new level with clever sampling, layering and a real flair for progression. “Teachings” follows this with a strong sound system vibe, a tune to unite the people in the dance through sound. Inspired by a particularly powerful night at the Trinity Centre, it’s a slow skanker with a percussive groove, deep bass rumblings and layers of effected samples to create a meditative vibe.

Opening the B-side is another spiritual number, “Inner One Dub.” From the center of a slow and steady riddim, the track unspools methodically with bass pressure and an array of delicate melodies and sound effects with the result a gentle marriage of dub and techno practices that brings to mind classics from the Rhythm & Sound catalogue. The EP ends with “Lost One” and a return to a wider cinematic scope. As with the opener, this is a ride to strap in for with delicate atmospheres and pads underpinned by a tight break and solid bass that evoke both the freneticism of jungle and eyes-down power of dubstep.

“Sonically the sounds of jungle are more present across this record,” says Crypticz. “It’s a record I’m really proud of and shines a light into where I’m heading.” With its solid dub foundation and fresh approach to classic tenants of UK dance music, The Path is an essential consideration for seekers of deeper dancefloor sounds.

a1. Crypticz - The Path

a2. Crypticz - Teachings

b1. Crypticz - Inner One Dub

b2. Crypticz - Lost One

Crypticz - The Path

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.91 (£9.49 Inc VAT)

Om Unit - Self [The Remixes]

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.91 (£9.49 Inc VAT)

Vromm - For the New Dawn

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.98 (£9.58 Inc VAT)

Released 4th May 2018

Cosmic Bridge continues its dedication to new talent with "The Gift", a four-track EP from Oliver Yorke. Since his first release in 2012, Yorke's output has been minimal but that hasn't stopped the music from catching the ears of label boss Om Unit. On The Gift, Yorke pulls from travels and visual experiences to deliver a strikingly detailed blend of classic drum & bass and Autonomic vibes that deftly balances mood and energy.

The title track draws from jungle's storied past - think golden era Metalheadz and Prototype - for a dynamic yet melancholic ride, a sonic image of watching the city wake up in the crisp hues of dawn. Opening with sweeping pads and an ominous vocal sample, the track comes alive with tight drum breaks, repeating snares, resonant, cavernous bass and a simple but captivating progression that brings forth the power of the music. "Silver River" is the soundtrack to Yorke's attempt to capture a clear picture of the Milky Way, the name a translation of the Chinese word for our galaxy. With a clear nod to the Autonomic school of drum & bass, the track balances a half-time pace with percussive elements, gravelly stabs and soaring melodies to evoke both the excitement of the journey and the grandeur of the sky above us.

The B-side opens with "Ryoan-ji", inspired by and named after the Zen temple in Kyoto best known for its contemplative dry garden. "Ryoan-ji" emulates the details and intricacies that lie beyond the garden's seemingly simple surface. The track builds up progressively without any obvious drop structure, carefully adding layers towards a complete sonic picture that asks patience of the listener and rewards them with a gripping ride. The EP closes with "Totem", inspired by another temple visit this time in Myanmar. Using recordings from the trip - including shimmering bells and a voice - Yorke builds another gentle Autonomic roller that captures the serene and peaceful atmosphere he witnessed, a blissful trip that shies from obvious tropes and instead envelopes the listener in its spiritual experience.

With The Gift Yorke truly captures the cinematic potential of drum & bass, transporting the listener to the places and times he experienced with an astute blend of musicality and sound design. For fans of melodic dance music that can be both emotive and still move a dancefloor, The Gift is sure to be well received.

a1. The Gift

a2. Silver River

b1. Ryoan-Ji

b2. Totem

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Oliver Yorke - The Gift

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.49 (£8.99 Inc VAT)

Released 23rd March 2018

Cosmic Bridge kicks off 2018 with an energetic four-track EP full of fresh ideas. Proc Fiskal is the alias of Joe Powers, an Edinburgh native who has been active in the grime scene, securing plays from DJ’s like Spooky, Grandmixxer, Jack Dat and stations like Radar Radio, Mode FM and Rinse FM. Drawing inspiration from strains of UK dance music like Jungle, Grime and Garage and the US rhythmic innovation of Footwork he released and EP of future pushing Grime with Hyperdub in 2017, speeding grime to jungle tempos for fascinating results. These unique tracks caught the ears of Om Unit leading to the Hello Boss EP, on which Proc Fiskal further explores the sweet spot between dark garage, grime and ragga jungle.

