Review: The Square one team has delivered us an absolute gem of a project with this brand new, full length album drop from ITONIC, taking the simple yet effective title 'X'. From start to finish, this is one of the most spot-on examples of modern UKG flavour we have heard in a hot minute, from the colourful soundscapes of 'Sugar' to the more sublow, minimalist designs of 'Flight' and melodic twists of 'All Rite'. It just seems to have it all. It houses a truly magnificent spectrum of sounds, with our highlights including the unpredictable, unorthodox grooves and vocal slices of 'Higher Hopes', alongside 'We Won't Stop', a fluttering singalong, perfect for the sunshine.
Review: London producer Itonic is a regular newcomer to the garage game, with just a string of self-released digital EPs to his name. Here he appears on Strictly Flava for the very first time with a two-track missive that we think is quietly impressive. "Check Yourself" is classic two-step garage of the kind that first rose to prominence in the late 1990s - all weighty sub-bass, skipping beats, ear-pleasing organ sounds and the sort of cut-up female vocal snippets that have long been a feature of Todd Edwards' productions. Virtual B-side "Jive" is similarly warm, soulful and positive, with the producer peppering a beefy bassline and a more complex two-step rhythm with bouncy stabs, Grant Nelson-esque keyboard sounds and more glassy-eyed female vocal samples.
Review: The UKG vibes are alive and strong with this one as we leap into this fantastic new four track project from Tonic, who lands on Square One for the second edition of his 'Tonic Flava's' series. We kick off with the high energy vocal lines and choppy drum inputs of 'Find Our Way', which could inject energy into any dance, followed by the more unusual jittery synthesizers and organ tones of 'Let Me Show You'. This whole project is laced with infectious vocal lines, a theme that continues heavily throughout the groovy tones of 'Moving On', before we finish up the EP in serious style with the super choppy drumwork and interesting melodic structures of 'Realize'.
