Submerse At Juno Download

Review: Forward thinking bass-man Submerse is back in action with a spectre-tacular new mini album and he means business. "Truth" begins proceedings with skippy, spluttering and splintered R&B, the title track is next-level laser bass with trap beats, creepy low end and euphoric trippy pads, and "This Combo Could End Us" is all SWV-on-downers. "Here's Looking At You" meanwhile is a mesmerising lesson in the many uses of digital xylophones, "Dim Lights & Meteorites" sounds like trying to tune in to an R&B radio station...underwater, "Monochrome" is glistening broken beat and finally "Blips In December" is a crunchy, crunky head nodder.

Review: A producer who has been a go-to guy for fans of forward-thinking bass and garage for the past year, Submerse builds on the excellent momentum of his solo releases (as well as his hook-ups with Resketch) with this delicious Bento Box EP. Whether he's mining shivery R&B textures on the tear-jerkin' "Move On", creating hyped house/dubstep fusions on "Need To Know" or truly mind-bending wobblers like the appropriately named "Monster", Submerse is simply on stunning form just now.

Review: Following a highly regarded release for the relaunched R&S sublabel Apollo, Submerse returns with this superb EP for Project Mooncircle, which sees a refinement on the bass-infused digital hip-hop styles of that record. Tracks like "Cream Soda" and "Kerosene" recall the squashed beats of Lukid, while the fizzy atmospherics and sweet vocal samples of "It's Over, I Lost" and "Tears" have more than a bit of early James Blake about them. "Pressure" meanwhile provides a savvy cut for the dancefloor, filled with clattering swung percussion. But far from being one of the countless wannabes whose production skills extend no further than replicating their idols on Ableton, this EP is filled with the intricate detail and textural nuance of a producer much more experienced that his age suggests.

Review: Apollo seem to be unstoppable in their surge of fresh releases representing the UK post-everything circuit, and next up is Submerse with some deadly conglomerating funk. "8Bit Romance" sees heavyweight LA swagger (via a hip-hop rhythm) get augmented with nasty lo-res squiggles of synths for a serious bumper of a track. "They Always Come Back" explores the territory first unveiled by early Instra:Mental and DBridge, where emotion and restraint bring out the sensitive side of drum & bass. "Give It Up" follows down a similar slow/fast jam path, leaving it to "Cluster" to swerve back into the cluttered beats of the first track.