Review: Whenever we see the Wheel & Deal logo appear in the store we do tend to jump for joy here at Juno Download, with N-Type's now veteran imprint very rarely managing to disappoint. This latest three track display from Oddkut is a perfect example of just how good their discography is, with 'Wonderland' proving to be a very worthy title track, jam packed with hypnotic melodic twists and stuttered key leads. Following this we take it old school as the rowdy LFO textures and heavily syncopated drum rhythms of 'The T-H' gives us a punch of old school energy, before the unpredictable synth flutters and shaker-heavy grooves of 'Nem Fudendo' rounds us off with some serious finesse.
Review: Hatched are back and better than ever as Oddkut and Distant Roots join forces for an absolutely storming set of dubstep originals. We kick off with the vibrant yet dangerous creations of Distant Roots as the electrifying synthesizer slaps of 'Fi Dead' kicks us off with a bang, followed quickly by the much more sub-driven percussive brilliance of 'Aliens Dub'. Finally, the pair combine in infinite majesty as the super unusual, warbling tones of 'Culchah' combines wonky drums and swampy subs to finish this one up with a memorable impact.
Review: Boy oh boy what a year it has been for the Duploc family, who despite all the madness of 2020 have still kept up their incredible run of consistency, dropping nothing but bangers throughout the duration. This, presumably their final drop of the year sees them pull together a monstrous roster, featuring the likes of Cartridge, BunZer0, Ourman, Opus, Teffa, Sam Cosmic, Xakra and many more to give us one final celebratory look into dubstep in the modern era. The complete track listing is absolutely bonkers to tell you all the truth, with quality leaking out of every single original. Some favourites we have to mention however of course include the sizzling bass designs and spooky textures of Wraz's 'Ghost', alongside the fluttering flute melodies of Mani's 'Secret Forest' and 'Gibberish', a super smooth subby glider from Surreal & Somah.
Review: Following on from a fantastic selection of full length drops across 2020, the Duploc team continue their exciting run of form here, presenting the fourth chapter of their sumptuous 'Duploc Selects' series. They offer up another 10 system scorchers, with the likes of Rez, Oddkut, Hotcut, Nova and more all supplying the goods. The full tracklisting is pretty outstanding, but there are a couple of highlights we couldn't not mention, with Hella's spacey saxophone genius on 'Trinity Centre' being an instant hit. The sub-busting basslines and explosive reesey textures of 'Me N My Speakaz' from DRTY HBTZ is also an absolute bop, with the sizzling low end of Idioteque's 'Morality' also raising some eyebrows!
Review: Over the years, there are genuinely very few labels that have been able to amass as impressive a catalogue as Project Allout, a label that continue to unleash bass and grime music at the highest level as me move into 2020. This latest compilation release takes the title 'Keep It PAR, Volume 2', and is a terrific showcase of the different styles on offer within the imprint, including music from PAR allstars such as Dubzta, Moony, Dutty Tingz, Daze Prism, JT, Killjoy, Palize and more. For us, there are two clear highlights, with the super groovy twists of 'Baby Boy' from Venz being the first, followed by the smooth garage flavours of 'I Dont Know' from Lushen.
Review: It appears that Skillzy's now infamous PAR label is at it again, gathering and arranging an absolutely monstrous compilation here, featuring heavyweight riddims from some of the coldest names currently working across the grime and bass sphere. We see exciting returns for label favourites such as Juzlo, Dubzta, Daze Prism, Killjoy and more, who have all previously featured heavily on PAR. This compilation offers something for everyone, from the sharpened, evil grime chops of Garna's 'Peroni', to the UKG prowess and skippy rhythmic bliss of 'Kobe JT's most recent PAR appearance with 'Selecta'.
Review: As one of the grime and bass scene's standout label projects over the last 5 years, Project Allout have conquered much, constantly alternating between grime, dubstep, bass and garage, all with a real touch of finesse. This latest compilation sees the gang assemble in force as the likes of Sammy Virji, Killjoy, Palize, Deadbeat UK, Daze Prism and more heavyweight names bring their heat to the table. For us the standout tracks have to be Dunman's grimey roller in 'Chip On The Block' and of course Moony's amazonian funky ride out on 'M', a subby mover, designed to take the dance real low.