The tracks on Hello Boss were produced with DJs in mind. They’re energetic, versatile, and above all highly contagious in the dance. “A Fragrance” imagines Potential Badboy hanging out in the studio with Osmosis. The result is a fresh combination of mid-’90s jungle and UK garage with tightly-edited breakbeats, snapping drums, and a dark bassline clashing against flutes, sirens, horns and vocal samples. “Hello Boss” was inspired by a stand-off scene in a Bollywood movie, drawing its main sample from it and a tension that plays out in the interaction between drums and bassline. This is peak time dancefloor action, a dark roller to shake out the demons. Can you dig it? “Who Can’t Hear” is the most direct jungle production on the EP and shows Proc Fiskal for the dutiful student he is, able to tame the undiluted power of classic jungle with a modern touch: resonant bassline, smooth breakbeats, floating percussion, uplifting pads and a flurry of samples for a pure blast of junglistic joy. “Window Cat” closes the EP with a grime touch as icy, angular melodies rub against a robust bassline and sharp claps.

Hello Boss highlights the ingenuity and energy that can be found in the cracks of 160 bpm dance music, a space with enough room for innovation. It’s a natural fit for Cosmic Bridge, a label that has made its name by celebrating the weirdness on the fringes of genres. As Om Unit puts it, “Proc Fiskal’s sound fits sonically as well as logically alongside some of the pioneers we have supported over the years.”

a1. A Fragrance

a2. Hello Boss

b1. Who Can’t Hear

b2. Window Cat

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Proc Fiskal - Hello Boss

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.49 (£8.99 Inc VAT)

Since Jim Coles took on the mantle of Om Unit, the English producer has sought to challenge himself and his audience by going beyond the confines of genres and styles he has so far explored. In the process he has found success by striving for more feeling, for a more human and daring electronic music. This journey continues with ‘Self’, Coles’ third album as Om Unit and a true follow-up to his 2013 debut ‘Threads’.

‘Self’ captures Coles in a period of growth, change, and experimentation. Inspired by personal psychological and emotional healing work, and a vision of the self as an egg — which Coles later on discovered is a Jungian archetype — the album blends dubwise, bass-heavy music with the space of experimental ambient compositions and the daring imagination of a cold wave science fiction soundtrack.

The first Om Unit album on Coles’ own Cosmic Bridge label, ‘Self’ offers new forms amid familiar touches. Stripping away what people might expect, Coles deconstructed and reimagined his work so far as a challenge to himself and, in turn, to his fans.

The album opens with ‘Cold Love’ and ‘Passages’, two minimalist tracks that deconstruct the tropes Om Unit has become best known for and teases the listener with games of tension and release. This approach is revisited later with ‘Unmasked’, what Coles describes as ‘a power diagram’ of dancefloor ideas, and ‘Field of Dreams’, which began as an imagined dream about hardcore and ends up like a rave track heard inside someone else’s head, a mediation on the roots of a sound that has been central to Coles’ career so far.

Some choice vocal collaborations help anchor ‘Self’ beyond the abstractions of instrumental music. Bristol’s Rider Shafique lends his rugged voice to an inner monologue on ‘Nothing’. As the track’s rhythm unfolds at a seemingly glacial pace, Rider invites the listeners to embrace suffering and see how “in order to grow, we need the sunshine just as much as we need the rain.” Manchester’s DRS, whom Coles calls “one of the realest lyricists in drum & bass,” takes an equally empowering approach on ‘Make Believe’ over a beat that skews structural expectations. The last, but by no means least, vocal contributor is Amos, aka Amina Osmano of A/T/O/S, who lends her soulful tones to ‘What I Can Be’, an uplifting song that leads listeners into the light.

Fans of Om Unit’s more dancefloor-minded output are not forgotten. There’s the epic ’Out of the Shadows’, inspired by the importance of releasing trauma from our bodies, it's meld of soaring strings and gentle breakbeats bringing to mind classic era Metalheadz or early Massive Attack; the hopeful dance music of ‘Twilight’ with its inviting flute sample and punchy rhythms; the dubstep meets jungle of ‘Despite It All’; and the romantic yet melancholy footwork of ‘Cloudwerk’. The album ends with ‘Tahatan’, the Sioux word for hawk and — via its rhythmic lurch, bird samples, and layering — an invocation of key steps in Om Unit’s journey to date.

