Beats Vinyl New Releases - News

Every so often a producer comes through and changes the game a little; crafting new dimensions and sonic pathways within sounds that leave them operating in a league of their own when it comes to originality. For many within Dubstep circles, from DJs and
producers to the listeners and heads on the dancefloor at the receiving end of his sub-driven beats, Gantz is that breath of fresh air with the inherent creative instinct to deviate from the same played-out formulas and boilerplates. Meticulously assembling tracks from his lab in Istanbul, Gantz gains heightened prominence with each release and this February sees him return to Innamind Recordings to further stake his claim as one of the circuit's most engaging talents.
A label progressing on a similarly meteoric trajectory to Gantz, Innamind were perhaps one of the most successful emergent imprints of 2012, providing a platform for an exciting stable of like-minded artists to release music with real longevity, culminating with a pair of full vinyl transmissions from Kiwi dons Perverse and latterly Catacombs. Forging the perfect partnership, Gantz and Innamind team
up for the label's third vinyl instalment featuring 'Siyam' and 'Enso', a killer double header that will assault soundsystems from London to Christchurch, forming a statement of intent for the quality in store this year. As with many of Gantz's productions, focus is
immediately drawn to the probing and detailed percussive arrangements that dart and weave unpredictably through the mix. The bassline on 'Siyam' is like an unstoppable current of pent up Jungle energy, propelling the track with tumbling slabs of pure bassweight beneath persistent war drums and neon rave sirens. It's reminiscent of the golden age of Skull Disco material but reinterpreted, updated and retrofitted with Gantz's inimitable aesthetic signature. In an equally leftfield vein as 'Siyam', 'Enso' has
decidedly macabre edge as the intro's discordant synths ring out intermittently like an alarm, as if to warn of the sheer impact to come. As the main section breaks, enveloping waves of sub-frequency undulate with tidal-force, pierced by stuttering woodblocks and snares that reverberate like gunshots. The atmosphere is tense and unforgiving, littered with quaint gasps of vocals; a truly
unique darkside monster that chills you to the core.

Kartel is pleased to announce a debut release for Civil Music by Chicago's genre-bending dubstep mixmaster, Ital Tek. Following on from his third Planet Mu album release in November and a raft of packed-out US dates, and foreshadowing a UK/European tour, this upcoming 12" highlights the artist's direction for 2013's more knowledgeable dancefloors.

Razor Rekta has proved to be a serious addition to the Chestplate team, bringing a new dimension with his unruly, dread-inducing signature sound. The London-based producer has a hefty collection of fresh dubplates ready to cause damage, and a couple of killer beats were dropped on his debut Chestplate record, 'Loko-Motiv' and 'Development'.This December sees more heat-tempered firepower released on 12', with the speaker stack-rupturing 'Bang Ya Door' on the A-side, and no-nonsense brute force of 'Kickstart' on the flip. The whole Chestplate gang, Icicle, Youngsta and J:Kenzo have been testing these ones out in the clubs and they deliver the expected levels of clean, taut bassweight pressure.'Bang Ya Door' carves out a tense, sinister atmosphere that's pierced with crisp, swaying 808 snares, lurching groans of expertly engineered mid-range and deep swells of pure low-end; dark industrial beats made with razor-sharp precision. 'Kickstart' moves with swinging, powerful kick snare combos, with pads building the tension before delivering the knockout blow. The subs underpin the track with an earth-moving rumble of earthquake proportions as tribal patters of percussion and thrashing Reece synths penetrate from deep in the mix.As per usual, another track is available direct from the Surus store - 'Taurus', one of the highlights of Razor's Fabriclive Promo mix from earlier in the year.

Given that Tempa have now reached the landmark tenth edition in their scene-defining Dubstep Allstars series, it makes perfect sense that they've invited Plastician, one of the genre's pioneers, to contribute.

"I wanted to pick tunes that I thought were proper traditional dubstep," says Plastician of his selection for this mix. "The word dubstep means different things now, so I just wanted to do a mix that I can say 100% I think that all these tracks are dubstep, or not far from it. It's as close to a pure dubstep mix as I could be, without doing an old school mix. So it's trying to keep it fresh, with all current stuff, but with an old head on my shoulders."

