Innerverse is a Record Label spearheaded by Dubstep veteran Quest specializing in forward thinking, innovative and expressive Bass music. 140 bpm and beyond!
We at Antisocial Records are happy to announce our first release ‘Don’t Play Games’
Being babies of the 80’s but children of the 90’s; we spent many hours in our room
playing 90’s Video Games, therefore we were heavily influenced by their soundtracks. So we've selected the very best soundtracks to give a facelift and these are the results.
The first track, ‘Silkie vs Joss Ryan’- Sub Castle, is a reimagination of a song from the ‘Super Mario World’ soundtrack. Next up is ‘Silkie -FF7’ which samples the
‘Final Fantasy7’ Fighting Theme. And, last but not least we have; ‘Silkie - Sonic Boom’ which takes on the Guile Theme from ‘Street Fighter2’.
a1. Silkie Vs Joss Ryan - Sub Castle (Bowser Riddim)
Brand new label from Dark Tantrums, and underground London based Dubstep/Bass producer whose debut album was well received and released on Kromestar’s Nebula Music Group label. He has since worked on labels such as Mala’s Deep Medi, Tunnidge’s Origin Audio label and also the Bass Music brand Get Darker. Branching out finally with his own label he plans to release at least a few releases a year containing in-demand material
Brand new Silkie on his very own Anti Social label, Support from N-Type (Rinse FM), L-Wiz (Alloutdubstep), DJ Hatcha, Cimms (Tempa), DJ Scratcha & DJ Quest.
Hyped new signing to DJ Madd’s Roots& Future label is Itoa, who comes alive with his debut full EP on the label having being previously recruited to remix some of Madd’s own material.
The result is a fresh approach within the Dancehall/Dubstep framework with a bit of footwork inspiration thrown in the mix. Certainly an artist to keep a keen eye on.
Leaving unwarranted hype to others - the London/Manchester based imprint ‘Reflektion/Tapes’ are not messing around when it comes to their remarkably promising debut vinyl. Catalogued as ‘RTAPES001’, it features a collaboration of Von D with Mizz Beats and Mr Lager respectively. The renowned, french heavyweight has a plethora of releases on highly regarded labels like Trojan Audio, GetDarker, Infernal Sounds, Khaliphonic & Scrub A Dub among others. If this were not enough, Deep Medi signee Mizz Beats, who’s already collaborated with the likes of Roots Manuva and Silkie, has been back in the studio, pairing up on the A-Side with Von D for an unquestionably passionate musical work of art. On the flip the B-Side is a clear statement to the synergetic nature of Von D and Mr. Lager’s joint effort - effortlessly topping off this release.
Commencing with the much sought after ‘Dot Compulsion’, bell-like chimes reflect off playful lead melodies, leaving room for tape-delay trails floating away to soulful chords. A tastefully saturated bass joins its correlating 2-Step/Garage groove, rejoicing along an emotive ride. It then proceeds to evolve into a straight pulse, steadily rolling along, plastered with silky vocal snippets and captivating harmonic, at times granular, soundscapes.
A highly differing brew of vibrations can be felt from Mr. Lager & Von D's ‘Some Other Place’. The B-Side sees us diving back down into the shadows. Initialising itself with an incredibly ponderous kick drum, complimented by sparsely used spring reverberations and twirling echo trails - introducing more dubstep-oriented accents. What follows is an airy, spaced out sub workout, accompanied by menacingly tight percussive hits from start to finish, guaranteed to test sound systems & leave chests rattling.
Having first surfaced on Osiris sister label ‘Ruffcut’ just over 2 years ago, Tremble has quickly built a small, but core following. 2017 sees Tremble launch his own platform ‘Safari Music’. The first release is a 3 track slab of dubbed out plastic, with each tune offering the usual Dred beats, Heavy subs, and blissed out atmospherics that Tremble has become known for. Safari Art has a lot of exciting music lined up for the remainder of 2017, and we thank you in advance for your support.
