Sonic Router at Fabric This Friday

We’re very honoured to be hosting room three at Fabric alongside some of our favourite labels Hessle Audio and Tectonic this Friday. Get down early since the bill is jam packed with names you don’t want to miss. Plus Sonic Router DJs will be kicking off proceedings in room three: MLR 10-11 & Me (jimitheexploder) 11-12.

You still have a little time to enter our competition to win tickets by heading over here.

See you down the front.

http://www.fabriclondon.com/
http://www.sonicrouter.com/

V/A – Dark Matter: Multiverse 2004-2009 [Tectonic]

You may know Multiverse without even knowing it, they’re an umbrella organisation and studio in Bristol that has helped many artists and labels get their music out there. The network of labels alone is pretty special, with: Pinch’s Tectonic that’s been rolling deep at the forefront of dubstep since day one and it’s diverse sister label Earwax, Joker’s Kapsize with its purple hyper-funk, October’s techno offshoot Caravan and Baobinga’s rough house imprint Build all on the roster. As you can imagine a lot of ground is covered on this Dark Matter retrospective.

Storming out of the blocks comes Vex’d with their tough, breaky style. Ravey bass pulses with a ton of energy and dub accents. It’s an early highlight. October shows an early dubstep production off by remixing Circuit Breakers, if you ever caught that Immerse 12” last year where he really goes in with two grimy hard hitting raw slabs of it you’ll know what to expect here. Later on the compilation you’ll catch more of his techno-oriented stuff he’s doing at present… You’ll be in for a treat. Pinch makes his first appearance with a weighty number in collaboration with P Dutty, its full of space, bass and a pent up aggression. Skream turns in a big dubby production with some serious bass weight. But its Joker’s ‘Stuck in the System’ that really grabs you, the grimy favourite twists computer game strings and a dirty south aesthetic into a twisted synth workout, it’s a real peak. He smooths out that style on his collaboration with Ginz on ‘Purple City’ here too, with real sing along synths. A personal favourite of mine ‘Techno Dread’ by 2562 still hits hard, with its relentless bass line and skippy, addictive drum patterns. Bristol legend RSD offers up his sublime remix of Pinch and Yolanda’s ‘Get Up’, the smooth vocals ride his dubbed out basslines perfectly, it’s a track that keeps rolling with a joyful soulful vibe. The first CD ends on the tough broken house of Baobinga & ID which really pops and swings.

The second disc really takes off with Vex’d dropping ‘Pop pop’ a heavy skippy number. Loefah & Skream come together on the fantastic ’28 Grams’, which has a weightlessness to it, the wobbly bassline ricochets off into orbit while a solid slab of sub keeps it tethered to the ground. Cyrus follows that up with the sublime ‘Indian Stomp’ with, as you’d expect Indian samples and killer percussion that rolls and bumps hard, its one of the highlights of the compilation for me. If that wasn’t enough already Pinch comes and drops ‘Qawwali / Brighter Day’ which is just pure bliss. Its got that deep meditative vibe about it that’s so addictive and appealing about early dubstep. The bassline drones and pulses with a weighty pressure that draws you in deep as the drums, pads and melodies get your head nodding. Loefah turns up on his own this time with the spacious and powerful ‘System’. ‘Uranium’ by Moving Ninja shows off similar space but with added atmosphere, they really know how to build it from raw field recordings and synth pads. October is back and in techno mode, tough four to the floor kicks and microscopic samples get cut into bumpy shapes all over the place on the addictive ‘Three Drops’, which drops into as the name suggests a three drop synth loop that really gets things moving, and when it melts into wide screen synths its something else. He pulls off another highlight with ‘Euro Dance Hit’ which comes on like a lost Daniel Bell production fighting its way through a crowded room, its all space and tension. A killer 2562 track from his last album ‘Unbalance’, which is full of colour and presence gets book-ended by two impressive productions from Emptyset to finish off the compilation, the dub techno duo really bring it with the heavy ‘Gate 4’ which sounds like it could flatten a house and the more laid back ‘Demian’ which is so smooth and full of vibes its unreal.

