Convex Industries At Juno Download

Review: Given his history of twisting D&B and dubstep into new shapes, we shouldn't really be surprised by anything Darren 'dBridge' White offers up musically. Even so, the two tracks showcased on this Convex Industries release see him far from his comfort zone. "Passing Encounter" is the real killer, a decidedly fluid offering that sits somewhere between contemporary deep house and two-step garage. Its bittersweet chords and weary female vocals deliver an emotional richness that's hard to ignore. "Scarlett", meanwhile, sees White in techno mode, offering a grungy groove full of clandestine atmospherics and snappy percussion.

Review: Femme En Fourrure's tagline, which reads: "Music made for DJs and catwalks; also: for nightly promenades and oceanside sexin'", truly captures the image of the music for its grungy, lopsided UK house flair. Marking the first outside artist on Jon Convex's Convex Industries, Femme En Fourrure have appeared on a few EPs, but this twelve track showdown really gets the ball rolling, starting from the beachy, synth-ridden hymns of "Sunburst" to the meandering and militant two-step roller that is "Golden Sssh", the semi-house-semi-Metalheadz stomp of the inimitable "Bound" and even the straighter but edgier house roller called "2003", these guys clearly know what they're doing. Pure, straight-up electronic diversions for the smaller hours.

Review: Since first emerging in early 2011, Jon Convex has become something of a surprise poster boy in the world of techno/bass music fusion. Following a string of hyped released on Nonplus, 3024, Naked Lunch and his own Convex Industries imprint, Damon Kirkham now releases his much anticipated debut set Idoru. What's most impressive about this collection is how it perfectly demonstrates Kirkham's ability to inject copious amounts of subtle funk into warm, glitchy techno and melody-rich post dubstep grooves. To prove his adaptability, there are also forays into tougher territory (the booming "Aversion"), Detroit electro ("No Love", "Idoru") and post-rave peaktime jams (the near anthemic "What I Need").

Review: Jon Convex - otherwise known as Instra:mental member Damon Kirkham, will be releasing his debut solo album very soon, but first he offers three tracks from the album on this single package. "Fade" is a big surprise - with forlorn male vocals singing over a backdrop of melancholy synths, only the tight 2-step drum pattern stops it sounding like a lost 80s synth pop classic. "New Model" meanwhile takes the mutated form of techno and bass Kirkham has been developing over the moniker with wobbling subs swinging underneath a firm 4/4 rhythm, while "Shadows" is a stripped back affair filled with rough synthetic rumblings, and contemporary rhythmic swagger. Finally G Vump - aka Brodinski and Guillaume of The Shoes - provide a unique dubstep inspired take on "Fade" filled with footwork referencing rhythms that has more than a bit in common with Kuedo's recent output.

Review: Heralding the start of a new side-project and the end of a silent patch for Alex Smoke, Wraetlic comes to Jon Convex's Convex Industries in a full-length form, providing a spacious platform for the Scottish producer to lay out his ideas about where this latest venture is heading. The penchant for melancholia is still very much present, but the slick minimal techno of the past has been replaced by a rough and natural-feeling electronica. Also noticeable is the greater focus on vocals on this record; an element which you would find whispers of on albums such as Paradolia but embraced more extensively here. Representing an interesting new direction for Alex Smoke, Wraetlic is an album rich in detail that demands listening in full for a truly immersive and thoroughly personal experience.

Review: Returning after a hiatus of some years, Alex Smoke presents a new alias in Wraetlic with this three track sampler a taster for his upcoming eponymous long-player, due for release on Jon Convex's Convex Industries label. As Wraetlic, the producer channels a significantly darker mood than that of his earlier releases. "Rats" sees Smoke incorporate his own distorted vocals, concentrating more on bleak sub-bass and abstract sounds, whilst "Refrain" takes a half-step rhythm and hazy Border Community-style sonics, and "The Watchful Eye" creates something like fractured electronic shoegaze. Hotflush boss Scuba provides a remix of "Rats", adopting his techno-focused SBC moniker and delivering a remarkably effective 4/4 remix which is as devasting as his rework of Function from earlier this year.