Back Catalogue

Review: Planet Mu is of course an established and respected portal for UK-inspired electronic music, existing free of boundaries and often purveying music that is both unexpected and complex to grasp on a first listen. Space Zone from juke wunderkind Young Smoke is certainly a wild cocktail of sonics and ideas, but although it may seem like a lot to take in upon first listen, the results are plentiful. The opening title track is a twisted hybrid of future garage, old-school electro and even contains unmistakable pop influences. The rest of the record progresses in a similar fashion, morphing frantically between the crazy, nu-dubstep vibes of "Destroy Him My Robots"; fast-moving shuffles and two-step beats on "Alien Pad"; and even the more melancholic sounds of "Space Breeze" - an irresistibly alluring track which contains elements of everything from electronica to R&B. Space Zone could almost be considered a neo-pop record, and Young Smoke has clearly understood how important it is to integrate and fuse a wide array of styles to create something worthy of more than just a dancefloor.

Review: In the wake of a healthy resurgence in grime instrumental appreciation, Youngstar's classic dance-wrecker "Pulse X" gets a hefty remix package from a sturdy cast of equally chunky producers. Visionist gets busy with some classic string stabs and a sleeker version of the inimitable bassline, replete with some subtle touches of weirdness around the edges. Blackwax gets truly unforgiving with his jungle-infused workout, stripping the track back to bare bones with nothing more than a pristine lift of the "Think" break to guide you through. Slackk gets into a tribal flavoured fervour with his take, while Pedro 123 has a whole lot of fun with found sound madness to shape the beat.