The music speaks for its self really, a diverse bunch. Many of the tracks sound as fresh as when they first dropped. It’s a retrospective you can really get involved with and a good jumping off point for exploring the artists and labels involved. The Multiverse really shows what presence it’s had in the scene with this compilation; it runs deep to the roots of the genre and all its factions as well as showing how important it is to the city it occupies.

http://www.multiverse-music.com/

Pursuit Grooves – Fox Trot Mannerisms [Tectonic]

Tectonic are one of the staples in the dubstep scene a label that has been doing it since day one showcasing some of the deepest and darkest sounds from the raw and rolling to techno inspired gems, a diverse spectrum for sure but until now they hadn’t really released anything that wasn’t dubstep, even the slower dub techno numbers by 2562 or the trippy soul of Flying Lotus fit the loose genre tag dubstep has become be it in tempo or vibe. Well Pursuit Grooves changes that: Vanese Smith The Brooklyn producer/MC/vocalist makes a soulful broken house hybrid that oozes with a hypnotic charm that could fit anywhere between the loose touchstones of Kyle Hall’s Detroit techno or the UK hip-hop hybrid of Floating Points. Fox Trot Mannerisms…

We open with ‘Pressure’, a looping piano number that rolls to a bumpy pulse and ebbs from jazzy and sublime to raw and punchy the whole time. She jumps from rapping to singing with ease, ridding the wonked-out beat with a woozy atmospheric flow. The buzzing bassline of ‘Start Something’ growls and bubbles against some bumpin’ beats before switching groove, like a spaced out jazz variant on grime. Much like Kyle Halls recent Hyperdub release, the track ‘Mr Softee’ feels like dubstep despite not really being it at all. It’s the clattering drums, big base, dubbed out vibe and warm fuzzy synths that do it.

A highlight has to be the deeply hypnotic ‘Shabaps’, which has this airy, hyper-soul feel to it. Drum machines drop cowbells and claves into spaced out vocal samples, before melting into an addictive groove and luscious synth pads. It makes me melt… ‘Whisper’ is pure gold too taking that woozy future soul into a shimmering melancholic avenue of sound, that breaks out of creepy film samples and brain clattering drum frequencies. The sound of hip-hop and house beamed into deep space. The vibe continues with ‘Tweezers’, which has a mellow jacking feel to it. Chopped up samples twisting and looping into hypnotic shapes. The closer, ‘Cosey’ which just keeps those drum grooves rolling and the spaced out synths shimmering like Detroit techno lost in time.

A hypnotic set of tracks that ooze soul and raw energy brought on by the samples and drums, they loop with an intensity and power that offsets the spaced out charm of her synths and vocals brilliantly. Pursuit Grooves brings something really different and pretty addictive to Tectonic with Fox Trot Mannerisms, recommended.



http://www.myspace.com/vjsmith
http://www.myspace.com/tectonicrecordings

Distance – Clockwork / Pinch Ft. Rudey Lee – One Blood, One Source (Distance Remix) [Tectonic]

Tectonic have brought the darkness with the last few releases by Cyrus and Kryptic Minds, that’s set to continue with this latest 12” with Distance at the helm. Two slabs of low-end pressure, the first being an original track then on the flip Distance reworks Pinch’s 2007 album cut ‘One Blood, One Source’ in typical style.

‘Clockwork’ is vintage Distance, rocking half stepping drums and bucket loads of darkness. The grizzly bass pulses come on hard but there is still a really deep and spacious edge to this track. It sounds as good as anything on his ‘Repercussions’ album but saying that its maybe just one for the more hardcore Distance fans.

What makes this 12” is the brilliant remix of Pinch’s ‘One Blood, One Source’, which features the vocal talents of Rudey Lee in full effect. Distance turns in a smooth and deep rootsy dub remix, the bass tones should shake up any soundsystem that’s for sure. The hooks from Lee really get in your head along with the bass melodies.

When Distance takes things deep he really shines and this Tectonic plate shows that off, Pinch has an ear for the dark side and his label is really flexing that muscle in style right now.

http://www.myspace.com/djdistancedub

http://www.myspace.com/tectonicrecordings

12”

The return of the semi regular, ‘randomly selected platters from my record bag that I’m really feeling right now’ blog post, maybe it needs a catchier name…

Joy Orbison – BRKLN CLLN/J.Doe [Doldrums]
Two 12”s, a few remixes and all the hype in the world. His first release on his own label, Doldrums, shows he deserves it too. BRKLN CLLN is the subtler cousin of Hyph Mngo, just as catchy and full of blissful energy. J.Doe takes the diva samples and throws it down old school house style.

