Dubstep charts

Review: The connection between ZamZam and Feel Free Hi Fi was sparked by Bristolian Neek out in Portland and lead to an immediate bond forged over a shared sound and DIY ethos. Inspired by early digi-era dancehall and UK dub, the duo crafts a sound here that honours tradition while venturing into bold, idiosyncratic territory. It comes on their own Digital Sting label and opens with 'Voyageur' which is a mix of cinematic atmospherics with haunting synths that evoke wild and mythic landscapes. 'Underground' pays tribute to the spirit of DIY underground music and captures the struggle to preserve both nature and the essence of basement gigs in today's shifting cultural landscape.

Review: It's been a long time since Skrillex (Sonny Moore) pioneered his distinctive complextro sound, characterised by roaring vocal samples, bitcrushed melodies and novelty growls and wobbles. Surprisingly hailing from from an emo background, Moore has leveraged this sound to become an established force of nature, becoming the instigator of an entire tidal sea-change in electronic music. His latest bout of albums, though - one of which is Quest For Fire - hears him exercise his penchant for collaboration more than ever, indulging something of a DJ Khaled-esque streak, but for the EDM-pop crossover world. It's also much less fidgety, erring more on the melodic pop side. Referring to the film of the same name, in which figurative prehistoric cavemen embark on a quest for the discovery of fire, the album is equally a reflection of Skrillex's quest for musical exploration and innovation, as well as his passion for global culture and diversity. We admit: only Skrillex could bring together underground greats like Mr. Oizo, Sleepnet, Joker, Dylan Brady and Flowdan; fresh faces like Starrah, BEAM and Nai Barghouti; and pop-consciousness occupiers like Swae Lee, Aluna, Missy Elliott and Bibi Bourelly.

Review: Seven years have passed since Burial first stopped us dead in our tracks with this universally acclaimed second album.. Sounding so different, so removed and far away from anything else, it changed the game entirely - and created a whole school of imitators in its wake. Now repressed by Hyperdub, this is a rare opportunity to grab it on fresh wax. Even if you have this on other formats in your collection, the dusty weight and chasmic crackles sound so much better on vinyl.

Review: James Blake's debut album is undoubtedly one of 2011's most keenly awaited releases, and its arrival via his own (major label funded) Atlas imprint ensures their is no lull in momentum for a producer who enjoyed a watershed 2010 with releases on Hessle Audio and R&S. The results here differ wildly from his previous sonic excursions - gone are the shimmering R&B soaked melodies of "CMYK" and the sheer experimentalism of the Klavierwerke EP, which saw the young Londoner depart from the confines of the dancefloor and enter a realm where there was only a passing reference to rhythm-based music. Instead we are treated to Blake's own yearning, raw voice, delicate pianos and an underlying sense of melancholy. Ubiquitous single "Limit To Your love" and the crackly sonic terrain evoked on "The Wilhelm Scream" are among the most immediately pleasing moments, but there is much to explore here. It's a fascinating opus and surely the catalyst to a long and fruitful career at the top.

Review: The Vivid label is yet another one from Burnski who also runs Constant Blanc and Instinct. He is s single handed garage hit making machine and he knows how to tap into the next gen, too. Here he calls upon Peaky Beats for a naughty and nasty three track affair that has retro feels but contemporary style. 'Can't Stop' opens up with a 2-step shuffle and steely hits, then 'Get Ready' gets more free and melodic with some boxing little melodic patterns and oscillating bass. Last of all is the most menacing and dark - 'Wildcat' flips into a dub wise swagger mid-way through that is going to blow up the clubs.

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.

Review: Repress alert! Wednesday: Hyperdub announce a new three track release from enigmatic producer Burial - his first solo work in four years. Thursday: Said records arrive on Juno doorstep. How's that for service (and secrecy)! The news came just a matter of days after the producer's collaboration with Radiohead front man Thom Yorke and Four Tet arrived on record shelves across the UK and promptly sold out amidst a frenzy of hype. There are three new tracks on offer here, namely "Street Halo", "NYC" and "Stolen Dog". First up "Street Halo" showcases the classic Burial sound; subterranean bass gurgles, trademark clicking beats and barely-there vocal snatches. A sweet childlike vocal pervades the sonic mist on "NYC" while "Stolen Dog" closes out with ethereal vocal harmonies buried deep beneath vinyl crackle. Stunning.

