Beats News

After we carried Ice Rave back in 2019, Sneaker Social picks up more coded sequences from Filter Dread’s outpost and transmutes them to wax for the good of the dance.

From obfuscated tapes of post-rave skits to slick and grimey bangers, there’s something slippery about the way Filter Dread operates, and it’s led to a highly individual discography that spans 10 years and labels like Ramp, Unknown To The Unknown, Fresh 86 and No Corner. His sound has a stark immediacy that revolves around sampling – just watch him work a live set on his Digitakt and you’ll understand everything. Through simple approaches comes the flexibility to glide between styles, displaying a virtuoso affinity for grime, jungle, dancehall and plenty more, with the means to put his own stamp on everything he touches.

On this new 12” we get six new slabs which slip between rave touchstones with poise, marrying up garish square wave womp with something akin to electro, slipping down into a more overtly grime-licked swerve, nodding to the early sublow days on ‘Asid 88’ and generally doing mad things with gargantuan bass and tuff, deadeye drums, It’s moody in a truly UK, spliff-friendly tradition, but it’s also plenty playful, with enough freakiness to get limbs loosened and a little heat up inside the place.

GHETTO TRAXX is back again.

Sorry for the delay, but working life has hit us harder than we thought.

Finally GTR02 - 'Return of the Sexmachine' is getting really close.

Same as the debut a year ago, it is packed with a variety of sounds from friends of the ghetto.

This time featuring 4 Tracks by Skuum, Toni Moralez, DJ Frankie and Mchy i Porosty. Prepare for machine sex (and love) and get ready again for maximum rave bangerz which will get you back to the toilet.

After more than two decades flexing his muscles on the local underground scene and gaining a legendary cult status on his Tenerife home turf, the island’s most famous postman, as he’s affectionately known by his consorts, Tomás de la Rosa aka Postman breaks radio silence to bulldoze his way through the canyons surrounding his hometown of Santa Cruz into an unknown and unsuspecting world. We present thus, Postman’s first ever album of original bangers, micro chopped two steppers and rage induced breakbeat anthems.

Constructed over the course of global confinement, Seeds of Light marks a return to creative activity from the man who regularly delivers your post (its not just a random artist name). Postman aka Tomás de la Rosa has taken his time, compiling sketches and unfinished songs, rummaging through the deep ends of his hardrive, stitching early production sketches with recent compositions, revising, reediting and rebuilding with a more mature and concise attitude, eventually completing, almost unintentionally, the perfect self referential retrospective album. Far from being just a compilation album, Tomás managed to create an explosive document, suspended in time, in which styles are intertwined regardless of fashions and fads – letting go of the ‘modern’ or ‘up to date’ burden - so common these days in electronic music.

It is not an easy album, like many of his previous work it demands extra attention to experience the full crystallization of his complex sound structures. We find ourselves in front of a truly surgically precise work of art whose result comes as a waterproof war machine, refined and incisive, resonating deep with soul and groove.

Postman develops his sound palette throughout the album from very basic sound snippets into a concrete dance world of synthetic sounds eventually creating a parallel reality where J. Dilla could be living in Chemnitz instead of Detroit and releasing records for a label called Raster-Throw. Glitch sampladelics!

Incursions into Grime are also abundant with nods to the ineffable East Man, reunions with his beloved Funkstörung or many other stimulating revisions of lifelong genres and breaks populate this multidimensional sound space, see soul, dancehall, breakbeat, two step and the UK hardcore continuum.

Special mention to the magnificent fluid artwork by the very talented Catalan visual artist Alba de Corral. A still photo from one of her kinetic AI systems programmed directly in code, which matches perfectly the essence of Postman's brutalist alien sound.

Vinyl limited to 200 copies

Green marbled Vinyl

East Man returns to HI TEK SOUNDS with something a little different… A foray into stompy mechanical Techno, as well as his own hybrid amalgamation of Grime and Techno, 8 Bar Techno, which he has honed over the last few years.

The titular track, Underground Software, opens with a burst of static noise before launching into a stomping kick drum and stab combo, gradually adding hi hats and snares as the track progresses, building into a funky mechanical groove.

The second track is something of a signature tune for East Man, bringing Techno and Grime together to create the hybrid genre of 8 Bar Techno. It fires out the gate from the off, doing exactly what the title implies. This is one for the Grime dances and the Techno raves.

The last track is Primary Source. A slower beat with a plodding thud that folds into a squelchy Techno groove. Full of funk and flavour this EP covers a wide range while maintaining a coherence that few others manage to pull off.

Always surprising sound... Deeply influenced by the nowaday Bass-Music styles... but still Electronica/Synthwave in the mood.

BIG alubm full of creativity and musical skills.

needed !

Throwing hi-def sounds into three-dimensional space and rendering bass in increasingly uncharted waters, Walton arrives on Sneaker Social Club with a future-leaning EP of dance wreckers for the tough crowd.

Even his earliest releases were pushing things forwards as the weightless grime thing gathered momentum, but Walton always swerved the rest of the pack and simply approached grime-rooted club music with his own experimental instincts. His mammoth body of work takes in totemic labels like Tectonic, Hyperdub and Ilian Tape, and as time has passed and music has moved on from micro scenes to a generically fluid individuality, so Walton has grown as an artist. Recent drops including his Maisie By The Sea album have started to embrace more experimental spaces alongside his familiar twist on grime, and this mini-LP for Sneaker continues that level of progression.