As Coles admits ‘Self’ is not an obvious album, but then again he has never been an obvious producer. Over the years that has meant exploring the potentials of hip-hop beats, the space of slow-motion house music, or the frenzy of footwork patterns and coming out the other side with personal takes fashioned from experience, experimentation, and excitement. With ‘Self’, Coles is once again putting Om Unit forward as a connector — between musical ideas, studio techniques, and potential emotional outcomes — rather than a purveyor. The album hides its beauty behind stylistic flexibility, inviting listeners to hear and feel the experiences and memories that make up who we are.

a1. Cold Love

a2. Passages

a3. Out of the Shadows

b1. Nothing (feat. Rider Shafique)

b2. Unmasked

b3. Make Believe (feat. DRS)

c1. Twilight

c2. Fieldofdreams

c3. Despite It All

d1. Cloudwerk

d2. What I Can Be (feat. Amos)

d3. Tahatan

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Om Unit - Self [2x12" Vinyl]

Cosmic Bridge Records

£14.99 (£17.99 Inc VAT)

Since Jim Coles took on the mantle of Om Unit, the English producer has sought to challenge himself and his audience by going beyond the confines of genres and styles he has so far explored. In the process he has found success by striving for more feeling, for a more human and daring electronic music. This journey continues with ‘Self’, Coles’ third album as Om Unit and a true follow-up to his 2013 debut ‘Threads’.

‘Self’ captures Coles in a period of growth, change, and experimentation. Inspired by personal psychological and emotional healing work, and a vision of the self as an egg — which Coles later on discovered is a Jungian archetype — the album blends dubwise, bass-heavy music with the space of experimental ambient compositions and the daring imagination of a cold wave science fiction soundtrack.

The first Om Unit album on Coles’ own Cosmic Bridge label, ‘Self’ offers new forms amid familiar touches. Stripping away what people might expect, Coles deconstructed and reimagined his work so far as a challenge to himself and, in turn, to his fans.

The album opens with ‘Cold Love’ and ‘Passages’, two minimalist tracks that deconstruct the tropes Om Unit has become best known for and teases the listener with games of tension and release. This approach is revisited later with ‘Unmasked’, what Coles describes as ‘a power diagram’ of dancefloor ideas, and ‘Field of Dreams’, which began as an imagined dream about hardcore and ends up like a rave track heard inside someone else’s head, a mediation on the roots of a sound that has been central to Coles’ career so far.

Some choice vocal collaborations help anchor ‘Self’ beyond the abstractions of instrumental music. Bristol’s Rider Shafique lends his rugged voice to an inner monologue on ‘Nothing’. As the track’s rhythm unfolds at a seemingly glacial pace, Rider invites the listeners to embrace suffering and see how “in order to grow, we need the sunshine just as much as we need the rain.” Manchester’s DRS, whom Coles calls “one of the realest lyricists in drum & bass,” takes an equally empowering approach on ‘Make Believe’ over a beat that skews structural expectations. The last, but by no means least, vocal contributor is Amos, aka Amina Osmano of A/T/O/S, who lends her soulful tones to ‘What I Can Be’, an uplifting song that leads listeners into the light.

Fans of Om Unit’s more dancefloor-minded output are not forgotten. There’s the epic ’Out of the Shadows’, inspired by the importance of releasing trauma from our bodies, it's meld of soaring strings and gentle breakbeats bringing to mind classic era Metalheadz or early Massive Attack; the hopeful dance music of ‘Twilight’ with its inviting flute sample and punchy rhythms; the dubstep meets jungle of ‘Despite It All’; and the romantic yet melancholy footwork of ‘Cloudwerk’. The album ends with ‘Tahatan’, the Sioux word for hawk and — via its rhythmic lurch, bird samples, and layering — an invocation of key steps in Om Unit’s journey to date.

