Arguably the Netherlands’ most prominent grime artist, JLSXND7RS’ name is synonymous with some of the most iconic productions around, with a vast back catalogue including collaborations with Wiley, Footsie, Rocks FOE and Discarda. For the debut vinyl release on his fledgling label, Dark Knight, he’s brought out a long-awaited fan favourite alongside two gargantuan reimaginations.
From its brassy opening notes, “ Marching” is instantly recognisable – a minimal, yet menacing instrumental which has enjoyed countless plays from esteemed DJs including Slimzee and Sir Spyro since it first surfaced on the airwaves in 2016. It also comes with Mala’s seal of approval; the Digital Mystikz legend has cut the track to dubplate for use in his sets.
On side B1, dubstep royalty Caspa pares back the original to its base elements, instead introducing gritty basslines, mesmerising percussion and a grimy harmony to bridge the gap between the two genres.
The release concludes with a remix from Brighton innovator and Sector 7 signee J ook, which Outlook festival-goers will recognise. His melodic interpretation of the song includes swelling reversed synths, shuffling drums and cinematic breakdowns.
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.
