MANTRA Vinilo y CD

Review: The latest on Ilian Tape's ITX Series is this fresh dub haywiring from UK producer Mantra, one half of the UK label and events series Rupture. Following a superbly lo-fi, blue-tinted deep dubstep and garage mix offered to the label less than a year ago, she here returns to the fore with four fantastic new ones tailored for both systems and system heads. Highlights among the bunch include the dizzying, breaksy loss of sonic motor control that is 'Shackout' and the nighttimey, post-dark-garage 4x4 hardcore number 'Stomping Ground'. Closer 'Burn & Heal' rounds the whole thing out on a maximally intense jump-up jungle mastication.

Review: Acid Cuts is a label based in Athens, Greece, that was founded in 2016 and has since released several records by Melatonin Man, Wata Igarashi, Kovyazin D, Drvg Cvltvre, and JTC among others. Its latest comes from Craig Stainton aka Mantra, who follows up his excellent Into Motion LP on the label with another swift release which features two strong tracks. On the first side, you've got the slinky and hypnotic late night 303 jack of 'First Born', while over on the flip 'Stand Together' is a good old fashioned acid house stomper that's perfect for those heads down moments.