New releases last eight weeks: UK Garage

Review: Freerange Sounds - which shouldn't be confused with Jimpster's deep house label Freerange - is reissuing its first release from back in May 2022 here. It's a dark garage outing from 9TRANE that kicks off with 'Keep It Moving' (feat Riko Dan) with edgy vocals, late-night urban menace and some crisp drum patterns. The fantastic Bakey dub mix brings more pruning basslines and withering pads while the instrumental is stripped back and more haunting. Last of all is 'Hear This' which leans on the Burial style of ghostly production but with a more fulsome low-end and prickly percussive brew riding the beats. Serious tackle for sure.

Review: Melodiesinfonie, Bluestaeb and S. Fidelity join forces to form a powerful trio, unveiling a rich nonnet of tracks destined for the universal chillout space. Taking shape in a picturesque studio in the South of France - and then completed in centres from Zurich to Berlin - the likes of '365 P', 'Summertime In '92' and 'Just Give Me The Aux' carry on the sparse and material-sonic tradition that has in recent decades inflected the neo-soul and jazz-electronica worlds. Every track here sounds to have been made with what sounds to the most apparently humble means available; rimshot clicks, wooden hits, impassioned hums and coos, Rhodes chords here and there. Loyal to one rule and one rule only - "we need to stay in the room together to make this a record that feels exciting to us" - the result is an evenhanded five-track flirtation with soul-bearing passion, toeing the hobline of cool and hot.

Review: Almost a year after his last outing on Dungeon Meat, Amsterdam's Borren is back with more hefty slabs of hardcore house and garage fusions. 'Space Mode' kicks off with shuffling beats and low sling bass that can't fail to amp the party. 'UKTD Gangsterloop' is another naughty and smiling cut with characterful samples and filthy bass. There's some nice and trippy melon to 'Warp Garage' that makes it perfect for those inky blue late night hours and 'Zeer Zakelijk' shuts down with chunky drum funk and rolling bass that is so deep it rattles foundations.

Review: Brother Aten debuts on Bruk with a minimalist masterpiece featuring the detached vocals of Ze R. This tidy 10" is influenced by cult sci-fi and early 80s no wave so naturally presents a stark, synthetic soundscape devoid of excess. The title reflects its mood: Aten's mechanical mantras are crafted with precision on outboard instruments and explore gritty, futuristic worlds. On 'Unavailable,' resonant drones create a platform for Ze R.'s initial deadpan delivery which reveals deeper humanity as the track unfurls through crisp drums. The brief yet impactful two-parter, 'Fragmented Dystopia' is a taste of Aten's cyberpunk vision while Ze R.'s words oscillate between structure and chaos.

Review: Rhythm N Vibe label head Marc Cotterell strides into 2025 with a killer new three-track EP featuring plenty of his signature garage and house crossover jams. 'Annihilate The Rhythm' gets things underway with some rave-ready sirens and tightly programmed beats and bubbly bass. UK talent JACKARD steps up to remix and does so with razor-sharp hi-hats and low-slung kicks that bring the sleaze. 'Floor Dance' then brings the funk with some playful chord sequences and swirling pads and fFeed Your Soul' shuts down with aching vocal hooks and old school piano energy over some fresh US house drums.

Review: SPIL Records follows up its impressive vinyl debut here with a second 12" release featuring fresh tracks from label head Jack Swift and Scott Diaz. Diaz kicks off with 'Like Dis' which is all classic US house drums and bouncy bass, then Timmy P & Lunoize's 'Ouch' is a swirling, vocal-laced party starter. Swift then offers 'Burning' which is a lively garage house cut with throwback diva vocals. Devstar's Feel The Vibe remix shuts down with some more naughty, dark and dirty bassline sounds perfect for pumping up the floor.

Review: We live a bit of DJ Perception here at Juno H. He is an original garage great who keeps on cooking up the goods. This latest missive comes on the small but well-formed South London Pressings and features off the classic 'Future (feat Russ).' It's a soul drenched sound with acoustic guitar licks flailing above breezy breakbeats that will be perfect for once the sun comes out, not least with the most Balearic top lines that break out midway through. The Benny Ill Heavenly remix is a more shuffling garage cut but still one packed with real heat.

Review: This EP from a rising force in the French electronic scene seamlessly fuses club energy with deep emotion that she represents. Side-1 opens with 'Do You Need Me?', a driving, 90s-inspired French house cut packed with nostalgia and groove. 'Natural High' blends electro and house, crafting a pulsating yet fluid rhythm, while 'Listen To Yourselves' introduces melodic breaks and atmospheric textures, striking a balance between introspection and dancefloor euphoria. Side-2 keeps the momentum highi'Good Times' rides on an EDM-leaning breaks groove, engineered to move festival crowds. 'On A Sunday' takes a left turn into funky drum & bass, rich with melodic funk and liquid energy. Finally, the extended mix of 'Do You Need Me?' shifts toward a Euro-house aesthetic, expanding on the track's euphoric essence. This EP is an example to her ability to blend classic influences with contemporary sounds.