Geiom & Shortstuff – No Hand Signals/Wardenclyffe [Planet Mu]
Tag team antics from two heavy weights, Geiom’s music is always special and Shorstuff makes some of the most exciting stuff around and together we get hyper coloured house variants built to move you. There is something grimy about Wardenclyffe, its like eski-acid house. No Hand Signals picks up the tempo but keeps the funky bump.

ASC – Porcelain/Focus Inwards [Nonplus+]
More Nonplus+ I can’t get enough… having missed the d’n’b boat entirely this is the first label that’s getting me excited about the sound. Super smooth half stepping d’n’b that’s so minimal it sounds like electro being fed through a wormhole. The flip takes in dubstep a tempo, big up the multi tempo 12” crews for pushing DJs to think and ride that pitch shifter!

Headhunter – Prototype (Modselektor remix)/Sex At The Prom [Tempa]
This 12” sounds massive: Modeselektor return the remix favour and make their own take on dubstep, which sounds like big room techno with a dark edge. Sex At The Prom goes deep with acid bubbles and hypnotic bass. It’s like Berlin and Bristol are tearing each other a new one on the same 12”.

Starkey Ft. Badness – Ok Luv/Ok Luv (instrumental)/Multidial [Planet Mu]
Taster of things to come from Starkey’s next album ‘Ear Drums and Black Holes’ due March 2010: super smooth hyper soul with grimy undertones and epic colourful melodies. Multidial, heads right to the dance floor with robo-bass and energy surges, killer.

V.I.V.E.K. – Kulture/Meditation Rock [Deep Medi]
Big room material from V.I.V.E.K., dub techno undertones pulled off in a very Deep Medi way, your soundsystem will shake. Things get ravey with Kulture,the filtered stabs re-live the hayday and make you want to loose it in a field outside the M25. But there is something else here too, an eerie blissful dub vibe... Which is where Meditation Rock picks up from.

Joker – City Hopper/Output 1-2 [Tectonic]
These tracks aren’t even the catchiest Joker tracks this year but I still can’t shift them from my head. He keeps it grimy and techy for Tectonic, Output 1-2 especially. City Hopper makes you want to roll around the city with your windows down, swaggering funk and irresistible melodies that somehow remind me of the circus.

Instra:mental/Skream – No Future (Skreamix)/Minimalistix [Nonplus+]
Minimalistix is THE one here: Skream takes it into tech infused stripped back and subtle roller territory while No Future tears the dance a new hole. It’s like the evil twin of his Zomby Float remix and will have to do until that drops fingers crossed…

Pinch – Get Up Ft. Yolanda [Tectonic]

It’s pretty safe to say that ‘Get Up’ is pretty much a dubstep classic the vocal version with sometime Massive Attack collaborator Yolanda first featured on Pinch’s debut album Underwater Dancehall but it never reached vinyl to much disappointment to many headz, but good things come to those who wait and two years later we get a vinyl release with the original vocal, dub and a splattering of quality remixes from: RSD, Guido, Jack Sparrow and LV. They all bring their own style to the table too.

The original vocal and dub by Pinch uses smooth rolling bumping drum patterns, pulsing bass and dancehall dub accents to play off the soulful vocals that makes it sound as fresh today as it ever was. The melancholic feel that the vocals about moving on and not giving up, that shift along with the emotive strings comes across like the age-old house diva template updated for the dubstep world and somehow sounds timeless.

The remixes are on point too the highlight of the bunch has to be from Bristol legendry RSD. He brings his own wonderfully deep and warm propulsive soundsystem shaking bass lines, a beat that makes you want to wiggle and piano flourishes. It all comes together perfectly into a good time party starter that should induce a grin on any soundboys face. Guido also brings the class, with a remix that somehow echoes houses hay-day and the new slinky soul infused purple funk of dubstep. The subtle boom-bap drums build a smooth groove before deep house chords take over and play off the vocals to make what sounds like a long lost 90s house hit that’s been left to mutate and maybe melt into something by Dr. Dre in a cupboard somewhere ever since.

Jack Sparrow takes his version deep into dubstep territory with huge bass pulses and a half-stepping beat that still has a bump to it, this is one made for the big dark rooms out there. LV comes from a very different angle with a dub heavy disco version with plenty of rootsy vibes and the slinkiest smooth bass around, as always with LV it grows on you in a subtle fashion.

The ‘Get Up’ package is so solid, full of quality from the outset. Its worth the cash alone for the full vocal and RSD remix, yet you get so much more. Tectonic and Pinch bring the goods yet again.

