Review: Well this is a match made in heaven if ever we saw one as the Earthnut boys link up with the incredibly consistent Downplay imprint for three tracks of genius garage advancement. We begin with 'Hollow Man', an incredibly unpredictable thrill ride, which sees catchy vocal samples arrive alongside groovy cowbell-lead drumlines for a super catchy introduction. From here we hear the combined brilliance of nostalgic chord lines with futuristic drum riffs on 'Knucklethump', before 'Gunker' unleashes a much more sublow display, again showcasing just how good the Earthnut boys really are.
Review: Well, it was only a matter of time before this one came together as Earthnut's recent run of form continues with a long awaited debut Southpoint EP. Having released some of the most popular UKG tracks of the past few years, the STPT team invite the creativity of this fantastic production duo to run wild across three scorchers, beginning with the glitchy arpeggios and hard hitting horn stabs of 'Sea Anomaly'. Next, we move into the alien-like chord shifts and digital atmospheric designs of 'Estrella Breath', before rounding up our journey through this one with the aquatic melodies and sweeping LFO textures of 'Maybe So Really'. Incredible stuff!
Review: Well what can we say. This one is a dream combination from start to finish as the rapidly rising sounds of Earthnut team up with one of the most impressive UKG labels of 2019 in Strictly Flava for two tracks of rhythmic excellence. Firstly, we take a look at the title track 'Sunday Slaps', an absolutely stunning piece of garage composition, from it's fluttering percussive expressions to it's unique vocal slicing and expertly arranged rhythms. We can't get enough of it. On the flip side, 'Stannary Step' brings us something completely different, with digital subs leading the way beneath a high energy bed of percussive movement and more of those brilliant vocal chops. This is a truly spectacular piece of work.
Review: Well well well, here we are again. We find ourselves listening through yet another highly anticipated Four40 release, who again find it impossible to disappoint as the incredibly creative sounds of Earthnut are brought to the forefront with an excellent three track adventure. We kick off with a listen through the quirky percussive switch outs and unusual vocal samples of the title track 'Lily's Answerphone' before then landing on the more stripped back, broken-beat drum chops and rogue bass expanses of 'Mayday'. Finally, we finish up this super enjoyable body of work with 'Katana', another stunning piece of production, driven by its chilly atmospherics and super groovy rhythmic designs. Excellent work!
Review: It's been an impressive period for the duo known as Earthnut, who have been making serious waves with their truly unique style of garage production, incorporating organic soundscaping and crunchy rhythmic twists. They team up with Strictly Flava here, who have been championing new school UKG in recent times with great results. We begin our forage into this one with the unpredictable percussive patterns of 'Skippi', leading into a more sonic display as the hard hitting 808 drones of 'Moving Around' are set loose amongst sharpened drum arrangements. On remix duty, Kobe JT steps into the studio with a fantastic overhaul of 'Moving Around', providing the ideal finishing touches.
Review: We were starting to wonder what had happened to Strictly Flava, as they had gone over twenty days without a brand new release hitting the shelves! We couldn't be happier to see them return and it such an exciting fashion as they unveil the third edition of their highly praised 'Strictly Flava Allstars' season. First up, Earthnut continue their hot streak with the soulful arrangements of 'Play' before MC Chiverton joins D Selektah on the old school rolls of 'Outrageous'. Next, we smoothen out with vibrant horn riffs and choppy melodies on Sam Deeley's 'Rinse Sound' and Solution's sine-heavy 'Spiritual Journey' arrangement, before rounding off with Zero FG & Jay Barrett linking up on 'Underdogs'. What a selection!
Review: Four40's recent run of releases has been something very special indeed and this latest six track selection from MKII is a real look into how forward thinking the label has become. 'Roads' is a stunning three track journey, exploring the moodiest arenas of UKG through haunted pad textures and introspective harmonic layering, with MKII's ethereal production style being highlighted within this extended track format. It's a quite phenomenal body of work and when coupled with three fabulous remixes from MMEE, Earthnut and himself, it forms up into one of the strongest garage drops to grace 2020 so far!
