MUSIC

Mutant club flexes from YOUTH & $hotta Tapes’ alum Leo on a new LP rendering traces of UKG, dembow and brukbeats with weightless sound designer physics inna deadly style.

A certain bygone spirit of early ‘00s electronic and UK dance music guide Leo to mess with club mechanisms in expressively curious ways on ‘Dissipating Heavily.’ The tightly sculpted eight track album chases two volumes of the self-released ‘lived’ tapes with the corkscrewing results of concerted studio sessions spent eking his own sound from a Manchester air thick with ghosts of dance music’s past.

Wafting in with the melancholic sway and Pev style dubstep lean of ‘Worth’, the album buckles and tears between the peg-leg stumble of his knotty drums on ‘Banal’ to a bit of Bristol-styled dubstep tension in ‘Dramaed’, and down a trapdoor of noisier inspiration with ‘Embarrassment of Riches’. At its core, ‘Funicular’ stars out for levels of stick ’n move brukstep parry comparable to prime Demdike Stare, and ‘Courts’ zip-ties a dembow rhythm with shearing sound design to darkside effect also explored in the sidewinding momentum of ‘Jade Floors’, before ‘Passion Assets’ vents the tension upwards and outwards. 

After crafting an all-timer with 2008's 'Hazyville', Actress set his sights on the unknown with a futureshock debut for Honest Jon's.

Wheras it's predecessor was composed over a staggered period of many years, Splazsh was fashioned in a fraction of that time, lending a tangible symmetry between shapeshifting tracks that defined and propelled the era. Of the 14 tracks, we'd previously encountered the first two, with the unstable space float of 'Hubble' appearing on a shady Thriller 12" and his remix of Various Production's 'Lost' reminding us that there are some deep cuts in the Cunningham discography.

From here in it's all about that longing, sealing the airlock and initiating pressure sequence with 'Futureproofing', before laying down 'Always Human' - can u even remember a time you didnt know this one? Showing resistance towards any categorisation, 'Get Ohn (Fairlight Mix)' swerves down a side street into a footwurkin' face-off by sliding to a mutilated mix of Jon E Cash and Chez Damier played underwater. Next we hit the erogenous interzone of 'Maze' and that incapacitatingly lush bassline designed to lock into your central nervous system and send shockwaves of piloerection to every fucking corner of your soul.

After that, we're cynically dumped into the Ferraro-esque Prince tribute 'Purple Splazsh', and on into the Detroit ghetto stalk of 'Let's Fly'. The dissonant robo-crunk of 'The Kettle Men' and closing entry 'Casanova' confirm that if anything, Actress only suffers from a surfeit of ideas. Proof, if it were needed, that there is a sprawling future beyond the stasis of so much contemporary electronic music.

Spangled 2-step swivel, hyperkinetic techno and restless ambient by Doc Sleep & Delta Rain Dance’s Beats Unlimited duo out of Berlin

Beats Unlimited put forth their 2nd effort on Hypno Discs, run by Glenn Astro aka Delta Rain Dance, urging bodies in motion from the air-filleting swing and parry of ‘Virta Chords’ with its butterfly-winged 2-step and fluttering jazz notes, to the fast-FWD hyper footwork rush of a ’Speed Dub’ recalling Sasu Ripatti’s Dance Classics experiments, and finally easing off into the the sound bathing, eye-fluttering ambient of ‘Transition Env’.

the second album released in 2007, which won one of the biggest accolades as ‘the most important piece of electronic music of the century’, is reissued on 2LP (140g black vinyl).

その圧倒的なまでにオリジナルなサウンドでゼロ年代を代表するアーティストとして君臨するBurialと〈Hyperdub〉主宰にして、エレクトロニック・ミュージックの最前線を常にひた走る重要人物Kode9 が、2024年6月にデジタルでサプライズリリースしていたスプリット・シングルを数量限定12インチで発売！

