Blackacre At Juno Download

Review: Inspired by the sounds of Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke, Ras G and a whole heap of other influential beatmakers, this two piece outfit from Eastern Europe return with their first release of 2011 on Bristol based label Black Acre. Opening with the eponymous track of the EP, 1000 Names ease us in with chopped up, high-pitched vocal snatches (not entirely dissimilar to early Ramadanman work, in fact), strumming rhythms, tropical, clip-clop beats and mellifluous melodic patterns. But then, all of a sudden, we are plunged into "Kaleidoscope" which sends us into a parallel universe where the Warp style intentions laid out in their battleplan become more obvious as fluid rhythms, quirky textured SFX and driving energy transcend all. Finishing up with Lynx & Hellrazor's remix of "Pocket Calculator", we are brought abruptly back to reality by the terse, crunchy beats which punctuate an otherwise synth-laden soundscape. It's that same experimental naughtiness that we've seen before in Lynx tracks such as "Disco Dodo" and more recently "Chess Funk", but now, collaborating with Hellrazor he explores this at a different tempo and in doing so, cements the release as must for all discerning electronic music fans.

Review: Following in the footsteps of Fantastic Mr Fox and Blue Daisy, Black Acre bring us another dose of musical brilliance, this time in the shape of new boy on the block Alby Daniels. This Dawn EP is a glorious four-track entity, starting with the title track - a synth-manipulated cut with more than a hint of Joker, echoing whispery vocals and heavy swathes of sound. From there we are taken through the soulful vocal-driven ballad "Her About", to the horns 'n guitar strumming crackle of "Voodoo Holiday" and the one and a half minute finale "Loss Of Ego", which is simply oozing with jazzy Flying Lotus-esque influences.

Review: Having already garnered much praise for his own take on downtempo beats, Kwesi Darko delivers his debut album and it's nothing short of magnificent. The 12 tracks bear a heavy load, as slabs of reverb and a plentiful amount of orchestral dread loom over a large chunk of the monolithic beats. Occasional vocal turns appear from Anneka and Hey Zeus, perfectly matched to the ominous wraiths of music that unfurl around them. The way the tracks segue into each other makes for the perfect album listening experience; a toxic torrent of malevolent tones that defy you to not succumb to the witchcraft of Blue Daisy.

Review: A fellow traveller alongside the likes of Dark Sky, Rustie, Vaccine, Fantastic Mr Fox and Blue Daisy, 18-year old Lithuanian producer, Brokenchord has been pushing some serious buttons with his unique blend of dubstep, hip-hop, funky and garage with a light dusting of R&B sprinkled over the top. It will come as no surprise, then, that there is a place for the young producer over at Black Acre Records. The Bluestar EP, in essence, is somewhat of a mongrel in musical terms; robust yet disjointed, melodic yet melancholy, it incorporates a myriad of references, hovering around genres, but not staying still for too long. But, much like the rest of the output from the Black Acre camp, it works. Curious and curiouser?

"Bluestar", the title track of the EP, kicks off with hollow, coconut clapping beats, a throbbing b-line and haunting synths swooshing back and forth like waves on a distant shore. Wailing vocals blend in to the atmospherics, in a haze of watercolour bliss - a little nod to Guido perhaps. "With Tsunami", in stark contrast, gets started with a build up of shuffling, ADHD-befuddled rhythms ringing with energy and irritable impatience. It's a brilliant piece ? very unique and unusual. Next up, is the dark soldier of the EP, "Lowe", with its morphing, murky tones and thunderous, rippling bass. Undulating with vociferous fury against the encroaching background noise, the impending breakdown leads us into a lighter, airier section, with synths bouncing off one another like rays of light. Absolutely superb, and very poignant too, as the next track is entitled "Run In To The Light" ? an altogether more ambient cut, with a radiating warm hum underpinning the various sonic bleeps, clips and taps which punctuate it like a well constructed sentence before it moves in to a moodier finale.

Review: A mysterious producer here, who may just be alluding to Louisianan roots via his EP title for Blackacre. What we do know about Caracal is that he's hip to syrupy, southern-style chopped and screwed madness if tunes like "Elements" and "DeNiro" are anything to go by. Murky in a Burial-mode but with vastly slower tempos, this is dark and devilish and every bit as mysterious as its creator.

Review: Dark Sky return to Black Acre with the Black Rainbows EP, which opens with the sparse, stripped back rhythms of "F-Technology" - for our money the pick of a fine release. Razor sharp snare hits dovetail between cavernous bass hits to create the kind of dread-inducing atmospheres one associates with Black Acre. "Tremor", up next, is all about those rough and tumble drums, while the sub bass groans of "Zoom" and neon-tinged roughness of "Totum" round off an unsurprisingly excellent package.