Near the start of last decade Plastician, alongside the likes of Skream, Benga and Artwork, was among the small group of producers twisting garage into dark and skeletal shapes, creating what would eventually be called dubstep. So it makes sense that, in keeping with his own past, Plastician's Dubstep Allstars Vol 10 flirts with the rawer and rougher sides of dubstep: synths roar like police sirens, sub-bass scorches everything it touches, and percussion is taut and driven by flurries of conga hits. MCs - Doctor, Merky Ace, Newham Generals' Footsie - lend a languid flow to wrenching beats by J:Kenzo and Cato, drawing connections to Plastician's equally strong roots in grime.

"In my normal sets I'd play all sorts - grime, or basically anything that I can mix in that has a bit of bass in it, really," he says. "So I obviously wanted to put my stamp on it as well, I didn't want people to pick it up and say 'this doesn't sound like a Plastician mix'."

But there's a defined narrative arc to Dubstep Allstars Vol. 10, too, in the way it blossoms from a brisk and percussive opening section into a roaring and ravey middle, before gradually drifting away into a meditative and melody-soaked final third. It all draws together into a mix that's equal parts dread, aggression and immersion.

The intro of Abcess sounds like you've just entered the realm of the Wicked, where the listener gets confronted with a serious amount of evil soundscapes and an intense drop. Here it's all about the massive drumwork in combination with the impressive percussion involved, creating a serious rhythm together. The low-end is heavy, containing nice variations in depth and patterning. Morphing
aggressive growls take over the mix along with some repetitive stabs to create a great amount of heat. Widowmaker's timing is
perfect, implementing necessary breaks to add an extra punch to certain parts of the track. Just amazing to hear how this track
develops into a technical roller with such power - excellent track."
Widowmaker - Cerebral:
"Within the intro of Cerebral, a climax is built up through great grimey stabs with hints of a rolling low-end and evil progressive
soundscapes. The drop contains contagious mids that eat your mind immediately, like with the other tracks on this release.
Widowmaker's signature comes forward through the way he has structured his beats and the progress they make overall - making it
a rollercoaster ride for the listener. Nice minimal percussive elements involved, which are in balance with the rest of the elements
present, the way it should be. The second drop contains new patterns that sent out the message that you as the listener can expect
much more from him in the future. He delivered three solid tracks, making this a serious move from both Kaium and himself."
Widowmaker - Bionic 2099:
"Bionic 2099 starts off with an emotive intro, which develops into this sub-driven roller quickly. The heavy minimalistic drum patterns
and the solid low-end form a dangerous basis for the destruction of the dancefloor. The mid-ranges cutting through the mix are
effective, giving a lot of character to the mechanical growls that hit the listener. The crisp percussive elements keep the mind focused,
hitting the ears perfectly. The progressive pads give this tune a spacious vibe, where effects are applied properly to enhance the
deepness. Widowmaker knows his game, dropping morphing growls and serious weight is what he does best!"
Written by Korrupt (FatKidOnFire)

Disko404 is a long-established promotional crew based in Graz, Austria, whose renowned monthly events are all about celebrating the bass in dubstep, funky, house, juke, grime, hip hop, electro, and experimental sounds. In 2012 they branched out as a record label, launching with a well-received split EP from Sun People & Franjazzco, followed up by Simon/Off's 'Take It Back' EP. The label's third release comes from legendary broken beat and drum & bass producer Colin Lindo, aka Nubian Mindz, aka Alpha Omega. The man needs no further introduction as he is known for his brilliant releases on labels like Reinforced, 2000Black, Archive, Delsin and many more. 'Hacker Wacker' is hypnotizing with sharp beats and a dubby, bleepy, broken techno vibe ready to take you on a sweaty late night trip. 'Vox & Cymbal' is true listening bliss, a timeless tune centered around warm Detroit chords, downpitched vocals and spiralling synthlines, sending you on a dream-like journey. Vinyl pressing strictly limited to 250 copies only. Early support from Scuba, Untold, and 2562.

Brilliant new single from Burial, pressed on 180g vinyl and comprising of two tracks with a combined duration of 25 minuts 32 seconds!