On the A side, long time Walton fans will be more than happy with the intensity of ‘PJD’, which is as fierce as we’ve heard Walton go to date. As ever, his beats are never a simple matter, with every hit embellished with needlepoint sound design. The sound zips around the stereo field, but never at the expense of the track’s impact. Still, there’s space for other vibes too, as on the deep, sweeping pads and electronica twitch of ‘Quasar’.

By and large, Walton keeps the pressure up. ‘Rush’ is a bludgeoning instrument and ‘Dread’ teases with a jerky, stop-start demeanour which lands heavy blows when it kicks in. But shorter cuts ‘Detach’ and ‘Shots Fired’ also allow space for other aspects of Walton’s craft to come through. It’s these cuts which add to the overall listening experience and show just how much he ahs to offer as a producer.

The LP version is limited to 1000 copies, pressed on blue vinyl, in a high grade spot-varnished gatefold sleeve.

700 Bliss is the forward-thinking duo of DJ Haram and Moor Mother. Their first full length for Hyperdub is an album of noise rap that ties together the raw edges of club music and hip hop with punk energy, jazz, house-party catharsis, percussion-heavy analogue sound design, and cheeky skits, ranging from experimental rap tracks with rolling hi hats and lyrical bravado, to poetry set to noise and sound collage.

Moor Mother and DJ Haram started collaborating in 2014 and eventually formed 700 Bliss, a blistering live act in Philly's DIY scene, releasing their 2018 debut, Spa 700 on Halcyon Veil / Don Giovanni Records. Since that time, both artists have grown global followings. Moor Mother is a prolific solo artist and collaborator, writer, and member of Black Quantum Futurism while Haram has been curating and creating radio shows, DJing, and producing (including an EP for Hyperdub in 2019).

‘Nothing To Declare’ is a smart, danceable revelation, a chiseled soundscape of dive bombing bass, piercing bleeps, crunchy distortion, and wavering synth lines. Welcoming in a variety of voices from their extended, cross-genre scene, 700 Bliss also bring along a cast of collaborators, including vocalists Orion Sun, Lawfandah, Ase Manual, and Ali Logout (from the band Special Interest), plus Palestinian producer Muqata'a, and writer M Téllez who delivers a surreal sci fi monologue over a pounding kick drum on ‘More Victories’.

‘Nothing To Declare’ is a deeply layered rewriting of hip hop and electronic music that gives more with each listen. You won't hear another rap album like it in 2022.

*repress*

After the recent collaboration with Walton for the last release, this release sees the return of the ‘Stop Flapping Your Gums’ instrumentals, with the second volume in the series.

The A side, ‘Jaws’, is a sharp and steely hard stepper with a deep brooding bass line that evokes an ominous feeling. The skeletal framework of drums prop up the sub bass, lurching inexorably forward towards an unknown terror. Produced around the same time as the album on Planet Mu you will have heard it in East Man sets on Balamii, Just Jam or Rinse FM, usually accompanied by Killa P on the mic, laying his patois infused lyrics over the top of this dread riddim.

The B side is another track that those of you familiar with East Man sets will definitely know. ‘Border Clash’ is an up tempo onslaught of distorted kick drums and sub bass coupled with clattering, wood-block percussive stabs that lend an almost primal urgency to the beat. This one is ready to mash up any dance floor… Just turn the lights out and the subs up!

a1. East Man - Jaws
b2. East Man - Border Clash

The dutch producer Halp releases his debut 12" on Golden Mist Records. 'Polar' EP is a contemporary artifact plated by sino-grime, where beautiful and warm melodies are melted in the cold world of machinery. A manifest to the unknown territories that our civilization is exploring, where the development of 'Artificial Intelligence' and the border between humans and machines is being narrowed.

Sheffield born production prodigy Lloyd SB has long been a secret weapon of the underground instrumental grime scene. His assertive club tracks have been staples in radio sets from the likes of Murlo, Scratcha DVA, Slackk and more, with his dominance over the more hard-edged side of grime production looking set to continue with his inaugural outing for Gobstopper Records, '8ths, 16ths/Princess Anna'. Opening to a cacophony of warped snares, the release's A-side swells early on with a glistening soundscape, providing the perfect build thanks to buried mechanised percussion before pushing its rhythmic elements to the forefront. Using full frontal percussive artillery as its main focus, '8ths, 16ths' almost completely removes any trace of melody in favour of unrelenting kicks, twisted snares and glass shatter sounds - providing a destructive take on the modern club blueprint. The release's second track exhibits a more melodic if no less frenetic side to Lloyd SB's production. Set to a pummelling bed of laser-esque bass sounds, 'Princess Anna' is a chaotic blend of 8 bit bursts, rapid-fire arpeggios and affected cymbals. Finding rhythm in the track's space, 'Princess Anna''s beat becomes more and more sparse as it progresses, utilising dizzying panning and hints of vocal chops as the sole human element in an instrumental that's as hard-edged and cold as they come. As an artist that's widely considered amongst his contemporaries to be one step ahead of the game, Lloyd SB's debut release for Gobstopper is a disorientating but focused example of forward-thinking club music. Both tracks embody the sound of a master of their craft, experimenting with their genre to push it into more devastating, and above all else, original places.

