Review:
The Raw Tactics discography has always been an impressive one, and the catalogue has just been improved again with the release of this brand new new three track project from Fork & Knife. Here we have been treated to a sumptuous slice of techno intertwined with bass themes, as the title track combines glitched out arpeggios with rolling drum work and distorted 808 subs, resulting in a really groovy overall composition. On the flip side we are then treated to some more creative energy with 'Canyon'. This is a grimey stinger, incorporating beautiful organic woodwind motifs with scattered drum punches, lively bird sounds and explosive horn stabs, for a really well thought out arrangement. This is definitely an EP with a wide range of sounds, perfect for numerous DJ's to slide into the mix.
Review:
Funky is well and truly back on the radar and it's due to the innovation evolving within the scene that it is undergoing such a notable revival. For this release we see France To UK leap aboard the DocOlv imprint for a tasty new single, built around combing moogish, techno-esc bass textures with the unpredictability of UK Funk rhythms and general drum work. The result is a fantastically unique composition, suitable for many DJ's to be spinning around the UK right now.
Review:
For this summer banger, FTSE teams up with the vocal prowess of Kurly for a funky house fusion, bringing the bouncy vibes to the dance. The composition employs crack-house type instrumentation and synth work, focussing on sharp bass moogs and punchy snap claps, creating a really tight sense of rhythm. This release also comes complete with a weighty Beast edit, for a more stripped back, rave ready edition. Great stuff!
Review:
It's safe to say that NYTA, aka New York Transit Authority is currently one of the UK's most innovative producers, traversing the genre brackets in and around techno, house and bass music, finding the perfect pockets in between each and every time. This brand new single entitled 'Bossy' sees him team up with the lethal vocal presence of Dread MC for a new school bassline tearout, encompassing vibrant drum rhythms and smoot bass soundscaping, waving around with serious dancefloor intent.
Review:
Ozwald touches down on Chow Down for the label's third EP to date, making this also the artist's this release since his debut last year. The vibe here is very much on a 'hybrid' tip, mashing up UK styles with a suave touch, never shy to push the boundaries of grime to their edges. The title track "Money Tree" is a wacky broken beat number with a funky, jazzed-out edge, but the sounds of "Juju" have a lot more in common with early era two-step. "Speaker Bugs" is a fast-paced, teched-out number that adds techno to the already buzzing mix, while "Grinding Tribe" goes on a mad, baseline-house kinda flex, sounding like garage, house and two-step all mixed up into one fiery cocktail. Banging!
Review:
As a movement, 1Forty has been seriously impressive since it's conception, consistently putting together impactful releases across both grime and bass. This four track compilation comes as their second in the bass criteria, featuring some serious stormers. We kick off with Sammy Virji's prized wobbler 'Punctuation' before dipping into the lethal growling reeses of Arridim's 'Pirate Radio'. Following this we roll into 'Your Booty', a skippy stuttered dancefloor mauler from Spectrum before rounding off the EP in style as Odd Nature steps forward for 'Battle', a real 4x4 speaker rattler.
Review:
As a label, Crucast have gone from strength to strength, rapidly establishing themselves as one of the premiere platforms for bass music in the UK. This complication marks that out perfectly with an astonishing selection of over 30 original creations, featuring high profile appearances from the likes of Jaguar Skills, Brent Kilner, Pavv, TC4, Inkline, Deadbeat UK and a tonne more. For us the EP highlights the strength in the current UK bass scene, with favourites being Bushbaby & Hadean's long-awaited collaboration release 'Clean Up', the monstrous swinging synths of Tengu's 'Weapon' and of course the wonky wonderings of SaidWho's 'Voices', a truly original compositional idea, focussing on rawcus bass sounds and scattered drum selections.