As Coles admits ‘Self’ is not an obvious album, but then again he has never been an obvious producer. Over the years that has meant exploring the potentials of hip-hop beats, the space of slow-motion house music, or the frenzy of footwork patterns and coming out the other side with personal takes fashioned from experience, experimentation, and excitement. With ‘Self’, Coles is once again putting Om Unit forward as a connector — between musical ideas, studio techniques, and potential emotional outcomes — rather than a purveyor. The album hides its beauty behind stylistic flexibility, inviting listeners to hear and feel the experiences and memories that make up who we are.

a1. Cold Love

a2. Passages

a3. Out of the Shadows

b1. Nothing (feat. Rider Shafique)

b2. Unmasked

b3. Make Believe (feat. DRS)

c1. Twilight

c2. Fieldofdreams

c3. Despite It All

d1. Cloudwerk

d2. What I Can Be (feat. Amos)

d3. Tahatan

Om Unit - Self [CD Edition]

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.49 (£8.99 Inc VAT)

Sam Binga & Danny Scrilla - Weird In Munich

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.49 (£8.99 Inc VAT)

Cosmic Bridge welcomes yet another new talent to the roster: UK producer Jordan Parsons aka Crypticz, who for the past few years has been distilling influences from drum & bass, dubstep, and footwork into a deeply personal sound. Following EPs and singles for Different Music, Inflect Audio, and Doc Scott’s own 31 Records, Crypticz delivers a personal, emotive release for Cosmic Bridge. Forever was put together over the past year by Om Unit and Crypticz — with the label boss inviting Parsons “to take more risks and guiding him into the fog.” As a result the EP offers a distilled, more refined take on the dub aesthetic that has powered the young producer’s music to date.

The title track gets right to the point with layers of delayed bleeps and clicks creating a dense rhythmic bed. Crypticz then finds the space in the layers inserts a simple 2-step drum pattern as well as a driving, guttural bass line, and strings to complete the sonic picture. Breathe, close your eyes, and just let go. ‘Shapes of You’ was inspired by a collection of ’80s synthesizer sounds Om Unit shared with Crypticz and which drove the creation of a track with distinct yet complimentary melodic and rhythmic parts. The slow, droning synthesizers envelope the listener while the gently rolling rhythm stands somewhere to the side. The overall mood is inviting and meditative, full of space for the listener to nestle in and find their own shape.

‘The Crawler’ is the EP’s most direct dancefloor track yet still sidesteps the obvious, an eyes-down roller in the finest Cosmic Bridge tradition. Flutes, percussion, and synthesizer elements expand slowly to achieve a subtle sense of progression despite the track’s seeming sense of stasis. The EP closes with ‘Spirit On (For Z)’, written as a dedication to a loved one, a spacious and stretched out ambient workout with sparse percussion, droning bass, and softly layered pads that still manages to give a sense of rolling out despite the lack of obvious rhythms. The digital version of the EP includes an alternate version of ‘Spirit On’, which further stretches the ambient warmth of the track.

By taking a dive further into the abyss of dub and ambient, Crypticz has emerged with a four-track EP that perfectly balances the itching tension of technoid rhythms with the relaxed ease of dub echoes. Forever echoes some of the early work by label boss of Om Unit while maintaining a forward look. It’s a fitting addition to Cosmic Bridge’s growing catalogue of outernational dubwise, bass heavy music.

a1. Forever

a2. Shapes Of You

b1. The Crawler

b2. Spirit On (For Z)

Crypticz - Forever EP

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.49 (£8.99 Inc VAT)

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Danny Scrilla - Ancient Musical Box LP [Cassette]

Cosmic Bridge Records

£8.32 (£9.98 Inc VAT)

Released 26th May 2017

Cosmic Bridge Records blazes new pathways in its growing catalogue by welcoming Margari’s Kid to the family, the alias of José María Moya Sánchez — a Spanish producer based in Cadiz. Inspired by British dance culture, Sanchez first began writing his own tracks in 2012 and says he uses music primarily as therapy with a preference towards “broken rhythms, depth, and message.” The Init 1 EP is a riveting slice of 170bpm seekers music, a developed and adult sound that brings to mind Burial and Kid Drama and marks Margari’s Kid first physical release.

The four instrumental tracks that make up Init 1 are intended to reflect different stages of Sanchez’s life, from the buoyancy of childhood to the dawning wisdom of early adulthood. The titles are borrowed from computer commands that relate to each life stage while hinting at a potential future Sanchez believes will see society become absorbed by machines.