Extremely Limited Quantity Available! Non-returnable! Orders needed by Dec. 11th !!!
!K7 Records started in 1985 in Berlin. The label has since ballooned into a worldwide releasing, distribution and management operation famous for artists, albums and DJ mixes. Their DJ-Kicks series, one of the label's longest-standing and most visible traditions, forms the backbone of the 27!K7 Boxset.
Earlier this year the label curated a choice selection of exclusive tracks from their current roster as well as recent contributors to the DJ-Kicks series for a collection of music that represents !K7's position at the vanguard of electronic music. Contributing artists include Hercules And Love Affair, Apparat, Motor City Drum Ensemble, New Look, Brandt Brauer Frick, Wolf + Lamb & Soul Clap, When Saints Go Machine, and a new project presented by Will Saul, Close.
All of the music from the 27!K7 Exclusives collection has been collected on an extremely limited boxset. The set will contain four gold 10" vinyl records, two special anniversary slipmats, a limited edition poster, and a USB drive loaded with EVERY DJ-Kicks !K7 has released.
27!K7 Boxset is a chance to say thank you to fans of the label, a celebration of !K7's excellent team of collaborators, and a look forward at the vibrant artists who comprise the label's future. Turn the music up, it's time to celebrate!

Youngsta should need very little introduction by now. One of the figureheads of dubstep since the very beginning, long-running resident at scene-defining club night FWD>> and the DJ who first played some of the genre's most-loved anthems, he continues to be a hugely active figure in dubstep's development. His weekly show on Rinse FM draws deep for new music, helping to expose and break talented new producers, and the founding ethics that defined dubstep in its early years still remain at the heart of his DJ sets.
*It's taken until now - eleven years since FWD>> first opened its doors - for his debut solo 12" to arrive.
*Early support from: Skream / Icicle / Vivek / J:Kenzo / Kryptic Minds / Biome / N-Type / Mary Anne Hobbs

Hero Records are proud to announce our latest release from Alternative Dubstep Orchestra. ADO are a live collective from Birmingham, UK who were set up in November 2010 as a resident new experimental collective at Birmingham's Hare and Hounds. After debuting in late 2010, ADO went on to tour in 2011 and 2012, performing to a mixture of festival audiences and club crowds alike, as well as playing several quieter 'world music' performances showcasing the more mellow, acoustic side of the collective. Highlights have been the Mostly Jazz Festival, The Green Man Festival, Shambala and The Secret Garden Party. A core collective has now evolved bringing a signature sound to reworked old classics and originals alike. With 2 drum kits, percussion, brass, strings, turntablism, electric guitar and more, ADO's aim is to offer what's written on the tin - alternative, orchestral dubstep!

Anex is a name that has been buzzing around the Deep Heads pages for quite some time now and his music has had some greatcomments and some hefty plays. His debut on Deep Heads is a well rounded EP that is precisely engineered masterfully arranged. "Phobic" is one for the bass heads and the subs and midrange punch through the beats with an almightily whack! Then "Bella" and "Shine" are both perfect B side tracks that hears Anex lay down some 2 step, percussive beats with lush pads sitting perfectly on the arraignment.

Elson David is the joint venture of London's Duct and Owen Howells, two of Shades of Grey Recordings' co-founders. Their first EP, a
three-tracker of techy, acid-laced house with tongue-in-cheek nods to UK raving past and present is released on 21st January 2013.
The collaboration was born of their shared love of acid house and rave culture, and the desire to do something a bit different to their
solo work. Both bring considerable talents to bear; Duct's classical training and detailed craftsmanship, and Owen's idiosyncratic
grooves and dancefloor focus combine in unexpected ways to produce something that sounds like neither and both.
This makes for a storming 8th release on Shades: opener 'God Bless' sets out their stall in no uncertain terms, with wiggly 303s and
deft samplework building into a surefooted hybrid bubbler which owes as much to UKG as its acid house forebears. Yet follower 'The
Awakening' will be the highlight for many: with an irresistable disco-inflected groove built from chunky beats, vocal refrains and
acidified riffs on the classic 'Rapper's Delight' bassline, it's sure to blow up dancefloors everywhere. On the flip, 'Woke' is one for the
heads; a full-on acid workout that takes no prisoners for the duration.
Awakening forms the eighth release on Shades of Grey; an imprint set up by Duct , Fybe:one and Owen Howells, and dedicated to
showcasing the best emerging talent in the UK scene.

