Review: An artist known for abstract and tough music, Policy's debut Southpoint solo release doesn't disappoint. Known for his frogger-style label hopping, he lands on Southpoint for these latest treats, of which there are three. Darkness is the key vibe here, with "Slink" kicking things off with distressed film dialogue samples and brooding stop-start drum patterns and a sinister bass buzz. Elsewhere "Boca Sweep" hints at witch-house doom and dreamy synths, whilst "Battered Trumpet" flits between bassy garage bounce and fuzzy ghetto bounce. Noble, meanwhile drops a remix full of scattershot rhythms, whilst Glume swerves into smoother instrumental hip-hop territory.
Review: Policy first came to the fore with a debut release on Rush Hour's seemingly dormant Direct Current imprint back in 2011, focusing on the kind of summery, garage-indebted house music that called to mind Sepalcure and FaltyDL. A second release then followed on the highly active Rush Hour Recordings. Policy now brings his old school combination of shuffling drum machines, classic NYC electro and submerged funk to the Argot label with the Hit Gone bad EP. The title track is trippy in nature thanks to twinkling and transposing percussion, subject to quick fire flashes of disco that shoot across its face. Hallucinogenic synths then maneuver n sporadic burst in "Walk Up", while the deep and jazzy grooves of "Thick Nostalgia" are perfect for a lounge room waltz with a loved one or cheeky night cap.
Review: This batch of Beatvandals floor fillers initially surfaced 7 years ago on wax and has been long deleted on the format. It finally gets a digital release as a 3 track download which gathers the vocals and rhythms of the first lady of freaked out hip hop, a certain infamous rock band who just called it quits, the Bussa Bus and even a Toots tried & trusted classic all to be reworked with Beatvandals mash up treatment .It ultimately delivers a fun release that is basically a no brainer for a packed dancefloor.
Review: Chameleon Audio had a big year in 2016, instilling their name on our charts as regular go-getters ad quality scouts of new talents in the bass game. This is one of those leviathan compilations where even the most critical of DJs will find something to jump up about, as there is so much damn gear on this badboy! Tunes by the likes of Jacotanu, KXVU, and Policy deliver some much-needed grime lashings, while others like Strap C and Imtek's "Bubble, or even "Shakeup" by Particle, break out the London half-step riddims for the heads. From dub to house, the influences in these things are vast and unmatched. Dig through it.
Review: The promotional platform turned record label Simply Deep present a strong compilation of ten exclusive tracks for the imprint's debut outing. What once was simply a music promotion service is now branching into a larger operation for Simply Deep. Wishing to support talent where it is due, the label are on the constant lookout for new and aspiring artists who are making quality music, regardless of genre specifics. Highlights on their second label compilation include the dark and bass driven street level antics of Jordan's "Falling", the deep dubstep done to perfection (what a bassline!) on Chemist RNS - "Clubbin", the savage grime tendencies of KXVU's "Peak For You" and Opus & Loudcutta's paranoid and dystopian trip "Travella".