As Shadows Pass as the name suggests, reflects on a sound that has been around for years yet not prevalent in the present era. Shadows move and alter over time but their essence remains the same; as it is with the direction of ASP and the philosophy of the music it represents.
As Shadows Pass was implemented by Aural Imbalance & his team with one purpose. Release forward thinking, deeper D&B with an ear on the future - while keeping another on the heady sounds of days gone by.
The emphasis of ASP is to give our core Producers from the deeper sound of D&B a platform on which they can express themselves, without the fear of having to compromise on the depth & intellect of their Art.
As Shadows Pass believe this hand-picked selection of Artists have what it takes to bring the vision of the label to fruition. With that said we can now proudly present the NineTeaseEP by Aural Imbalance.
Nine Tease nods back to the days of 90’s Atmospheric D&B. Heavy rolling beats that have you shaking with delight at their infectious quality. The main riff has an uplifting summer vibe with a kiss of sunshine. Full on flashback retro feels with a modern twist - spacey pads & detailed fx that ebb and flow throughout, managing to capture those golden age moments yet still feeling fresh and relevant.
Spiral Divide - Pure spaced out bliss, yet with bags of energy in all the right places. The flow comes straight from your favourite sci-fi world where gadgets and machines are king. Warm lush pads fill the palate, supported by a cast of delicate synths & FX that drift into the psyche with hypnotic effect. The beats are crisp modern rolling little beasts, shuffling a merry dance along those pathways of the mind, all bottomed off with that soul shifting analogue bass.
Alpha Protocol Continuing into the depths, this moody, broody little number has a colder yet more immediate presence. The soundscape has an almost clinical feeling that grabs you by the balls then drags you in an otherworldly direction. Rolling, filtered snares & shuffles are connected to crisp hats - solid kicks have a controlled frenzy about them. An oscillating bass evolves through the track, rising and falling through filtrated cycles creating whirlwind acoustics.
For all those who are already fans of the AI sound then this is a complete no brainer exercise - Splash the Cash to get his work on wax. For those new to his sound, this is a perfect introduction. Don’t Sleep.
Dark, dread-infused and ready to test even the toughest of sound-systems, here Compa delivers three twisted, distorted and deadly electronic experiments.
Removing all but the most crucial elements, Compa combines crushing sub-bass with skeletal percussion and chilling atmospheres to show yet again through his signature sound how less is always more.
Compa has received DJ support from the likes of Mala, Toddla T, Chase & Status, Mary-Anne Hobbs, Youngsta, MistaJam, David Rodigan, Shades (Alix Perez and Eprom) Hatcha, Om Unit and Plastician among others.
Abstract Elements return to one of the founders of the Autonomic movement with two tracks that are a continuation of what shaped their stripped back, minimal approach to Autonomic and later what would be known as “Microfunk”.
Abstract Elements have released on labels such as Exit, ASC's Auxiliary and recently for Noisia's Invisible imprint.
Nedostatic and Right Way are what you would expect from such talented producers, with both attention to detail and precision execution in their dynamics.
Both tracks feature in dBridge and Kid Drama's “Heart Drive” podcast and followers of Exit Records and recent CNVX releases will find this to be right up their street!
martianMan returns with 4 jungle influenced tracks.
A1 “You And Me” is sci-fi influenced drum funk tune. At the beginning only beauty passes through, revealing a place you desire to be. A relaxing environment to come home from work to. Then, an abandoned warehouse in an city like in Blade Runner pumps out a rave. A jungle rave in deep space. Get ready. It’s just You And Me.
A2 “Like A Rebel” has Elvin Jones talking about his drumming. To get you started, jazz piano softly brings you into a smoke filled drum funk jazz club in space. An underlying sense of weightlessness has you catatonic in as the Funky Mule break sets it off and you’re once again nodding your head to the groove. Nice pad breakdown before the outro.
