Review: Long dormant has laid the tried but true practice of dubstep and garage artists sampling classic horror movie dialogue, pre-drop. We're thoroughly happy to hear that new Peaky Beats sublabel Brainjuice have gone and resurrected this zombie for us. This four-tracker from the label hears label heads Peaky and Vel carefully and creatively work in as-yet unknown samples to the stew; some kind of Frankensteinish exclamation on the dubstep A1 laments the feeding of a monster "human brains", while the breakstep A2 'Bacon Dance' hears more timestretched, dystopian vocals amid wobbles. 'Don't' leans more into the kind of melodic dubstep that likes to sample R&B acapellas, and is the most refreshing of the lot.
Review: Evil Sky delivers a formidable second release from Drone that melds the raw intensity of dubstep, grime and rap into bold new forms. The standout track for us is 'Streets of Rage' featuring Nottingham's Kyeza and it's a jam that has already ignited 'floors with its thunderous bass and gripping hooks. 'Borderline' featuring Bristol's Axel Holy pushes the limits further with shadowy production and sharp, gritty lyricism. This EP is a testament to Evil Sky's commitment to innovation and pairing seriously heavy bass with outside-the-box creativity.
Review: Given his rapid ascent from pioneering 'purple' producer to major player, it's perhaps little surprise to find that Joker's long-awaited (and much hyped) debut album sees the Bristolian youngster mixing typically funk-laden synth-step jams with moments of soaring dubstep pop and hip-hop funk. While it's the latter that have propelled his rise, it's the former on which he built his career. It's notable, then, that the best moments on The Vision are those that draw most from his early purple work; the contemporary P-funk of "Level 6", cyber-funk of "Milky Way" and gorgeous Herbie Hancock-does-Purple grooves of closer "Magic Causeway" are amongst the best things he's done.
Review: The man of many aliases, Jevon Ives brings his Nina project to a whole new level with this powerful Innamind triptych. 'Uno Riddim' will have you picking up four on every turn with its sharp tongued Portuguese vocals and slithery bassline. Plenty of fire follows as Hijinx goes ballistic over 'Neighbourhood' and reps with a full UK assault while 'Shook Ones' greases up and slides us into the future with a powerful sense of creepy android funk. Change direction.
Review: This double trouble slap of vinyl features two standout tracks from each of the four Duploc Off Limits compilations and they have been pressed at 45 rpm for optimal loudness. Die By The Sword opens with the low-end menace of 'Til Death', Argo layers up old school dial tones with swaggering dub low ends on 'Shakedown' and 11th Hour's 'Move Over' is a dark, heavy dub stepper with grime bars and late night edge. A fitting tribute to DUPLOC's legacy, this drop offers fans a tangible piece of the iconic compilations complete with high-energy grooves defined by precision and clarity.
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