Walter Ego At Juno Download

Review: This debut release from British producer Walter Ego definitely marks him out as a name that tropical/UKF fans should get familiar with asap. Having recently shared stages with Mele and Julio Bashmore, these five tunes really shine with character - "Purple Warriors" for example is a synthetic, high-pitched blend of almost Italo sounds wrapped around post-dubstep rhythms, while the fanfare of "Walters Theme" is a pretty mighty way to introduce yourself as an artist, as well as being a devilishly funky mix of chimes and snares. With the tough and minimal "Ghost Shake" also impressing hugely, this is forward-thinking bass of the highest order, and a great debut.

Review: Sheffield's Walter Ego is causing a bit of a stir at the moment with the likes of Toddla T and Monki both supporting his recent releases. When Ego is not running his own record label, Bad Taste Records, he's perfecting his production techniques that incorporate intricate garage-influenced beats and elements of various bass genres. Title track "Shadows" is a leftfield banger in the vein of Actress featuring skewed 2 step rhythms and ghostly yet soulful male vocals. "Rebounds" is more peak time and, with its tribal beats and rave stabs, not unlike MJ Cole's recent output. "Shadows' also returns in a chill out remix by Inkarv.

Review: Fellow Sheffield producers Walter Ego and 2046 combine on Ego's Bad Taste label for two impressive fusions of tech, funky club and bass - with the excellent title song mixing a storm of dark keys stabs, while "Hand In My Hand" is a serious worker, using some familiar R&B vocals over a charged, genre-melting beat.

Review: Having thrown down some bangers for Unknown To The Unknown in the past, Walter Ego comes bruising into Bad Taste with Darkstorm in tow, packing a surefire grime banger featuring the hectic spit of K Dot and Coco that weighs heavy in street level aggression. The riddim comes on full of gruesome bass swells, but it's also offset by technicolour swells of synth and a playful knack for studio acrobatics that keeps the energy relentlessly high throughout the cut. For those less keen on the MC vibes, there's an instrumental in the package that lets the track shine through, but this was always built to have vocals slammed over the top of it.