Astral Black Vinilo y CD

Review: Having made it's name via a series of killer tape releases from Inkke, Opal Black and Tyson, the Astral Black label overseen by Jon Phonics scores it's first 12" release and it's a must have for any fans of current grime flavours. Burberry-loving Glaswegian DJ Milktray has been simmering under with his 8-bar edits for a few years now, with his tunes being a regular fixture at London grime night Boxed. Here Astral Black releases his debut EP, featuring his killer bootleg of R Kelly's "Hotel", which has been floating around since last year. The three accompanying tracks are just as delicious as his Cadbury-referencing alias suggests, and tick all the same boxes as Finn's brilliant "Keep Calling", released on Local Action earlier this year.

Review: London-based artist Footshooter finally unveils his keenly awaited debut album on the Astral Black label. It comes off the back of some seriously well-received tunes on Dance Regular and Rhythm Section and is said to be a "decadent tribute to the community, club nights and culture of London that Barney Whittaker aka Footshooter is intrinsically a part of." There are majestic, mournful and horn laced slow jams like the opener as well as bristling broken beat pieces for dancing. Fat bottomed, bass heavy tunes like 'Juno Cafe' are impossible to ignore and 'Bloom' shows a more introverted lyrical sound. This is the sound of London right now, and it is fantastic.

Review: Sustrapperazzi is from the coastal town of Hastings and we last heard from him when he served up some nice hip-hop joints for the Ilian Beat Series with a nice 12" back in November 2021. He now dips into the world of deep dubstep, trap and grime with a new EP that comes in super limited numbers on Astral Black. 'Gospel Trappin' is exactly what it says in the title, which is a fine feat to pull off. There are also more traditional trap sounds with screwy bass and pitched-up vocals, booming 808s on the sample-heavy 'What's Wrong', and another treat cut full of yearning churchy chorals on 'Rationale.' Fresh for sure.