Absolutely lethal, classic footwork from these three originators — body-rocking, invigorating and startling, hybrid without compromise. The A is route-one dancefloor murder, honed and nasty, vintage Chicago and Detroit gone clear across the border; the flip is a fiercely dazzling juke vocal collage, bare and hard as nails.

When Will We Learn sees O$VMV$M reunite with Gloucester voice of thunder Rider Shafique for the spiritual successor to 2017’s Lion (LAVA LAVA). These tracks have been circling around in various forms for a few years and graced dancefloors / soundsystems from Riga-Bristol-NYC - but for various reasons are only now coming to light. The A side features Rider delivering a wake up call / warning over a Computer Paul via Radiophonic workshop style rhythm track while on the B side Dj Neek sends it through the desk on the fly and strips the instrumental down to its core essence.

This is a big release for Tectonic as label boss Pinch combines forces with Kahn to produce two killer rhythm tracks that meld deepness with futuristic dancehall powers. Normally this would be plenty to get excited about anyway - but if you then add the vocal talents of Killa P, Irah & Long Range - aka ‘Killa’s Army’ - there is even more reason! Dubstep meets grime meets dancehall, while Bristol meets Brixton.

All three MCs in Killa’s Army have their own, very distinctive but complimentary styles, bringing a hard, uncompromising vocal delivery to match Pinch & Kahn’s tough beats.

Long Range opens the track and sets pace, his rapid, agile lyrical flow bouncing off the distorted thumping of a darkside 142bpm dancehall-flavoured rhythm. Killa P unleashes the chorus with full force, then setting up the next verse. Irah drops it an octave and holds the mood with his unique tone and delivery. The track pulls back then for a moment, like a filmic interlude, before the General himself, Killa P comes in to finish off anyone who might try test, like an end of level boss. ‘Crossing The Line’ will be rattling out of speakers for many years to come, no doubt!

Flip the vinyl over and you’ll find another, instrumental track, from Pinch & Kahn. ‘Send Out’ is a dubstep banger that holds a deep mood whilst pushing the energy levels through the roof. A rhythm track that has been pulled up, wheeled; set dance floors ablaze with it’s almost heavy-metal levels of energy. An early version of ‘Send Out’ originally appeared as an exclusive track on Kahn & Neek’s Fabriclive mix but is now available properly for the first time.

Blue Vinyl

Hi Tek Sounds is the new label from East Man (AKA Basic Rhythm) set up after his debut album for Planet Mu 'Red, White & Zero'. The first release on Hi Tek Sounds is the first in a series of instrumental EP's from East Man, entitled Stop Flapping Your Gums, with the aim of exploring the deeper, instrumental side of the Hi Tek sound. The first two tracks on the EP, 'Twilight' and 'Future Tek', are sharp and steely, with angular rhythms. A skeletal frame work of kick drums, hard snares, sub bass stabs and brief synth splashes. Produced around the same time as the album on Planet Mu you may have heard them in East Man sets on Rinse FM or NTS, or his mixes for Resident Advisor and RedBull Radio. The B side opens with 'Nose Bleed', an up tempo onslaught of distorted kick drums and sub bass with metallic stabs and an emotive synth line. The closing track 'Mash Head' is a slower, more dub driven affair. Taking things down a notch for the head nodders.

Game-changing multi-instrumentalist Kamaal Williams has put together the
latest DJ-Kicks mix. Due for release on November 8th, it features four of his
own brand new and exclusive tracks and hints at the wide world of influences
that have made him one of the most prominent artists of the last few years.
Williams has taken his long standing love of seventies jazz fusion and mixed
it up with the contemporary sound of the London underground to devastating effect. House, broken beat, grime, soul, funk, hip hop and jazz all
permeate his work, which has seen him evolve from producer Henry Wu to
acclaimed live band Kamaal Williams, backed by talented drummers and
bassists. His pioneering work in the studio and live arena has influenced a
whole new generation of like-minded musicians that have helped make the
capital one of the most musically exciting and quickly evolving cities in the
world, with Williams' own virtuoso drumming and percussion right at the
heart of it all.
Kamaal Williams was one half of the duo who wrote the breakthrough
Yussef Kamaal album 'Black Focus’, one of the most talked about records
of 2016. Vinyl pressings kept selling out, it received rave reviews, earned
the band the Breakthrough Act award at the 2017 Jazz FM awards and led
to spellbinding live shows all over Europe. His follow up , The Return, came
on Williams' own new Black Focus label and took his band global, all while
picking up nominations for best independent album at the AIM Music
Awards.
Improvised rhythm and spirituality are at the heart of everything Williams
does, as is London life, with its diverse people, cultures and musical
customs all feeding into his work. That is also true when making more
electronic sounds as Henry Wu, who appears here after standout EPs on
labels like Rhythm Section International. Williams' music is so individual it is
more than deserving of its own tag: the artist himself calls it Wu Funk, and
some of the many sounds that feed into it are all showcased on this adventurous new mix.
Exclusives include a live take of 'Snitches Brew,' new Kamaal Williams
tracks 'Shinjuku' and 'Strings ATL', as well as 'Wivout U' from Henry Wu.
Those vital highlights sit next to classic jams from Southern Freeze, a strong
contingent of London innovators from K15 to Dego and Tenderlonius to
Kaidi Tatham, with funk driven house from Peven Everett, raw stuff from
Steve Julien, lush synth grooves from Lone and feel good grooves from Phil
Asher all making this is an honest and uplifting collection that, when necessary, is happy to eschew blends, fades and mixing in favour of red hot
selections and sequencing. Kamaal Williams DJ-Kicks is a fascinating
insight into the record collection of a true musical alchemist

