UK Garage / 2 Step Recommendations March 2011

Review: Magic Wire come through with a much needed repress of the magnificent rave thump of their debut release, "Pineapple Crush" from Lone. Some six months on from it's original release and both the A Side and it's flipside counterpart "Angel Brain" still sound just as current, and there's the added bonus of them now being housed on a particularly ripe looking Pineapple coloured ten inch. For the uninitiated "Pineapple Crush" lays down relentless heavy rave stabs on top a crashing 808 pattern underpinned by that distinctive Think break and topped off by a unique melody. Amidst the pounding 130bpm bass drums and euphoric rave stabs of B Side "Angel Brain" Lone works in a brilliantly fuzzy melody which shimmers with intent on the glorious breakdown. It also gives us another opportunity to implore you to seek out his brilliant mini LP Emerald Fantasy Tracks.

Review: One of the more pleasing organic side effects of the recent cross genre pollination championed by Hessle Audio, Night Slugs and all around them has been how the community have embraced Seiji as an inspiration and peer. Here the Bugz pioneer continues his pledge of hitting the dancefloor with fresh bass biters every three months with the third of his conveniently titled Seiji Series. Purportedly a double A side, we can see why as both tracks hit hard in all the right places with "More Of You" wrapping a pitched vocal loop around woozed out synth flutters and undulating bass patterns to a backdrop of a syncopated flex that sits happily between 2 step, dubstep and techno. "Sticks" plays it straighter, laying down a 22nd century house template of stuttered vocal samples twisted around schizoid synth hits, jagged bass hits and tempo dropping beat programming. A release that drips production knowledge and dancefloor sensibility.

Review: On the Interplanetary EP, Littlefoot skilfully combines seemingly disparate elements of rave, garage, funky and house on this dope four tracker for the Well Rounded imprint. "Tuesday Club" sits somewhere between Roska and DJ Mujava, with some classic chord stabs thrown in for good measure. Sharing the A Side is DJ Dom's remix of "Sell My Soul", probably the 12"s most euphoric moment, with more rave chords, this time supplemented by a clipped female vocal some delicious low frequencies. Flip over for two (relaitively) sedate james, namely the early morning shuffle of "Great Dark Spot" and oven warm Detroitisms of "Planet October".