Review: The Hotflush name and brand has always been synonymous with futuristic flavour, making this exceptional collection a perfect way to celebrate their success over the years, taking the title 'Post Whatstep?'. The project takes a serious deep-dive into the concept of thinking outside the box, whilst still maintaining genre ties to garage, dubstep and techno throughout. The roster involved is pretty outstanding, with household names such as Scuba, Mount Kimbie, TRG, Dub U and Untold all providing seriously high quality inclusions. There are definitely a few stand out features, with the sweeping synthetic layers of 'Don't You' from George Fitzgerald being an immediate point of interest, next to the heavily sidechained atmospherics of Sepalcure's 'Love Pressure' and the more old school garage chops of Or:la's 'UK Lonely' also setting a high standard. Exceptional work, as we have come to expect from such a critical UK label voice.
Review: At a time when so many of its early contemporaries are rarely seen releasing these days, Planet Mu's 20th anniversary is even more of a cause de celebre. The powerhouse of uncompromising leftfield electronic music has pulled no punches when it comes to commemorating the time, drawing on the staggering roster including Kuedo, Remarc, Traxman, Falty DL, Machinedrum, Milanese, Vex'd, Neil Landstrumm and so very many more besides, bringing together tracks from the vaults, from forgotten times, some of which have never previously seen the light of day. With 50 tracks to delve into, this is enough of an education to school even the most learned mind.
Review: As his The Host alias prepares to resurface, Barry Lynn returns to his most renowned project for a new single on his own label. There have been smatterings of low key releases over the past few years on Kinnego, as the sound of Boxcutter has gradually drifted towards ever more plush and melodic tones rooted in live instrumentation, band dynamics and laid back funk. It's a shift from the more dubstep-infected fare of old, but the same deft production hand ensures that these tracks shimmer and twirl with all the flair that Lynn made his name on many moons ago. Just look to the dazzling beauty and dexterity of "Sunrise Funk" if you need further proof.
Review: Boxcutter returns to his own Kinnego imprint with two dreamy departures... "Retina Grains" salutes jungle's softest sentiments. Big splashy cymbals and jazz-sprinkled keys, if you can image the results of a collaboration between Squarepusher and Bukem, you wouldn't be far off. "Travel By Dragonfly", meanwhile, is a much slower, strutting affair. The main focus on the majestic web of interwoven harp, string and wooden block elements, but the groove is carried by a solid hip-hop sentiment making it just as ideal for dancefloors as it is headphones.
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