Review: Alex Green and Damon Kirkham's debut album has been a long time coming. It follows an action-packed decade that's seen them morph from drum & bass punishers to dubstep fusionists and, more recently, bass music experimentalists. With such experience behind them, it's perhaps no surprise that Resolution 653 is an eclectic set. What's more surprising is the expansiveness of their approach. Within the album's 13 tracks lies glass-clear electronic futurism, brain-warping acid tracks, murky dusbtep, slo-mo 4/4 sweetness, hard edged electro bounce, off-kilter IDM and, naturally, 140 BPM bass bangers. As a summary of where British bass music's at in 2011, it's unsurpassed.

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: Om Unit's Acid Dub Studies album, an inspired fusion of outer-space ambient sounds, deeply psychedelic TB-303 tweakery and outer-space digi-dub riddims, was for our money one of the standout electronic albums of 2021. This surprise sequel more than lives up to the high bar set by its predecessor, with the Bristol-based producer subtly expanding the project's boundaries (see the borderline Balearic brilliance of 'Camo') while delivering more fusions of ambient techno, acid and digi-dub. Highlights are plentiful, with our picks including the slow-motion strut of 'Strange Brew', the intergalactic squelch of 'Pursuit', the warming loveliness of 'To The River' and the borderline tropical melodiousness of 'Liberation'.

Review: After the massive impact of Vex'd in the breakthrough years of dubstep, it was big news when Jamie Teasdale chose to swerve in his own direction and emerge as Kuedo. Released in 2011, Severant was a bold statement of intent which didn't wholly shirk what had come before, but placed emphasis on the kind of romantic synthesis you'd readily associate with Vangelis and saw trap and other influences sneaking into the mix. In hindsight, Severant is typical of the times we live in, drawing on a glut of influences and presenting its own idiosyncratic vision, but above all that the emotion and intent of Teasdale's ideas make it an enduring, captivating listen.

Review: Khaliphonic represents a rich seam alongside sister label ZamZam Sounds, carrying forth vital modern iterations of dubwise music from switched on artists the world over. As such, compilations like these are a perfect primer on who's out there doing great things, whether it's Bristol duo Titus 12 & MTF, Japan's Undefined or West Coast veterans Systemwide. There are plenty of ideas and styles explored here, from melancholic synth steppas to trad-school echo chamber immersion, but the constant is a staggering high quality. If a label should be a trusted stamp of authority, then Khaliphonic have their role nailed. Essential sonics for any dub-minded explorer.

Review: Although Rhythm & Sound and Basic Channel man Mark Ernestus has worked with or remixed many different artists over the years, we didn't expect him to join forces with D&B scene stalwarts Calbre and DRS. Yet that's exactly what's on offer here, as the Hardwax founder delivers two typically deep, dubbed-out techno outings crafted from portions of the pair's collaborative cut 'Badman', which is due to feature on Calbre's forthcoming sixteenth studio album, Feeling Normal. Both 'Bad' and 'Badder' are typical of Ernestus' ultra-deep and hypnotic style, with snippets of the duo's original instruments, beats and vocals echoing in and out of a warming, all-encompassing, sub-heavy groove. In a word, it's superb.

Review: Repping Sugar Records and Tanum Sounds, Winsome comes through with three really interesting perspectives. 'Tab' is a unique and highly springy piece of work as it works and wriggles its away around some well sculpted table drum hits and sub plunges. '24gb' takes us down a much dreamier pathway, sitting somewhere between Indian Ropeman and Chicken Lips. Finally 'Who' closes this stunning EP with a faraway drone. Intense.

Review: Kevin Richard Martin, known for pushing the boundaries of sound as THE BUG, unleashes his latest full-length, Machine. The album, released via Relapse, is his first solo instrumental work under the moniker, following a series of self-released EPs on PRESSURE. Each track is a sonic barrage, merging futuristic dub with crushing electronic elements, heavy bass riffs, and industrial weight that recalls his earlier work with Techno Animal and King Midas Sound. Machine takes the listener on a journey through dense, dystopian soundscapes, where each beat feels like a seismic event, making it perfect for oversized systems in sweat-drenched clubs. Tracks like 'Buried' and 'Bodied' epitomise this, with the former dropping tectonic bass lines over heavyweight beats, while the latter smoulders with industrial doom. Martin's signature "ice cold and dystopian" sound is at its zenith here, blending visceral sub-bass pressure with masterful production. It's a brutal yet nuanced record, one that demands to be felt as much as heard.

