Tempa At Juno Download

Review: Oh Benga. Where do we begin? Emerging from the depths of Croydon in the early noughties, Benga has been a pioneer and pivotal lynchpin in the ever-burgeoning dubstep movement. His previous albums, Newstep and Diary Of An Afro Warrior remain amongst the most influential long players of the genre's history, alongside commercial crossover collab with Coki, "Night" and a slew of other high profile releases on labels such as Tempa, Tectonic, Hotflush and Planet Mu. Firmly cementing his reputation as one of the scene's most pre-eminent figures, Benga brings us "Phaze One" - the first in a series of EPs on the seminal Tempa imprint. Bookmarked by the delightfully named "Baltimore Clap" and "No Bra, No Panties," the EP kicks off with jittering, dark riddims and aggressive slapstick, breathy tones. As digital bonuses, "Transform" - another bleepy bad one, and the aforementioned cheeky sampling, dancehall-esque "No Bra, No Panties" - conclude the EP with a resounding two fingers in the face. Great stuff.

Review: Champion of dark, tough and considered dubstep, Distance provides the latest instalment in the much loved Dubstep Allstars mix series. It's fairly typical fare from the Chestplate boss man, with tough steady rhythms underpinned by that particularly distorted kind of bassline. There are a number of highlights, most notably Commodo's "Surveillance" which has a rolling break woven into the mix. Cyrus' "Looking Back" also impresses as it purrs away with a gorgeously warm, rich synth line. The biggest surprise is probably Distance's own remix of trance bods Above & Beyond. It's certainly as 'big room' as you'd ever imagine Distance getting!

Review: A trustworthy tune tailor since 2008, it's about time Mr Kenzo gave us an album. And the very fact it's on Tempa - a much bigger label than Kenzo's own Soul Shakerz - speaks volumes in terms of the quality you can expect across the 12 tracks. Those who've followed Kenzo's previous shizzle will know the pristine level of deep bass production on offer, but there's a few curveballs dotted throughout for added dynamics. Cuts such as the Footsie-featured grime hybrid "No Man's Land" and the hands-in-the-air spine-chiller "Eyes Wide Open" showcase Kenzo's skills on the widest possible level. An immaculate debut LP.

Review: It's about time Plastician stepped up to Tempa's Dubstep Allstars series. A long-time ambassador for all flavours of the ever-developing and mutating scene, this has been a long time coming. Naturally he's risen to the pedigree the mix series has achieved over the years with a selection of wide-eared grooves that stretch from the soulful vocal VIP opener "Brap" to deeper, more techno inclined dubstep (Jaydrop's "Blind Run") via haunted-house dungeonstep (Commodo's "Axis") and savage grime-hook ups (Merky Ace's "Greaze"). Curated by one of the scene's most respected selectors, this one's been well worth the wait.

Review: Dubstep overlord Skream finally offers up the next instalment in his long running "Skreamizm" series, his first since 2009. While last year's Outside The Box LP allowed him to experiment with varying genres and tempos, this six tracker sees him knocking out the anthems with consummate ease. "Xmas Day Swagger" is a dancefloor banger, simplicity itself while "Indistinct" brings a shuffling beat and an Eastern vocal. "Tweedle Dee, Tweedle DUMB!" featuring Trim will appeal to the grime heads and "Abstruse" and "Snarled" are stripped back head nodders. EP closer "FNKONOMIKA" is a blissful minimal D&B track which oozes sheer class.

Review: No other label can rep dubstep like Tempa. Many would argue it was the first label to truly herald and nourish the sound. Here they explore their vaults and dust off some of the most genre-defining, idiosyncratic tracks that have helped shape the phenomenon we know today. From SPMC's paranoid murker from 2008 "Trust Nobody" to a whole series of Skream sessions such as "WTF", "Wibbler" and "Vacillate", the collection is a reminder of how influential Tempa has been, how talented their roster has always been and, most importantly, how slamming and stimulating dubstep can be when nourished and developed by the right label. Recognise.