Vivek At Juno Download

Review: Dub's the word on this new release from doomy Londoner V.I.V.E.K. Title track, "Against The Tide" is slow and deep and sees a spaced-out dub bassline flowing alongside lazy beats and echoing rimshots. The second track, "Trinity" is a perkier affair that begins with tension building synth strings, before giving way to tough hip-hop beats, claps and horror film bass notes!

Review: Could "Asteroids" be the most perfect name for a tune that sounds like it was made in out of space? Blast off with that first sonar blip and gracefully float away, dodging the soft rhythmic asteroids as you bob freely. Interestingly "Over My Head" is the same beat but with the cosmic yearning of Mel Dymond. With a far-away, distracted delivery she's not far off "Protection" era Massive Attack. For added trippiness and a gorgeous building slo-mo stomp flip for Om Unit's remix. Wow.

Review: Mala's Deep Medi Musik maintain their high standards in 2011 with the welcome return of VIVEK on a plump four track selection that matches his earlier release Pulse. What Eyes Down lacks in titular imagination, it more than makes up for in terms of refined dubstep preshah! Opening with "The Big Bang" Vivek further displays a penchant for simmering cinematic tension, as growling subs prowl the nether regions beneath a sparse half step riddim. In contrast "Spread Love" demonstrates Sharda's prowess with crafting intricately programmed beats that flex with a UKG swing but retain a stepper template. What really impresses is how the heavily dosed up purple vibe gradually engulfs the track. Elsewhere "Sirens" envelopes the straight up, crisp 808centric drums in an array of delayed droning effects, before slipping in a lazily skanking melody, whilst the title track is Sharda showing off his sub bass capabilites.

Review: Mala's Deep Medi Musik maintains the monthly release schedule pressure with a third label contribution in as many years from the man known as Vivek. Responsible for one of last year's key releases in the double twelve drop Feel It, Vivek clearly has no qualms with the pressures of following up if the unrelenting industrial pressure of "Pulse" is any indicator! Commencing in cinematic fashion; all storm clouds and answer machine beeps, Vivek wastes little time, dropping right into the satisfyingly humongous sounding half step aided by twisted strains of bass and droned out FX. Several sudden drops into the sonic mist throughout add to the unrelenting drama. This is complemented by the eerie freeform shudder of "Roots", equally cinematic in its palette though less sci-fi and more horror, with the incongruous appearance of a flock of birds midway through adding to the sense that it shouldn't work but it does.

Review: Known for killer dark and dubby releases such as "Feel It" and "Eyes Down", VIVEK returns with two new icy gems on Deep Medi. "Soundman" is a technoid half-stepping belter, with some vicious bass nestled in between heavily-echoed 808 claps, while "Diablo" is a more fleshed out dubstepper complete with itchy hats, splashy snares and floating, astral leads.