Review: London based producer Dark Sky arrives on Bristol label, Black Acre with a superb double header. The title track sees a stepping dubtech intro fly into rave chords and an arsenal of tough breaks, whilst haunting vocals wind around chilly synths. "Ghost Notes," on the flip sees a stun of fluoro synth work and burly aquacrunk beats colliding together in a Nintendo meets dub rave extravaganza.

Review: The ambient intro is always a dicey manoeuvre for a club track, placing a lot of pressure on the drop to match up to the anticipation. For "Decay", the restrained dubstep roll that kicks in still packs enough weight to lock your head in without a moments doubt. It's a minimal stomper of a track with a resounding bassline that fills in the space perfectly, proclaiming its intention to slot into more considered sets. "Gone Soon" opts for a more haunting space with its drumfunk beat and layers of spooky tones, but the pick of the bunch for our money is the title track.

Review: An EP centred around only one tune may not strike you as instantly appealing but DZA uses it to his advantage here. The original mix pairs a classic hip-hop vocal with swaggering beats and warped, synth-led, bleepy digitalised melody overlaid on top. The repeated lyric "bullseye" will stay with you long after the music has gone. It's a curious marrying of tones, which is obviously less overt in the instrumental. Dizz1's remix strips it back, re-working the vocal and weaving it around a sparser palette to great sonic effect. A solid release.

Review: Fantastic Mr Fox is back on Black Acre with three new, original tracks on his "Sketches EP", which also includes a SBTRKT remix of the title track. Coined by some as clockwork garage, the music created by the undoubtedly talented Fantastic Mr Fox is often tinged with melancholic undertones and wrapped up in computer funk cuts ? his Sketches EP is no different.

The young producer is a university student in Manchester. This EP was made on his computer in his room a few months ago. Although the noises themselves would allude to this, the clever arrangement and innovative rhythms on the release certainly would not. His aim was to make music that would sound as good on the dancefloor as they would on a bus. Opening with the title track, "Sketches" grumbling bass murmurs alongside kicks and shuffling drum patterns. The Nintendo sounding noises that waft over "Sketches" also make an appearance on "BrickAbrac." Only this time, they are accompanied by a more thumping 4/4 beat and a warbling sub bass that complements the computer noises perfectly.

"If I" is certainly the most soulful of the tracks, taking on a futuristic twist on soul infused garage music. The easiest track of the four to listen to, this is likely to be as popular amongst old fans of the scene as it is with the new ones. The last track on the EP is SBTRKT?s remix of "Sketches." The track is reduced to its shell and then rebuilt with Detroit style beats and a huge drop which explodes with massive drums, making this the real dancefloor killer of the pack.

Review: Bristol based producer Hyetal (who has impressed with some superb collabs with Punch Drunk boss Peverelist, Shortstuff and Baobinga) gives us a little taste of what we can expect from his debut LP Broadcast, due out on Blackacre in May. "Diamond Islands" sees the hotly tipped producer carve out a deep, dubbed out soundscape with haunting, breathy R&B style vocals, shimmering keys and enormous, booming epic drum kicks that penetrate the soul. The Boddika remix seals the deal, re-working the original with great finesse; fidgeting beats slip over one another smoothly with harsh, lacerating snares. Visceral and very exciting stuff here.

Review: After Hyetal's glorious technicolour album, Fantastic Mr Fox serves up this remix of dislocated weirdness that hobbles to life on some plinky-plonky keys and drones, before launching into a surprisingly funky 4/4 bounce. The oddball antics are offset by the kind of cutesy melodies that characterise the original, but pared down to short sharp stabs instead of wide-ranging notes. Some choice claps and nagging hats fill in the gaps to keep everything ticking along nicely, making for a delightful and thoroughly unique jam. If Hyetal is a direct assault on your happy senses, this is a cheeky tickle under the armpits.

Review: As one of the stand-out tracks on last year's Broadcast, Hyetal returns to revisit "Searchlight" with a decidedly housey "Night Mix". The core melodic fundamentals of the original are kept intact, with a 4/4 kick and nagging hats being the most obvious new additions. It's a simple trick that works marvellously well, repositioning the track for the contemporary hybrid house scene. Meanwhile Ramp's upstart Stay+ slides in for remix duties and breaks the track out with a jagged rhythm before melting into a flamboyant breakdown and drop combo. It's a brassy move that takes the wistful original to a much ravier end.

Review: From the stable that brought you the stunning beat alchemy of Blue Daisy comes Romare, with a similar vision for unconventional music pinned down to an unholy groove. Where BD was blurred by smoke though, Romare's music is crystal clear, whether it be a clean drum machine or a vintage sample making the noise. The influences are so myriad on the EP it's a miracle that a sense of cohesiveness is still achieved, whether it be the electro bass of "Down The Line" or the juke-influenced euphoria of "I Wanna Go" that's getting inappropriate with your ears.