Review: One half of a London duo also featuring Tee, Karl Vincent has taken the step of exploring further options with this essentially solo offering. That said, he ropes in a host of collaborators to assist him on these five bangers, including Tee who appears alongside Dephex on the beefy 2-step influenced opener "Outer Space". Elsewhere Swedger appears on the chaotic heavy roller "Buzz", Link provides extra drama on the orchestrated 4 x 4 pounder "Escape", Tik & Borrow inject some techy edge on "Cops & Lawyers" and Dephex returns for some dubby UKG on "On The Run".
Review: Straight out of the west of the UK, Beanzo's own 'Siege Collective' have put together their second compilation release, featuring some of the most exciting names in grime music at this time. Having released a similar length project earlier this year focussing more on dubstep flavour, the Siege collective banner is keen to not be pigeon holed into one area. Consisting of 6 tracks, this project cover the grimey spectrum perfectly, from Beanzo's own grimey monster 'Nomad' to the wavey synths of Jakebob's 'Firing'. We also see fresh weight from Rajkay with 'Range', Tsundr's 'Test Your Might' and Mojoe's trappy roller 'Skylight'. This release even delves into devil mixes, courtesy of Swedger's fresh version of 'Big Lick'.
Review: Multi-personality man of the moment: Swedger (AKA Ardeer AKA Skagden) steps over to Project Allout for a deliciously wavey slice of instrumental grime. Flexing melodic muscles, none of his rich low-end is lost as we fly through his dreamy almost Oil Gang or Terrorhythm style narrative. As always with Project Allout, remixes hit every spot from every corner: Dubzta gets his tropical pipes out, Cleaverhype plays ping-pong with trippy ricochets and gully switches, Dutty Tingz inject worlds of roominess into the groove while Hexy busses up more of a growl in the bass and strings in the feels. Supersized.
Review: Scots producer Swedger, named after local slang for ecstasy, is a busy man, producing under other alias and stints on radio too. Here he though, he presents two explorations of his beloved 'dark bass music' on the Weaponry EP. "Ammunition" kicks things off with a bang, being an accelerated, space-garage anthem. Next "Weapon" is an abrasive, deep tribal house work out. Remix-wise, Wolf Big Boo brings some quirky haunted 2-step to the fore, Tik& Borrow, bring heavy bass crunch in abundance and Thorpey delivers some attitude-heavy UKF indeed. Lastly Dr Oscillator represents the DnB fans with a mercilessly hyperactive epic.
Review: Following on from another string of exciting releases, we are thrilled to see the return of In:Flux Audio, and the fifth edition of their extremely popular compilation series 'Get Fluxed'. The line up for the selection is potent to say the least, seeing high profile returns for the likes of J69, Nekst, Fiyahman, Swedger and more, along with the introduction of some eyebrow raising newcomers! For us the highlights on this one simply have to include the dancefloor destroying old school UKG flavours of 'The Massive Crew' from Sekt-87, along with Teotek's neurotic thrillride in 'Tunnel Driver'.
Review: The guys at In:Flux really do deserve a lot of credit for their tireless contributions to the UK bass scene over the last few months, having made themselves one of the most prominent Northern imprints within the wide span of the genre. We are here to celebrate and enjoy this compilation celebrating five years of activity from the label. They pull out all the stocks for sure, inviting the likes of Brent Kilner, Pavv, Pelikann, Dr Oscillator, J69 and more to join in the party, with our specific highlights coming from Tik&Borrow themselves, the leading forces behind the project. We look forward to many more years of the In:Flux wave continuing to run!
Review: Bass doesn't get any better - or warmer - than on the unfailingly on-point Low Pitched imprint, home to some of the best UK breaks and garage in our modern times. They're back on our charts this week, bringing through some utter heat with this new compilation, the wicked Spookz Presents. There's all sorts of banging percussion and piff low frequencies being fired in all directions, including a sublime piece of steppers grime called "Narrow Dust" by Tyrant, along with an endless deluge of dread from the likes of Jook10, Select, Steady State, and Spook himself. If you're looking for a lesson in bass-weight then look no further than this leviathan.