Originally written for Sonic Router.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX-pSuE4l0Y



http://www.myspace.com/tectonicrecordings

2562 – Unbalance [Tectonic]

Dave Huismans’ debut album under the 2562 name Aerial won me over completely, the techno-infused dubstep sound really stood out. Tracks like ‘Kameleon’, ‘Channel Two’ and ‘Techno Dread’ to name but a few light up dance floors with a full on propulsive sound. Aerial to some was a little cold and greyscale, you could see where those where coming from but that was part of the charm for me. But since them the ever-prolific producer has been working on his other project A Made Up Sound, with plenty of 12”s and a whole album sneaked out at the end of last year called Shortcuts under the name he explored his sound and created something altogether more fluid plus he strayed into different tempo’s and got a warmer sound going. This seems to be an important move that’s rubbed off onto his 2562 project, as his second album Unbalance takes on a lot of these qualities.

An unnamed intro melts into a deep bumping techno groove that is ‘Flashback’, 2562 uses the techno/house pallet of sounds and twists them into bass addled variants that can sound so intense on a big club soundsystem. If you want techno with a bigger kick and a low end to die for you get it here, but its more than that there are subtle melodies and loops all over this record along with off-kilter rhythms to get you bumping on the dace floor. If you heard the Shortcuts project you know that 2562 can bring a more organic edge to his work than that on show on Aerial but where Shortcuts was really just a bag of sketches with plenty of ideas and snapshots of grooves and beats and Aerial was a huge almost compilation of well tested floor shaking 12”s morphed into an album, which worked damn well if you ask me… Well Unbalance kind of bridges the two by taking some ideas worked out in Shortcuts, the flowing off-kilter rhythms and techno pallet and marrying it to the fully formed dance tracks of Aerial to make pretty much the perfect combination of both.

‘Lost’ and ‘Dinosaur’ take subtle loops and paint quite beautiful pictures with them. ‘Lost’ drops soulful vocal samples and the mesmerising string loops on ‘Dinosaur’ make for one of the many highlights, when they play off the serious sub bass, broken techno drum patterns and playful bleeps you get a really joyous track.

The title track ‘Unbalance’ melts out of some field recordings and crackles into some subtle droning loops that create an uneasy atmosphere which builds before its cut through with some deep dubbed out keys and bass pressure before a lilting drum pattern gets the head nodding. He takes some deep house or techno sounds and moves them through dubstep into new territories with each track. There are other producers doing similar things but with very different results, Untold’s recent experiments marry eski grime beats with these techno/house sounds and makes an insane combination as does Ramadanman often resulting in a minimal stripped back sound. But 2562 has a sound of his own here.

The acid bubbles of ‘Superflight’, ‘Flashback’ and the closing track ‘Escape Velocity’ sound like a combination of A Made Up Sound’s Clone Basement Series 12” and the new sweeping human sounding version of 2562, the latter being an almost retro sounding Detroit number with a futurist vibe about it and a highlight for sure. I keep wanting to put this in with techno but in reality next to a lot of the genre this is just to intense, fast and bass riddled its all the best bits of techno but wrapped up with the added bonuses of dubstep.

The mournful synth tones of ‘Yes/No’ even sound more joyful and humane compared to the debut’s glassy eyed stare. This track is like the dark side of the kind of euphoric ‘Love in Outer Space’, which was a single not so long ago and features smeared glowing synth lines that flow into strange melodies. But ‘Yes/No’ does it in a subtle almost sad way and the latter makes you want to throw your hands in the air and shake one to the electro pulse.

Disjointed subtle clicks and rumbles kick off ‘Who Are You Fooling?’ with some droning soulful organ tones and sidestepping spaced out broken grooves, the track really builds tension. ‘Like A Dream’ also comes on like a twisting building tension fuelled broken acid track. ‘Narita’ is on a similar tip to ‘Yes/No’ but with a bumping bass groove and dub ascents along with a subtle yet driving bongo workout.

