Mak & Pasteman At Juno Download

Review: Upcoming UK house pairing Mak & Pasteman show a healthy respect for the best of Detroit and London on this new release on Shifting Peaks. The essential title tune "Do The Same" is smothered in strong dreamy pads a la Derrick Carter, but spiced up hugely by an addictive vocal hook that's layered perfectly over blunt kicks and Carl Craig-style arpeggios. "Lost" is a more withdrawn and haunted 2-step winner, while "Mode" takes a familiar Junior Reed refrain but frames it perfectly over some rough snares and tough, grimy bass. An excellent release and definite names to follow during the course of the year.

Review: Mak & Pasteman deliver their long awaited debut for Sounds Of Sumo, with an EP that cannily blurs the lines between bass, dubstep and UK funky to spectacular effect. "Chakra" takes an Indian string sample and combines it with a growling bassline and funky snare rhythm, whilst "Move Something" is a fast moving bass roller with warm synth buildup and sweet vocals that recall Joy Orbison's early cuts. "Get With The Program" meanwhile sees the pair deliver a late night groover which filter a 90s house spirit through old school jungle rhythms, whilst "Heat" takes furious vocal pitching and melds it with a percussive masterclass to create a unique take on the big room sound. The EP comes with an embarrassment of remix related riches, from Tommy Kid, Bondax, Click and Kingsin, with CDBL's furious reworking of "Chakra" and Real's melodically rich reworking of "Heat", (which recalls James Blake at his finest) standing out for praise.

Review: A bass-loving UK duo who are able to bust out quality bangers across a wide-range of genres, Mak & Pasteman turn in two stand-outs on this new Hot N Heavy release. "Playboy" is a pepped-up half-stepper with a glitched out bassline, a sea of astral arpeggios and a Machinedrum-esque use of R&B acapellas that fire over the track in a head-spinning array of pitches. "Jungle Juice" on the other hand rocks a UKF beat with nasty grime bass and an excellent, DJ Mujava-esque lead sound thrown in.

Review: Second time around for Mak and Pasteman's "Playboy", this time in glistening "VIP" form, backed by a string of new remixes. For those who enjoy their garage to flicker between fizzling haf-step and bombastic tropical rhythms, "Playboy VIP" should be essential. Remix wise, choose between the cut-up wobble of Udachi's remix, the breakdowns-and-dubstep-on-speed flex of the Clicks & Whistles version, and the snappy bounce of the Subio remix. There are also three new reworks of "Jungle Juice". Of these, it's the fairground two-step and call-and-response madness of the Palle Remix that most impresses, though there's something deliciously raw about Mike G's heavy rework.

Review: Rippling rhythms, crackling white noise and muffled, hissing beats dominate for the most part of Mak & Pasteman's delectable "What Love Is". Setting the tone for their release on Car Crash Set, the pair go in with the deep, heavy rhythms, pulsing beats, hissing percussion and eerie vocal which hides behind the rest of the music somehow. A midway breakdown adds a brief moment of melancholy reflection before we return to the main tune. "So Much" continues in much the same manner, with sparse beats in a gentle, humming soundscape, broken by a labored groan and dripping SFX and pattering percussion. A must buy, right here, right now.