Review: The Avidya label arrives with a bold new concept that sees it push itself to "step out of comfort zones to release a series of EPs of broad, challenging and deep music." The first affair is a fine one from four artists, the first of which is Lyon based procure A Strange Wedding from the Worst label. His slow trance locks you in and then Gothenburg trio Datasal come through with a prog rock and post funk and dance fusion. 84PC's contribution is peak time gold and Barcelona's Iro Aka arrive with another debut to round out this fine offering.
Review: Bang on trend grooves from the Vivid camp, exploring the current fascination for all things that intersect both the garage and breaks genres. Lead track 'Wicked & Wild' is the one that leans furthest into UKG territory, its bumpy bassline and MC-style vocal giving it heaps of energy and attitude. Flip side instrumentals 'Push Past It' and 'Ronin' meanwhile, evoke the early 2000s spirit of breaksteppers such as Horsepower Productions, the latter especially maintaining the bassline pressure and adding it to the more hardcore vibe of rawer, sampled percussion. Maximum respect!
Review: Over the last couple of years, Matasuna Records has developed a tried-and-tested formula. It revolves around finding and licensing killer cuts - think funk, Afrobeat, tropical flavours and Latin beats - and then pairing them with a fresh, floor-friendly re-edit. Their latest find is something of an overlooked gem: a gorgeously sunny 1983 number from Ghanaian musician Mawuli Decker that's piled high with infectious, EWE-language vocals, Highlife guitars, spacey Moog sounds and cute electric piano solos. The accompanying Renegades of Jazz re-edit is pleasingly faithful to its source material, deftly showcasing Decker's brilliant music while beefing up the bass, subtly tightening up the drums and layering on some complimentary hand percussion.
Review: Design Default first emerged back in 2018 with a release on Fragil Musique - the vivid, finely sculpted ambient LP Dawn Chorus. Now they're back with a new album, this time on New York label Club Night Club (who put out the excellent Herron Lowflow EP. The vibe is decidedly different, dealing in punchy electronica workouts with ample sonic manipulation and high production values. 'Lyrids' has enough brute force and deft dynamics to snap your head clean off, in the club or elsewhere, while 'Quarantids' teases between lush ambience and gravelly future-tech beats. 'Geminids' ramps up the industrial strength drum hits and nudges the tempo in kind, but still the artful programming and visceral mixing prowess is on full display - something Significant Other steps up to on their remix too.
Review: Woi and indeed oi, V return to their vinyl-only Legends series where they dig deep into the vaults and pull out key dubplates that never saw the official release light of day. Key dubplates like these two big Bristol bruisers from DJ Die. Both written in 96, Die's Full Cycle rawness and innate sense of groovemanship is present and correct on both sides - the jazzier, busier work-out 'Capers' and the heavier, stripped-back 'Inside' which you can imagine was made in response to some of the game-changing sounds Krust was making at the time. Legendary business.
DJ Fresh - "Dancing In The Dark" (feat Buunshin) (3:16)
Heavyweight (AMC remix) (4:37)
Review: DJ Fresh is a legend at this point. Whenever he drops new heat it is worth tuning in, especially when it's a 12" picture disc like this from Breakbeat Koas. The A-side is a collab with Buunshin. 'Dancing In the Dark' is a hardcore gem with pitched-up vocals and monstrous breaks over spin backs, raw bass and thrilling synth lacerations. Then comes an AMC Remix of DJ Fresh's 'Heavyweight' that is just that. It rides on silky breakbeats with a rising sense of tension that keeps you locked until the explosive bass and jump-up drum head to the level.
Review: Colemine step up with another sure shot of impeccable modern soul, this time coming from Australian outfit Dojo Cuts. 'Here We Are' is a slow jam with sadness in its heart, but it hits hard. That's in no small part down to the impassioned vocal turn from Carlton Jumel Smith, who gets his message across with conviction on this classically styled ballad. One for rainy days and poignant moments, with the instrumental on the flip when you want the music to carry you away.
Review: Double Geography drops heavyweight 7" on IIB. Beautiful synth patterns and melodies drifting over a shuffling drum pattern. Like a long lost Maxi 12 dub mix from the 80s. Just lovely.Flip it over for the boss that is Ruf Dug's rework. Buzzing flies and slight de tuned stabs create a slightly moody eastern super dub chug bomb.Do not miss this
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Margaret Dygas may be based in Berlin but her unique sound can't be tied down to any one city or scene, as she proves on her latest 12" across three tracks for the consistently exciting Half Baked label. Not that there's anything half done here, of course, with A-side tune 'Butterfly Effect' a prime slice of groovy. resonant techno that's understated and restrained enough to gain comparisons to Jaydee's 'Plastic Dreams' classic. 'CC Is 33' is warmer, with nicely slidy, jazzy organ chords and itchy technofunk rhythms, with the most minimal of the three tracks, the static-infused, atmospheric 'Subliminal 20A7', coming last but by no means least. A great showcase for a great, original talent.
Review: Hyperdub kick off the vinyl side to their ten-year celebrations with this weighty four-tracker from some of the leading lights from the label's story. Mala is in a strident mood with "Expected, Level 10" carrying through that extra touch of melody from the Mala In Cuba LP. DVA cuts loose with the leftfield scattershot groove of "Technical Difficulties", reveling in tonal experimentation and jagged rhythmic flair to a stunning end. Still locked into the sci-fi trap tangent that characterised Severant, Kuedo turns out the haunting "Mtzpn" and Helix pops up for a remix of Kode9's "Xingfu Lu" that strips down to bare essentials with a little starlit soul rubbed into the framework.
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