Ill Blu At Juno Download

Review: On a slow and steady rise with a distinctive take on UK Funky, Ill Blu haven't given the people much to chew on with their career so far, but one can only assume the duo have been hunkering down honing their craft as this trumps their last outing on Numbers. "Clapper" is a brawny cut with a nagging mid-range squawk and tasty rolling brushes of snares on a milatiristic tip. Juke's man of the moment Traxman does a hefty chop up of the original with a stomping rave era cut that wouldn't sound out of place on The Prodigy's Experience.

Review: With their releases on Numbers and Hyperdub, Ill Blu have shown themselves to be one of UKF's most interesting voices, and this EP for Kerri Chandler's Madtech sees them refine their style ever further. "Omar" combines the wonky metallic synth stabs of their previous efforts with a thumping 4/4 techno kick, all bathed in dub, while "2nd Nature" sees them expand their remit to include house music, delivering some piano driven, bass infused beats, with only the slightest hint of the UKF heritage. "Tick Tock" however sees them go back to business as usual, with its manic square waves rippling across a tense backdrop.

Review: Ill Blu's debut for Numbers kicks off with the much talked about eponymous track of the EP. "Meltdown" acts as the perfect entree, with a reverberating vocal sample and a similar synth/bassline sound to Redlight's tune "Stupid". It makes for a compelling listen with plenty of dancefloor driven panache and synth flourishes colouring it along the way. "Overdose", up next, is more comparable to the aforementioned "Bellion" than any of the rest, building from a sparse intro with echoing cooing and tripping, crispy beats, into a more bleepy, high pitched main tune, masterfully counteracted by throbbing low end b-line action and jungle style chirrups. "Chelt" brings the EP to a close, with a more tech-ed up approach, accelerating into the drop with a clamour of jingling SFX, rumbling atmospherics and quirky, bubbling synths. Dreamy rippling waves drive things forward, underpinned by a thunderous b-line, making this another late night party starter and one to add to the record box if UK funky is your thing.