French Fries delivers two originals on the cutting edge of modern bass. "Space Alarm" is right up in your face but artfully holds back right when you think it will go over the top. The inside "Smoke Wine" is more in the vein of last years smash "Yo Vogue," yet more understated and deep which is rare for the genre. When I play these at the right time they always solicit an audible "ooooh" from the
crowd at thedrops.
Remix #1 is by Justin Martin who really blows it up dirtybird style with almost a breakbeat old school electro beat. Remix #2 is by dirtybird newcomers GoldFFinch via Belgium who also deliver a really funk laden club version. Both remixes are ace and t e full release brings a very fresh sound to the label.

WNCL Recordings and Kevin McPhee have spent many a moon discussing a shared love of Mood II Swing, dubplate culture and Bobby Champs amongst other things. In between times, the Canadian young-gun has been honing 4 tracks to present WNCL012 a finely crafted Extended Play in which McPhee gets his clonk on, in keeping with WNCL's hard jacking groove tendencies McPhee produces four slices of brick hard house that you'll be hard pressed to even try and overlook.Sonic Router

Kuhn's sophomore effort for Civil Music, Kings EP is a collection of four diverse uptempo club tracks with an eclectic sampling palette and Footwork-inspired rhythmic complexities.
"I Quit," featuring Astro Nautico brother in arms and LuckyMe contributor Obey City, flips a glittery pitched-up soul loop into an 808- fuelled dance floor workout with insistent vocal mantras and a jumpy kick drum rhythm. "NWYRK" grabs horns from Cuban Carnival music and places them over an off-kilter tom shuffle. "Boombox" merges hyper-pitched rave stabs, quaking sub kicks and sultry female vocal cutups to form a halftime beat before flipping into a hyperspeed finale. Finally, "Never Forget" carves massive choral samples into a manic haze with added hyperactive kick drums and lightning trap fills.
The EP includes remixes of 'I Quit' by Muscovite Pixelord and Atlanta's Time Wharp. The former a warm laid back exercise in Russian Juke and the latter a smooth yet jacking kick lead house heater.
Kuhn's sound is raw, energetic and individual. It's the work of 23 year old Brooklyn-based / Long Island native Bennett Kuhn. His long sold out debut EP Slime Beach was released on Civil Music almost a year to the day prior and received support from a diverse crowd
of tastemakers including Claude Von Stroke, Mary Anne Hobbs, Ramadanman, Untold and A-Trak.
Kuhn is irrepressibly linked to Astro Nautico, the Brooklyn-based label/blog/party collective co-founded in 2009 by Kuhn along with
Obey City and Paulo Xz. Astro's now infamous parties at FreeCandy have attracted global attention including a report from BBC Radio 1's Benji B. Astro Nautico affiliates include; Howse, Space Ghost, Moist Ghost, RAJA, Time Wharp, Young Montana, Dreams,
The Range, Baauer, Djemba Djemba, Zackey Funk Force, Abel and many more.
The Kings EP pays homage to the Kings district of Brooklyn. The photography and artwork (which is also by Kuhn) show a Kings
skyline and the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower.
Look out for Video for I Quit by Paolo Xz. Kings EP is released 19th Nov on 12" / Download on Civil Music.

Taiki and Nulight or to there Friends 'Rowan Harrington' and 'Erka Chinbayer' have both been Dj-ing/producing for many years both in very different circles. Taiki's Career started back in 2008 under his old alias name Site 1 who was a house/electro producer. They
Joined Forces and started working together in 2011 which now seems like a lifetime ago considering on what they have achieved in such a short time. When they first started out working together they were making a lot of Dubstep, House and Electro influenced bass
music as we call it now. Being heavily into Garage, House and Electronic Dance Music there sound Heavily progressed across the spectrum of Dance Music.
Taiki and Nulight released there first EP in February 2012 on Subway Recordings which gained a lot of support from the likes of Mistajam, Crookers, Herve Zinc, Redlight, Foamo, Roska, Benga, Skream, Adam F, Hatcha, N Type and More. Gaining them a lot of
Frequent airtime on BBC Radio 1, 1XTRA, KISS 100 and Rinse Fm.
Now Nearly a Year and a half since they have joined forces, they have received massive support from some of the most respected
DJS out there not to mention Air time nearly every week on Radio 1 and Kiss 100. Remixes for the likes of Herve, Alt J, Benga, Audrey
napoleon and more to come.
With there next Release on the horizon and due to drop December time 2012 on Bengas very well respected label Benga Beats there
is so much more that you will see from these boys and so much new material to hear.