It is about time to revive the label with a new vinyl compilation named "Second Drop", following the tradition of a nice roundup across various bass music tearitorries. One side pumps at uplifting 160 BPM, while the flipside is shifting down to relaxing 135 and even 120 speeds. Nuphlo and Bukkha team up for the energetic modern halftime piece "Drip". Nuphlo might ring a bell as part of The Nasha Experience from London and Leeds, connecting asian roots with nowadays UK bass sounds. Bukkha is state-side born and has recently emigrated to Spain, from where this worldwide touring DJ machine is firing a plethora of bass music styles on renowned labels like Moonshine, System and Innamind. DjBadshape passes the breakbeat driven torch with handsome melodies and subby kickbass on "Drift" to reflect Leipzig's well various scenes. While checking her tracks on Defrostatica and Human, one may also find artworks for Bassmæssage and more. Sun People is closing the 160 side with the deep but dirty retro 90s jungle bit "Rise Up". Combining Techno, Footwork and UK Hardcore Breakbeats, the Graz based bass buab made it to releases on Exit, Rua and Alphacut. Flipping sides, Dub Across Borders redefines steppers dub into the dreamy yet rolling "Bass Tree Dream". The project was found by a Copenhagen dubber when living in Colombia, fusing the rural folklore with soundsystem energy into a world-bass music. This can be heard on labels like Basscomesaveme, Translation and 45Seven and is best to be experienced in its live dubbing appearance which premiered at a Bassmæssage in 2015. Paranoid One grabs these feelings and drops them a bit more sinister, "Glimp" manages to hide a playful 4 to the floor kick as well beyond its smooth soundscapes and percussions. As Paranoid Society these split personalities from Tallinn were delivering to Modern Urban Jazz and Alphacut already since a decade at least. bhed finishes with the slow far-away dubsteppish "Minerva". Make sure to not only check the releases on Row and Trusik but also the freshly baked Neuburg based liveact inbetween cosy ambient and lush bass music at the next Bassmæssage on 18th November in LeipZig!

Burial has set two milestones with their masterful debut album "Burial" in 2006 and their second album "Untrue" in 2007, which won the greatest acclaim as "the most important electronic music work of the century". In 2022, Burial will release his first full-length album in 15 years, "Antidawn," and as he continues to reach new heights, he will suddenly release his latest track on a limited-edition 12-inch from XL Recordings.

Although his identity and background are still unknown, Brial has fascinated many music fans and influenced many artists. His overwhelmingly original sound has made him one of the most popular artists of the 2,000's. We stocked his 2019 EP "Claustro / State Forest".

Although his identity and background are still unknown, Brial has fascinated many music fans and influenced many artists. His overwhelmingly original sound has made him one of the most popular artists of the 2,000's. We stocked his 2016 EP "Young Death, Nightmarket".

Although his identity and background are still unknown, Brial has fascinated many music fans and influenced many artists. His overwhelmingly original sound has made him one of the most popular artists of the 2,000's, stocked his 2011 EP "Street Halo".

Burial releases a limited 12-inch EP "Streetlands", the sequel to "Antidawn"!
With his 2006 masterpiece debut album "Burial" and 2007's second album "Untrue", which was hailed as "the most important electronic music work of this century", he set two monumental achievements, and his true identity still remains. Although his background is unknown, Burial has fascinated many music fans and has influenced many artists.
With his overwhelmingly original sound, he reigns as one of the leading artists of the 2000s. Released in.
It is an ambient work with a texture that you can tell at a glance that it is Burial's work, and its profound sound sets it apart from others, creating a unique world that exceeds 30 minutes despite being an EP work.

Mala and Joe Armon-Jones unite on A Way Back; a five track collaborative project that calls back the golden age of dubstep, released on Armon-Jones’ imprint Aquarii Records.

The third and final part of a trilogy of EPs from Al Wootton of deep, textural, off kilter techno, influenced by the forest. Sparse, rolling, minimal percussive tracks, dubbed out and primed for soundsystems.

Dragon Dance is the third release by Twin Cities Sound System duo, Feel Free Hi Fi following the Prophet Noir EP and a split 12” with Kingston's Equiknoxx in 2021. Dragon Dance's instrumentals pick up where Prophet Noir left off. The dark dystopian industrialism of Prophet Noir remains present in Dragon Dance but in lieu of a dancehall influenced approach, Dragon Dance leans into the duo's love of foundation UK steppers and dub history. The blend of deep and subtle textures create tracks that are both heavy and minimal. Dragon Dance is another glimpse into Feel Free Hi Fi's uneasily defined musical vision.
The records come in double sided silkscreen printed DJ jackets, with Obi Strip style stickers and hand stamped white labels created and printed by Digital Sting.