Review: Following mesmerising Marseilles mutations from the likes of Syqulone, Kabylie Minogue and Lisa More, Cain ? Muchi return to Gros:Oeuvre with their remarkable debut album. A heady tagine of grime, beats, techno, global bass and contemporary electronica with a title that either refers to famed Moroccan popstar or, far more likely, relates to meaning as 'universe', Dounia is a beguiling clash of western electronics and eastern bars, lyrics, and vocal harmonies. Fractured and macabre throughout from the distorted hardcore bass highs of 'J'wadi' to disarming vocal cries of 'Majdouba' this post grime, pre apocalypse opus is a trip from edge to edge.

Review: It's sleepy liminal steppers' zones aplenty on Sub Basics' latest full-length for Temple Of Sound, Rooms In Time-Space. As if imagining a purely abstract, extremophilic lifeworld, seed-generated for the pure purpose of headnodding, the latest incarnation of Sub Basics' enduring dubstep sound reflects the artist's unyielding exploration of a certain form, in thrall to which one simply cannot go wrong, provided one has mastered it. With its considered track titles like 'Basement', 'Wilderness', 'Quantum Zone', 'Observatory', 'Nonlinear' and 'Tangent', a detached, stoic, hard-scientific mood is evoked throughout, as if to liken the art of dubstep that of an oblique graphical process, void of emotive distortions. But that's just the front face of the project; deeper listens reveal an abiding humanity behind the beats, an aspect of our being that never tires of such driving broken propulsions, such immersive post-blast movements.

Review: Making their debut on Warp, Hudson Mohawke and Lunice proudly cross their beams to rain down a sick and slick kind of future-crunk, aptly demonstrated in in the introductory nature of bass-rich teaser "Top Floor" with its juke leanings and menacing posture. There's a detuned nature to the recognisable bleeps and wails on offer here while the beats remain crunchy and steadfast. "Higher Ground" is more overt in its use of juke to create a twisted kind of hype, while "Bugg'n" drips and drops in a loping vat of sub bass and slow-mo strangeness, leaving you with one of the oddest takes on the contemporary mess of electronic beats.

Review: Woof! Hyperdub bring together two of the most recognisable and enigmatic artists of recent times on this 10", as Zomby and Burial square down ahead of the former's new album for the label. Zomby's Ultra LP is undoubtedly one of this year's most anticipated albums and "Sweetz" suggests it may be a very moody affair indeed. Whilst rooted in UK dance, Zomby and Burial do look elsewhere for inspiration too. Just under seven minutes long, "Sweetz" veers through various sub-heavy soundscapes with intermittent rhythmic patters and a distinctive looped vocal sample whose pitch changes with dramatic effect.

Review: Yuku come correct with this special blue vinyl remix 12". Two vibes per side, both Traka and Granul go under the knife. On one side we have Serbian crew Traka under scrutiny as Commodo flips 'Yosai' into a menacing slab of tension while Muqata takes the Killa P-fronted 'Start Taking Note' into a brutalist sonic rainbow. Flip for two remixes of Turkish maverick Granul; Jtamul turns two-step inside out with stacks of eerie space on 'Deformity' while Iskeletor turns 'Interconnected' into the twisted, halftime heaver of your dreams. Stark sermons!

Review: Just when you thought you had Al Bleek and Damon Drama's Non Plus sorted, they go and make a sharp diversion and take you somewhere completely different. The destination? LOL. And no, that's not a joke. A teaser for their forthcoming album Me Me, the tracklist reads a little like an Alice In Wonderland list of instructions or perhaps a seductive dance; "Squeeze Me" kicks off with sinuous R&B style vocals and enticing synths with a slow, lolhloping half step rhythm, which inevitably drags you in deep like a tidal current of sound, while "Face Me" follows a languid 4/4 drum pattern drenched in late night synths. "Dare Me", up next, mirrors the sonic palette with shimmering, spaced out atmospherics and more glorious, syrup sweet lyrics. Visceral and rather enthralling, it bears the hallmarks of nocturnal dance music with throbbing b-line and infectious, enveloping synth-work, but with an underlying pop/R&B sensibility that shines through the darkness. Crackly, droning atmospherics sit beneath ice cold bleeps on finale "White Noise". A far cry from much of the recent Non Plus output for sure, but a remarkable release nonetheless which we urge you to get your teeth into.

