Big follow-up of Dolly Dubs 1 by Martyn. Both ‘Newspeak’ and ‘What is room 101’ are ecstatic contemporary house tracks making you remember once again what this music is all about. Pure bliss. ‘Oceania’ on the other hand goes deeep, very intense track with beautiful broken beats and mesmerizing melodies for the more adventurous dj
Chunky is a proud Mancunian with roots in Zimbabwe which may explain such a worldly, open-minded outlook on life. This ‘Chunkadelic’ four track double EP is packed with fresh ideas, taking the UK bass sound in new and interesting directions. “Decca” is a crisp, busy, jacking house cut, but one that combines UK bass and Chicago house inspiration. “Experiment 727” swings it in a stuttering electro-samba style – tight. “Thang” offers a new take on the 90s garage sound, looping up a hooky female vocal (‘put that thing on me’) with a 2-stepping 808 groove. And finally we have “Rugged”, which does exactly what it says in the title, combining a tough dubstep double punch with juke style skittering percussion.
Vinyl Boxset includes 4 x 180g vinyl, including free download code with bonus tracks. Album sampler BWOOD089 also fits in to complete the boxset. The results of a true culture clash, ‘Mala in Cuba’ marries the intricate rhythms and deep, spiritual roots of Cuba with Mala’s own roots in South London and his dedication to bass culture.
In a time where music classification and compartmentalising of genres loses all meaning, Jon Convex aka Damon Kirkham has been at the forefront advocating a new wave of electronic music. His new solo album ‘Idoru’ (A Japanese word derived from the English ‘idol’) is his multi-dimensional sound projected into a new species of electronic music production. The themes on Idoru are evident from the start. Influenced from a young age, growing up in a video rental store during the 80’s and vinyl hunting in the 90’s, these distinguished eras are stamped all over Idoru. The album is further fused with his previous production mastery pirouetting gracefully over his mutated Techno House repertoire. From the Autonomic inspired ‘Fade’ to the brooding tones of ‘About Her’ who’s late night vibes and pitched vocals pay homage to Drexciyan project ‘Other peoples place’.
Grenier aka DJG production style is richly melodic and emotive while full of groove and energy. Recognised early on for a more dubwise sound, Grenier’s recent productions have revealed an evolution in his music, getting deeper into bass-heavy, tech-drenched, soulful tracks. Say Something and Here Come The Dark Lights are two soulful syncopated grooves that retain the bass driven momentum of Grenier’s dubstep roots and display a 90’s tech influence.
Seattle-based electro and bass producer 214 delivers four heavy bass workouts for Yellow Machines’ tenth release. Heavy, tight machine drum rhythms, rolling basslines and bright synths is the concept for this EP.
Matt Cutler is back with his fifth album, which is an impressive feat in just five years of releasing music. Galaxy Garden starts off on a more esoteric tip with the tropical electronica of “New Colour”, in its sunshine chimes. By the time we get to “Lying In The Reeds” we’re up to a house tempo that harks back to the softer side of early Detroit. It’s when “Crystal Caverns 1991” starts up that we reach the most blatant distillation of old-skool; kicking off a breakstep beat with sweet but punchy 90s synths, the track cuts into a deadly rave motif without so much as a pause in the beat and it’s like being back in, er, 1991. Every track reeks of originality, whether it be the surprising track structures, the superbly detailed production, even the evocative imagery that the music conjures up.
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