This Week

Review: There have been whispers of an album from fast rising UK producer Hackman for some time now, and though it's yet to arrive, this free download should give some indication as to its direction. "Forgotten Notes" perhaps shows the producer at his most melancholic, combining bittersweet keys and mournful vocals with some deep bass. But don't let that deceive you - it's still filled with the upbeat garage flutter, and packs more colour into four minutes than the scores of house-influenced bass pretenders that are following in his wake.

Review: Having made his debut on Claude Von Stroke's Dirtybird way back in 2005, multi-talented San Fran electro-bass producer Justin Martin makes his full-length debut with this excellent LP. Luckily for fans of last year's excellent, juke-influenced collaboration with Ardalan, "Lezgo", there's a VIP mix included here that makes for a bigger, more building rerub, while Martin also does a great job covering Goldie's seminal "Kemistry" - adding some real venom and bite in the process. Look out for the deep and twisting "Ruff Stuff" and the syrupy "Night Calling" too.

Review: Getting early support from Deadboy, Laurent Garnier and Mary Anne Hobbs, this new release celebrates five years of the Blah Blah Blah label in style. On "Hoop Dreams", Blacksmif forges a mix of rushing arpeggios and tranquil, enveloping pads which fit a crisp 2-step beat like a glove. "Microweight" is every bit as mighty, thanks to some rising, brass-like wonky synths and a mix of straight-up house beats and funky-patterned natural percussion sounds.

Review: Delightfully smooth vibes can be found in abundance as Gullfisk marks his entrance into the bass world with his first full artist EP. With slippery synth pads and neatly diced vocal cuts running throughout, this will win you friends on the dancefloor and your home stereo. The title track is especially beautiful with its subtle kicks and trickling hi-hats playing careful cameos as the vocal and groove do all the talking. The two-step powered "Green Waters" is slightly more dancefloor inclined but equally deep and enchanting. Meanwhile "Explore" lives up to its name and explores the wonderfully retrospective world of synth sounds to such an expert level it almost sounds like an Orbital track. With remixes from EPLP, Commodore 69 and D3adl1ne, this really is quite the package.

Review: Fresh from the Shox label, Italian producer cooks up some deliciously gonzoid bass 'n' funk on this excellent EP. "Trapped House" uses a slew of random analogue funk stabs and short sample shots to create a truly startling and engaging tune, underscored with some crisp and simple percussion hits. As well as a remix from MA1, Lorenzo also throws in the equally cool "The Shuffle", which layers on jacking stabs of vocal samples, all stretched across an octave and made into some very unusual chords indeed.

Review: Last spotted on a Gentleman's Dub Club remix EP in April, the tenacious Tymer returns with the full backing of bass-addicted Wearhouse head honcho Lee Mortimer. Three cuts in total, each one drives a different bass machine but they're all set at full throttle. The lead cut "Heavy" takes the best elements of acid house and speed garage, mixes them together and gives them such a good shooing they'll still sound fresh in 2093. "Think" follows; armed with a warbling sine and some cacophonous percussion it's an instant dancefloor mindbender. "Don't Stop" completes the package, and does so on a persistent Afro swing with some fine-tuned high riffery atop.

Review: It's all about the rather hectic kuduro vibes right here as Buraka Som Sistema's K-Wow neatly packages the previous Hard Ass Sessions he's commissioned over the last three years into one rather monstrous compilation. With an all-star cast including the likes of Seiji , Bok Bok, Mele and Kry Wolf, it's a collection that will tickle the tastes of all moombhaton and favela fans as wild Afro-beat tempos rocket rampantly amidst nutty synth riffs and gritty bass. Highlights include the hardcore techno style riff on Tapa's "Slap In The Bass" and the incessant toad-like croaks of "Me Toca So" by Zombies For Money.