Dritter Schlag von Kevin Martin aka The Bug auf dem frisch gegründeten Acid Ragga Label! 303 Sounds treffen auf klassischen Dancehall. Mit von der Partie sind dieses Mal die Warrior Queen und Miss Red an den Vocals. Robo-Raggamuffin at it's best! Die 7inch ist limitiert und kommt im knalligen, neo-gelben Vinyl!

Biome is fast becoming one of the most in-demand producers in the Dubstep scene, with a series of high-profile releases sealing his reputation as a master of arcane sound design and intense sharp-edged production. Following a handful of essential singles, Black Box has compiled Biome's most developed and complete release yet - the Two Way EP - showcasing the breadth and variety in his music.#

Ltd. Clear Green Vinyl....

On their sophomore LP, Tracer, Teengirl Fantasy cuts through some of the haze of their earlier recordings to create their most compositionally sophisticated work yet.

Roska's Kicks & Snares label return's with another cutting edge, bass heavy, club riddim. This time signing up J Kenzo, heavily affiliated with the Dub Police and normally know his Dubstep stylings, Kenzo has come out of his comfort zone to provide us with a deep minimal, bass filled house track. Giving you a little taster of what 2011 is to bring for RKS. Remixes duties come courtesy of Blunted Robots mutant funky specialist Martin Kemp. Already reciving support from Scratcha DVA, Brackles, MA1 and of course Roska to name a few. Check it out and get back to us with your feedback.

Debut LP from J:Kenzo, producer of recent dubstep scene hits "The Rotek's" and "Ruffhouse"
11-tracks, featuring dancefloor instrumentals club-tested to devastating effect by DJ's Youngsta, N-Type, Distance and more

The third release from the PMR stable showcases another precocious young talent in the shape of vocalist Javeon McCarthy, who's teamed up with fellow Bristolian Julio Bashmore to serve up a slo mo future-soul burner. Booming subs, cowbells and analog synths provide a brooding, dubbed out, 100BPM backdrop for McCarthy's plaintive vocals.

The 2nd E.P taken from Jon Convex's debut 'Idoru' L.P is a turn for the darker side than its predecessor. On these two limited 10"plates, Convex transports us into a cold and 'Dystopian' future. Sharp metallic edges and automated machine drones cut through 'Aversion' then pushes your eardrums through the airlock into deep space on 'Desolation'. Here synthesised waves sweep you into the hard vacuum of filtered bass progressions. 'Four Faces' continues the hardened theme with its pulsing synthetic kicks and interlocking mechanical structures, creating a tense claustrophobic environment.
After a strong critically well received collaborative effort on Martyn's 3024 label, dBridge makes another appearance with Convex Industries on EP#2. dBridge features as his fast evolving Velvit moniker. Convex morphs the Velvit vocals over a hi-tech bass work out on 'What I need' pushing a distinctive Chicago house feel throughout the tune.
Jon Convex is serves up his refined technique with his cutting edge productions that became synonymous with his partnership of the genre defying Instra:mental.

Presenting the new EP from C156, Barcelona´s bassline masters. The bastard child of four young catalan producers. C156 is the subwoofer-eating monster formed like Voltron from the combined efforts of Cauto, The Gardner, Dr Res and Drome. With respective histories in dubstep, jungle, house and hip hop, C156 presents their 12~ debut for Disboot full of music that takes from and defies limitations to any of these genres. While taking their cues from Sheffield´s exploding Bassline House scene, c156 present three tracks that could have only come from the winding, gritty streets of the Gothic Quarter.The opening '1,2,3 OINK' takes dark melodies and pensive piano stabs and wedges them between rhythms alternating between hilariously phat bassline house sensibilities and half step pressure. The most sinister track on the EP, beats and bass are twisted and ground into buckwild mayhem. 'Can leprous be trendy' tests all dancefloor hipsters to stand still with a maniac beat that literally threatens to fall apart as it pummels through its rapidfire rhythm changes and lfo abuse. Constantly rising and falling, the track is unpredictable and surprising, commanding you to move parts of your body you never knew existed. Ending with the current crowd favourite, 'Latin Mayhem', c156 take their latin musical lineage into the bass music fold with their tongue planted firmly in their cheek. Utilising a plethora of samples from various salsa riddims, this track is straight dancefloor fire that will have you pounding the floorboards or rolling on them in hysterics. Never content with gimmicks, the track maintains the signature c156 attention to detail and ridiculously heavy subsonics, something for heads and dancers alike. Full of wobbling bass, dancefloor murdering 4/4 rhythms and an overriding sense of humour, this is a perfect addition for the crate for those 3am peaks in the club.