B1 “You Are Here” employs a sturdy intro with a “There are forces in this world” vocal that has you on edge. After the intro settles, before the Amen science drops, you are in a smoke filled, computer generated room waiting for your train to arrive to take you to the party. This is a journey tune so enjoy it!
B2 “Get Dropped” used Black Pearls “Cold Sweat” break. The DJ friendly intro gets you started. A little knowledge about big record labels makes you think some. Then comes the signature martianMan smokey space vibes before the drop. Tune rolls nicely but wait for the rave stabs and niceness pads during the last stretch.
April sees Bristol bass don Facta drop his first release on Bloc with a storming double A-side, backed up with a remix from PAN and Berceuse Heroique affiliate Beneath.
Facta is one of the most exciting artists to come out of Bristol in the past few years, with a string of high impact releases on seminal UK imprints Idle Hands, Tempa, Wisdom Teeth and Soundman Chronicles. And this latest 12 is no different.
The EP kicks off with Alsatian, a deep technical bass workout that merges the UK template of airtight drum programming and the deepest of deep sub bass with a bump and roll that feels like classic electro… Watch out for the second drop, the subs are absolutely lethal.
Beneath closes the A-side with a stripped back take on Alsatian that reduces the original down to its bare essentials of shimmering drums and rumbling sub bass. A seriously deep remix that is strictly for the bass heads.
On the flip, Scotch Mist is cut from the same cloth as Alsatian, with expertly deployed junglist drum edits and some tasteful sample choices elevating the track into something really special. This has been on dubplate for nearly two years and we’re really proud to finally be putting it out.
Dread Recordings have remained on the forefront since they began releasing music in the early 90s. Since then, both drum & bass and the imprint have moved from strength to strength, with Dread staying true to the sound which remains a pinnacle of the genre’s roots. And alongside head honcho, Ray Keith, the British legend that played a pivotal part in the early jungle scene, their A&R skill has remained the same since their first signing. Their subsequent LP ‘Ray Keith Presents: Margaman’ is a testament to this, rolling out a definitive part of the Dread Recording’s roster to bring this 2 track 12" sampler to the thirteen track album which once again puts their commitment to drum & bass on a podium.
For over two decades, Dread Recordings have time and time again maintained their seminal output with every release. Managing to present a crossover of old school and more modern day techniques, they’ve given fresh life to the jungle riddims which made drum & bass so prominent during its inception. And for this subsequent release, label head honcho Ray Keith steps up to the plate, bringing with his a deliciously rolling selection of bass heavy proportions. With a massive back catalogue and an even more impressive roster, the figurehead’s addition goes on to expand the credibility heralded by both the artists and imprint. Dread Recordings continue to impress, with a history documented through their stellar releases.
Nothing less than a jungle tear-out, the Penny mix of ‘Feel Some’ cuts open Ray Keith’s production standard and opens its raw centre. ‘Feel Some’ is an example of what Ray Keith does best, striving to hit harder each time with sprawling, smashing drums and guttural bass sounds. Taking precedent are those all-important breaks, still standing as the most prominent feature from start to finish. Penny gives it an extra layer, drawing for a heavier flow and firing shot after sonic shot. Neither artist grabs for the brakes.
‘Do You Wanna Cook’ proves that both Dread Recordings and Ray Keith don’t adhere to any trend, instead they spearhead a subgenre which has run its own show for some time now. Rugged subs and rattling percussion help fill out the mix, whilst tinny kicks help to underpin its composition. Biting reese slips through between layers, giving a brooding, intimidating hook which stalks its bassline. Then comes ‘Zion Dred’, slightly more subdued in its rollout but still surging with every succession of pads. It begins to grow in its intensity, not presenting a full-frontal attack like its predecessors but still powerful with every relay. ‘Virus’ finishes the release, with a clanking set of breaks and punchy drums skittering amongst its clicking hi-hats and swathes of static bass. The track is a lesson through the roots of both Dread Recordings and its stalwart Ray Keith. It’s a gradual build, but one which highlights the ingenuity behind both artist and label.
