ClekClekBoom At Juno Download

Review: With the imminent return of Daft Punk reminding us all of Paris's vibrant electronic music heritage, local label ClekClekBoom pop-up to provide us with a wide-eyed snapshot of the current Parisian underground. There are hints of familiar French staples - the stomping Ed Banger-ish ravery of The Town's "Dice", the classic house flex of Coni's "Missing You Nire" - but for the most part Paris Club Music Volume 1 dances to a different beat. With label regulars French Fries coming to the fore, much of the album is devoted to the sort of hard-to-pigeonhole bass music that takes its influence as much from B-more, R&B and UK garage as filter funk and electro-house.

Review: Although ClekClekBoom's first label compilation is imminent, the Parisian imprint has still found time to put out this fine EP from label mainstay French Fries, with three tracks of the kind of dark, rhythmic heads-down club gear the imprint have become increasingly good at unearthing. It's an EP of contrasting dark and light elements; "Everything" is an atmospheric piece of precision bass techno, with forceful kicks interspersed with laser-cut synths, while "White Screen" is a more rolling number whose fierce toms are joined by cascading sheets of neon. "D'Angelo" on the other hand is a stylistic about turn, dropping the tempo for a murky, late-night house track filled will shimmering dub chords and a particularly funky bassline.

Review: French imprint ClekClekBoom sew up a killer year with their final transmission of 2012, from French producer Jean Nipon. A producer already well versed in ghetto house styles with his early material for Institubes, the title track sees him engage in the same kind of vocal cut ups as fellow countryman French Fries, combining it with threadbare 808 rhythms and thundering bass weight, whilst "Black Things On Desk" and "35 Thieves" see him experimenting with the same contemporary dub techno styles as Bambounou's recent missives for 50 Weapons, delivering a clutch of deep bass-techno tools primed for the floor.

Review: Clek Clek Boom once again prove themselves to be one of France's most reliable bass labels with the latest release from New Zealand duo Chaos In The CBD. Already affiliated to the Gallic branch of the genre thanks to a release on Youngunz, the duo's heavy, swung sound is right at home on the imprint - "Rolling 84's" combines the electro acid styles of Boddika with some druggy atmospherics and crisp snares, "Slab" combines some demented ghetto vocals with a heavy house vibe, while "Trunk Music" goes in with some restless syncopation and UKF inspired melodies, coming across like Bambounou jamming with Claude VonStroke. Big tip!

Review: French imprint ClekClekBoom are really gathering steam this year, and follow up a blinding release from Bambounou with two stripped back rollers from Manare. "Quartz" is the perfect collision between UKF and the French take on African rhythms, with 808s that smack hard and bass frequencies begging to be played on a huge system. "Down To Dis" is similarly robust but is characterized by wonky melodies playing off against an insistent vocal sample - big tip on this one.

Review: Making the leap to ClekClekBoom Recordings after emerging through Sound Pellegrino, Bambounou is fast making a name for himself with a raw take on garage dynamics that pares the two-step down to bare elements that smack hard, especially on the huge, string-drenched pressure of "Night". "Brawl" meanwhile gets a touch more hectic in the jagged groove and manic vocal chops, although the subtle synth touches cool off the oddball madness just enough. For all the primal production values, Bambounou clearly knows how to execute ideas with a maturity that belies his experience to date.

Review: Paris-based label ClekClekBoom present this unholy union of Bmore monster Kazey and DMC-veteran Karve, who as The Town have been dropping some white hot edits of hip-hop champs like Rick Ross and Gucci Mane of late. This new release sees the pair on a tropical tip, as "The Movement" works a tight, Crazy Cousins/Funkystepz groove while "Pulse" adds a dark techno texture to some equally Funky rhythms. DJs should also get involved with the bonus beat of "The Movement", which is frankly hype enough to play out on its own.

Review: Based in France, ClekClekBoom is showing that the nascent sounds of UK focused bass music are starting to seriously take root across the Channel. Minstre X is the pseudonym of label head Jonathan Chaoul, and on the strength of these tracks he's been honing his production skills for some time. With an R&B referencing style that brings to mind Jacques Greene and James Blake, "Calling Me" nevertheless has a distinctly Gallic charm to it, as neon synths are replaced with aged accordion-like tones and robotic drum machines replaced with organic clatter. "Just To Please Ya" is an even more understated production whose sawtooth bass and synth drips never dominate. But in both tracks it's the live vocals that add a touch of class to proceedings - no Ciara sample robbery here.