Hemlock Recordings At Juno Download

Review: The seal on Hemlock's music is always one of quality, so when they welcome a relative newcomer into their fold, you know it must be something quite special. With a strong digital EP on Discobelle already under his belt, Guy Andrews has been known to those with their finger on the pulse of bass music for a few months now, but this release deserves to see his profile rise considerably; the 808s and woodblock percussion of "Shades" have the spectre of early jungle at its core, whilst maintaining a maturity and restraint that few of his peers doing similar things would be able to muster. "Textures" meanwhile is similarly masterful, skillfully moving from 4/4 techno to a funky-infused bass workout without breaking a sweat.

Review: James Blake wisely returns to square one with Hemlock for a new two-tracker. It's a pleasing sign that he's not ready to get swept away on his own hype, and sure enough the tracks are wonderfully strange and dark. "Order" is little more than dry percussion lolling over hissing, distended hats and drones. "Pan" is more rhythmic, sharpening the ideas within into a clearer sonic image. There's something of a melodic note, and something of a breakdown midway through, but really this is avant-garde. It's a sterling reminder that Blake is an incredibly adventurous artist still finding his way.

Review: The latest offering from the mighty Hemlock sees a new producer enter their stable: Toronto based Nautiluss, whose brooding take on garage provides a more than worthy addition to their catalogue. "Ultraviolet" is a collaboration between Bertie and former Simian and Black Ghosts vocalist Simon Lord under his Lord Skywave alias. As you'd expect from such a collaboration, it's undoubtedly one of the poppier things that Hemlock have released, as Lord's maudlin vocals float atop metronomic handclaps and symphonic pads not unlike something out of a 70s sci-fi soundtrack. Instrumental track "Bleu Monday" on the other hand is far more what you would expect from the label, as swampy bass sits underneath stuttering drums with definite garage leanings. It's nicely accented by a bright kwaito-style melody which rears up at the halfway point before the rhythm rolls into a cyclone at the end.

Review: Pangaea is perhaps the least feted of the Hessle Audio triumvate, given Ben UFO's status as one of the best selectors in the game and David Kennedy's all conquering cross label endeavours. That's no smear on his talent at production however, which most recently saw him contribute a highlight of that excellent Hessle compilation 116 & Rising. Further attempts to redress the balance in his favour are most certainly successful on this, his debut on Untold's Hemlock imprint with two jerking darkside manoeuvres. Described to a tee as the "spirit of 92? via Plastic People", lead track "Hex" burrows a similar path to "Runout", Pangaea's contribution to the aforementioned Hessle compilation. Its release will no doubt please attentive listeners of Rinse FM as it's been soundtracking many a show in recent months. "Fatalist" screwballs even further into rave dementia, as cockney gasps of "Alright? Listen. Listen. Listen" preface the descent into abrasive tones and jerkily nervous percussion.

Review: You can always rely on Ramadanman. The ever-prolific, highly renowned Hessle Audio favourite comes up trumps once again with this beautiful, soulful slice on Hemlock Recordings (the label co-owned by London based producer, Untold, which has seen such luminaries as James Blake, Pangaea and Fantastic Mr Fox pass through its forward thinking, open minded doors already). Inspiring, deeply moving and delicately articulated, "Glut" is possibly one of Ramadanman's most poignant and reflective works to date, with a wailing synth slowly dying and trailing out towards the end. "Tempest" may be familiar to those of you who heard Scuba's 'Sub:stance' mix from earlier on this year. The seven-minute contemplation is initiated by a simple rat-a-tat of wood on metal-sounding timbre. A defiant drum kick interrupts the blissed out subtle euphoria of the first section half way through, marking a movement towards a more punchy, bleepy second phase, yet strangely retaining the ambience that seems to consistently underpin Ramadanman's productions. It's tempestuous, but not entirely tempest-like (there's a distinction to be made here, somehow).

Review: Randomer's "Real Talk" was one of the highlights of the Numbers output last year, a gleefully chunky piece of bass-heavy techno that rightfully raised the producer's stock to the level of his peers such as Blawan. This new release for Untold's Hemlock Recordings shows that "Real Talk" was no one-off, delivering two tracks that punch even harder than before. "Scruff Box" utilises beefed up, lo-fi 808 drums whilst 80s electro samples give the track some brash swing - in the hands of any other producer the results could be terrible, but in his hands it's the sound of being hit in the face with a bag of rocks. "Get Yourself Together" meanwhile combines detuned piano and string stabs with clattering hi-hats and a white-hot bassline. Despite the schlock horror feel of the samples, the results have the required kick - and most importantly the required charm - to make this another winning release for the producer.

Review: In a recent interview, Jack Dunning suggested he was "just another dubstep producer washing up on techno's beach in 2012". In many ways this is unfair to his unique production style, which arguably has always had more in common with techno than many of his contemporaries - developing on a course outside of either genre over the past four years, culminating in the release of Little Things Like That on Clone's Basement Series last November. On listening to Change In A Dynamic Environment EP 1, it's clear that Little Things Like That was something of a transitional record, though perhaps not quite in the way that many expected. While both its tracks hammered forward with all the power of a horse bolting from the Fachwerk stable, the vacuum-like bass throb which is Dunning's most distinct sonic trademark was always pulling in the opposite direction, largely justifying the tag of bass over techno, and it's in this manner that many expected him to continue, applying his tried and trusted sounds to more regular drum patterns. This approach on both tracks flips Dunning's usual formula on its head, largely removing the heavily bottom-ended element of his sound, resulting in something that isn't rude club tackle but altogether more contemplative. Whether this is end of the Untold we knew him will no doubt be revealed with EPs 2 and 3.