‘Halt’ reflects the insouciance of youth with uplifting riffs and analogue warmth over a slow, half-time rhythm. From there we move to adolescence with ‘Pwd’ and the music becomes darker and more aggressive, echoing the turbulence of personal and social discoveries: the drums are more insistent, the bass resonates louder, and there are distant samples lost in a sea of fuzz. ‘Lost Brightness’ is calmer, its vocal samples about mental instability and reality reflecting the existential crises that come with early adulthood. The track is rooted in the broken rhythms Sanchez prefers, his own take on the Autonomic school of beats, just as spacious but also grittier. The end, for now, comes with the title track. This is Sanchez as he is today: brighter, a little wiser, and somewhat hopeful. We loop back to the start with warm melodic progressions and rhythms in between the freneticism of the dancefloor and the mental space of introspection.

"This EP is to me a current and progressive take on 170bpm, almost beyond the genre in its construction,” says label head Om Unit. Init 1 is electronic music for an electronic future, a biography in drums, bass, samples, and melodies. As a new talent Sanchez is in good company on Cosmic Bridge alongside previous A&R finds Moresounds and Danny Scrilla. And just like them and label head Om Unit, Margari’s Kid has found a vein of sound all his own that is ripe for exploration.

a1. Halt

a2. Pwd

b1. Losy Brightness

b2. Init

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Margari's Kid - Init 1 EP

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.49 (£8.99 Inc VAT)

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Moresounds - Mutation Experts EP

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.49 (£8.99 Inc VAT)

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Om Unit Presents Cosmology Selections (Ltd Edition 3x12" Vinyl LP)

Cosmic Bridge Records

£22.47 (£26.96 Inc VAT)

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TMSV - Jazz Error / Calavera [10" Vinyl]

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.49 (£8.99 Inc VAT)

Released 21st October 2016

Torchlight is a series of releases from Om Unit dedicated to exploring ideas that are truly perpendicular to the standard templates of dubstep, jungle, and drum & bass.

The sold-out series began in July 2015 and ends a year later with Volume 3, offering listeners a trilogy of sonic meditations on form over function. Torchlight was started as a reaction to the stylistic boxes artists find themselves forced into, in this case the perception of Om Unit as the “footwork jungle, half time guy.” Written over the course of a year during a time of personal upheaval, the series explores the recesses of tempo limitation while also allowing Om Unit to question possible future directions for his artistry. “Often I would play the songs to friends who wouldn’t quite get it, which to me is a sign of things moving on.”

The A side is given over to the 8-minute-long, sprawling ’Underground Cinema’ collaboration with Bristol legend DJ Krust. Best known for his work with the Full Cycle label and Reprazent project, Krust’s own explorations of the limits of drum & bass in the late 90s have been a foundational inspiration for Om Unit ever since. As the title implies, the song is intended as an imaginary soundtrack with Krust supplying the bulk of the synth work and FX, and Om Unit handling the arrangement and rhythm. The result is a composition that brings to mind great moments in drum & bass history but yearning for something grander as it unfurls in delicate movements, each element finding its own rightful place, and with a calculated pace that engulfs the listener in a cinematic ride both physically and cerebrally.

On the B side, ‘Fuzzd An Soup’ laces a rolling break over a steady rhythmic pulse alongside delicate melodies for another take on eyes-down at a faster tempo. Things then slow back down to an imperfect quarter-time on ’Lightbody Transfer’ as energies are reset for the next step of the journey.

With Volume 3, Torchlight rounds off a collection of songs charting the less frequented waters of uptempo dance music, a hand drawn map to other possibilities for fellow sonic adventurers and explorers.

a1. Underground Cinema (Feat Krust)

b1. Fuzzd An Soup

b2. Lightbody Transfer

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Om Unit - Torchlight Vol.3

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.49 (£8.99 Inc VAT)

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TMSV - Over Out EP

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.07 (£8.48 Inc VAT)

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J:Kenzo - Skatta / Alight

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.07 (£8.48 Inc VAT)

Cosmic Bridge kicks off 2016 with the second volume of Om Unit’s *Torchlight EP* series, five productions of taut dance floor explorations for the mind, body, and soul.

