Review:
For the past two years Kowton has been one of the producers at the forefront of the gradual movement of Bristol's bass scene into the exploration of house. His stripped back productions are often fairly devoid of melody, but "Dirty Little Bomb" occupies a particularly murky zone that pushes the extremes of his template further still. The track's modest 108bpm speed is slower than anything Kowton has produced before; in taking it down to this level he provides the bass tones with considerable breathing room, with the LFO modulation that provides the track's main hook adding a nice bit of lift to what may otherwise become a trudge. But it's the distorted, bit-crushed hi-hats and snares which give the track its real textural focus, with their abrasive wire-wool tones providing enough shock to prevent the comparatively cushioned surrounds of the track. The real masterstroke on this release however is the remix from techno producer Rivet, whose recent singles on Naked Index have impressed with their industrial take on warehouse techno and bass. Rivet's remix manages to straddle the divide between these two genres with confidence similar to Untold's recent "Little Things Like That" on Clone's Basement Series. Totally essential!