Our first release of the new year comes from Doubleheart, the collaborative project of two of Scotland's longest serving creative individuals in electronic music - JD Twitch (Optimo Espacio) and Neil Landstrumm.
Taking its name from title song 'Roots' - a sub heavy, tension building track that re-imagines Jamaican dub poet Michael Smith's original from the seminal 1982 album 'Mi Cyaan Believe it - the EP as a whole works as an analogue exploration into the rawer side of dance music. Working together allows these veteran producers to fuse their individual styles and musical sensibilities, combining Landstrumm's raw aesthetic and mastery of hardware manipulation with Twitch's unrivalled knowledge of what makes a dancefloor
tick. Spawning from the depths of their imaginations and machines are 4 club-ready tracks brimming with anticipation and menace. Although taking it's inspiration from 80s electro and 90s acid & rave, the final result is far from a throwback to a halcyon, bygone era.Instead, they have managed to carve out a distinctive sound the bleeps and bangs it's way firmly into 2013. 12' vinyl and digital formats will be available on January 28th. The vinyl will be packaged in a rough cast, twice debossed manilla sleeve, again designed and actualised by our designer Grampian Mountains.
DJ support from Optimo, Ben UFO, Joe Goddard (Hot Chip / 2 Bears), Nightwave, Daniel Avery, Lando Kal, Sinden, Clouds, West Norwood Cassette Library, Medlar, Hot City, Tayo, Auntie Flo, Sei A...

This 10' features remixes from renowned producers Jacques Greene and Machinedrum.
· Machinedrum has collaborated with Azealia Banks, Theophilius London and released through Hotflush under his moniker Sepalcure with Praveen Sharma. He has also released music through Lucky Me and Planet Mu. He has played Sydney Opera House, Sonar and SXSW, among others.
· Renowned producer Jacques Greene has released on LuckyMe and Night Slugs. The enigmatic 21- year old house producer from Montreal has a slew of remixes and original releases, and he has collaborated with Katy B, Radiohead, Jimmy Edgar and more.

After 2 succesfull opus on Kiosk ("Evry / Sylvia" & "No Money / Valium Gitan"),
Sa Bat' Machines strikes again with an even more amazing 2 tracker.
Again they bring gipsy music to dubstep wild style, almost a trade mark since no one them managed it that well.
But most amazing remain B side with a fantastic soul full jazzy dubstep tune, featuring the unique voices of vocalists Lucy & Lysa.
This 12" is undoubtedly the best record dubstep, not to be missed!

New 180 gram vinyl from deep medi.

After racking up some of the toughest bass-laden releases of 2012 both individually and collaboratively, Sleeper and District kick off 2013 with vital debut 12" on Kryptic Minds' Osiris Music uk imprint. The duo build a venomous soundscape ravaged by low- frequency menace on 'The Risk', with commanding kicks driving through the mix underneath lashings of twisted synth engineering to create a brutal composition that sits somewhere between Dubstep and Techno. Sleeper fronts up the flipside on a solo tip with 'Dark Mutations', a fierce halftime monster with licks of writhing mid-range riding colossal waves of sub-bass. Powerful and hard hitting vibrations from the Coventry-based pairing.

10 years on from the release of the original, the launch of Liminal Sounds as a label comes with a selection of reworks of Youngstar's seminal 'Pulse X' featuring Visionist (92Points, Keysound, Signal Life, Lo Note), Blackwax (Tube10), Slackk (Local Action, Numbers), Pedro 123 (Get Some, B.Yrslf Division) and Elsewhere (Liminal Sounds, Get Some).
Widely considered to be the first grime track ever made, 'Pulse X' is one of the most important, influential and recognizable tracks the scene has ever birthed. It is testament to the lasting impact of the track that it still finds its way into the bags of a diverse range of DJs a decade later.

