Deadboy

If U Want Me
Numbers
The newly formed Numbers label, created out of the ashes of the Dress 2 Sweat, Wireblock and Stuff imprints, is kicking things off in fine style with a killer one-sided 12" from South London's Deadboy. If You Want Me essentially picks up where his fantastic debut on Well Rounded left off, fusing together a heady amalgamation of the heritage of UK bass music. Sitting somewhere between classic garage and the more contemporary sounds of UK Funky, its insistent percussion and the cut-up vocal refrain, which sit atop a bouncy bassline and sliding, pitch-bent synths, propel along the track. Essential.

 

 

 

Bok Bok ft. Bubbz / Brackles & Shortstuff

Citizens Dub / Pipey D

Blunted Robots
For the third release on the Nottingham-based Blunted Robots label, man of the moment and Night Slugs head honcho Bok Bok steps up to the plate with another mutant Funky riddim. Synths and bass twist and bubble, perpetually rising and falling, over a 4x4 beat punctuated by catchy snare flourishes. The simple premise is kept interesting by its constant metamorphosis and reformation. On the flip, label bosses Brackles & Shortstuff collaborate on 'Pipey D', which lurches forward on a jerking groove immersed in the uneasy whirring of the synth line. More twisted futuristic grooves from the Blunted Robots imprint - don't sleep on this!

 

 

 

Kyle Hall

Kaychunk / You Know What I Feel
Hyperdub
While this release from Detroit house wunderkind Kyle Hall does not really fall under dubstep's jurisdiction, any release on Hyperdub is worth investigation. Kaychunk is swept along on a machinistic groove, which drives straight through the track like a rod, allowing the bassline to twist and bounce its away around it, crescendoing in a swirl of luscious atmospheres and synths which flow around the groove as if carried along by a breeze. You Know What I Feel rolls forward on thudding kicks, which provide the unsteady backbone for the vocodered vocal sample, gorgeous atmospheres and bleeping melody. This is definitely worth expanding your record collection for.


Mickey Pierce & Shortstuff

Tripped Up / Coconuts
Ramp Recordings
The ever-impressive Ramp Recordings once again comes with the goods here with two tracks from Mickey Pierce & Shortstuff. Tripped Up opens with a euphoric synth line and old skool rave breaks before breaking into a jarring grime meets Funky call to arms. Constantly on the verge of exploding, the synth line continues to mutate throughout the track with flare. Coconuts takes things into altogether grimier territory. Menacing, tense strings squeal nervously over sublo bass stabs before giving way to an 8-bit melody line. The digital release also comes with a brilliant rhythmic workout of Tripped Up by Ramadanman.

 

 

 

Chimpo

Spectrum / Synthetic Skank
Offroad Recordings
Master of bass manipulation, Chimpo, comes with two heavyweight cuts for the Offroad label. Spectrum is familiar territory for Chimpo, bumping along on a swaggering beat and hitting the speakers hard with an abrasive, glitchy bassline, which is nonetheless pulled off with panache. On Synthetic Skank Chimpo builds a penetrative percussive groove which drives through the glitchy edits and snatches of melody, while the warped jungle bassline keeps the track bouncing. There is nothing particularly new here, but it has enough bluster to make it a worthwhile addition to your record bag.

 

 

 

James Blake

The Bells Sketch / Buzzard And Kestrel / Give A Man A Rod
Hessle Audio
Releases on Hemlock and Brainmath have quickly marked out James Blake as a remarkably individual and exciting talent. Over three tracks, this Hessle Audio 12” will undoubtedly further cement his status as an outstanding producer. The Bells Sketch balances the soulful fragility of the keys and Blake's voice with robust waves of low end and the histrionic sweeping of the strings to devastating effect. Buzzard and Kestrel takes things down a notch, rattling along on its percussive backbone, while snatches of vocals and a series of interweaving melodies creep in and out. Give a Man a Rod bounces along more light-heartedly, rounding off the release nicely.

 

 

 

Fantastic Mr Fox / Pariah

Brandy / Badu
Erca
This, the first release on the Erca Mystery Industries imprint, comes shrouded in secrecy; fortunately the quality of the tracks speaks for themselves though. Hyped young producers Fantastic Mr Fox and Pariah step up here with two killer bootlegs. Fantastic Mr Fox's reinterpretation of Brandy brings out the pure soul in her voice, letting her vocals rise through the tape hiss before unfurling into a swirl of cut up vocals, uplifting synths and loose percussion. Pariah's rework of Erykah Badu is effortlessly smooth, giving the vocals ample room to breathe, caressing them with a slinky groove and sleek synths. With only a super limited pressing, make sure you don't miss this!

 

SBTRKT

Soundboy Shift/Rundown
Young Turks
Rising to prominence with stellar remixes of Goldie's 'Timeless' and Radiohead's 'Right Place', SBTRKT is set to hit it big with a slew of long-awaited original productions appearing on wax over the next couple of months. Here the mysterious SBTRKT comes with two rudeboy tracks for esteemed indie label Young Turks. 'Soundboy Shift' takes delayed dub chords and a 'soundboy' vocal sample and twists them up with a clipped, crackling 2-step beat and a burrowing low end that does some serious damage. 'Rundown' lifts you up with epic synths flying around before taking you into eyes-down territory with a tough bassline.

 

 

 

Gella Ft. Spyda

Twinkle
Sub Slayers
For the second release on Jay Cunning's Sub Slayers imprint, Gella steps up with a futuristic dancehall workout, given the tried and tested vocals of veteran MC Spyda. Riding along on a simple melody, tough riddim and bass punches, Gella gives Spyda a sturdy base on which he has plenty of room to flow freely. Schema's remix rebuilds the track around a hard-hitting half-step beat. Keeping the simple melody intact, and taking apart Spyda's vocals, the track drops into a seriously rough lfo'd bassline. The digital release comes with a number of extra remixes from Gella, Pyramid, Affinity and Pixel Fist, contorting it into a number of different bass-heavy shapes for you to get your ears round. Peak time business!

 

Sub Slayers 002 [SLAYER002] Out 8 Mar 2010 by Sub Slayers

 

 

Skream

Sweetz (2005 Flex) / Angry World
Keysound
Blackdown's Keysound label has a pretty eclectic discography, but the one thing that you can always be sure of is his impeccable tune selection. This trend continues on the new release, for which he unearths two lost Skream dubs. Sweetz (2005 Flex) is on a seriously menacing half-step tip. Wrapped in tense, atmospheric pads, the track is reminiscent of early Distance, grinding along on a plodding bassline. Angry World rides along on dub chords and a scattered beat while a simple flute melody drifts in and out, dripping with mood. Here's hoping this opens the gates to the release of some more classic lost dubs…

 

• Deadboy
,
• SBTRKT
,
• Gella
,
• Skream
,
• Bok Bok
,
• Brackles
,
• Kyle Hall
,
• Mickey Pierce
,
• Shortstuff
,
• Chimpo

Related Links:

• Shortstuff & Brackles On Blunted Robots
• Chimpo Remix Competition
• Top New Breaks Releases
• MRK1 Egypt Mix Download
• June 2010 Dubstep Reviews

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