New releases last four weeks: UK Garage

Review: London's seasoned producer ADMNTi with four tracks that distil years of immersion in tech-house, jungle and grime into sharp, percussive club tools with distinct UK flair. 'Second Hand Sushi' drives the point home with its snapping drums, snarling basslines and wiry synth stabsibig-room energy and definitely no excess fat. 'Lost Fruits' stays steppy, leaning into sub pressure and pirate radio textures, soundbites crackling like a tape pack rewind. On the flip, 'Diptych' shifts tone without dropping paceichopped strings and warped vocals glide over crunchy drum work, locking into a more introspective groove. Closer 'Shrublands' dips further into dubwise atmospherics, pairing wobbly low-end with hazy flute lines and ghosted sax, while snippets of graffiti lore from both London and New York float through the mist. Early support from Ben UFO, Enzo Siragusa and Tristan da Cunha points to the range and functionality of these cutsiwhether heads-down or heads-up, they pull threads from the capital's soundsystem heritage into something that works across times and tempos. A strong first outing for Forms World and a clear step forward from ADMNTi.

Review: Margate-based Braga Circuit showcases a refined signature style and knack for killer sampling with this standout debut on Air Miles. 'Fall' kicks off with amped-up chord stabs and brilliantly well-swung, rolling kicks that soon get those hips moving. 'Closer' oozes summer cool thanks to the balmy chords that soften the percussive, garage-flecked house drums. There is also plenty of Kerri Chandler soul in these here beats that makes them all the more essential. 'Filter Feed' layers up dusty perc and thudding kicks with sultry vocal whispers. It's steamy and irresistible and last but not least, Leod is another talent from the coastal town of Margate and remixes this one with a more direct and dubby style.

Review: James 'Burnski' Burnham already runs about 7398 labels but recently kicked off another, Gravitate. The mission is simple - to put out club-ready cuts that have plenty of character. All of these come under the same name as the label and artist which indicates how much it is a label all about the music. The first one has a JayDee-style dark bassline, the second one brings old school house rawness that brings to mind the MAW sound and the third one is a more roomy cut with space for the synths to encourage a bit of introspection. The closer is the best of the lot, a silky deep house groove with real drive and trippy synth details.

Review: Haggerston-based production wizard Jeigo kicks off the year after a standout 2024 by serving his own label Fleurella Records' first release. For the occasion, he reissues his track 'Pearl Leaf' which sits in between the worlds of Bicep, Sasha and UKG. It has floating pads and airy, organic beats that carry you away on a melancholic mood with deeply buried vocals adding a blurry, heart-tugging hook. On the flip are two new and unheard jams. 'Headpains' is full of a flurry of breaks but is also laden with introspective emotion in the vocals and chords and 'The Days You Were Here' is a more downtempo cut with shimmering pads, pitched-up vocals and languid bass.

Review: Lo U returns with four club ready cuts that fuse the best of UK garage, breakbeats and deep electronic textures into contemporary killers. The EP opens with 'Transitus' where crisp UKG rhythms collide with a dark, neurofunk-inspired bassline then 'The Green Planet' follows with classic 2-step swing and a warped, heady breakdown. On the flip, Lo U revisits a label staple with a refined take on 'Platus Karma', injecting fresh style into the original while keeping its soul. Closing track 'Eresia' ventures into expansive, cinematic territory/. It was recorded live and sculpted in the studio so has a fresh feeling that blends broken beats with immersive soundscapes. All in all, a versatile release from a producer in peak form.

Review: New week, new Instinct, new weapons. Burnski's unstoppable label continues to offer up the most fun and functional garage and house fusions out there right now. For this one, Prozak steps up with screw-face basslines and throwback organ stabs on 'Yush,' then 'Dash' rides on a pumping deep house groove that's underpinned by slamming bass. Benson steps up for collab cut 'Gangster' complete with gunshots, rude vocals and ridiculously naughty reversed bass stabs. 'Bounce' is a final fist pumping garage house banger to close an effective 12".