1. Skream - Loosing Control 2. Benga - Evolution 3. Geeneus
- Star Buck 4. Zinc - Flim [Skream Remix] 5. Benga - Live Drums 6. Shotz - Arabian Nightmare 7. Benga - Fittest 8. Headhunter - Decent 9. Skream - Request Line 10. Footsie - Psychotic 11. Benga - Middle Man 12. Wonder - What [Geeneus Remix] 13. Skream - Deep Concentration

V's take on house music comes at the listener from an outsider's perspective, as his native Ukraine traditionally hasn't been a hotbed of this genre. Consequently, his new album on Nuearth Kitchen, 13th District, hits your ears at an odd angle, as V (aka Vakula, aka Mikhaylo Vityk) bends somewhat familiar tropes into fascinating, fresh shapes. Clearly enamored of American funk, soul, and jazz, V recalibrates these familiar elements—the amino acids of house—into dream-logic, hypnotic scenarios that accentuate their visceral and cerebral qualities. One of 13th District's highlights is "Untitled I," which elicits a 3 AM poignancy through a languid, soul-jazzy house trot, wrenching the heart further by looping a female vocalist crooning, "My love." On a grittier tip, "Untitled V" weaves urgent gangster dialogue through a Curtis Mayfield-esque blaxploitation-flick scenario—phenomenal corkscrewing bass line, pimp-rolling beats, reverbed falsetto vocals—filtered through a hazy distancing effect that only adds to its dramatic power. On "Untitled XII," V contrasts brutal, off-center beats and a forbidding bass line with twinkling keyboard and xylophone tones and tranquil clarinet motif, creating a gorgeous tension between opposing forces. If anything could resurrect the long-dormant trip-hop genre, it's this stunning track. Elsewhere on 13th District, there are tracks that recall Marvin Gaye's phenomenal 1972 soundtrack for Trouble Man—a kind of dazed, glazed soulfulness in which some people in supremely difficult, tense situations seek escape and solace. The funk on 13th District is thick and deep, slowed to a sumptuous lope, the better to augment libidinous impulses. The tracks here are outrageously sensuous, but not in overt ways. V spurs erotic shivers with utmost subtlety—and with a hint of derangement. There's a sweet madness to his methodical method.

Purple pioneer Gemmy lines up his first release for Tectonic. Gemmy is known for his grime-influenced dancefloor and synth-licked cuts for the likes of Planet Mu, Punch Drunk, Roska Kicks & Snares, and his own W.O.W imprint. Taking things deeper and more tribal than with his previous releases, Gemmy finds a new ground to explore with punchy roller 'Warrior'. The beats move fluidly and with purpose from the offset. As the rhythm unfolds, so does Gemmy's musical side - bringing us possibly the first ever 'tribal Purple' rhythm yet! Quality dancefloor music that is likely to appeal across the spectrum of the underground. Flip then for 'The Dome' which sees Gemmy in more familiar territory, dropping a heavy 808-based rhythm and smashing it to bits with a filthy, grimey B-line. 'The Dome' is pure fire-in-tha-dance, charged with bass sounds that cut between stinging muted bleeps and hoover-like hardcore stabs. Refined and energetic!

Following on from her much-lauded debut album 'Quarantine' on Hyperdub released earlier in the year, Laurel Halo concludes both the year and the drama explored in 'Quarantine' with this new single 'Sunlight On The Faded'. Where 'Quarantine' was dense and beatless, layered and visceral with vocals cutting through intense soundscapes, 'Sunlight On The Faded' is energized and geometric, with lush chords built around hard, sparse drums and Laurel's harmonized vocals. The claustrophobic motifs explored on 'Quarantine' remain, but here they are turned inside out, incandescent and fleeting. Choked samples and illusory FX support the vocal phrases, the lyrics hinting at a resolution from the pain of the album's themes, and a hopefulness too. The b-side dub is a deep exploration, again reflecting the soundscapes of 'Quarantine' but ramping up the intensity with simultaneously tense and lithe drum patterns. The chords of the original are broken by gaseous blooms, distortion detail work and rhythmic FX, allowing them to breathe and bounce in and out of the track, pivoting around a sinister, bassy dub techno pulse. Like the original take, the dub version is equal parts dark and positive, both ideal for late nights and early mornings.