The first Brazilian Grime release available on vinyl. Between São Paulo and London, Grime and Baile Funk, there is an underlying synergy, a collective beat that speaks to both cities. CESRV, Febem and Fleezus spent months holed up in a Bela Vista studio exploring the sonic and cultural similarities between the two urban monoliths. Their experimentation lead to the creation of BRIME!, a unique reinterpretation of Baile Funk rhythms through traditional and contemporaryGrime, Drill and Garage sounds, with features from internationally recognized artists. In the wake of this release, a scene was born, now percolating through all of Brazil’s urban strongholds at 140 beats per minute. Welcome to BRIME!

Cult UK producer Iglew returns with his highly anticipated sophomore record after a six year hiatus, finding a perfect home on Facta and K-LONE’s label, Wisdom Teeth. Iglew first burst through during the instrumental grime boom of the mid-‘10s, debuting on Mr Mitch’s Gobstopper imprint with the now-verified classic ‘Urban Myth’ EP. A run of massive edits, remixes, radio rips, plus a feature on legendary label Boxed followed - andthen he went into hiding. Six years on, his follow-up EP expands and consolidates his sound into something truly unique and distinct. His central talents - glacial synth work, timeless melodies, pristine sound design - are all on show here in abundance, but twisted to fit new, refreshed patterns and structures.

‘Caffeine Dream’ is mutant UK techno that offsets distorted bass and glitching synths against warm chords and a noodling melody. ‘Gold’ is cool and stepping, sitting somewhere between early Night Slugs and the refracteddeep house of DJ Python. Title track ‘Light Armour’ is the EP’s understated climax - a lowlit and psychedelic take on modern pop, sounding something like a Charli XCX record A&R’d by the Freerotation crew. To close, ‘Microfunk Lament’ and ‘Hakwsworth Woods’ lean into microhouse and Reich-school minimalism, putting Iglew’s immense knack for melody and soul on full display.

Orange Vinyl

PAV4N - ALL ON BLACK EP invites some serious talent to reinterpret his fire so far:

’98 style Drum & Bass from Fixate on ALL ON BLACK
Indian Classical from the don of textures, Kromestar
Epic strings and heavy Dubwise stepping collide on Hebbe’s rework of STASIS
Nascent Hip Hop stars Yung Raj and Nate08 take on the track that started it all, KARMA

PAV4N is a founding member of Foreign Beggars. Name checked at the Grammys, playing every major festival there is and hitting the UK Top Ten charts, PAV4N has been responsible for introducing wave after wave of underground music onto the world. After the highly influential multi-genre group parted ways at the end of 2019, he blasted back into view with his prolific solo project, which he describes as “A living art piece - the reality of forging a unique path in music, art and the life of a perpetual foreigner”

PAV4N is due to unveil his theatrical, highly produced live show in the UK this June/July after two years of intense development.

Introducing ‘SWITCH’ from Reflec, the first release on his brand-new imprint SOAKER SOUND; a label intent on exploring left-leaning club sounds as we make our imminent return to the club. A powerful statement of serious things to come; SWITCH is an ice-cold, eski 6 tracker that puts a fresh spin on the golden days of UK grime. Released on 03.05.2021 on vinyl and digital, SWITCH drops in time to soundtrack the summer and can be pre-ordered here.

Coming to the table with a fresh mutant sound, Darker Than Wax is proud to welcome Leeds-based artist Captain Over to our sonic universe with his Deep Blue EP. A solo project from one of the minds behind the band Paper Tiger, Captain Over represents a firm focus on dancefloor experimentation, blending the sounds of grime, broken beat, house, and LA beat music to create an entirely new beast. Much like the chess-playing supercomputer of the same name, ‘Deep Blue’ occupies a space between electronic weight and the human touch, fusing together icy digital synths borrowed from grime with off- kilter grooves and jazzy motifs.

Following a string of releases led by vocal tracks with grime MCs, ‘Deep Blue’ is the first fully instrumental offering from Captain Over, lending the artist a platform to make a strong statement about his creative vision and technical prowess. From the expansive arrangement of ‘4D’ to the duelling sci-fi synths on ‘Mind’s Eye’, the Deep Blue EP is a deeply creative yet functional record, signalling a bright future for the Captain Over project.

Pure heat coming from Sector 7 Family. Lemzly Dale back on the buttons, taking a sidestep from his very-own Pearly Whites imprint,with four cuts that cross the lines between o.g. grime, R&G, UK Funky and even a tinge of that rap & footwork kinda lean with those hi-hats and 808 snares flinging across big subs like it's nothing.