Review: It's that time again, as the infamous PAR imprint returns for their yearly Christmas compilation, showcasing their extensively versatile roster and variety of musical styles. This year is a collection of returns and debuts, as we see Killjoy, Deadbeat, Dr Cryptic, KXVU, Moony, Jakebob amongst others all make solid return appearances. Some of our favorites include the haunting sounds of Dallen's grimey roller 'Time', the catchy 4x4 riffs and rhythms of Kind Hydra's 'Bass Trap' and skippy arrangement and aggressive synth design on 'Trigga' from the elusive Rotti. There aren't many labels that can boast such an extensive yet versatile roster and yet remain so assured in as many different areas of UK bass music.
Review: In:Flux let rip with a second massive V/A album of the year and it's an all-out bass riot featuring some of the label's most exciting names and affiliates as they tear each other's cuts apart and rebuild them in their own unique (and consistently gully) ways. Highlights include the spring two-step savagery Pavv's own VIP "Don't Look", the sci-fi spookiness and graveyard bass of Tik&Borrow's take on "Jah Victory", KXVU's tripped out wave-synth take on Pelikann's "Laughing Cow" and Pelikann's jacking bassline take on "No 6". Not a dull moment, In:flux aren't messing around mate.
Review: Much like squashing a fly with a sledgehammer, Sheffield's Project Allout, counter Bristol's bass supremacy with this mammoth compilation. Yes, the second instalment in their eponymous series boasts a frankly absurd 39 new fresh bass cuts. It may take a while to get through it all, but that's half the fun. Inititial highlights include the speedy claps, fizzy hats and taut wobble vibes of "Manners" by 1Thirty, the horror move trap thrills of "Black Missile" by "Familiar Face" and the voluptuous house bass of Mooney's "At The Top".
Review: Sheffield's Project Allout don't mess about, having developed a reputation for championing all directions in the ways of bass. Every take on that three letter word is important to this label and that's why they cram so many hot jams onto their comps. Basically they're the Ferrero Rocher am-bass-adors and they are really spoiling us with 49(!) lengerz. Highlights include AT's bleepy 8-bit hip-hop groove "Flash Bang", the epic, symphonic trap of Dubzta's "Lord Of War" and the almost disco tech grooves of "Murkers' by King Hydra. All killer, no filler!
Review: Inspired by the lack of pigeonholing in today's bassline scene, the much respected Low Pitched have rustled up their first album, Low Pitched Presents: Resonate, which aims to capture this aforementioned musical diversity. They haven't held back either, packing a whopping 23 new jams on this album, truly laying claim to having all bases covered. Highlights include the juddering low-end juggernaut "Patterns" by Clexx, the crisp, floating in space 2-stepper "Rowdy" and the truly next level, otherworldly rhythms of "Swedger" by Sketchman. A snapshot of a scene in full bloom.
Review: In:Flux Audio open their first Get Fluxed compilation with the ludicrous bounce of Swedger's "Shellsuit Temptress", and it gets even sillier with the tinges of electro-swing in 1Point5's "Villian". There are more streamlined, deeper passages though, like Pavv's remix of "Hold Up" (neat vocal samples to boot) to Prude Lerude's "I Need Your Love". For beats more stripped and torn check Ramage's "Happy Days" and the Samphet's "Badman", but the best old school UKG flavours come through on Gammy and Mr LA productions. UK garage never sounded so 2015.
Review: An absolute leviathan of a compilation from Project Allout here, and it's just in time for some Christmas cheer from one of the fastest growing UK bass hubs in the game! A tad packed for us to go through it all, but this is guaranteed quality, especially given the fact that the release features plenty of label regulars, new faces and even some pretty incredible cameo appearances from the likes of Caspa, Deadbeat and Dubzta. Each puts in a fine performance, particularly Deadbeat with his "Street Life" cut, a glorious mashup of funky house breaks and wobbled low-end. Be sure to check the licks from Spooky, Mr Dubzta and Tuff Culture, too. Badman vibes and another stunner from Project Allout.