2562 is as consistent as ever but then Tectonic don’t do it any other way, Unbalance is a fantastic singular vision that can be enjoyed at home as a swirling broken techno infused dubstep record or in the dance with its relentless bass pressure and skipping rhythms. The deep dub techno sound is one that really made me fall for dubstep and dig deeper and this is probably the most fully formed dub-tech infused full length yet come in close with his debut Aerial and Martyn’s fantastic Great Lengths from earlier in the year. Plus with Shackleton just releasing three EPs at once for Perlon and Peverelist soon to release his full-length collection on us things are looking mighty healthy. Unbalance hits the spot and always gets a reload.

http://www.myspace.com/2562dub

http://www.myspace.com/tectonicrecordings

Kryptic Minds – 768 / Pinch & Moving Ninja – False Flags (Kryptic Minds Remix) [Tectonic]

Pinch is really brining the darkness with his labels most recent releases and this is no exception, here we get Kryptic Minds making their Tectonic debut after the very well received 12” for Loefah’s Swamp 81 label and the D’n’B producers are really making a name for themselves with their dubstep material along with the likes of Instra:mental and Breakage they have crossed over to create some of the deepest darkest sounds around.

The A-Side comes in the form of ‘768’ a new original track from Kryptic Minds and just like their other dubstep material it has that dark and spacious half stepping bass mediation vibe going on. These guys really know how to make the low end sing and this track really shows that off, you get the full bass spectrum from subterranean rumbles to a little added mid range growl, you know to keep things a bit evil. The string sections really give the track a dark almost emotional pull. If you find ‘One Of Us’ to be addictive then ‘768’ is going to be right up your street.

Kryptic Minds show us their take on Pinch & Moving Ninja’s deeply disturbing False Flag, which first featured on the fantastic Tectonic Plates Vol.2 compilation earlier this year. This remix takes that dark pent up atmosphere and makes it even more cinematic. The low end bubbles and drives the track into the underworld. The percussive elements on show in Kryptic Minds tracks are something else, they really know how to get a sound down and here is no acceptation the drums are warm, phat and woody. It’s a killer re-interpretation of an already killer track.

There is no holding back on this 12” Pinch knows where it’s at with the deep dark end of dubstep and Kryptic Minds prove that crossing over from d’n’b to make dubstep is pretty easy going, when your studio wizards with an ear for space and sound.

Originally written for Sonic Router.

http://www.myspace.com/krypticminds1

http://www.myspace.com/tectonicrecordings

Cyrus – Space Cadet/Junk Yard [Tectonic]

Cyrus has been big in the game from way back either solo or as half of Random Trio producing some of the deepest bass heavy platters around. This will be his first platter for a while on the sublime Tectonic label. His dubstep credentials run deep just like his sound and as one of the originators of the sound he got picked out by Distance for the Dubstep Warz sequel Generation Bass where he got chance to showcase his sound.

This 12” opens with Space Cadet, which it just so happens got aired on Generation Bass as a dubplate, it’s a dubbed out almost industrial sounding number with, as the name suggests a proper spaced out sound. You can almost hear the afterburners of a shuttle deep in space morphed into planet shaking bass. There is a half step vibe going on here but the heavy kick plays off the high hats, crackles and snare to create a groove with an almost jazz like swing. The breakdown is so BIG it drops out into silence where you feel like you’re in a vacuum before a chest-pummelling bass drops back in.

Junk Yard on the flip has a more driving sound to it with double kicks and a gnarly deep down and dirty alien bass line that’s coupled with that huge Cyrus sub. There is a dark bounce that can be hard to come by at work here, if your feeling anyone from Mala to Distance or Goth Trad then this is right up your street. Both sides kill it in different ways, but this may well edge ahead. There’s a raw, physical feeling to this track, you can just tell its been made for the big rigs, pure soundsysem banger.

In a world where dubstep is an ever evolving beast and changing into anything from full on rave anthems to strange hybrids of hip-hop and beyond people like Cyrus are keeping the original dark, dirty and deep vibes going and pushing it into new territories.



http://www.myspace.com/randomtrio

http://www.myspace.com/tectonicrecordings

Originally written for Sonic Router.

Jack Sparrow – The Chase/Jack Sparrow & Biggins – Fullest [Tectonic]

Originally written for Sonic Router.

Leeds producer and DJ Jack Sparrow has had a few releases under his belt for the likes of Senseless, Contagious and Pinch’s other label ‘Earwax but now he is to drop his first 12” for Tectonic. These two tracks are definitely heavy weight Tectonic material; with that deep techy spacious sound the label is known for and does so well.

The Chase opens the 12” in deep dark style with rolling tribal drums and pummelling sub bass. With dubbed out samples saying ‘Hard…core’ adding more dark space. The drums really propel this one as does the sense of dread the shadowy sounds bring. It’s an excellent example of dark dubstep.

