Dispondant – Acid Jazz EP [Defrostatica Records]

December 11, 2018 James Mernagh Leave a comment

Leipzig imprint Defrostatica Records spreads its tendrils to London with the label debut from Dispondant, a near-future soundtrack bristling with paranoia and chopping moments of beauty with razorblade synths and serious 303 business.

With a footwork shuffle throughout, the Acid Jazz EP works from the bipolar ‘Death’ through the laser-gun chaos of ‘Controller Weapon’ and out the other side into the rain-drenched reflection of the liquified ‘Sanctum’, which more than lives up to its name – the twisted calm after the dystopian storm soundtracked by the rest of the record.

Listen to the EP below or head here to buy.

www.defrostatica.bandcamp.com
www.soundcloud.com/defrostatica

Jaskin & Uneven – ‘Woodlands’/’Lost Ends’ [none60 Records]

November 29, 2018 James Mernagh Leave a comment

Jaskin & Uneven announce their arrival on none60 Records with the cavernous double-hit of ‘Woodlands’ / ‘Lost Ends’, two sophisticated low-down rollers bristling with might and muscle.

‘Woodlands’ is all taught power, as much about what’s happening below the surface as it is the unfolding atmospherics up top, while on the flip ‘Lost Ends’ opens things up with a freshness which perfectly counterbalances the darkness on side A.

‘Woodlands’ / ‘Lost Ends’ drops in the wake of the new album from label bosses Silent Dust.

Listen below and head to none60’s bandcamp to buy.

https://soundcloud.com/dannuneven
https://soundcloud.com/jahskin
https://none60records.bandcamp.com

Detroit’s Filthiest – Honor Among Thieves EP [Defrostatica Records]

November 8, 2018 James Mernagh Leave a comment

Ghettotech pioneer Detroit’s Filthiest lives up to his name on his latest Defrostatica release, a boisterous blitz through the raggedy breaks which make up his own take on his hometown’s signature sound.

It’s a hat-trick of nimble dance floor missiles on the Honor Among Thieves EP, which slots perfectly into the Defrostatica stable despite originating across the pond from the forward-thinking Leipzig label. After the three whiplash-speed tracks comes the BSN Posse’s lowdown remix of ‘Secret Sauce’, which itself escalates into a break-fuelled workout, albeit one less raw than those coming from the Baghdad-born, Detroit-made musician.

Check the record out below, and head to Defrostatica Records to buy.

And while you’re at it have a gander at his guest mix for Nest HQ here.

www.soundcloud.com/defrostatica
www.defrostatica.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/defrostatica

Silent Dust – Listen to the Night [none60 Records]

October 21, 2018 James Mernagh Leave a comment

The new album from Silent Dust has finally arrived – seven years after the last one – and it’s another deep dive into the bass music cosmos.

Silent Dust, who run none60 Records, give drum & bass a slightly reduced role on Listen to the Night, instead moving through experimental half-time and atmospheric quasi-trip-hop on the way to painting in a new colour over the course of some six collaborations with vocalists – including DRS, Terror and SelfSays – which introduce hip-hop elements into an already intoxicating Silent Dust mix.

Head to www.none60records.bandcamp.com to buy or listen below.

www.soundcloud.com/silentdust

Chilling on the Couch .03 [Scientific Records]

October 14, 2018 James Mernagh Leave a comment

Pulling together 15 glacial tracks from the likes of Bungle, Mav, Parheila and Eissi, Scientific Records are back with another Chilling on the Couch compilation.

The Dutch label is no stranger to dishing out 170bpm massages for the brain and it’s another stellar selection here, each track a deep dive into oceanic bass swells flecked with atmospheric sonics and downtempo beats to blur the lines between drum & bass and trip hop.

The Chilling on the Couch .03 LP dropped on 7 September – head to www.scientificrecords.bandcamp.com to buy, and listen below.

www.scientific.nl
www.soundcloud.com/mav
www.facebook.com/scientificrecords

Maltin Worf – City of Meth II EP [Defrostatica Records]

September 1, 2018September 1, 2018 James Mernagh Leave a comment

Defrostatica Records continue their relentless promotion of the finest tracks drawn from Leipzig’s left field music scene with the new EP from Maltin Worf.