Created and Produced by S. Reed and D. Maxwell at Digital Sting HQ
Mastered by Alec Ness and Greg Reierson
Artwork by S. Reed

Antidawn reduces Burial’s music to just the vapours. 

The record explores an interzone between dislocated, patchwork songwriting and eerie, open-world, game space ambience. 

In the resulting no man's land, lyrics take precedence over song, lonely phrases colour the haze, a stark and fragmented structure makes time slow down. 

Antidawn seems to tell a story of a wintertime city, and something beckoning you to follow it into the night. The result is both comforting and disturbing, producing a quiet and uncanny glow against the cold. Sometimes, as it enters 'a bad place', it takes your breath away. And time just stops.

Om Unit surprises us with a second volume of his 'Acid Dub Studies' project, once again fusing his love for the 303 with studio techniques given to us by musical heroes such as King Tubby, Adrian Sherwood, Jammys and Basic Channel

This second volume further solidifies the convincing narrative created by its best-selling predecessor, heading in a more groove-based direction in places whilst being underpinned by the same sonic narrative that has been enjoyed by many music fans from a variety of different spheres for the past 18 months or so

Support so far for the Acid Dub Studies project has come from many corners including some of the most highly respected names in UK Radio such as Don Letts and Steve Barker, Benji B and Tom Ravenscroft as well as a whole host of truly global worldwide underground support both via radio and in the dance

Om Unit says of this record: 'I felt encouraged by the sheer love for the original selection of works to go back in again and continue to experiment with this approach to writing whilst refining some of the process. Being able to combine processes and influence has been the mainstay of my creative life and I hope this next volume of Acid Dub will be enjoyed by everyone who was a fan of the first'

The beloved 303 bassline continues to inspire every new generation and Acid Dub Studies II is another storybook of sound in that vast continuum that shows no sign of slowing down

Jim Coles once again turns the tide towards a new horizon and travels further into the echo chamber. Leading on from the much-lauded ‘Secret Location’ mini-album with Seekersinternational, one-offs such as ‘Open Palms dub’ (Dub Stuy) and other teasings, ‘Acid Dub Studies’ is the fully-fledged result of the merging of the calligraphic expression of the 303 Acid bassline with the stern sway of Dub Reggae and the hazier edges of Dub Techno and Ambient music.

For those who have been paying close attention, this project will come as a welcome return to the vulnerability and playfulness of early Om Unit records such as his sub-radar single from 2010 ‘Lightgrids/Lavender’ (All City Records) or the unearthed chugging ambience of ‘Friend of Day’ (Idle Hands) and indeed in some sense draws from similar wellsprings as moments on 2013’s Bass classic ‘Threads’.

Whilst being perhaps an ‘interim project’ this is still a vital and important expression of exploration and playfulness. A study in the true sense and borne out of a subtle but pervasive frustration with the rigidity found in musical words he has up to now been cohabiting, Acid Dub Studies comes from the pressing need to break with perceived expectation and to explore an honest and natural space away from the genre labels and tags that had been often lazily applied to his sizeable catalogue of music.

With no desire to reinvent the wheel, rather to paint pictures in an honest framework, the LP was crafted using a medley of classic analogue mixing techniques inspired as much by the adventurous dubbing of Adrian Sherwood as by the inward-delving haze of Scott Monteith’s Deadbeat project. Created during a period of lonely introspective walks through his home town of Bristol, the cover art is a photograph of some of the iron kerbstones that are found almost exclusively in the characterful and hardy city which were installed in the late 1800’s to protect pavements from cart wheels. Something about the permanence of those iron slabs and cobblestones inspired a sense of comfort and determination.

Acid Dub Studies is due for release as yet another self-released label-free project leading on from recent EP titles ‘Violet’ and ‘Submerged’ both of which hinted at some of the shapes found in this full length album.

Once again Jim has shown a rare convincing adaptability that few electronic artists can embody. Another step on the journey of personal and creative curiosity that fans are sure to appreciate.