Biggins joins Sparrow for the flip Fullest. It’s a slightly more soulful affair with midnight soul stabs over jungelist bass and skipping drum patterns. There is still that spacious techy vibe; it’s got that deep meditation feel to it that makes you want to close your eyes and let the track carry you.

Jack Sparrow is definitely one to watch and currently working on his debut album for release on ‘Earwax. And if his recent mix on Mary Anne Hobbs’ Experimental is anything to go by it proves he has plenty up his sleeve. But for now set your eyes on this Tectonic plate and take in the vibrations.

http://www.myspace.com/sparradubz

http://www.myspace.com/bigupdaballs

http://www.myspace.com/tectonicrecordings

For an added extra why not download some of his free dubs…

Dubs One & Two.

2562 – Love In Outer Space/Third Wave [Tectonic]

Dave Huismans is back with another slice of 2562; this one almost sneaked out with little notice after the fantastic Tectonic Plates Vol.2 12”s and compilation, but it wont stay unchecked for long this is quality. Two tracks of pure fire are held on this disc.

Love In Outer Space is defiantly THE one, fusing his love of techno sounds and super skippy grooves to create a monster. You can hear elements of Detroit and old Acid records in the bleeping tweaking synth lines, but at the same time it doesn’t really sound like anything else out there right now. The skippy swung beat programming is something else, taking tight and punchy electro drums and twisting them out into strange new shapes. It’s the synths that give it the Outer Space feel the title suggests, first to appear is a pulsing, ascending-descending arpeggio before the soulful spaceage pads build tension and shift from mellow to discordant and pitch shifting new sound as the track rolls, almost like the neon smear Kode 9 has been deploying of late but not quite its got more of a Deep Space 9 feel rather than a Kode 9 feel. This has to be one of the best 2562 tracks around right now.

Third Wave is a deeper less twised affair with a 4x4 pulse that shows off Dave’s techno leanings in full effect. It may almost be techno but its still got that funk and swing with the added percussion bringing some flavour. Deep atmospheric synth lines keep things rolling as dubby tweaks and pulses finish the track off, its got this hypnotic feel for a real eyes down shuffle. It’s a subtle little dub techno number that could add a nifty four to the floor action and energy to your sets that’s for sure.

Yet more quality from 2562 and Tectonic they’re flying the flag for deep and techy sounds in dubstep and always pointing the way to new and interesting takes on their sound.

http://www.myspace.com/2562dub

12”

More from the semi-regular rumedge through the record bag series, of stuff I didn’t get to review/missed, over at SR as we didn’t get promos or other such excuses. For upfront reviews, interviews mixes and more visit Sonic Router, but for now check out these beauties.

Silkie Feat. Mizz Beats – Purple Love [Deep Medi]
Purple in vibes and colour on a super limited platter, funked up slab of future soul with some of the most swung beats and vibrant bass around.

King Midas Sound – Dub Heavy - Hearts and Ghosts [Hyperdub]
Dark and dubby, ghostly sound system shakers. They will shake your teeth and send you in a trance, doom fuelled taster of forthcoming album.

Hyetal – The Last Time We Spoke/Amour [Formant]
Long awaited platter from Bristol new boy, A-Side pushes a dub techno vibe with digi-siren effects and melodic chords. Amour gets steppy with an ear for melody and a way with bass, deadly.

Emvee – Glitch Dub/Nocturnal [Wireblock]
Broken funky with a soca groove, fuzzy bass and infectious midi soul. Glitch Dub does things dirty and Nocturnal brings the boogie this will make you move.

Pinch & Moving Ninja/Peverelist – False Flag/Junction (Shed Mix) [Tectonic]
Latest Tectonic Plate 12” with main man Pinch on a half stepping dark as hell weighty collaboration as Shed turns Peverelist into a garage infused nugget of techno with a euphoric sadness.

Rossi B & Luca/EL-B– Jah No Dead/Son De Cali [Soul Motive]
Garage legends line up for Soul Motive’s 4th, Rossi B & Luca bring dark dubby 2-step, it sounds huge and so fresh. EL-B takes it breaky with a deep and soulful garage vibe that oozes quality.

