Shifting Peaks At Juno Download

Review: London via North Devon imprint Shifting Peaks are keeping the party pressure on with this bumper-packed EP. It's a label debut from duo De$ignated (Nima Bazrcar and Rory Bowyer) who split their time between London and Hampshire. Having garnered some major hype from a string of remixes, they've managed to secure Kyiki from Crystal Fighters for this, this own single. "Valentine" mixes fuzzy urban funk with old skool 2-step and half time breaks. "Russian Roulette" however is a much harder post-dubstep gurning banger. Best of the remixes is Kaveh's thumping acidic afterhours workout.

Review: Upcoming UK house pairing Mak & Pasteman show a healthy respect for the best of Detroit and London on this new release on Shifting Peaks. The essential title tune "Do The Same" is smothered in strong dreamy pads a la Derrick Carter, but spiced up hugely by an addictive vocal hook that's layered perfectly over blunt kicks and Carl Craig-style arpeggios. "Lost" is a more withdrawn and haunted 2-step winner, while "Mode" takes a familiar Junior Reed refrain but frames it perfectly over some rough snares and tough, grimy bass. An excellent release and definite names to follow during the course of the year.

Review: No prizes for getting that it's house o'clock round Odessa towers (it's always house o'clock round there). This EP features five incarnations of the aforementioned house; all different but assertive in their own way. The three originals take in delirious, jackin', frenzied piano house ("Get Right"), filthy warehouse, bassline-y hip-house ("Put You Down") and (best of all) minimal and techy after hours darkness ("Tell Me"). Winning the best remix of the package award is Artefact who delivers a totally out there deep and brooding remix that features some the deepest sub bass we've heard in ages!

Review: Born into life kicking and screaming back in 2010, London via North Devon label Shifting Peaks has slowly but surely earned a killer rep in the world of bass and underground house. This is their second compilation and boy is it packed full of goodies. Highlights include the melancholic urban-tropical vibes of Mak & Pasteman's "Do The Same", the psychedelic Chicago vibes of Marshall Jefferson & Noose Heads' "Mushrooms", the heartbroken jukeisms of Cut Off! Cut Off!'s "Second To None" and the sublime King Of Arabs' "The Years Without Art".