Conceived at a poignant intersection of Killawatt's existence, the Fazed EP evokes an introverted and pedantic nature, tailored for the individual over the collective. Produced during a period of self-reflection and change, the EP signifies a positive gear selection in the mind-set and approach to sound design and music as a whole. A period of sustained momentum and the challenging of previous attitudes resulted in Killawatt consciously isolating himself from specific negativity in and around him, Through forced positivity, elimination of destructive environments and a more embracing approach to introversion, inner thoughts and sentiments are brought to the fore and expose a rarely seen fragility unaffected by external influence. Remixes provided by Bristol based, Peng Sound boss Ossia and Berlin Atonal favorites Sergie Rezza (DJ Deep & Roman Poncet).
Never Ready Records welcomes Dublin's Major Grave to the label delivering Grime, Garage and Dubstep munitions from the Major's sonic arsenal, decimating all that lays in his path.
"Take Charge" drops like a depth charge of shimmering bass cannons and 2-step snaps. Waxing lyrical with "If You Want" sees Grave notch the mood down and get melodic, while still keeping proceedings bouncy. The B-Side is reminiscent of early FWD days with the woofah bass galore of "S.W.A.T" and the dark transient melodies of "Dem Nevah Ready".
From Dublin's first Boiler Room event to 12”s released on Big Dada , Local Action , Sulk and with years behind the MPCs as part of Ireland's premier underground bass crew ‘Standard’, Major Grave cements his position as a force to be reckoned with in the instrumental grime and bass scene.
Never Ready Records' second release in a four part salvo of underground ordnance continues with cover artwork from Nerog, 180g coloured vinyl and limited pressing of 300 units.
Raincloud Records has announced its debut release, a two-track 12” from Mancunian duo Alan Johnson. Lead track, ‘Operator’, is a punchy, spacious stomper laced with golden-era grime horns and strings. Delayed, disembodied clicks, claps and pulses echo throughout along with a call-to-arms vocal pulled straight from the soundclash. On the flip, ‘The Poet’ builds an enormous groove out of broken percussion, spoken word and an intermittent woodwind sample in a manner that recalls early DMZ white labels. This will be Alan Johnson’s first standalone release since 2013’s standout ‘Goron Sound’ on Blank Mind. The duo channel golden-era UK soundsystem music of the mid-to-late noughties into a tight techno template, blending serious bass pressure with a dynamic rhythmic approach that pulls in influences from across the spectrum. As much touched by the bounce of UK funky as the driving tempo of techno or the abstract synths of instrumental grime, Alan Johnson’s music is emblematic of a generation that has lived through one of the most fruitful and creative periods of UK electronic dance music to date. Founded by producer/DJs Caski and Near – who have previously released as individuals on labels including Tectonic, Keysound, Ghost, EMF, Trapped Audio & Pretty Weird – Raincloud Records builds on Bristol’s famed heritage as one of the UK’s most exciting musical hubs. Sitting somewhere between early Hemlock and Hotflush, and the more industrial leanings of Livity Sound, Swamp 81 and Houndstooth, Raincloud aims to provide a home for artists reveling in a no-boundaries approach to making music for the dancefloor.
DJ Support includes: Lamont (Swamp81), Ancestral Voices (Samurai), Akkord (Houndstooth), Mumdance (XL / Tectonic), Synkro (R&S / Apollo).
As one of the UK's most hyped and anticipated new producers, Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points has been busy in the studio crafting a warm and soulful blend of house and boogie. Consisting of three new tracks the Vacuum EP is a club friendly slice of upbeat summer madness. It's title track 'Vacuum Boogie' is already in heavy rotation on the playlists of Benji B, Mary Anne Hobbs and Gillies Peterson.
Paul Ritch is back on Drumcode with his astounding new single 'Brainwash'. Perfectly capturing the energetic, driving techno sound that Paul is capable of, 'Brainwash' delivers something that really engrains into the memory and leaves the dancefloor filled with vitality. On the flip side, 'Inside Me' is a heavily percussive rolling track that uses interesting synth hooks and stabs to create a rocking groove that creates vigour and depth that Paul's techno represents.
Adam Beyer's Drumcode juggernaut attracts more fans and critical plaudits with each passing year. Holding firm on its future facing ethos, techno's number one label presents a new volume in its acclaimed A-Sides to signify its 20th anniversary.
Such is the volume of quality music Adam Beyer receives throughout the course of the year, releasing all of it would be impossible. Enter the blue chip A-Sides series: a chance for the quality-obsessive label head to issue a collection of outstanding tracks that couldn't fit in their regular EP release schedule. With an eye on future talent, as much as the label's established roster of heavy-hitters, the compilation showcases the full breadth of Drumcode's multifaceted techno sound, equal parts inspiring and functional. the fourth & final part features Jay Lumen, Juan Sanchez & Kevin de Vries.
