This Week

Review: The unprecedented rush that's met each upcoming funky-house-garage-bassline producer in recent months has plastered the pillars of the bass music spectrum with the tags and new sounds of a scene that's forging itself before our very eyes. Debian Blak has already caught the attention of BBC Radio 6 and has created a stir with previous remixes and bootlegs. This, his first ever full length release, chronicles his musical journeys on his very rapid ascent to bass music stardom. From the lush soundscapes and retro bleeps of "Dive" to the deep, contemplative tones of "Where You", Blak is a man intent on building his own structure on the never-ending tower that is modern bass music. God speed, Debian.

Review: Despite the irreverent moniker, we reckon this Brighton act are just being coy - they probably spend ages perfecting their sounds really. Besides history is littered with warnings about what letting the machine do the work, haven't they seen Terminator? Anyway "One Love" is a big bear hug of a house record featuring a gruff voiced man spreading the love over some deep grooves and woozy key stabs. "Brighter Day" is a hazy, melancholic slice of early Chicago-style house and is a joy to behold.

Review: The phenomenon that answers to the names 'footwork' or 'juke' has spread far and wide since its origins as a sped up fusion of ghetto, jackin' and hip-beats in Chicago. It's spread so far in fact, that French label, Booty Call, have taken it upon themselves to present this inspired compilation in an attempt to put the genre firmly on the musical map. They've got taste too, and highlights of these 12 prime cuts include: the deep synth fest of 'Access", the porno-hop frenzy of "Sex To Me" and the Kenny G on downers vibe of "My Sorrows".

Review: Russian producer Ishome has been bubbling away for years, checking in on myriad genres from dub to prog to techno. Here we find her in full dub mode, serving up some of her most sensual sonics to date. Flicking with finesse from cut n' paste starlight delight ("Adam") to swampier, more pensive pieces ("Sad Family") via ambient space baroque ("It Exists"), she shows maturity and rich depths throughout the full album. This should appeal to everyone from Trentemoller fans to Kokeshi lovers.

Review: A contemporary of Dance Mania artists DJ Deeon and DJ Slugo in the 90s, RP Boo is credited as a founding father of the footwork genre; his Ol' Dirty Bastard sampling track from 1997, "Baby Come On", is widely regarded as the track responsible for spawning the genre. Having released footwork albums from Young Smoke and Traxman in recent times, Planet Mu look to this godfather for their latest full length project. Even within the small footwork scene Legacy is a unique album; taking the sample wizardry to far out, often abstracted places, RP Boo nevertheless grounds his experimentalism with easily recognisable samples (Justin Timberlake, Queen), making his productions as raucous as they are idiosyncratic. Essential stuff.

Review: Having made his debut on Prime Numbers earlier this year with his titular contribution to a split release alongside Truss and Massimo De Lena, Adesse is granted a full release with this all killer no filler Untitled Love EP. For someone who came to the fore with a version of Theo Parrish's "Sky Walking, it's unsurprising that the title track here has a rugged charm reminiscent of the outspoken Sound Signature boss - it's all about that thumping snare son! Meanwhile "Supernal" veers into deep steppers territory and contains some ingenious looping of a Laurie Anderson standard, whilst "Metachemistry" highlights Adesse's talent for loose, freeform arrangements.

Review: It's been three years since Peverelist released anything on his own Punch Drunk label; of late his productions have come out primarily on the Livity Sound imprint he runs with Kowton and Asusu, or on Hessle Audio. Here he returns to Punch Drunk in triumphant form, using the truncated Pev name to drop two versions with fellow Bristolian Jacob Martin, best known for his solo productions as Hodge, and his work as one half of Idle Hands house duo Outboxx. Entitled Bells, the single sees two takes on the same track; given both Martin's house credentials and Ford's dubstep past and recent forays into slower rhythmic terrain it's no surprise that both tracks are steady, mid-tempo house imbued with Bristol's bass-weight heritage. "Bells (System Mix)" employs syncopated kicks and dub chords over its tunnelling bass, while "Bells (Dream Sequence)" is a more linear Chicago-inspired house cut with distant chimes and abstract synth textures, sounding not unlike some of the dreamier fare released on MOS Recordings.

Review: Sounds Of Sumo label bosses Kry Wolf return to their home imprint with a bold new sound in the form of Concrete; eschewing their usually lighter take on bass music, the title track is a dark combination of wobble bass and dub atmospherics, held together with some steely techno rhythms which comes across like Objekt's "Cactus", while "Bluffin" combines more abstract beats with ghetto house-inspired vocal samples and dubby stabs. Woz is tapped up to remix the title track, being considerably more sparing with the savage bass and rearranging its rhythms into something altogether more angular; Benton's remix of "Bluffin" is classic SOS, providing a bouncy piece of bass-heavy garage house.

Review: Entering what seems like a new phase for Pinch's bastion of forward-thinking dubstep, Tectonic Plates reaches its fourth edition and brings in a raft of fresh producers and new angles on just what the genre might mean in these fractured times. Even the classic standard bearers such as Jakes are bringing curious 4/4 momentum in amidst the sparse, dread filled pressure, while Guido pivots off of the plush musicality of his album to create an utterly broken symphony on "State Of Joy". There are a lot of different ideas floating around the whole compilation, and yet everything holds together with the deep-rooted soundsystem mentality that has always defined Tectonic as a shining example of what dubstep has always meant.

Review: Given Unknown To The Unknown's wide ranging remit, including bassline garage, Detroit electro and Chicago house, it was perhaps inevitable that a genuine 90s house record would find its way onto the label at some point. Originally released in 1992, OHM's "Tribal Tone" was supposedly the first tune to use the Korg M1 sound that was later immortalised by Robin S' "Show Me Love", and had considerable impact at the time, being championed The Shamen frontman Mr C, being licensed to R&S sub-label Global Cuts and US label Vibe, and finding itself remixed by the Sabres of Paradise trio. Here it finds itself with three similarly great remixes, a stripped-back, raw groover from Marquis Hawkes, a horn-heavy piece of 90s action from Capracara and a thundering mid-tempo effort from Northern Souls. Essential!

Review: Effortlessly straddling the lines between bright, cheerful electro-indiepop and dark grime-influenced trap, Mieux aren't so much joining a scene as helping it to evolve. Bass music has been looming and lunging through different phases of creation for some time now and each track on this EP offers some insight into where it's heading next. "Greek" is a light-hearted blast of colourful calypso-flavoured future garage where "Guns" steps off into darkness, trap-heavy beats and itchy, hyperactive synths. "Pearl" takes footwork and mashes it with a cutseypie chiptune hook, and star of the show "Risiko" shows restraint and texture in abundance as it builds and swells into your perfect set topper. Girls will dance to this, trust us.