Joining the Subaltern camp for his debut release on the label is arcane beat maestro Ago, member of the infamous Numa Crew from Italy. 'Backlash': 'Backlash' opens the release with an eerie western atmosphere and spacey bells, before emerging into a tsunami wave of bass that should only be unleashed with extreme caution. Foundation shaking. * 'Trust Inc.' Pulling the listener into a subversive mindstate is 'Trust Inc.', with vibes and a hypnotic rhythm carried by pumping subs and executed with clinical precision. Bound to shake up every dance - eyes down, gunfingers up. 'Opium Riddim': Rounding off the record is the dreamy 'Opium Riddim', letting the mind wander off into the void. Melancholic vibes creep through pads and percussive lines, moving in trippy and spaced out realms.
We welcome another newcomer to the label, UK-badman Cartridge, who steps up with a smashing debut EP showing the world he’s not messing about. Big Things!
Stone Cold: The aptly titled EP opener hits hard like a boulder, painting a post-apocalyptic super-metroidesque landscape, building upon the glorious ‘Flummox’ from SUBALT010. Gritty synth lines stating a simple yet catchy and evolving melody, all rounded by a fat bass exactly how we like it. A glittery rain paves the way to the breakdown and the second drop, which tells the final part of this majestic romance.
Choker: Time to get stealthy with this one… a sinister intro erupts into a refined yet powerful barrage of bass. Solid groove, heavily panned percussion, clever wobs and synth hits, masterful reverb and delay interplays, Cartridge’s sound design really sets to impress with this superb number.
Sweet Doughs: If the concept of ‘sinister’ was established on the previous track, ‘Sweet Doughs’ definitely takes it to the next level. Menacing car-tyre-screeching-like synths and an amusing yet slightly uncanny vocal sample set up the pace for this weighty dance-floor rattler. A saturated 808-like bass propels the track, which reveals itself as a master-class on how to blend power, bass, crafty sound design and an incredible attention to details.