Having achieved worldwide fame in the past few years with a refreshing take on dubstep, jungle, and sound system aesthetics that saw him embraced by the likes of Goldie (Metalheadz), dBridge (Exit Records), and Mala (DMZ/Deep Medi), Om Unit set up the Torchlight series in 2014 as an exploratory exercise, a way to “seek ideas to further what came before by breaking with personal tradition and exploring studio techniques.” This desire to shine a light into the darker corners of his creativity is also reflected in the series’ artwork, a rendering of the alchemical symbol for fire positioned inside the Vesica Piscis, a mathematical symbol representing the void.

*Torchlight vol.2* continues Om Unit’s exploration of ideas perpendicular to templates of the dubstep, jungle, and drum & bass worlds. Locked on a 160– 170bpm guiding axis, the EP delves into the deep end of sound system beats with subtle melodic flourishes, thoughtful sampling, and loose structures. ‘Connector’ opens proceedings with the meditative focus Om Unit has made his trademark, the mood rising in an understated manner. ‘Adventures In Eden’ comes across like a lost 1994 Good Looking Records anthem, kicking off with a funky percussion line that is soon joined by dense, bright pads—leading the listener into the void—before the breaks are let loose for five minutes of raw skanking. On ‘Mothership Riddim’, Om Unit teams up with underground legend Mark Force (Reinforced Records, Bugz In The Attic) to call all ravers back aboard for further interplanetary dance floor journeys. The pair weave timeless elements—bright chords, fluid breaks, nasty bass lines—into an uplifting slice of future funk. The EP closes with a pair of eyes-down meditations: ’Transformation’ deploys samples that evoke a trek into the deep jungle while ‘Angry Buzz’ is a darker trip on the back of a bass line melody evoking the spirits of classic 2005 dubstep. Spread out!

Cosmic Bridge was set up in the spring of 2011 as a way for Om Unit to exercise a new found A&R sensibility. Through his support of established and new talents— Kromestar, Boxcutter, Danny Scrilla, Moresounds—the label has become a trusted independent source for fans of adventurous dance music. *Torchlight vol.1*, released in the summer of 2014, was Om Unit’s first solo release for the label and it’s fitting that vol.2 would open the label’s fifth year, setting the tone for what is to come.

*Torchlight vol.2* is the sound of a producer in full control of his creativity inviting you along for a ride into the expanses of sound system’s future. Whether enjoyed at home, on the road, or in front of a speaker stack, just let go and come along.

a1. Om Unit - Connector

a2. Om Unit - Mothership Riddim (featuring Mark Force)

b1. Om Unit - Adventures In Eden

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Om Unit - Torchlight Vol.2

Cosmic Bridge Records

£7.07 (£8.48 Inc VAT)

Released 2nd October 2015

DJ Madd is Hungarian-born New York resident Peter Simon. Arriving via Bristol and Tokyo he has been writing music since his early teens and scored his first vinyl release in ‘08. Highly acclaimed for his WAR series of white label releases, he bridges the sonic connection between underground bass music and the Jamaican reggae sound. Amongst others, he has also recorded for N-Type’s Wheel & Deal Records, Dubstep mainstays Boka & Subway, Dub specialists ZamZam Sounds, Junglists 36 Hertz and Chemical Records brilliant and sadly defunct Black Box label.

Madd’s Cosmic Bridge debut, the “Rum Punch EP” further refines his soundbwoy science with four big riddims designed for big rigs. Operating in the fertile 160 BPM range he combines heavy 808’s with classic dubwise sounds, touching on Jungle, OG ‘06 Dubstep, Hip-Hop and Dub. He says.... “My focus is to bring the fusion of reggae music with modern sounds to the next level.”

Sharpened stepper ‘Dredlok’ fires the first round at Babylon; sci-fi dread synths conspire with the spectres of a murderous Ragga vocal, natty halfstep drums and an incendiary LFO tweaked bassline that will rumble on any system very nicely. EP title track ‘Rum Punch’ follows with steel drums (their inclusion inspired by Dillinja’s clas- sic All Aboard) rolling breaks and colossal weighted bass enveloping another fine-cut 808 beat.