The hardest working reggae band in southern England, Dubheart is on a mission to spread messages of peace, love, unity and resistance through a heady stew of contemporary roots reggae, delivered on live instruments with a hefty dose of dub in the mix. Cool Under Pressure, their latest offering, is the band’s most compelling set to date, a ‘showcase’-style album where every vocal track is followed by its dub counterpart, and the vital contribution of the Brassica Horns—from rising London ska band Chainska Brassica—is another intriguing element that makes this album tougher than the rest.
Drawing on the foundations laid by Jamaican stalwarts such as Burning Spear, Dennis Brown and Culture, dub pioneers like Scientist and Jah Shaka, plus newer vanguards such as Tarrus Riley, Grounation and Conscious Sounds, Dubheart has crafted a distinctly appealing style that is very much their own, based on the organic presentation of their musical vision. Indeed, this fully self-contained five-piece is firmly engrained in the neo-roots movement of the present, with a sound that faces ever forwards.
The south coast-based band was first formed back in 1999, and slowly built a following through their intense live performances, which always harnessed a live dub element. Their first EP, “The Solid Foundation Rhythm,” issued on their own Karnatone label in 2011 and featuring dub mixes by Russ D of the Disciples, became a regular part of Jah Shaka’s live playlists. It was followed by the 7” 45, “We Chant,” featuring the band’s charismatic Bristol-based lead singer, Tenja (who originally hails from France), the track becoming an underground anthem in Japan (via Rob Smith, aka RSD). Dubheart’s first album, Mental Slavery, was released in 2013, a momentous year that also saw the band win the European Reggae Contest staged by Rototom Sunsplash, leading to a European tour with festival appearances at Summerjam (Germany), Reggae Sun Ska (France), Overjam (Slovenia), Sudoweste (Portugal), United Islands (Czech Republic) and the Sardinia Reggae Festival, as well as Rototom in Spain. Then, in 2015, Karnatone issued the dub companion to Mental Slavery, mixed down in a heavy dubwise fashion by drummer Gavin Sant, otherwise known as Fullness; the band was then invited to participate in the BBC television show, The UK’s Best Part-Time Band, leading to their EP of cover tunes, 2016’s “Full Time Pressure,” again with dub versions from Fullness. Part of the band’s appeal lies in its tightness as a recording and performing unit; when you see them live, you understand that this band of brothers is on a higher mission, united in their wish to use music as a means of upliftment. And that sentiment is entirely evident on Cool Under Pressure. The melodic bass grooves of Mark Shepherd act as the perfect buffer to the furious rolls and expressive drum patterns of Fullness; David ‘Daddy U’ Mountjoy adds scintillating melodies on keyboards, including some delightful Wurlitzer lines, and Richard Ramsey’s guitar licks tend towards the understated, aside from the occasional solo pyrotechnics, as heard here on “Rocky Road.” And on songs like “Can’t Wait,” “Watcha Gonna Do” and the title track, the Brassica Horns add further melodic depth through fanfares of treble brass texture. With the rhythms laid entirely through live recording sessions cut at Fullness’ home studio in Bournemouth (with horn and Wurlitzer overdubs done elsewhere), Cool Under Pressure reveals Dubheart as a band on the rise, heading for unstoppable heights.
The dub deconstructions on the disc allow the listener to hear the exceptional quality of their playing, emphasizing each member’s individual talent, while the lyrics tackle subjects we can all relate to, with “Watcha Gonna Do” addressing social inequalities, “Can’t Wait” alluding to the refugee crisis, “Rocky Road” imploring everyone to hold strong in trying times, and “Rise Up” calling for direct action against the unjust system that rules our lands. Overall, the outstanding title track “Cool Under Pressure” really sums up the band’s ethos: the system may burden us with the stresses of censure and control, but our obligation is to stay true to ourselves and resist. And the music can help us to achieve this.
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