Review: Blimey, if this isn't major meeting of musical Midas minds then we don't know what is. Alter Echo, E3 and Headland all collaborating with legendary dub flautist Diggory Kenrick. "Temple Duel" sets the scene in deep underground chambers, untouched by the sun. Reverb space is our only guide and ritual combat is the only way out as we make our way through subsonic 808 bass foundations, a near-industrial mid-range bass guitar groove, stiff snares, stick-fighting percussion and Diggory's torchlight melody. A truly fluid hypnotic narrative that arcs through the dark, if you're looking for an even foggier route flip for "Temple Dub" where the torch is extinguished and you have nothing but your sonic wits to take you home. Only Diggory knows if you make alive or not...

Review: Over the years, Modeselektor have forged a reputation as fearless innovators, neatly sidestepping genres and frequently confounding critics. Given their tireless touring schedule and the fact they run two prolific labels it's perhaps no surprise that it's been some four years since the last full-length Modeselektor album. Monkeytown flits effortlessly between skittish 140 BPM bass music, clandestine electronica, sludgy hip-hop and even warehouse-flavoured tropical rhythms (see "German Clap"). There are some real standouts, including a dreamy, slo-mo pop outing with PVT, two collaborations with Thom Yorke and a droning Anti-Pop Consortium hook-up. Must-check.

Review: Ex-Roll Deep MC Trim is using his original tongue-twisting style to gain deserved popularity and support for his new sound. Joining the East London based Butterz collective, Trim presents "I Am" with two remixes from Preditah and LV. ''I Am'' is Trim on a more laid back vibe than usual, and it appears to be working as the EP receives vital support from names such as Benji B and Logan Sama. Trim's deep vocal patterns are scattered over a bouncing platform of rubbery modern percussion and sophisticated jazzy brass; almost a genre of its own, it's no surprise Trim is getting some serious attention. On remix duties are young Birmingham producer Preditah and Hyperdub / Keysound residents LV, who keep up the skippy vibe of the original. Finally, ''Notice Now'' on the flip is a new Trim vocal on D.O.K.''s ''Chemical Planet'' tune, which first appeared on Butterz in 2010.

Review: Basel-based experimental labels Amenthia Recordings and A Walking Contradiction join forces for their first collaborative release here in the form of the Flash Crash/Hack Crash EP. Both labels are known for pushing boundaries within their close-knit creative circles and this one features Agonis' heavy stepper and Konduku's whirlpool of low frequencies on the Amenthia side, while Lemont continues the low-end, tripped-out vibe. Varuna represents A Walking Contradiction and delivers swampy, slow-motion sounds in their signature style. This release embodies both labels' commitment to daring, unconventional electronic sounds.

Review: The Plymouth soundsystem and collective known as No Ice Cream Sound take their namesake after the historic Johnny Osbourne song 'No Ice Cream Sound', which hears one of the many most popular faces and voices of reggae decry "ice cream sound", his shorthand for tunes and soundboys who'd dare soften the original intended rawness of roots music. Here the boys take a thousand-watt megabulb to a gelato the size of a glacier with 'This & That', which hears residents Charlie P and Jman go back to back, trading verses and rhythms in a soundsystemic pattern. Fusing influences of both rubadub and roots, the two versions featured here are truly twin whirlwinds, not for slackened belts by any stretch.

Review: London trio Damos Room serve up their take on dub-inspired bass music on this new EP which emerged from a rare collaborative session in Elijah Minnelli's loft. 'Commencement' opens with a deep, droning bass groove that's topped with a stream of conscious muttering to create a moody and hypnotic sound. 'Mineral Blend' brings a laid-back dancehall vibe with dreamy echoes of past sessions and remixers Gonjasufi, Lewi Boome, Dome Zero and Polyop individually infuse the tracks with dub techno, acid and experimental twists best highlighted by Gonjasufi's haunting transformation of 'Commencement' into a misty, immersive bit of sonic menace.