The Maghreban returns with essential new house odyssey 'Brooklyn', named after his dead cat. His second outing on Black Acre, 'Brooklyn' is a breathtaking night flight, viewed through a prism both phantasmagorical and seedily terrestrial. Trance inducing Caribbean percussion, possessed chants, Motown bass, sci-fi synths, wayward filter sweeps, analogue free jazz - all get their moment to shine in the weird and wonderful 8-minute microcosm that is 'Brooklyn'. Flip-side 'The Carpenters' strikes a more domesticated tone, with motorik industrial dub eventually giving way to haunted sci-fi bachelor pad lounge.
Following Swayzak’s Gestures Of A Sycophant, the third release on Beatnik Boulevard sees the return of Appleblim after he launched the label in style with the Conch Shell Motives EP. This time the Berlin-based producer is working alongside long-time collaborator and fellow Bristol bassweight alumni Komon – the duo have turned out EPs for Aus Music and Apple Pips in the past, but this 12” represents the first new material from them since 2014.
The heads-down, meditative lilt of Appleblim & Komon’s Bristol past looms in the shadows on this EP, but it’s shot through with a steely, modernist dance floor bite and high-end sound design. Know Yourself pivots around crafty, 2-step kinked drums but there’s plenty of space afforded to atmospheric synth surges that plunge the track into a mood-altering headspace just to the left of the conventional dance floor.
In a more overt step away from the club, Enigmatic Light finds the pair exploring reduced, experimental approaches without discarding their penchant for heavy drum pressure. The sparse but booming kicks and bass stabs provide a powerful anchor to the swirling array of melodic matter coursing through the track, striking the perfect balance between structured arrangement and free-flowing sonics.
Stepping Out Of Yesterday closes the EP out with a beautiful, crooked reflection peppered with rich, chiming dub ripples, out of which a sprightly acid line emerges to affirm the electronica leanings of the track, and the EP as a whole. It’s a fitting end to a record that sees both producers striking out into exciting territory where the moody soundsystem pressure of their past can coexist with the shimmering, psychedelic production that comes so naturally to them.
Lore’s debut on Kokeshi comes in the form of a 3-track EP featured on 180g heavyweight vinyl, with hand stamped Kokeshi logo. Lore’s influences range from early dubstep, grime and garage, including artists like El-B, Burial, SP:MC, Blawan, Skream, Wiley and Mount Kimbie. The ‘Down The Well’ EP features tracks in the 120–135 bpm range, with dark chunky beats, heavy bass and haunting vocal samples. Be sure to check out his production tutorials on Youtube.
White Asega co-owner Jack Dixon wrote New Curtains after a friend who was coming wildly off the rails told him he was a good producer but his tunes were boring. The original version was really sparse and about 300bpm. When Jack moved to New York the parts got lost, so he remade the track a dozen times. This was the version we all liked best, although Jack never wants to hear it again in his life. It sounds tough and tropical. Our friend Troy Gunner remixed it, and turned it into something so loud and slamming it will knock your teeth out.
After telling Jack to stop making boring music, Mark Kodiak spent two horrendous years working with Jamie Kodiak on a song they've called Taargus. It nearly destroyed their friendship forever but we think it was worth it. It has brutal weapon sounds, nasty snares and an incessant “yo” that has been described as “annoying and unnecessary”. The artist Tom Pounder has created a blinding video for it that contains brand new colours. French born bass genius Bambounou stepped up to remix the track, taming the wild stems into a hypnotic earlymorning House stepper.
It took us approximately 2000 exhausting Facebook group chats, four crossAtlantic flights and one divorce to get to this point. We hope you will enjoy this record for the rest of your lives.
London based experimental publisher Split Music has rapidly gained a unique reputation for its expertise in placing music in audiovisual projects, from Hollywood movie trailers like Blade Runner 2049, The Dark Tower & Mother to brand films for globally recognised designers Adidas, Dior & Puma. This reputation was affirmed this year upon winning the prestigious Golden Trailer Award in L.A. (for the use of These Hidden Hands’ music in the brutal RAW Worldwide trailer). Now, from their headquarters at London’s live music epicentre Village Underground, they have launched their latest project: the Research label. This new label will showcase the artists they represent by challenging them to push the boundaries of their production process to new levels.
Release no1 on Entropy Music, the new record label from icicle.
On this first release Icicle teams up with long time collaborator Mefjus to bring ‘Efficient’. In the making for over two years, this quirky roller is steeped in detail and has an incredible amount of layers running through it. In the ever graying landscape of ‘man-tek’ it alludes to the typical formulaic approach with a monstrous intro but soon takes off it’s mask and rolls out like the stepper that it is.
Alongside the title track are two solo tunes by icicle ‘Time Waster’ & ‘Split Fibers’ both attempting in different ways to find identity in an ever more technical musical landscape. Lending from 90’s drum and bass and rave, both tracks are about groove above anything else. A somewhat stripped back approach to fusion reminiscent to Icicle’s earlier work.
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