Juno Recommends Bass: November 2023

Review: Loraine James continues to trust her instincts and serve us some of the most honest and original music within the leftfield electronic sphere right now. Having recently paid tribute to the work of Julius Eastman on Build Something Beautiful For Me, now she retunes to Hyperdub with the record she claims the teenage version of her would have made. The label text makes explicit reference to the likes of DNTEL and Telefon Tel Aviv as well as math rock, but James is also way out in her own zone metabolising such influences into unique expression. There are some wonderful guest spots from the likes of RiTchie, Marina Herlop and Eden Samara, while James herself centres her voice for some of the album's most poignant moments. Gentle Confrontation is another outstanding chapter in James' ever-intriguing story.

Review: London-based, Australian producer Surusinghe is next up on Tasker's AD93 label with a thrilling mix of worldly rhythms and earth shattering bass. It is only a year since this artist debuted but already she sits at the top table with a sound so physical it cannot be ignored. Breakbeat, techno, bass and more are all chewed up and spat out in her meticulously cross-pollinated sound hybrids. Heavyweight opener 'Bop' has crushing bass and wiggling synths, 'Bet' has hints of UK funky in the drum patterns and flip side joint 'Boka' will twist floors inside out before 'Brain' is a more slow and purposeful full body workout.

Review: More global fusion from queer artist rrao as DJ Python's Worldwide Unlimited welcomes them for three far-out, unique tracks. From the hypnotic and frenetic polyrhythms and psychedelic percussion of 'Infinity Is Natural' to the deep contemporary dub and low end immersion of the title track 'Hara', each cut is inspired by rrao's passion for nature and the infinite loop of energy of past, present and future. Each cut weaves a different south east Asian spell but the big hitter for most will Ramanujan Prime thanks to its unique character, fast-paced energy and beguiling vocal texture.

Review: Francine Perry and Jens L Thomsen's sixth studio album has arrived. All At Once; a breath-taking collection of sounds and stories that at once hurls you deep into a dance you didn't know existed and the most chilled, calming states of mind you didn't know you could reach. From the moment the opening percussive house odyssey 'Bird' takes flight to the final woozy stumbles and slurs of the closer 'Ser', the pair roll out idea after idea, each one as disarming as the next. Along the way we're treated to faraway contemporary breaks ('N176'), uncompromising techno ('Glory Dust') and a range of ambient treats that break up the intensity such as 'Catford Snow' and 'Millenium Green'. Arranged and articulated with thought and clarity, we guarantee you'll have a whale of time with this.

Review: Little is known about Gent1e Soul besides the fact they have been on Fast Castle before (with the exemplary 'Silk Armour' EP), they make remarkably addictive, super-gloopy, trippy, funky beat based music and that they're probably quite nice and considerate, considering their alias and all. Generous, too. Each of these five cuts tickles a different corner of the breakbeat/dubstep/club hinterland as they guide us from the old school Benga-like pushes and swagger of 'Siege Ram' to the WNCL-flavoured percussive hypnosis of 'Woads' via the pounding technoid rolls of 'Fortified Walls' and beyond.

Review: British artist Jack Latham aka Jam City is back with a new album a full decade after his debut 'Classical Curves' made for a head turning debut. EFM (the artists debut on Diplo's Mad Decent) is a record that looks at the experiences we had and during our early and formative clubbing years with plenty of engaging and pop-tinged sounds that draw on reggaeton, house, and club. Elements of guitar driven soul and plenty of melancholic tenderness all define this most heartfelt and loved up record as it gets from tender moments to more euphoric outpourings with swelling pads, breakdowns and drops that are all easy to predict but hard to not feel deep inside.