Review: If we were to give an award for label of the year based entirely on consistency, it would be hard to see Four40 not running away with it as they finally round off what has been an untouchable year with one last killer compilation. Royal Flush takes the role of compiler on this one, pulling in some scorchers from the likes of Soulecta, ZeroFG, Jack Junior, Tuff Culture, Earthnut and of course Royal Flush himself. There are a couple of tracks here we feel really hold their own amongst a stacked line up, with Pavv's classic sounding '3210' being one of them, alongside 'Guilty Twitches' from Ozwald and the choppy vibes of 'Love Is Coming' from the legendary EL-B.
Review: Well, when we saw this title land in the store we were as surprised as anyone to see that Four40 Records, one of the most active and exciting UK bass labels across the full breadth of 2020 has just turned 10 years old. This is a pretty outstanding achievement, for a label that is still at the forefront of it's sound to this very day. The compilation of course features some of the biggest releases from across the breadth of Four40's incredible catalogue of content, from the likes of Hybrid Theory, I Killed Kenny, Pavv, Limita and more, condensing ten years of musical progression into one extended tape. We also get to hear a bag of exciting new exclusives from the newer breed of the Four40 roster, including music from The Phat Controlla, Blakk Habit, Lucas Maverick, Gemi, Badger, Patrick Kane, Yozhi, George IV and more. What an incredible way to round off the year!
Review: With garage slowly but surely becoming the UK's most popular dance music export, we are seeing numerous labels step up to the plate to really establish themselves as genre leaders. Wang Records have been on an absolute spree across the past few months, with this latest heavyweight compilation being the cherry on the cake. Featuring a vast array of heavyweight names including Movement, Higgo, Hamdi, King Monday, Kobe JT, Logan and more, it most certainly packs a punch. For us, the highlights have to include Zero's surprisingly mellow 'Ross From The Mall' creation, alongside Drinks On Me's vibrant 'On Your Mind' original and the nostalgic chord expansions of MPH's 'Loop33'. Awesome work.
Review: The Southpoint unit have had yet another sparkling year, with their sound constantly evolving at the forefront of UK bass music's ever expanding boundaries and parameters. This year they have taken it to the next level, with the seventh edition of their 'Southpoint Presents' series launching across all platforms, including bangers from the likes of KXVU, Jakebob, Bushbaby, Muttley, Moony, Mofaux, Dunman, Drax, Movement, Tengu and more. We also see Presents debuts for the likes of MPH, On1, Negativ and Daffy, arguably rendering their strongest compilation in the series.
Ali McK & Iyz - "The Tribe" (feat Lavz) - (4:42) 130 BPM
Pavv - "Dreams" - (4:58) 130 BPM
Hamdi - "Easy" - (4:14) 140 BPM
Witchdoctor - "Wanna Go Back" - (4:31) 136 BPM
KXVU - "Creature" - (4:40) 134 BPM
Eclypse - "Daydreamer" - (5:01) 133 BPM
Doctor Nick - "Check" - (5:25) 130 BPM
RVB - "Winter Carnival" - (5:24) 130 BPM
Earthnut - "Catnip" - (6:00) 130 BPM
Gru Var - "Tune Fi Tune" - (4:55) 134 BPM
Review: It's been a little while since we saw a release from the Brighton based giants at Southpoint, with their last full project coming at the beginning of December. They kick off the year in serious style here however as they deploy their fourth artist presents series, with local garage and funky gurus Moony & Movement at the header. We see debuts for Gru Var, Earthnut, Doctor Nick, Witchdoctor, Ali McK, IYZ and Lavz, with a string of regular Southpoint dons returning, including Eclypse, Hamdi and co-founder: KXVU. For us, the first stand out highlights on this release come from bassline wizard Pavv, who strips back his skippy groves for a UKG twist up in 'Dreams'. Out other stand out comes from recent addition to the team: RVB, who's 'Winter Carnival' original is bristling with spicy funky flavour.