After numerous live performances around Europe and the release of his A Music for Sound Systems' full length in 2017, Infrasonics' label boss Spatial rejoins Never Ready with two productions originally aired during his 2016 MUTEK live set and lovingly mutated into NVR003.

Low frequency perturbations fusing Spatial's sound system culture references and trademark distortion, Netz Room's broken techno in the key of grime defines our label's intent to release forward bass explorations. Hut 6 follows with a ten minute warp drive across the known universe in search of a unifying field theory of techno. The B-Side sees J. Tijn's first foray on Never Ready with a bruk & bass out genetic resequencing of Netz Room, while Munstac returns with a sub heavy 4/4 interpretation of the title track.

Never Ready Records' third release in our establishing tetralogy continues with cover artwork from Nerog, 180g coloured vinyl and a limited pressing of 300 units.

Keysound are proud to announce the third installment in their Rollage sub-series. Following on from the first ltd edition black label and the recent volume two Keysound Sessions Anthem,' the C-troit' EP, is a 12' from Blackdown, with Dusk joining on co-production duties. C-troit' is a name revived from a lost, unfinished track by Blackdown in the very earliest roots' years of dubstep. A hybrid of the words Croydon' and Detroit', it's a heuristic for the place between Greater London's bass-lead music and the halcyon synths of early Detroit techno. Now that there's a growing body of dark, 130bpm-ish rollage, from within the Keysound camp and crews beyond (Jelly Bean Farm, Durkle Disco, Swamp81, Version & Kaizen), the EP seeks to throw warm light into the shadows, with the tracks Godlike Power', Clueless ft Dusk' and Halcyon Skies (Rollage mix).' The EP's closing cut The Greatest Concert (RIP PMC)' was written by Blackdown in the days immediately following the passing of his father. The first two installments in the Rollage series shared a common dark, tense mood but explored divergent energies levels and percussive possibilities whilst constrained by the same sound palate and tempo (130bpm). The tracks in the third edition, however, retain the same tempo, share a common pad-lead mood and percussive approach, but are not cut from exactly the same soundbank. As ever, all the 12's in the Rollage series are designed to be mixed together as one flow.

It’s been a busy eight months since Dampé’s debut on Dirt Crew Recordings. That time has seen the producer hold down monthly slots on Rinse FM, contribute a downtempo electronica/jazz edit to the S3A ‘Pages Remixes” EP as well as open big rooms for the likes of Surgeon and Blawan.

The intervening months have also seen the producer set up camp in the Rhythm Section studio in South East London, and the result of new access to studio gear can be heard all across ‘Garden’. Compared to the debut ‘Peach Shuffle’ this is a far more machine-led and darker listening experience. Snatches of acoustic instruments and space remain, but it’s never long before the disembodied vocals and oversaturated classic drum kits return reminding you this is music best enjoyed in the club.

‘A Basement, 10 Years Ago’ started just there. A bass line dimly recalled from a long-lost 6am jam is sequenced on a weighty analogue keyboard, while syrupy R&B vocals dance around mbira and gangsa, all slowly building and building together. ‘727 and Arp Breaks’ is a love letter to two of the producer’s favourite instruments from the studio. A TR-727 and an Arp Odyssey collide across dubbed out stabs to form some very rolling breaks.
Sunday Night Machines’ sees Dampé tame the box-of-physics that is the Arp Odyssey again with a sprawling meditation on two repeating arpeggios.

‘Garden’ is the one for the dancers. Four variations play with the same melodic theme in distinct sections, with the second variation being the deepest and most floor-ready the whole record gets. ‘France’ is a warped dub-come-hip hop beat that manages to conjure both Lil Jon and Yusef Lateef. We approached Liverpool’s finest ASOK (Lobster Theremin, M>O>S Delsin) for remix duties and to close out the record with a twisted bang. He turned in a propelling weapon that brings a whole new texture to the track listing. It’s very 90’s, very ravey and very raw, in a true IDM style.

With this eclectic mix of sounds we are entering another chapter of the Dirt Crew story and we hope you dig it as much as we do!

Lothian Buses’ is an EP of genre collisions with Proc Fiskal amalgamating his twinkling, caffeinated grime sound with the rhythms and sounds of other genres, without ever overthinking it. To kick off, ‘Thurs Jung Yout’ is a kind of shoegaze drill with strings and gentle tones swelling and dissipating against busy drill beats. ‘Baguettes’ is a more classic Proc sound, a galloping rhythm against a sparse melody that was a quick fix up for a show that turned out well. ‘Choco Frito (Calamari)’ was influenced by the good life, DJing in Portugal in the sunshine and hearing Kuduro played out. The latticing drum patterns nod to the style, dropping into a sunny accordion chorus with a plucked guitar line. ‘Scarab Aloph’ is Proc's style compressed, full of micro-glitches, tight drum fills and incidental drop-outs across a pretty melody, while ‘HopeTak2’ is his percussive, breezy take on funky house with smiley melodic stabs. Finally, ‘Mullit Madollock’ takes the sonics of airy Bukem-style atmospheric jungle, an instantly recognisable inspiration that's not been as foregrounded in Proc’s work before, refitted and updated with grime-inspired melodic bass kicks.

