Ital Tek
Crush Horizons EP
Planet Mu
Following the release of his stunning Midnight Colour LP, Ital Tek drops the Crush Horizons EP for Planet Mu, with remixes of Moment in Blue from Falty DL and Ikonika plus two new tracks from himself. The EP is headed up by Crush Horizons which is probably the most straight out hip hop track he has done to date, combining his colourful swathes of melody with a loose beat and bumping bassline. Infinity sees him tread more familiar ground with a tough, swung 2-step beat driving through beautiful atmospheres and warm subs. Ikonika takes Moment in Blue and twists the drums and bassline into an inimitable Ikonika production while retaining the essence of the original, and Falty DL crafts it around a swung groove, imbuing it with some delicate soul.

 

Crush Horizon (Skream & Benga show RinseFM) by ITAL TEK

 

 

Various
Skanky Panky Vol. 2
Skanky Panky
The Skanky Panky gang returns for a second helping of technicolour bass, this time with tracks from Eddy Crusher, J.meJ, and label bosses SixAM and William Breakspear. Starting Blocks opens up the EP with a snarling breakbeat number, which serves as a simple introduction before the energy levels are ramped up by the mutant funk of Come N Get It. Bursting through with a killer synth hook and thumping beat, the tracks continues to morph, switching things up and bringing in tricky glitched-out edits. Fader Murderer is on a similar tip to Come N Get It, full of vibrant synths and pounding kicks, but gives more precedence to the tough b-line and utilizes some cheeky ragga samples to shake things up. The EP is rounded off in manic style by Million Monkeys, a drum & bass meets breakcore rinse out that is guaranteed to leave your head spinning. A promising release, but you get the sense that there will be better things to come from the label.

 

80kbps - SPRR002B - Come N Get It by Skanky Panky Records

 

 

Ikonika
Psoriasis Edit/Look (Final Boss Stage)/They Are Losing The War/Video Delays Edit
Hyperdub
Following the release of her brilliant Contact, Love, Want, Have LP for Hyperdub, four choice edits from the album hit wax for those who like their music more tangible. The EP opens with possibly my favourite track from the album, Psoriasis. This alien funky riddim has Ikonika stamped all over it, with its irresistible arcade game synth line, grime-tinged pulsing bass and galloping soca snares. Look drives along on similarly insistent snares but is more dense, bursting with expansive synths. They Are All Losing The War takes a darker approach, rumbling with bubbling Electro synths and Video Delays rounds off the EP with in a swirl of melodies and video game memories. A perfect reminder that you have no excuse for not owning her album.

 

 

Quest
Smooth Skin/Wind Tunnel
Deep Medi
The ever-dependable Deep Medi imprint returns with this 12” from long-standing fam Quest. Many people will be glad to see the release of Smooth Skin, which has been caned on dubplate for a while now by Deep Medi affiliates. Over the course of a slow burning intro Quest builds up percussive layers with aplomb letting the synths rise and fall with grace before bringing in the deep soothing bass. From there the track glides along nicely before fading back to where it came from. Wind Tunnel takes a harder approach, opening in an ominous distorted fuzz broken by pounding kicks and tough snares. On this one Quest lets loose with some seriously weighty subs that coarse through the underbelly of the track. Punctuated by deft melodic touches and percussive fills, Quest keeps things moving nicely. Watch out for his forthcoming album!

 

 

 

Sepalcure
Love Pressure EP
Hotflush
The consistently brilliant Hotflush imprint keeps things rolling with the debut release from Sepalcure, the new collaboration between Machine Drum and Praveen, who drop the four track Love Pressure EP. The title track is instantly compelling, pulling you along on its galloping heartbeat kicks and slightly off-kilter, textured percussion as contorted vocal snippets flicker through the wash of warm synths that wrap themselves around the percussion. Down is driven by the swelling, pitch-bent synths and the loose swing of the percussion, while Everyday of My Life is a slightly more somber affair, letting the melody breath through the relaxed swing of the percussion and punctuated by the pitched-down vocals. The Warning closes the EP in cinematic style, shuffling out on the gentle clatter of the drums. For anyone who is a fan of Mount Kimbie, James Blake or the recent Hotflush output, this is a must.

 

 

 

Martin Kemp
Wot U Got/Fix
Blunted Robots
The Notts-based Blunted Robots camp returns with another installment of alien funk from Martin Kemp. Wot U Got is primed to leave many a dancefloor in ruins, showcasing perhaps the most upfront of Martin Kemp's tracks so far. Building a tricky groove out of his trademark chunky percussion, he offsets the clatter of the drums against a slinky hook and cheeky female vocal, ensuring it retains its buoyancy. Pulling growling synths out of the atmosphere, the surging bassline drives it home. Fix is a more laidback affair, stripping back the percussion significantly to let the bounce of the bassline breathe. That is not to say that it doesn't retain the power to get a dancefloor moving though, rather it takes a more streamlined approach.

 

 

 

 

Ital Tek
Spectrum Falls/Giga
Atom River
Alongside the release of his second LP for Planet Mu, Midnight Colour, Ital Tek drops two tasty cuts on his own Atom River imprint. Spectrum Falls is a beautiful piece of fuzzed out soul. Thick swathes of humming organs give way to sparkling arpeggios and delicate layers of melody, which drifts along over loose percussion. When it comes in, the fog of the saw bassline brings added dazed warmth to the low end, leaving the synths swirling around your head. On the flip, Ital Tek takes a tougher approach with Giga. Dripping in atmosphere, it rides along on a tough, textured 2-step beat that burrows through the luscious, panoramic swirling pads and searching bassline. Stunning release.

 

Spectrum Falls (clip) by ITAL TEK

 

 

Late
Losing You/Under These Conditions/Phantom Papers/Bittersweet
Immerse
With solid releases already on trusted labels like Noppa, Disfigured Dubs and Formant, Finish producer Late steps up to the Bristol-based Immerse imprint with a four track EP of affecting bittersweet soul. Crafting intricately textured beats, Late plays with classic 2-step templates, shifting them on their axis to evoke a range of moods which dictate the overall feeling of the tracks, as luscious melodies and longing vocals drift in and out. Phantom Papers is the stand-out track here through, built around a slower beat which jolts and judders forward over the lurching bassline in a way reminiscent of Mount Kimbie at their finest.

 

 

Mr Mageeka
Different Lekstrix
Numbers
The Numbers camp continues their impeccable release schedule with the long-awaited release of Mr Mageeka's Different Lekstrix. Having being doing the rounds in the Funky scene for a while now, it finally sees a release backed by a remix from L Vis 1990. Taking a simple approach, it bounces along on its elastic synth line, shaking with a slightly alien groove that will catch you off guard. The stripped drums serve to punctuate the melody with broken claps, while the bass bounces beneath the surface keeping things afloat. L Vis steps up on the flip to raise the energy levels and twist it into a peak time onslaught. Pushing the melody slightly into the background, he brings the bassline into prominence, contorting it into a variety of shapes and gives the drums a bit more snap.

 

 

• Ikonika
,
• Ital Tek
,
• Late
,
• Martin Kemp
,
• Mr Mageeka
,
• Quest
,
• Sepalcure

Related Links:

• Ital Tek - Midnight Colour
• Ikonika Interview
• April 2010 Dubstep Reviews
• Introducing: Josiah
• Silkie And Quest Video Interview

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