Review: DJ and producer Fold presents a new label called FLDIN2. Double-sided vinyl EPs pairing two self released singles together with a 45 RPM cut. The cut is an ode, like some of the tracks themselves, to how he collected Drum & Bass and UKG records at the turn of the millenium. The tracks have been on heavy rotation in 2024 from huge acts such as Ben UFO, Overmono & Joy Orbison.

Review: Yaleesa Hall wastes no time setting the tone on this Timedance release, delivering a weighty fusion of UKG, electro and sub-heavy pressure. Opener 'Halfway Gone' lurches forward with a heady mix of swung percussion and cavernous bass, its tension building like a slow-motion collision. 'Light Headed' dials up the energy, its restless breakbeat patterns and distorted low-end hitting with unrelenting force. On the flip, 'Voices' leans into dubbed-out textures, letting ghostly vocal snippets drift through the haze as tightly coiled rhythms keep the pulse locked. Closer 'Still Here' brings the release full circle, with fractured beats and rumbling sub-bass weaving together in a hypnotic finale. It's a bold statement from Yaleesa Hallione that feels tailor-made for dancefloors that thrive on weight and space in equal measure.

Review: Josi Devil's debut on Hessle Audio is a natural step forward for the label, expanding its sound in a way that still feels unmistakably its ownithis release adding a layer of tension and subtlety to an already diverse catalog. Hailing from Bristol, Josi has built a reputation with labels like Innamind and Nervous Horizon, known for his raw, unrelenting style. But here, he takes a step into slightly murkier waters, layering euphoric vocal snippets with deeper, atmospheric textures that give the track an interesting push and pull. 'Make It Better' kicks off with swung breakbeats that quickly dissolve into a blend of chopped vocals and rumbling sub-bass, offering moments of pure euphoria while maintaining an underlying tension. There's a certain balance here, as the energy ping-pongs between light and dark, but it never feels out of sync. Josi manages to hold onto a grounded, gritty feel, all while pulling in atmospheric elements that make the track feel spacious and immersive. On the flip, things get darker with 'Restless Sleep' where muffled drums and deep, growling basslines add a sense of foreboding as shadowy Buchla tones weave through. The UKG-inspired samples mix with the heavy low-end, creating a sense of unease without ever feeling too overbearing. It's a track that knows when to hold back and when to let the tension fully break looseishowing off Josi's knack for creating complex, layered sounds that still pack a visceral punch. This release feels rooted in the underground but offers something fresh for the forward-thinking listener, leaving a lingering impression long after the first listen.

Review: Keefy G has been lighting up the dancefloors of his native West Yorkshire and beyond for some time now. His sets are as slick as his hair and here he branches out with some fresh slabs of wax on the mighty Dungeon Meat's new Slabs label. It's a hook-up that makes sense given that he grew up listening to sets by label founders Tristan and Brawther and his own take on their template is compelling indeed. 'Like Dis' is rock solid deep house with crisp drums and slamming bass. 'Wildstyle' lays down another heavy house groove with glitchy perc and well-treated vocals that add plenty of sleaze.

Review: Crosstown Rebels compere Damian Lazarus teams up with fellow musician and singer-songwriter Jem Cooke, with new track 'Searchin'': a primeval precognition of the big bad boss man's upcoming fifth album on the label, Magickal. Though it's been released digitally with a focus on Bullet Tooth's remix on the B-side, this blue-innered vinyl edition compiles all three of the track's versions, also clocking a sure-to-be much-spun Radio Slave remix on the B. The original is an FM-led brooder with posterities of bleep techno and darkside fidget house. Cooke's vocals belt searchingly against burbling synthwork, while Bullet Tooth's remix takes a tempting dark garage turn, risking briar-shod paths of bass as Cooke's refrain is made gothic. Slave's version is, as ever, hardly slavish, preferring a more tensile daytime vibe of subtle piano and muted vox.

Review: "Underground dance music" got its name for a reason: the black market is where the good stuff is! The ninth release on the underground-allusive, daytime-elusive Undergroove label moot a congregation of sound spivs, turntablist tricksters, deep house dealers, and many other scraggly clientele, for a fresh and unregulated yield of homegrown Lyon talent. Said to have channelled electro house and garage house going in, lord knows what has come out the other side, but we can aver its dankness: Lazer Man and and Funktroid nod to twin moods of desperation and forbearance commonly seen in criminal underworlds, with the stoic grind of the street represented in unfazed, steely electro beats. Real fiends only let loose on the B-side, where Local DJ's 'Dreams Of Radio' and Aladdin's 'The Ali-ens' quell any residual fears through glitchy purples and ghostly tech backings.

Review: The Plastik People label kicks off its new year with a trio of top garage jams from Romeo Louisa. 'Challenges' is a perfect feel-good sound with silky smooth chords and nice dusty drums and hi-hats all topped off with a classic vocal packed with emotion. The irresistibly catchy vibes continue with 'Lost Bottle' which is another timeless US house sound of the sort the Dope Jams crew became so well associated with. Last but not least is 'Keep Me Deep', another perfect blend of US garage and house with horns, deep kicks and lush chords.