Numa Recordings is back again with a heavyweight release for all the grime heads out there: Badman Ting is a proper roadman anthem featuring Killa P, Irah, Long Range (aka Killa’s Army) and XL Mad (member of Numa Crew).

The original version sees the four MCs riding a heavy drill riddim with an unparalleled mix of dancehall and grime vocal styles. The riddim, produced by XL Mad himself, is minimal and impactful, combining spooky melodies with distorted 808 bass. All these elements make the whole thing.. a ‘Badman Ting!’

Exploring the boundaries between Grime, IDM and Dubstep, this four-track EP is a worldwide first: The first vinyl release of Japanese Grime.

Apulati Bien is back on Promesses with an 8 track EP called ‘RER TRACKS’. All sketches of these songs were formerly composed in early 2017 during Apulati's RER journeys (Paris suburban train) on an iPhone 4 using field recordings from the phone and the iMPC app. Then put together and re-arranged some years later in his Brussels studio. Each song is like the soundtrack of a different train journey, bringing eclectic vibes between de-construct dancehall, mutant dub and dark ambient. "OUEST" and "Oz" contain vocal featurings (also recorded on a phone) from Mexican artist Vica Pacheco and Haitian MC Damoreless Zoekila.

Bristol grime producer OH91 returns to Coyote Records for the first time since the back end of 2014 with new single, 'Shuttle'. Having released his debut record, 'Stealth', with Coyote back in 2013, OH91 also released a remix of Rapid's 'Xtra' beat on white label through the imprint in 2014, backed up by a an edit of Footsie's 'Prang Boy' from label mate Chemist — the 12' sold out in less than a week. Releases with up-and-coming indies White Peach, Trapped Audio and Banana Stand Sound have also checked his progress over the last two years, as well as collaborative production work with long-time friend and mentor, Sir Spyro. Honing in on a day-dot instrumental grime sound favoured by MCs, OH91's work on 'Shuttle' is sharp and brutally effective, sirens form the basis of the short intro, as a booming, looping beat — boosted by tense, anxious strings — slingshots the track straight into the dance. On the flip, Dutch producer JLSXND7RS, fresh from producing a number of tracks for Wiley on latest album, 'The Godfather', throws down a fierce, contorted remix full of warped sounds and eerie, sci-fi bleeps.

For the second release on his emerging Dark Knight imprint, Dutch producer JLSXND7RS has teamed up with Croydon cult hero Rocks FOE for the two-track instrumental offering “Warren & Justin”, available both digitally and on 12” vinyl.

The 6th vinyl release on BTG sees a newcomer to the label and a relative newcomer to the scene taking the reins. In his short time on the electronic radar J-Shadow has already had releases on Nous Disques, Car Crash Set, PRIME, The Collection Artaud, eatmybeat, Dissident Sound and Dream Eater.

BTG006 sees a full showcase of his sonic array driven by rough bass, ghostly pads, acute percussion and influences from the entire electronic spectrum. Embers is a grimey monster that drives with purpose and energy from the very top, J-Shadows signature sounds instantly invade your ears as the track builds into a weapon capable of destroying any dance floor. The release then swoops down to a grizzly techno-esque stomper, with a slower build than title track “ Embers, The Awakening serves to show off this producers more subtle techniques that allow for an almost 7 minute journey into the belly of a Berlin beast. As if that wasn’t enough the final original on this EP “No Gravity”pays homage to the higher tempo sounds that BTG have been trail-blazing for some time now, a 160BPM pile-driver with murky bass, knifelike breaks and a wonky build that will keep the listener on their toes.

BTG006’s B-Side sticks to the remixing ethos of the label with two legends taking the helm. B1 is a Danny Scrilla flip of the title track Embers which needs no explanation, pure energy from the top and then Etch fly kicks The Awakening into a 123bpm air pumping foot stomping techno track designed to sub bass to destroy tower blocks.

Meetsysteem's debut album Geen Signaal gets a remix treatment by Prins Thomas, Levi, Ranie Ribeiro, O.C and Elkan.

Flute Grime, Fever in you bed with U'r Girlfriend... & Grimy R'n'B, fever on MTV !

Influential Dutch grime producer JLSXND7RS debuts on Dream Eater with the four-track Ceres EP, enlisting MC Armour, a member of the trailblazing N.A.S.T.Y Crew, for vocal duties.

A cool dubstep minimal tool. Well done with just the little story and the little sounds to mke it good. Nice one !