All out now

Pinch – Midnight Oil / Joyride (Tectonic) 12"

Pinch drops one of his own now on his excellent Tectonic imprint. His material is always worth having a listen and this is no exception. Pinch makes the deep stuff yet keeps it interesting with a soulful and techy flair that others can only just reach in some cases.

Midnight Oil opens the 12” with a space age swagger and a bass bin rattle. The drums skip and beat you in to submission while they roll along. The spacey aesthetics come in the form of huge sounding synths that sweep around and remind me of 2001 a space odyssey for some reason. The chatting, growling synth sounds echo around until string enter your ear holes and sooth the brain. Midnight Oil is maybe my favourite on the 12” right now, but then its all pure gold. This is mediation bass weight with balls of steel.

The flipside Joyride has a similar kind of feel but this time with an almost primal raw along with space synths, it puts a picture in my mind of the X-Wing’s in Star Wars shooting past. This is laid on a bed of huge punchy drums and bass to shake your ribcage. On a recent Marry Anne Hobbs show I heard her mention that she thinks this is the best thing Pinch has dropped for a while and if that isn’t endorsement enough I don’t know what is.

This 12” drops very soon on Techtonic so look out for it, Pinch is up there with other Bristol masters of the bass such as Peverelist and Appleblim, he can easily hold his own in the scene he helped create. I just hope that he is on with making a follow up to the excellent album Underwater Dancehall. Pinch is the sound of the future, but right here and now so don’t sleep on it.

http://www.myspace.com/tectonicrecordings

RSD – Over It / Forward Youth 12” (Tectonic)

On the 3rd of November Tectonic drop another plate to shake the dance floor, this time it’s the man the legend RSD. The last release I heard of his was the fantastic Punch Drunk 12” with two slabs of reggae infused dubstep with a huge infectious bassline. This Tectonic release is a techier affair.

‘Over It’ starts off slow and dreamy before the bass weight kicks in and a skipping electro drum section. This opens the way for a dirty dub jungle style minimal bassline. This is some of the most techy stuff I have heard from RSD, I haven’t heard that much though to be honest. ‘Over It’ is a heavy weight tune that rolls on and on and will move the floor in a big way, without the need for a huge hyper drop. Its pure vibes and dance floor material all the way.

Flip the plastic and you get ‘Forward Youth’ with yet more huge vibes this time in the form of a heavy jungelist percussion section and massive bass that just gets bigger and bigger when the drums kick back in. RSD makes some of the punchiest drums I have heard, they are so crisp and punch you right in the chest with the low end. Again this is hard on the techno end of things but with that dubbed out reggae infused thing RSD does so well. Both sides are big tracks you can’t really go wrong.

Another Bristol bomb from the dubstep scene, RSD brings the vibes Tectonic drop the wax.

www.myspace.com/dubrockers
www.myspace.com/tectonicrecordings

Skream – Hedd Banger / Percression 12” (Tectonic)

I first came across the tune Percression on Appleblim’s amazing Dubstep Allstars Vol.06 this year; I’m still caning that CD most weeks. Percression is a deep and bouncy techno infused dub influenced stepper. I can’t get enough of its slightly acid tweaked baseline and funky as hell broken techno beats. It’s a direction I haven’t heard very much of from Skream who kind of made his name as one of the original dubstep superstars with Midnight Request Line and loads of other stuff, which is more on the wobbly dance floor bangers. He brings it deep and dirty for Tectonic on this 12”, both sides are pure filth, it’s sick. Percression hits all the right buttons for me, I can’t get enough of the techno influenced stuff at the moment. The bass plays off the dubbed out echoes of the claps perfectly and will light up the floor. As will the sharp crisp kick drum patterns, they punch like a mule, if they had arms I guess they kick hey…

I will flip it to the Hedd Banger side now, I got excited about the flip there for a moment. I hadn’t heard this one before; it’s more of a slow and low half stepper with a dirty as hell growling bass synth line. A hook with a female vocal saying, ’I’m a suppa fly, a suppa duppa fly’ is wicked. The bass is deep as hell, but then you expect nothing less from Skream and Tectonic. There is an evil and spooky vibe to Hedd Banger with its gruff bass and ghostly tingles. Eerie bongos fade in and out to add a little grove here and there I love that. The snare drum clatter is tight as hell for full on ear shattering dance floor business. Both sides are going to get it done for sure. Well done Skream this 12” is huge and I’m always impressed by Tectonic and their output.

This is in the shops on 11th August 2008.

Skream Space

Tectonic Space