Dubstep Recommendations September 2010

Review: German maverick Kassem Mosse - a purveyor of the deep, ambient side of techno and house by trade - is certainly an interesting character. His sound is dipped in a distinctly European aesthetic, and here he goes in on a deep, experimental tip for a release on increasingly eclectic Instra:mental owned label, Non Plus. "We Speak To Those" begins with the thumping pound of marching drum beats, like hob nail boots trudging down a tarmac path. An organic flow of sound is sustained masterfully, with a hint of Autechre in there, and a pervasive sense of drift as sounds entwine themselves around the steady paced tempo, coming in and out of focus like wind down a tunnel. "Hi Res", up next, completes the package, with a tripping, tribal pattering intro, with a warm, evocative background hinted at behind the hyperactive kinetics of this immense soundscape.

Review: Cooly G has become a phenomenon in the last year among fans of dubstep and UK Funky partially thanks to her heavy DJ sets, a prolific Twitter account and a slew of excellent mixtapes. But this incredible double A-Side release via Hyperdub showcases the main reason Cooly G is the name on everyone's lips - her beats. "Up In My Head" starts with a dreamy arrangement of chords, fed through different phasing effects and with a sparse string lead just creeping into the melange of R&B-esque sounds. While there's a warped-pop feel to "Up In My Head", "Phat Si" (which debuted on Kode9's DJ Kicks mix recently) is straight-up fire. With snares sequenced into a full-on funky rattle and hats sounding like knives, she filters the beat up subtly until letting fly with a huge processed siren-effect which brings the beats in with full force. Frankly it's sick, and another essential release from Cooly and Hyperdub. Enjoy.

Review: Hand stamped white label business from the ever impressive Ramadanman. "Grab Somebody" is an utterly infectious minimal booty stepper with a sly nod to the Atlanta scene where it was produced. The intergalactic bass swirl of "Mir" finally makes an appearance on the flip after impressing on Oneman's Rinse FM mix.