On the flip, is the more stoned and rolling, ‘SPCL RQST’. Wide arcing synth pads and shadowy robo-Rastafari vocals samples drift out into space, while the tracks pressurised digidub FX and seriously deep dub chords give a riddim lesson for many, and a red-eyed flashback for the rest. ‘Duppy’ closes; a sticky digickal roots bubbler for all malevolent spirits. Raw sweeping square wave bass and more dub FX ride on the cushioned sub bass and hydro-charged breakbeats that, like the rest of the EP, are all mixed down for serious soundsystem play, no heavy limiting/compression just dynamic vibes, so we let it all breathe!

Om Unit says.... “Cosmic Bridge releases so far have drawn on a lot of styles within sound system culture but I had been thinking, what’s missing from the picture so far is a representation of the dub element; So when legend in the scene DJ Madd approached me with some more uptempo tunes it seemed fitting to draw on his talents. He specialises in modern dub and does it with such style. So here we are.. a killer 4 tracker with a slice of pineapple on the B side. Who can argue? Rum Punch mate, vibes!”

a1. DJ Madd - Dredlok

a2. DJ Madd - Rum Punch

b1. DJ Madd - SPCL RQST

b2. DJ Madd - Duppy

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DJ Madd - Rum Punch EP

Cosmic Bridge Records

£6.66 (£7.99 Inc VAT)

Label boss Om Unit delivers his first full solo release for Cosmic Bridge!

Jim Coles, aka Om Unit launched his Cosmic Bridge imprint in 2011 with his (now highly prized) collaboration with Kromestar, ‘Solar Cycle/Merkabah’ and despite further appearances on the label; remixing and collaborating with Moresounds, Danny Scrilla, EAN and compiling the labels DJ Mag nominated compilation of the year ‘Cosmology’, solo material from the prolific producer has been noticeably absent from the Cosmic Bridge release schedule... until now.

Om Unit is constantly mutating his take on UK soundsystem music and following his acclaimed ‘Inversions’ LP for Metalheadz ‘Torchlight Vol.1’ is sure not to disappoint. Drawing on his perfect storm of influences the innovative hip hop and drum’n’bass dismantling outsider builds some of his most progressive music yet . As Om Unit tells it...

“This record is the result of many studio jams using outboard gear and less rules. Applying these almost non-techniques to the 160bpm bass music template I was seeking new ideas by breaking up the work flow. The result whilst some might say is not a million miles away from music I’ve made before, is a step further out of the box I feel I have helped create somehow.”

Opening track ‘Wagonist Riddim’ hints at some sort of anti-gravity Dub-futurismism; atmospheric squarewave soundsystem skank exploded and reconfigured at 160. A dynamic balance of halftime restraint, purring FX and rude analog nostalgia. ‘Spirit- werk’ counters with high-octane percussive alchemy, combining grime, footwork and rave and thrusting its technoid weirdness and headrush fills in the face of a faded/commercialised/gentrified recollection of original rave culture’s paradigm shift. This ain’t no frequency study. Move.

Jungle veteran, DnB legend and Function Records boss Digital (Metalheadz, Phanton Audio, 31 Recordings and more) guests on dark steppa ‘Midnight Oil’ lending his heavy, dub-influenced sound to the raw breakbeats. Together the two influential producers flex some proper ‘ardcore torque and bruising sound design and the result is a ‘92 breakbeat version of the detroit techno sound; sleek lines, sci-fi punch and sense of space and momentum.

The last track on the wax ‘The Lake’ ebbs and flows, an immersive adventuring mechanical-soul-scape that calls to mind some of Leftfield’s finer ‘Leftism’ moments. Inspired by a mediative experience at the clear, pure and still waters of Lake Volanselkä outside of Helsinki it’s a feast of downtempo nordic infused dub sonics and fluid etherial syncopation. The title of Torchlight’s icy bonus cut ‘Demons Out’ does nothing to belie its nature; described by Coles as “a Ritualistic cleansing for a soundboy’s head” the track closes the EP - slow, offbeat, halfstepping and atmospheric - and gives time to contemplate the vision and potency of it’s makers music.

As Torchlight’s name might suggest, and the graphic on the B side of the vinyl reiterates (the alchemical symbol for fire), Om Unit is shining a light into the void. Look out for Om Unit performing this summer at the dates below and his upcoming US tour.

Torchlight is released 31st July 2015 on Cosmic Bridge on Limited Edition 12” Vinyl and Download.

a1. Om Unit - Wagonist Riddim