The debut No. 1 album of 2017 'Gang Signs & Prayer' is to be released on vinyl this summer on a heavyweight double LP. Topping the album charts back in February with a phenomenal 69,000 sales - the debut album from Stormzy has seen him elevate from Grime King to global superstar.Before the release of his debut album, Stormzy wasn't short of success - Releasing his debut EP only two years ago, Stormzy has won two MOBOs, won Best International Artist at the BET Awards, performed on Jools Holland, become the first unsigned rapper to feature on the BBC Sound Of... list, sold almost a million records, and made history by sending two grime freestyles into the UK chart top 20 for the first time in history.The 22 year old South London artist's won Best Grime Act at the 2014 MOBOs just a week after his Jools performance and that was quickly followed by an invite from Kanye to join him onstage at the Brit Awards.Both Shut Up' and Wicked Skengman 4' both went on to chart in the UK top twenty - the former beating that year's X Factor Christmas single - He finished 2015 with his own show on Apple Radio, aptly titled #Merky, making him the youngest presenter on the roster, alongside names like Pharrell Williams,& Dr Dre.For many who only know Stormzy as the six foot MC who spits fire on YouTube, the debut album may come as something of a pleasant eye opener. He's immersed himself fully in the craft of song writing and production, gleaned from those years of growing up on slow jams. Twelve tracks of grime this ain't. Lead track Big For Your Boots' is now A listed at Radio 1, 1 Xtra an Capital Xtra and a top 30 airplay track. The album features a host of collaborations including Raleigh Ritchie and grime cohorts Ghetts and J Hus. The album also features a new version of his massive hit Shut Up'. A UK tour announced last week which included 3 headline shows at London's Brixton Academy sold out in 24 hours

Crucial collection of raw, darkside early gqom from pioneering Durban trio Phelimuncasi, setting the gripping vocals of twins Makan Nana and Khera, and Malathon, to cranky technoid club engines by DJ Menzi, DJ Mp3, and DJ Scoturn, all showcased for first time outside South Africa on the ever vital Nyege Nyege Tapes. Unmissable for fans of dark, heavy dance music of all stripes!
For Phelimancusi’s overdue first international showcase NNT follow a number of excursions into this sound from DJ Menzi and Sleeping Buddha for sibling label Hakuna Kulala with a mix of vintage early works and banging new exclusives, including some produced recently as 2019 in the downtime after the trio’s incendiary performance at the label’s annual festival. Alongside the gqom archaeology of Italian-based GqomOh! label, this lot forms a vital piece of the genre’s
history, charting how the vocalists’ conversational, toasting style, itself rooted in local storytelling traditions and the intimidating rhythmic singing of the apartheid-era came to influence their sound, and ultimately set the course for Gqom to come.
Colloquially known as “taxi techno” in the Durban townships, Gqom is a staple sound at NNT’s annual festival in Jinja, Uganda and always brings the best moves out of the SA dancers (and everyone else for that matter). As recently revealed on his shocking ‘Impazamo’ tape for Hakuna Kulala, DJ Menzi is one of the scene’s wildcards, and his productions for Phelminancusi are a big highlight here, counting the heavy call and response lyrics, signature Zulu trills and hard clang
of their ‘Private Party’ anthem, the Terminator-stare drones of ‘GQOM Venus Cemetary’ and the desiccated bones of ‘Umgido’ among the comp’s heaviest drops.
Racked up beside an infectious introduction to gone-but-not-forgotten producers, DJ Scoturn with the menacing bell hook and bouncing bars of ‘Umahlalela’, and the starkly martial snares of DJ Mp3’s ‘Sesi Gora’, which sounds like mutant dancehall dispatched via late ‘80s Chicago, this lot is surely more than your RDA of the dark stuff, and absolutely primed with dense cyberpunk atmospheres for skulking deserted inner cities and counting down to the apocalypse.

*Repress*

East London-born music legend and all round boundary-breaking innovator, Dizzee Rascal, today announces the release of his 7th studio album, entitled ‘E3 AF’ and new single ‘L.L.L.L (Love Life Live Large)’, out via Island Records.

This new release marks the genesis of a new era for Dizzee and is the first album wholly written, recorded and produced in the UK in over a decade. ‘E3 AF’ is a 10-track layered, purposeful statement of intent, rooted in Dizzee’s inedible ties to both east London and Black British music’s legacy. He sound is sharper, stronger and more self-assured than ever, and it is obvious that he has poured the creative energy of the past few years into ‘E3 AF’ as a body of work. First single, L.L.L.L (Love Life Live Large), features Tottenham born MC Chip and kicks open the door with the force of a steel toe capped boot. Chip, adds another thwack of bravado to the rumbling, Dizzee-produced beat. ‘E3 AF’ confirms Dizzee’s status as an artist still very much in his prime, sonically it draws on the infectious pace of grime and resolutely forward-thinking UK rap. From one song to the next, you are taken on a journey through Black British musical excellence. Ice-cold UK drill drips on Smoke Boys-featuring ‘Act Like You Know’ (produced by MK the Plug) and Eastside pulses with pure grime courtesy of Chubby Dreadz and Platinum 45. Self-produced opener ‘God Knows’ (featuring P Money) and high-octane ‘You Don’t Know’ pull from dubstep, grime and drum ‘n’ bass while threatening to wreak havoc with your speakers. By the time Alicai Harley’s warm up vocals float over sunny syths on the deeply personal ‘Energies + Powers’ (produced by Steel Banglez), the album practically radiates heat. Dizzee Rascal is a unique artist that has inspired many for multiple generations. From his 2003 debut album release, the Mercury Prize-winning ‘Boy In The Corner’ to date, Dizzee has continued to push expectations and boundaries. He is British musical royalty. Every album that followed stacked up another marker of success. Between 2004 and 2017 all album releases blasted firmly into the Top 10 Official album chart, won awards, critical acclaim and amassed Dizzee a huge following of devoted fans. ‘E3 AF’ is set to confirm Dizzee Rascal’s status as the master at the top of his game.