On City of Meth II the Leipzig producer returns to the hostile environment he constructed with the first EP – itself only two and a half months old – and continues to look out from an introspective bubble blown right in its centre.

Maltin Worf boils down footwork and jungle over the flame of his b-boy past to craft four more haunting 160bpm cuts built on shuffling juke beats with miles of atmospherics soaring overhead.

Listen below, or head here to buy.

www.soundcloud.com/defrostatica
www.facebook.com/defrostatica

K.I.M.E drops debut track ‘From The Estate’

August 27, 2018 James Mernagh Leave a comment

Manchester MC K.I.M.E is putting Moss Side on the map with his incendiary debut track ‘From The Estate’.

With Pezmo on production the track melts down garage energy and grime nastiness to sink a lead-heavy base for K.I.M.E’s vocals, delivered with a swagger seldom seen on a maiden release. Carrying the torch for that signature Manchester lyricism – “You’re gonna be flabbergasted, when I assist like Fabregas did” – K.I.M.E looks to his day-to-day for inspiration. “It’s about where I grew up,” he says of his debut track, “I’ve lived there all my life.”

‘From The Estate’ is the first cut taken from ShellyAnn Season, the joint release from K.I.M.E and fellow Mancunian p1caps.

www.twitter.com/kimeraps
www.instagram.com/kimeraps
www.soundcloud.com/kimeraps

Lynx ft Master X – Deep Deadly [Detail Recordings]

August 26, 2018 James Mernagh Leave a comment

Lynx isn’t messing about on latest track ‘Deep Deadly’ which brings drum & bass back to everything it should be – no racing stripes here, just straight up power and punch.

With Master X on board delivering a timeless drum & bass vocal, Lynx sets his sights on the sort of infectious old school vibe which makes Jonny L’s ‘Back to Your Roots’ such a classic track – a devastatingly simple bassline, and one tailor-made for DJs.

Lynx explains “When writing the track and arranging it I wanted a song that DJs could splice their own favourite version of the track together. For exampled, you could re-edit the arrangement as a deep minimal DJ and lose the heavier sections. Or, if you prefer it to be a banger, you could lose the minimal parts.

“Or if you feel like it just loop the vocal and double drop your favourite tune over the top. It’s a very versatile DJ tool and a tune I think DJs will have loads of fun mixing.”

‘Deep Deadly’ is out now on Detail Recordings.

www.twitter.com/lynxdnb
www.facebook.com/lynxdnb
www.soundcloud.com/lynxdnb
www.instagram.com/lynxdnb
www.facebook.com/MCMASTERX
www.instagram.com/masterxdnb/

Wagz – ‘Whiplash’ / ‘Grey & Blue Skies’ [none60 Records]

July 11, 2018July 11, 2018 James Mernagh Leave a comment

Wagz returns for round two on Silent Dust’s none60 Records imprint with new single ‘Whiplash’ / ‘Grey & Blue Skies’.

‘Whiplash’ is a real damager, slowly ramping up the tension with airy percussion and misty pads before dropping into tough, plunging basslines. But this script is shredded on the flip, where ‘Grey & Blue Skies’ takes to its wings on a delicate liquid roller; the sub sounds remain, but they massage your brain rather than landing punches between your eyes.

Listen below or head here to buy.

www.none60records.bandcamp.com
www.soundcloud.com/wagz
www.soundcloud.com/silentdust

Kusp – ‘Moments’ ft Edward Oberon / ‘Shadowed’ [Detail Recordings]

June 26, 2018 James Mernagh Leave a comment

Kusp drops the first Detail Recordings release not to come from the studio of label owner Lynx – and the result is a shapeshifting double-punch.

Liquid roller ‘Moments’ kicks things off, Edward Oberon’s soulful vocals pushing through pinpoint arpeggios and soaring melodies, before things take an unexpected and wonderful turn on the flip.

‘Shadowed’ is an angular, heavyweight half-time cut which takes no prisoners with solid square-wave bass frequencies and bruising percussion – it’s a totally different flavour to ‘Moments’, and simply shows that it’s futile trying to predict the sound of Kusp’s LP, scheduled to drop on Detail Recordings later this year.