J Kenzo At Juno Download

Review: Another sterling venture from 2nd Drop as they hand the reigns over to J Kenzo. Title track "Conqueror" builds from a stripped back, bongo-pattering intro with crisp maracas and jungle chirrups, into an achingly cool polyrhythmic venture. Taking dubstep, techno and funky into their stride, the pair re-work them into something new in the bass music spectrum. "Derailment", a darker, heavier cut is arguably the unsung hero of this release, with eerie SFX and a growling bassline. Big.

Review: A trustworthy tune tailor since 2008, it's about time Mr Kenzo gave us an album. And the very fact it's on Tempa - a much bigger label than Kenzo's own Soul Shakerz - speaks volumes in terms of the quality you can expect across the 12 tracks. Those who've followed Kenzo's previous shizzle will know the pristine level of deep bass production on offer, but there's a few curveballs dotted throughout for added dynamics. Cuts such as the Footsie-featured grime hybrid "No Man's Land" and the hands-in-the-air spine-chiller "Eyes Wide Open" showcase Kenzo's skills on the widest possible level. An immaculate debut LP.

Review: J Kenzo makes an appearance on the lauded and legendary Tempa imprint with these two tough little tracks, which display heaps of character and genre-defining skill. "Ruffhouse" sees Kenzo team up with Rod Azlan for an intriguing journey, dominated by bleepy synth melody and low-slung bongo drum for the first minute, before dropping into a classic mid-noughties dubstep burner with hypnotic bass and weighty soundscape. "Therapy" is reminiscent of some of Pinch and the Tectonic crew's more experimental work, with a techno twinge, fidgeting beats, a Benga & Coki bleep and plenty of unique character to set it apart from the rest.

Review: New signing J Kenzo marks the 56th release for Youngsta's legendary Tempa label. Unsurprisingly, it's a typically dark and dubbed out offering from the more cerebral side of dubstep. Title track "The Roteks" kicks off with a hovering sense of uncertainty, with faint industrial shivers and a warping bassline. A quasi-scientific sounding vocal sample heralds the movement into the main tune, which features blustering kicks, snapping snares and bellowing bass. "Protected" moves from the post-apocalyptic sounds of the intro into a half-step roller with plenty of appeal for fans of Kryptic Minds, Distance and DMZ.

Review: A real fusion of many different styles, and perfectly named to boot, Tropic Thunda is a subtle and well-crafted mix of soca and dubstep beats. Sparse but full of energy and vitality, it's a classy release from J Kenzo (a man who's currently getting support from Caspa and N-Type amongst many others). Also out is Counteraction, which has rolling congas and some off-kilter snares, as well as rising synth stabs that set the beat alive. Both tunes are smart, funky and very cool - miss out on this at your peril.

Review: A split release from the Tuna imprint, with Britain's J Kenzo sharing the honours with San Francisco's The Spit Brothers. Having an exceptional year so far, with big releases like "Stomp", "Tropic Thunda" and "Ruckus" already under his belt, J Kenzo carries on the good form with the moody dub of "Nocturnal Feelings" - a starkly bare dubstep/UKF fusion with some evil stutter bass and urgent percussion hits keeping things nice and driving for the floor. The Spit Brothers' "Beg To Differ" comes in on a very similar vibe, with woozy textures and a halting, threadbare beat leaving plenty of space in the mix and giving it an enjoyably sinister slant. Two very deep and very cool tunes indeed.

Review: J Kenzo returns to Tempa for a third round of heady dubstep of the old school variety. Using the standard dubstep toolkit to create something that is more than the sum of its parts, "Invaderz" is paranoid stuff, creating an oppressive atmosphere with its lurching bass. "Depth Charge" is more of the same finely sculpted half-step, with a searing bass that gets right under your skin.