D Double E & Footsie the Newham Generals return to Butterz with archive material following up their 2015 drop 'Scars'. Frontline is an unreleased Grime classic from 2005 that comes from the versioning era of Grime, where MCs would all do their take on the same instrumental. Humpty Dumpty, is a lower profile unreleased banger that has been unearthed for the first time since 2006. War Wid and Prangman are two forgotten Grime classics that saw short run vinyl releases back in 2004, but have long been out of print. This release marks 10 years of Butterz the label, and begins a run of a new slew of 12"s to come out through the remainder of 2020 and 2021.

HTS005 bring East Man & Walton back together for another collaborative single.
The A side, ‘Screw Face’, is a hard as nails square wave 8 bar banger with a big bad bass line that makes you want to screw up your face and jump around the dance floor.

The B side is a hard stepper that plods along at a seemingly glacial pace. ‘Don’t Speak’ brings a mix of off kilter percussion and chest rattling sub bass that when combined bring a deep meditative quality to the track. This is one for the head nodders in the dark corners of the dance.

Classic orchestral grime from one of the pioneers of grime music.

Sense MC has teamed up with Diffrent Music to bring you "The Elephant In The Room LP", the debut album from Sense MC, produced by a hand picked selection of artists associated with the label and a few extra people who've worked with Sense in the past. It's been three years in the making, but is finally ready to be unleashed, #BuyTheAlbum

Epic!

South London wordsmith Pinty releases ‘Midnight Moods’ mixtape via his new label Winged Feet.

Coming back on the night bus, the whole ambience of South London when there is no one around... that is the midnight mood”

Following off the back of his debut ‘City Limits’ EP last year, Pinty makes a welcome return with ‘Midnight Moods’. Described as a late night mixtape recorded over several sprawling nocturnal sessions, the release features guest productions from DJ JD Sports aka King Krule and Maxwell Owin. Culminating in 6 tracks and a ‘lullaby’, the woozy and loose takes were eventually mixed down and mistakenly bounced in mono as the sun came up in the misty room at 7am, then lovingly mixed in stereo during daylight hours some weeks later.

Leading with the DJ JD Sports produced ‘It’s Just Life’ in early March, Pinty rolls through with the 2-step tinged ‘E’s’ and ‘Moonlight Duty’, drawing from his late brother’s UKG influence which helped pave the way for him. Filled with deeply personal lyrics, Pinty isn’t your usual party MC as he spits over luscious lo-fi house melodies with closing tracks ‘Go To Bed Pt. 2’, ‘All Nightly’ and ‘Fresher’. The mixtape showcases his vast appeal, from smoky basement clubs to slinky jazz bars.

Pinty’s witty wordplay and effervescent club sound take influence from the introspective poetry of The Streets and the jazz tinged house tones of Peckham’s vibrant night scene. The lyricist released his debut EP on Rhythm Section International in 2019 to much acclaim, making waves with his distinctly individual live performances, appearances on Boiler Room and Just Jam, radio residencies on Reprezent and Balamii, and the front cover of the Peckham Peculiar.

‘Midnight Moods’ is out on the 24th April via new label Winged Feet from Pinty and Alexander Waldron, co-founder of Greco-Roman.

Spooky Bizzle is back on Oil Gang with the biggest Grime tune about.
Haunted Joyride has been killing raves and radio sets for months, this one is heavy. Check out Oil Gang 019 for the Haunted Joyride Version Excursion.

Walton returns to Tectonic to drop his latest EP of deadly dance floor weapons, as Tectonic sets up to celebrate being 15 years old!

With releases dropping on Illian Tape and Kaizen, Manchester’s Walton is a producer in high demand for his inimitable style the blends grime and pirate radio aesthetics with forward-thinking dance floor sensibilities..

‘Scooped’ opens the EP with mood setting pads and 128bpm drums, in preparation for a gut-wrenching bass line, bringing elements of grime, dubstep and techno altogether.

Following on next is ‘SBWYS’. The title references a vocal sample that decorates the rough 138bpm beats, “Sound boy watch ya space!”. Point made.

‘Smashed Crabs’ takes a 2003-era grime style rhythmic framework and paints over hard bass sonics and laser blips at 134bpm.

Lastly, the title track ‘Abyss’ continues the rave lazer aesthetic and tempo of Smashed Crabs, but sending things more intergalactic in trajectory, wrapping up a great EP in fine style. Definitely a bit of something for most dancefloors, crafted in the way of the Walton.

Spooky Bizzle presents the Haunted Joyride Version Excursion with four of the bestMC’s about over the biggest Grime tune. Riko Dan, Mez, Nasty Jack & PK join Spooky on this killer record.

The next release on Hi Tek Sounds sees the inimitable JEB1 bring his distinctive sound to the label.

The A side, ‘Guyana’, is a mournful, melancholy affair full of lush melodies and choral arrangements, accentuated only by a pared down percussive rhythm track and growling bass line. The title connects the contemporary sound of inner city London back to JEB1’s ancestral heritage.

East Man steps up for the remix on the B side, stripping the track back even further, reducing it to a bouncing tin pan percussion and driving rhythms, and alternating between a warm low sub bass and a gritty growling bass lead to cut straight to the dance floor.