Review: This is a four-track sampler taken from parts one and two of the One Hundred and Fifty Steps VEP series which is all about exploring the rise of 150 bpm dubstep, a sound that is characterised by fast basslines, broken rhythms and heavy halftime pulses. From VEP pt. 1, L.A.'s Carre delivers pacey wobblers and then Berlin's Formella debuts with playful breaks and more wobbly bass on 'Dripstep'. VEP pt. 2 features Leipzig's Old Man Crane with their intricate, syncopated style shinning through on 'Grey' and Valencia's Andrae Durden then shows class with a Kryptic Minds-inspired low-end powerhouse.
Review: Cashmere Cat made quite the splash when he dropped Wedding Bells on LuckyMe back in 2014. In its deft balance of pristine hyper-pop, plaintive classical piano and sneaker-scuffed bass, 'With Me' confirmed his maximalist, misfit appeal in the fine tradition of LuckyMe artists, by going on to work with top tier artists like Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Sophie, Major Lazer... the list goes on. This small but perfectly formed EP captures a moment in music perfectly, when the past decade of stylistic splintering had left the playing field pleasingly wide open and its more than deserving of a repress ten years on.
Gavsborg - "Did Not Make This For Jah_9" (feat Shanique Marie) (4:33)
Review: Techno arriving on 7" is not an all too common sight, but why not? This release from the fledgling Dispari out of Germany suggests it works well. Cloud Management and Gavsborg take one side each, starting with the former. Their 'Tempentary Dance' pairs thudding and broken kick drum patterns with dreamy and rising synth sequences and spoken words. It's brilliantly beguiling. The flip then finds Gavsborg offering 'Did Not Make This For Jah_9' (feat Shanique Marie) which is dark and moody, dubbed out and dystopian deep techno.
Review: Sure Thing presents Well of Sand, its second compilation. Six tracks from the label's friends and favourites, each new to the roster, offer bold, untempered explorations of tempo and weight, a concise yet expansive collection recalling the deliberate cadence of rippling sand and the sheen of shimmering oases. From Command D's subtly groundswelling, but snappy 'Half Blue (Violet Mix)', to Foreign Material's alarmingly alien 'The Living Planet' and Third Space's supremely stereoized, lowercase opus 'Push (Part 2)', this is a release for that large intersection of audiophiles and techno-philes.
Review: Patrick Conway is back on ESP Institute for a third time and the returns are as brilliant as the first two outings with plenty of emotional depth on display. Opener 'Loss' sets a melancholic tone with a repeating high piano note guiding a poignant chord progression, angelic voices and a modulating synth all sinking you in. That contrasts with a gritty rhythm section made from corroded dancehall elements all bathed in saturation for added authenticity. On the B-side, 'Silencio' explores negative space and rhythmic dialogue using anthemic synth stabs to unify the more meandering melodies. When chaos and order synchronise with force like this, there is fun to be had.
Review: Adam Curtain makes a fantastic debut here on the Alien Communications label as he collides come classic bleep-laden and highly danceable electron grooves with plenty of hefty basslines. 'Slipped Disc' quacks off with some ice cold atmospheres and electro-inspired rhythms, 'Whistling Wizard' is another ice-cold blend of crisp rhythms and tiny hits with sci-fi motifs and whirring machine details. 'DRM' then brings a winky and hiccuping rhythm with some superbly stark hits and 'I Want, Want' is a stripped back rhythm with dry synths and rasping sounds that are abstract yet infectious.
Southern Coastline (Jack Lever Northern mix) (4:05)
Southern Coastline (Inhmost Coastal mix) (6:27)
Southern Coastline (Synkro remix) (5:39)
Review: Inspired by "slow and quiet life on the southern coasts of England", the debut from CVOIA - a new collaboration between producers and Captured Visions label founders Adam O'Hara and Tom Parker - offers gorgeously lolloping, lazy beats and expansive, cinematic orchestration. There's the brittle, slow motion breakbeats and woozy instrumentation of the duo's original, then remixes from four of their favourite acts: Awakened Souls, Inhmost, Jack Lever and Synkro. All the tracks are about as strenuous as an afternoon on the beach, and equally nourishing, with Synkro's rich, synth-soaked near-ambient mix a dramatic, undisputed highlight. Jack Lever's Northern Mix, meanwhile, wouldn't sound out of place nestled somewhere in Mo'Wax's first dozen or so releases. High praise indeed, but much deserved.
Review: CYBERMISSION is back on INDEX:Records with a collection of tunes that were written in Berlin between 2021 and 2022. They all offer up signature styles that fuse the delights of luminous IDM-pop with uplifting electro rhythms. We're told that themes of self-discovery, deep romance and the bittersweet memories of what we've lost all inspired the creation of these cuts and that shows in their inescapable emotions and storytelling undertones. Both introspective yet designed to get you to show outward energy, these are five fresh and original cuts to get your new year off to a flyer.
Review: Following mesmerising Marseilles mutations from the likes of Syqulone, Kabylie Minogue and Lisa More, Cain ? Muchi return to Gros:Oeuvre with their remarkable debut album. A heady tagine of grime, beats, techno, global bass and contemporary electronica with a title that either refers to famed Moroccan popstar or, far more likely, relates to meaning as 'universe', Dounia is a beguiling clash of western electronics and eastern bars, lyrics, and vocal harmonies. Fractured and macabre throughout from the distorted hardcore bass highs of 'J'wadi' to disarming vocal cries of 'Majdouba' this post grime, pre apocalypse opus is a trip from edge to edge.
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