Review: Smart dresser and dedicated beard groomer Manuold - real name Emmanuele Macagnone - has notched up some excellent releases since making his bow in 2017, including admired EPs on House Puff and Madhouse Records. Here he brings his classy brand of deep house to GLBDOM for the first time. With its squelchy synth-bass, loose-limbed garage-house drums, gospel vocal samples and warm pads, opener 'Jersey' sounds like a long-lost Kerri Chandler gem. He continues the retro-futurist theme on the low-slung and jazzy 'Hot & Crunchy', before doffing a cap to deep house/tech-house fusion on the Tenaglia-influenced 'Zanzibar'. Over on the flip, 'Night Long' is a chunky slab of 21st century New Jersey deep house with an Italian twist, while 'In The Clouds' sees him successfully lean into his Italo-house influences while retaining a dreamy and chunky deep house flex.

Review: Recovered DATs is a collection of lost tracks from the legendary producer Masterplan and they all pack a raw UKG punch. They were once assumed to be gone forever but were happily found on some original Sony DAT tapes and have since been carefully extracted. They were made with all the gear of the day such as the Roland JV-1080, Emu Proteus 1 & 2000 and Korg M1 so offer proper authentic sounds of the sort that define true UK garage. 'Dub General' is our favourite with its clipped vocal sample and restless chord stabs daring about the mix.

Review: Pangaea and Leonce's collaboration feels like a natural evolution of their respective sounds. 'Dusted' takes the more energetic route, drawing from UKG's signature drum patterns and crisp, chopped-up vocals. There's a weightlessness to it that feels characteristic of Pangaea's style, with the track riding that fine line between chaos and precision. It's rapid but controlled, capturing the essence of the UKG sound without resorting to tired cliches. On the other hand, 'Stuck' leans into a more understated vibe, pulling from the foundation of 90s US club music. It's relaxed, more patient in its progression, with a warm, spacious quality that contrasts nicely with the jitteriness of 'Dusted.' The contrast between the two tracks showcases the range of both artists: while they're clearly rooted in different scenes, they've found a way to merge their influences in a way that feels both fresh and familiar.

Review: Burnski's Constant Sound is back with more badman garage madness and this time it is Dennis Quinn in charge. 'Good Stuff' opens up with mad raw beats and menacing low ends, then 'Damage' picks up the pace with a mix of sleazy vocal samples and metallic hits. 'Sweatshop is a bumpy house cut with long-legged drums and swirling pads that bring the feel good vibes and 'Major Minority' shuts down with a more late-night sound, intriguing melodies and thudding kicks that you will not be able to ignore.

Review: Launched late last spring via an EP of nostalgic, spacey and sub-heavy breakbeat science, Shadow Child and DJ Haus's collaborative Rhythm Force series returns for a third instalment. This time round, the long-serving duo have opted to explore bowel-bothering bass of vintage UK garage and the late 90s drum and bass explorations of liquid superhero LTJ Bukem. Check first 'Night Lights', where twinkling electronics, glassy-eyed pads and rewind sound effects ride a crunchy two-step breakbeat and powerful sub-bass motif. 'Icy Moons', meanwhile, offers a lusciously spacey and rhythmically breathless take on the post-jungle early d&b sound, naturally underpinned by a seriously weighty, speaker-shaking bassline.

Review: What true head doesn't know 'Flowers'? Produced infamously by Sunship (Ceri Evans), this keystone lintel of the 90s UK garage door frames Leanne Brown's vocal - originally recorded as part of a much slower r&b demo - against a rolling, skippy beat that's all bounce and shimmer. Lyrically, it's a lovesick anthem, filled with longing and the ache of distance, but the groove keeps it light on its feet, providing a crossover appeal with a perma-adhesive sticking power. Though Sweet Female Attitude didn't follow it with another major hit, 'Flowers' has never faded. Tend to your garden, and your blooms won't wilt.

Review: Burnski's Pilot label keeps it fresh with more sounds that operate in the middle ground between house, tech and garage. This one is a split EP that kicks off with Vitess's 'You Got Work,' fizzy, sugary cosmic cut with bouncing drums. 'Play My Game' is another trippy and astral affair with disco energy and wispy synth melodies that hit different. Robin Graham steps up on the flip with 'Not Here 2 Party' which is a low-slung tech cut with a sordid little bassline. 'Pipe Dream' gets even more abstract and minimal with sleek drums and dry drums rolling onwards.

Review: Breaka returns with Aeoui, a highly anticipated second album that will again establish his reputation as a bass music innovator. Charlie Baker continues to evolve here with his mix of footwork, techno and dancehall influences and jazz drumming background all coming together into fresh club rhythms. The album's unique vibe emerged from a burst of jet-lagged inspiration in late 2023 and led to tracks like 'Squashy Track' and 'YOLO Bass Rewind' which both off-set a mix of organic and synthetic elements, Afro-Cuban rhythms, 'amapiano' and psychedelic influences. Breaka's sound remains unlike anything else.