Review: Frequently flexing around A.M.C's signature Titan sound (but not afraid of a little liquid soul when the time is right) Dub Motion reminds us who's boss with two more muscular peaktimers. All riff and iron trousers, "It Can Hurt You" is a real barnstorm banger with jump-up energy but techy weight. "Into The Dark" takes a deeper route with evocative synth arpeggios, a breathy vocal but equal gravity in the drums and low end. Two sides to one very heavy coin, Dub Motion's currency is high right now.
Review: A.M.C?s Titan imprint is tearing up the dance right now and Dub Motion is leading the charge. Following this summer?s danger-doublet ?Warning? and ?Mercury?, here come four brand new heaters and hurters: ?Fall To Pieces? surges with an electrified Ram-style reese bass, ?Off The Record? is a minimal skipper chiselled with a hardness usually associated with an Enei jam, ?Exodus? puts the Dub back into Dub Motion with stark skanks and distorted horn heaves that sound as if they?ve been kidnapped and bundled into a car boot while ?Skyfall? closes the show on an emotional, breezy flex, all filtered pads and sensuous vox. All corners explored and consequently smashed.
Review: Dub Motion is the type of not-so-newcomer everybody's happy to hear from. Fresh from a huge CYN release in 2014, he's joined Titan to bring a taste of his fluctuating influences and the results are stunning. Dropping into the warzone from the off, "Warning" sends stressy pads burning into the atmosphere like flares before battening down ready for the close-contact bassline and percussion to do their worst. Hunched and determined. That's the dance routine for this one. Despite the dark storms of "Warning", on the flip, "Mercury" is a flight of deep rolling effortlessness, showcasing a sensitive side nobody ever expected from this strong-willed producer.
Review: Kicking this comp off with Heist's terminally insane sample-fest "Paper Business", it's pretty obvious from the start that nothing is going to be what it seems. Don't get settled into that bassline then, because the jingle bells and hip hop (yes, both of those things at the same time) of "Pull The Plug" pulls up with all the cheeky charms of a loveable delinquent. Saxxon's smooth grooves mix perfectly with Jinx and Gigante before disappearing into a haze of souped-up bass, and finally Dub Motion get in on the insane action with swing sampling and shoulder-shrugging beats. These mad professors need to get loopy in the lab more often.
Review: Nu Elementz comes storming at us on Gun Audio with an arsenal of killer cuts and cracking collaborations across this five-track EP. First up is "Bow Down" with its rambunctious, jump up panache, drill-like SFX and apocalyptic vocal sample; next is the eponymous track of the EP "Hey Brother" with it's Hazard-esque rumbling wobbly bassline and gritty mid range. "Timeshift" blends rough, dancefloor-driven beats with epic movie sampling and soaring instrumentals to huge effect before "Ragga Skank" adds a nice dose of ragga jungle to the proceedings before "Pussy Whipped" brings the EP to a close.
Review: It's been a while since Sweet Tooth cooked up an "All You Need" EP feast. But the wait has been worth it as five of the label's most exciting artists deliver electrifying new twists on the jump-up sound. "Murderah" is all about the high-end Hazard-style bass lickage, "Route 66" croaks like an angry, addiction-riddled frog who's run out of glue to sniff, "Side Effect" takes us back to Dreamscape at its 1994 prime with its paranoid-drenched synth stabs, "Could Be" wriggles with Majistrate's trademark wobbly charm while "Phenomena" toys with some of the most enduring aspects of late 90s D&B with a tearing mentasm, old school samples on the breaks and an interesting key change midway. Exceptional.
Review: You can always bank on Subby releasing one massive EP every year. And this one's extra massive as he's brought four mates along for the ride. Complementing his already beautifully brutal style, each collaboration brings out a different side in the Newcastle producer: Maji tickles the jump-up darkness out of him on "Weapon Of Choice", Jaydan encourages a little off-beat subversion while retaining the dancefloor punch while Dub Motion complements Sub Zero's jungle roots with a delicious roller that's as soulful as it is dark. Finally we hit "How To Act" where Sub Zero and DJ Limited lay down the trippiest, most weirded out bassline you'll hear all week, month, possibly even year.
Review: Following on from last year's incredibly popular instalment, Shogun Audio have brought back Point of Origin for a third time. This series emphasises the rolling, minimal-ish side of the scene from some younger, more hungry producers and boy, is it a good formula. Exemplifying this is Revaux with 'Ibex', probably the nastiest tune on the album and arguably the best, as its crunching bass tabs inject fantastic groove. Rizzle and Malaky add something more sultry with 'Solstice' and 'Requiem', the former focusing on the vocals of Sydney whilst the latter opts for a more instrumental roll-out. Gerra & Stone represent the old guard amongst the newbies, holding up their end with a growling amalgamation of low-frequency force. This is an exquisite album of D&B, with every corner covered and every flavour recognizable - special props going to Shogun for supporting new talent as well.
Review: Drum & Bass Arena has ruled on high for nearly 20 years, and in that time has helped to forge the careers of every drum & bass artist worth their salt. It's impossible to downplay the influence the site has had on the scene, as a club brand and an online resource, and this year their official compilation is a doozie. Featuring some of the largest tracks around right now from Friction & Skream, J Majik & Wickaman, DJ Hazard, Rene LaVice, Calyx & TeeBee, Original Sin and Optiv & BTK as well as bangers from fresh artists like Heist, Zen & Nitri, this is an essential purchase for any D&B fan. Focussing on the heavier end of the spectrum this 35 track behemoth is basically your 2013 compendium of bass. Don't leave home without it.
Review: A various artist album from the Tripswitch camp should come with a health warning as there's serious levels of bassweight in this badboy. Kicking off with Annix - "Soundclash" this one is full of juddering subs and smashing drums. Elsewhere across the album we have some prime cuts from the likes of Critycal Dub - check "Terminator" in all its low-slung allure; Raz with his VIP mix of "Ten Tonne" and Hoogs. A variety of styles and flavours are covered, and Dub Motion's "Obsession" adds a nice dose of calm as we reach the end. Nice stuff.
