Pursuit Grooves

Foxtrot Mannerisms EP

Tectonic

The next installment from Pinch's Tectonic imprint treads new territory as Brooklyn-based producer / MC Pursuit Grooves steps up to the plate with a brilliant six track EP.

Melding together elements of hip hop, funk and soul with some serious low-end and an otherworldly futurism, Foxtrot Mannerisms is a varied batch of tracks that is startlingly original and involving.

Lead track, Pressure, is the most straightforward here, and also the standout for me, bounding along on a chopped beat and a simple but seriously catchy two chord piano hook, providing some serious summer vibes. Don't sleep on this release, and don't sleep on this producer.

 

 

 

Ikonika

Idiot

Hyperdub

Ikonika steps up for the first in a series of singles following her stunning debut LP, Contact, Love, Want, Have for Hyperdub. 'Idiot' has been caned as a dubplate for a while now, and is one of the standout tracks from the LP.

The original is ushered in by an off-kilter bleepy melody and woozy synths, before dropping into a rough-edged, bouncing bassline, swept along by the jackhammer Funky drums. Flitting between layers of hyperactive riffs, the track keeps you on your toes and on the dancefloor.

Idiot gets the remix treatment from man of the moment Altered Natives, who pins down the original's wayward tendencies, creating a tough pulsating house jam.

 

 

 

Rossi B & Luca

E10 Riddim/Police Ar Come Run Ft. Killa P

Planet Mu

Sporadic as they may be, Rossi B & Luca's releases always deliver, evidently taking their time to hone each release to perfection. This first release for them on Planet Mu certainly doesn't disappoint.

E10 Riddim is an explosive dancefloor funky riddim, harnessing the tough edge of grime. Propelled along by the organic roll of the drums, it drops into a clattering beat, thick swathes of bass and dark blasts of horns, complimented by the simple sliding of the melody over the top.

On the B-side, Killa P vocals the instrumental, complimenting it nicely with his ragga spitting.

 

 

 

Dong / LV & Quarta 330

Suzuran (LV & Quarta 330 Remix) / Hylo

Hyperdub

The irrepressible Hyperdub imprint continues their recent deluge of forward-thinking bass music with this collaborative 12" from LV & Quarta 330, spawned from a meeting at the recent Hyperdub 5th birthday celebrations at Corsica Studios.

On Suzuran, the organic shuffle of LV's drum programming offsets the staccato synthetics of Quarta 330's 8-bit melody, delivering up a surprising evocativeness. Bleeping arpeggios whir around the central synth line that sounds part-human part-machine.

On Hylo, an understated 2-step wiggle provides the rolling foundation for the textured, interweaving melody lines. Simultaneously a contrast and a synthesis, this collaboration is the perfect melding of the two artists' styles.

 

 

 

Asusu / Furreshu

Togetherness / Horizons (Asusu Remix)

Immerse

The Bristol-based Immerse imprint delivers up two deep cuts from local Bath resident Asusu. Togetherness is a deep 2-step affair, swimming in atmosphere. The controlled and precise clatter of the tough drums that drives through the track is enveloped by the reverb-drenched pads and massaged by the warm sub tones.

The B-side is a remix of Bristol-based producer Furreshu, whose recent 12" for Project Squared has seen its way into the bag of names like Marcel Dettman and Ben Klock. The techno influence which sits beneath Togetherness, here comes to the fore, with its broken techno rhythms driven along by the harsh pulse of the bass stabs.

 

Asusu - Togetherness by immerserecords

 

Swindle

Airmiles EP

Planet Mu

The Airmiles EP sees Planet Mu give the debut release to up-and-coming grime producer Swindle. The four tracks that make up the EP serve as a promising introduction to the producer and are another step forward in highlighting the potential of instrumental grime.

Title track Airmiles is a blaze of pounding drums, tough bass and taught synths that is destined to demand many a rewind call. Daredevil is a more synth driven affair, packed full of funk, Coffee takes things down a notch and Molly rounds off the release nicely in a whirlwind of pitch-bent, alien synths.

 

 

 

Kasrave

Quotes EP

Numbers

The still young Numbers camp continue their impeccable release schedule with this three track EP from newcomer Kasrave, who delivers up three cuts of synth-led RnBass.

The EP is all about contrast; facing off the sickly sweet vocals and uplifting arpeggios against the buzzsaw bass machinations and tough beats, Kasrave creates a surefire dancefloor favourite.  

The three tracks are very much on a theme, dealing in technicolour Timbaland-indebted beats, but he pulls it off with enough panache to ensure it's a more than worthy addition to your record collection.

 

Ramadanman

Ramadanman EP

Hessle Audio

Following the success of Pangaea's recent double pack for the label, Ramadanman delivers up a six track EP for Hessle Audio. Considering how long he has been releasing records, this double pack is long overdue and will cement his status as one of the most talented and forward-thinking producers around.

Delivering six tracks of stripped back rhythmic ingenuity, this EP is all about the beats. Letting his percussion do the talking, the drums drive through the tracks as snatches of vocals and synths swirl around their core. Condensing down elements of 2-step, house and jungle to their barest form, these songs seem more like exercises in rhythm than tracks, but are all the better for their focus.

 

 

 

Funk Ethics

Razor Boy/Broken Soul Music

Reduction

Following up last year's stunning Pixel Rainbow Sequence from Bristol's Hyetal, DJ Thinking's Reduction imprint is back with this 12" from Funk Ethics, who provides two deep and percussive tunes with an emotive edge.

A-side, Razor Boy, is all about the percussion, lurching forward on the multi-layered texture of the loose click-clack of the percussion, letting the simple, affecting guitar melody breathe.

Broken Soul Music takes a more chilled approach, extracting every inch of feeling out of the sparse and disjointed elements of the track. Another solid release from Reduction and from Funk Ethics.

 

 

 

Mount Kimbie

Mount Kimbie Remix EP

Hot Flush

With the hotly anticipated Mount Kimbie LP in the works, Hot Flush have let loose a number of the most exciting artists around at the moment to rework tracks from their first two EPs.

 

James Blake re-imagines Maybes, the track that first announced Mount Kimbie's arrival to many, in inimitable style. Pared down, loose percussion provides the skeleton of the track, as lush synths and cut up and treated vocal samples fade in and out of the mix.

 

Falty DL reconstitutes Serged as a soulful 2-step number, dripping in atmosphere, and Instra:mental turn At Least into a subtly uplifting house track. Top release.

 

 

• Pursuit Grooves
,
• Ikonika
,
• Rossi B & Luca
,
• LV
,
• Quarta 330
,
• Asusu
,
• Swindle
,
• Kasrave
,
• Ramadanman
,
• Funk Ethics
,
• Mount Kimbie

Related Links:

• Hyperdub Release '5'
• Happy Birthday Hyperdub
• June 2010 Dubstep Reviews
• Ikonika Interview
• Hyperdub Reveal 2011 Plans

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