Review: Oh boy.. Three of modern bass music's finest players collide for the first in a series of collaborative long players on Deep Medi. The results - as you'd expect just reading the line-up - speak for themselves. Every artist's signatures is coded deep into the collection; Kahn's unpredictability and robustness, Commodo's grit and funk and Gantz often unfathomable depths and eastern twangs are all present as we wriggle and writhe to the detuned harmonies of "Crystal Collect", get twisted on the tripped out drum dynamic of "Kibosh" and lose ourselves in the spacious jazz-minded drums of "Unmistakeable". Truly unique.
Review: Some hot new bass pressure from Kahn on Deep Medi Music which arrives swiftly after Mala's label issued those crucial Gorgon Sound refixes of his 2012 dancefloor killer Dread. Naturally the hood popping riddims are in full effect from the Young Echo member. After a climatic, horn heavy, mutant ragga intro, "Abattoir" drops into monophonic bass roll of drums accompanied by science fiction atmospheres and skittering drums. "Over Deh So" is a more liquid in its groove, providing a fitting alternative, with pulsing, dubbed-out synths exchanging progressions with sinister cathedral tones for a track you could imagine lifting the roof off a rave held by a secret occult of Gregorian monks.
Review: Soul Motive have always been representative of the current strains of Bristol's ever flourishing tapestry of music scenes so it makes perfect sense that the label would call on the Young Echo collective sooner or later. After some notable releases for fellow Bristol hubs Idle Hands and Punch Drunk, Kahn steps forth with another example of his undoubted talent for making music that spans the shades of the bass music spectrum with the rowdy yet soulful 2 step bump of "Angeles." This is Kahn in smooth mode, demonstrating his prowess at weaving vocals so that they form an integral part of the rhythm. Fellow Punch Drunk acolyte Superisk ensures it's an all Bristol affair with a remix that dampens the soulful nature in favour of something altogether darker.
Review: As one of the most active members of the Young Echo collective, Kahn has already revealed a sizable spread of styles in his output, and this latest emission for Idle Hands flips the script once again. It's an emotive and linear place we find Kahn in on "Margeaux Pt 1", as a bouncy 2-step beat and chirpy bassline get offset by dense layers of heavily treated vocal from Kahn himself, creating a pastoral kind of vibe as the end result. Meanwhile "Margeaux Pt 2" spaces things out with a more jagged beat and a brooding bottom end, while obviously continuing the theme found on Part 1.
Review: We've been waiting for this one for a minute: Kahn & Neek's Gorgon Sound outfit finally unleash this mighty re-fix of Kahn's 2012 Deep Medi outing "Dread". Warm skanks, gravelly toasting and a rolling muscular momentum, it's a whole new tune. "Late Night Blues" gets a similarly massive facelift as the deep space is replaced by crisp live drums and added textures. Quintessential version material.
Review: Joey Negro's Soul Of Disco series has always been a great source of forgotten disco gems for those who like their dance music rich, stringy and soulful. This third two-disc selection from the Z Records boss is no different. For disco diggers, there's plenty to enjoy, be it the rich, horn-drenched instrumental grooves of Board Of Directors' "Hanging Tough", the raw, clavinet groove of Loi's "Body Contact" or the wobbly synth bass and perfect percussion of Phenomenal's "One Two Three". With a smattering of bonus re-edits from Joey Negro himself for those who like their grooves a bit more DJ-friendly, The Soul Of Disco 3 is nigh on essential.
Crossing The Line (feat Killa's Army) - (4:36) 142 BPM
Send Out - (4:33) 142 BPM
Crossing The Line (feat Killa's Army - radio edit) - (3:42) 142 BPM
Review: Wait wait wait, Pinch, Kahn, Tectonic AND Killa's Army? Just take my money. This is a fantastic link up from start to finish as two Bristol legends combine in style across two powerful originals. We firstly check out the deep, rolling sub tones and high energy vocal displays of Killa's Army on the hard hitting 'Crossing The Line'. You can hear this in a Kahn set of any kind, any day of the week. Things get even darker on the flip however as 'Send Out' lands with more gnarly sub tones, creating a seriously spooked out atmosphere through its use of space and choppy drum movements.
Review: To be honest, it's about time that Logan Sama had the space to compile his own series of mythical London club Fabric's, Fabriclive series. The grime DJ started his career back on the equally important Rinse FM back in 2002, and has been an important part of the club's development over the years that saw grime and dubstep blow up. At number 83 in the series, Sama drops a selection of tunes that are wholly representative of his DJ sets in Fabric's Room 1; the mix contains tunes by everyone from grime pioneer Wiley, to vocalist and producer JME, and a whole load of lesser known names that have kept the grime scene evolving. This is the real deal, there ain't not other like it around these days. Recommended.
The John Betsch Society - "Earth Blossom" (remix - Loving Heart Collage by Carlos Nino feat Build An Ark/Najite/The Agindotan Family Band) - (4:05) 148 BPM
Four Tet - "Dope Of Power Suite" (Four Tet club mix) - (4:30) 103 BPM
Review: For those who like their deep house infused with a sunny soulfulness and slick sensuality, this sixth instalment of Transport's West Coast Excursions series is well worth a gander. This time it's DJ MFR at the controls, gathering together some personal faves from such West Coast luminaries as Miguel Migs, Julius Paap, Fabio Bacchini and Jask. While MFR's bonus DJ mix is pleasingly diverting, this is really all about the unmixed cuts - and a chance to get your hands on such slinky delights as Migs' Peven Everett collab "The Love We Had" and Vibes Inc's classic disco-house bumper "All The Way".