Review: Brittle bass music from 1985 Music, who present the first edition of Fragment, their new V/A albums series focusing on dubstep, drum & bass and experimental oddities in between. Convoking names both old and new, well-established and less so, this fiendish silicone collection bottles ten headtop hitters onto a single 3xLP gatefold record, channelling a whole uncountable host of aggressive intentions in the process. When it comes to being whacked round the head, we're not talking sugar glass either: with tracks from mainstays Headland, Drone and Visages, all the way up the cullet pile to 1985 label boss Alix Perez with the relatively chic 'Bloomsbury', all tracks herein command the utmost polish, shrillness and pressure, never failing to push us to the edges of our seats.

Review: Dutch DJ/producer Martyn has always been one of techno and bass music's most thoughtful and diverse operators, with a trademark production style that draws on many interconnected styles and now a Substack newsletter full of interesting essays about different aspects of the music culture he's been part of for decades. Through Lines, seemingly inspired by his ongoing desire to make sense of the musical shifts he's contributed to, is his first career retrospective - a fine collection of personal favourites and hand-picked club workouts featuring tracks recorded and released at different points between 2005 and 2015. It's a terrific collection filled with tracks that variously mix and match elements of dubstep, polyrhythmic techno, UK garage, Detroit techno, broken beat, 140, drum and bass and deep techno.

Review: Beau operates at the sharp end of the UK electronic underground and creates an immersive, dark ambient sound that is influenced by trailblazers like Burial. His soundscapes combine ethereal textures with moody rhythms and that is very much the case here on Lacuna, his new album for Feat PLAtes. It is full of roomy sounds, icy glass synths, smeared pads, late-night moods and evocative atmospheres that draw you in ever deeper, sometimes looking over your shoulder, always lost in deep thought. A real lost tape from the short-lived night bus genre, you could say.

Review: TRACKLISTING:
A1: Photek & Kuru - Fountainhead (DJ-KICKS)
B1: Photek - Azymuth
B2: Photek - No Agenda

OVERVIEW:
"There are mavericks out on their own, the fearlesss creators operating on the very fringes of their respective scenes - Photek is just such an artist."- DJ Mag

"Photek has sweated over every little drum sound and fill resulting in a complex and subtle sound that is a million miles away from the nasty sound of commercial dancefloor dubstep."- DrownedInSound.com

"Easily more creative, more experimental and more thought out than his counterparts. A revolutionary musician and composer."- Sputnikmusic.com

Photek stands mercilessly on the edge. A sonic scientist, pushing both his sounds and fans' expectations to the outermost limits since 1994, he floods the footnotes of electronica like MP3s clutter up your hard drive.

2011 saw him drop a series of sounds that reflect the truest perception of him. Driven by his years of studio discipline; sharpened by an acute awareness that he'll be received by the heads that know him well and ears that don't know him at all.

Destination tomorrow: Photek's decorated past and diligent work ethic leads us here. The new music you've heard from Photek in 2011 is yet another chapter in a life spent overdosing on sonic nuances and boundary testing. In the past 12 months his new material has been remixed by the brightest young stars of dance music - Boddika, Falty DL, Addison Groove and Breach to name a few. In turn, Photek has remixed for the likes of Moby, Jess Mills, Distance, Ray Lamontagne and was part of Daft Punk's Tron Remixed package - for which he has been nominated for a Grammy. His newly re-launched label, Photek Productions, has this year released the 'Avalanche EP' which garnered international support from tastemakers such as Benji B, Gilles Peterson, Skream, Annie Mac, Zane Lowe and more, and the 'Aviator EP'. The single 'Closer' was also released on Pinch's pioneering Tectonic Recordings in June, adding to the gathering noise that you can't ignore - Photek is well and truly back and you can be sure that whatever sound he drops next, it won't fail to get the world's attention... Watch out in 2012 for his installment in the highly influential DJ Kicks compilation series on K7 Records and his long awaited new artist album.


PRESS: Album reviews running in Clash, DATA TRANSMMISSION (+ Interview), HYPONIK, FACT, DEFECTED, RESIDENT ADVISOR, MIXMAG (+ Classic Albums feature), MUSIC OMH (+ Interview), SPIN (+ Interview Feature), TRAP MAGAZINE (+ feature), DJ Mag. Updates to follow.