Review: The boys at In:flux Audio are back at it again, this time unleashing a wicked link up EP between label founders: Tik&Borrow and the more recently acquired sounds of 1Point5. We begin with the breakbeat-stepper fusion of 'Thunder Dub', a futuristic electronic masterclass, jam packed with interesting rhythmic expressions and fluttering metallic melodies. Next, 'Dirty Sean' continues along a similar vibe with more raucous breakbeat action, focussing on a less intrusive but no less potent bassline below. As well as this, J.Kong gives 'Thunder Dub' a complete overhaul, sending in an army of LFO's to wonk out the dance in style!
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: For their latest output, In:Flux have decided to combine north and south, with Southampton's Pelikann sharing the stage with Leeds/Sheffield act Tik&Borrow. The former delivers the mechanical mid pace grind of "Lie Low" which is sped up and turned into a nastier piece of work by King Hydra and a snarling bass beast by Tik & Borrow. The latter also produce the dark, "Parallax", an irritable percussive monster that gets reworked into awesomely sinister UKF by Karl Vincent & Tee and into an otherworldly 2-step/4 x 4 hybrid by Pelikann. A complete meeting of minds.
Review: Following on from a very impressive run of drops from the Dirty Beats team, we see them welcome in the sounds of Tik&Borrow, a production duo who continue to impress across whatever genre they find themselves inhabiting. This project kicks off with the title track 'Umans', which fuses together squelching, swamp-like bass sounds with alien atmospherics to deliver a subby punch from the off, followed by incredibly grizzly synthesizer slides of 'Bruk' and twisted aquatic rhythms of 'Forms'. Finally, Ramsez steps up for a glitchy rework of 'Umans', somehow giving the track an even more haunted feel that before!
Review: Next up from the magnificent In:flux Audio gang we see a return to the label from founders: Tik&Borrow, who deliver a potent four track dubstep punch by the name 'Architecture'. We begin with a sizzling collaboration alongside Aztek as 'Timelapse' unleashes a barrage of gnarly LFO grinds and eerie feedback climbs, before 'Apexx' pulls together subby bass slap with sizzling drum techniques and shifting rhythms. Next, 'Mallet Dub' provides with more minimal magnificence, combining massive snare smashes with a simple yet effective sub-line, before Mungk arrives just in time to deliver an aquatic refit of 'Apexx'. Wonderful stuff!
Review: It's an awesome time to be a part of the In:flux Audio camp as they here touch down to celebrate their 50th official release, which they do with some serious dubstep style. We kick off with a track entitled 'Arcsine', a moony, choppy roller, driven by gritty bass design and haunted pad textures, before the robotic stutters and sharp grooves of 'Listen' roll into play. We finish up the originals with the chiseled bass stabs and well placed vocal stamps of 'Tangarine', before RUFUS! And Cartridge touch down for some excellent remix additions! Tasty stuff as per from the In:flux camp!
Review: In:flux are a record label we will always find time for at Junodownload, especially if they are able to keep up this fantastically consistent run we find them on currently. We are very pleased to see label founders Tik&Borrow return home for the first time in what feels like forever for a wavy new project, kick starting with the reesey shuffles and gnarly dubstep infused sound design of the title track 'Angel'. This is closely followed by evil tastings and almost metallic synthesizer runs of 'Arkham', before we jump into two very tasty remixes. Both Ali McK & IYZ and Aztek rework the title track, with the first being a grizzly roller, the second being a more sublow inspired recreation, focussing on soft drums and eerie atmospherics.
Review: Tik&Borrow return after an extended break from their home label In:Flux Audio with an absolute mammoth of an LP. Known for their uniquely energetic style of sound design and general arrangement their new 8 track project entitled 'Neurality' is a homage to what the Leeds based duo are all about. Our highlights include the incredible, neuro inspired composition of 'First Child', the downright carnage of 'Vision VIP' and the bassline infused stylings of 'Come Selecta' in collaboration with UK bass heavyweights: Tengu. It's been a long time coming but what a return to the centre of the In:Flux limelight this is for the dynamic Tik&Borrow duo!
Review: Underground heroes Tik & Borrow always bring it strong, and here on the Vision EP it's business as usual. There are two new jams here: the juddering behemoth that "Dirge" - all punishing beats, electronic belches and elastic band bass. Like a drunk Mr Oizo. Great. Rico Tubbs gives it a lively bassline makeover too. Then there's the creepy killer's basement vibes of "Hung" - turned into raw 4 x 4 by Killjoy - and lastly the percussion and heavy synths-laden "Vision".
Review: Tik&Borrow return with a sizzling new jam, the Interstellar EP, on their own very fine In:Flux Audio label. "4th Dimension" begins an EP of high BPMs and even higher thrills as a furious melange of hoover bass, 4 x 4 beats and Yello-esque vocals growls. There's also a VIP mix of "Warperz" (recorded with Luciv) that takes things in a spacey dubstep direction. After that there are remixes of the lead track - Pelikann incorporating synth-pop lines with scattershot beats, Vital Techniques go for classic, skippy wobble on their version and lastly Fiyahman brings the fire on his fast and loose closer.
Review: Tik & Borrow joined forces last year with the sole intent of fusing their DnB past with their garage-step future. Here they chose their own In:Flux label to release their latest tune, "Neuromancer", which is a forward bouncing wobbler, made even more lean by Thorpey. Elsewhere, highlights of the many mixes include Little Mester's deep and moody bass throbber and 1point5's delicate two-step influenced rework.
Review: Borrow has spent years developing his drum & bass-orientated sound. Now teaming up with Tik, they are aiming to forge a sound that mixes the D&B with dubstep and garage and they're not doing badly at it either. Here we get four forward thinking tunes including the linear 4 x 4 slammer "Hold Up", the sci-fi 2-step of "Down Up" and the breaky UKF-meets-wobble of closer "To Move".
Review: The In:flux Audio imprint is a project we have a very fond set of feelings towards, primarily due to their fantastic levels of consistency and their rewarding of long term label associates. A perfect example of that is this latest compilation entitled 'Sample Junkie Presents', in which one of their longest standing artists has been given free reign over the tracklisting, which pulls in artists such as Thorpey, Kanji Kinetic, founders: Tik&Borrow and more. For us the highlights on this one are clear, with Coxon's experimental 4x4 roller 'Loose Control' hitting the spot before King Hydra's epic 'Soundboy' original brings a substantial level of grit to proceedings. Fantastic work as per.
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: As one of the most prominent labels in the UK Bass scene, In:Flux Audio have consistently delivered banging release after banging release, and the most recent edition of their 'Get Fluxed' compilation series shows they have no intention of stopping this trend. They bring some of their classic roster into the field of play as Pavv, Tengu, Zemon and Fiyahman all make return appearances. For us however the highlights lay in Hamdi's super groovy 'Zing Zoom Zoom', which channels vibrant bass instrumentation with super punchy drum riffs. Another instant favourite would have to be the speed garage inspired arrangement of 'Trigga Finga' from bassline high flyer Sekt-87 and In:Flux founders Tik&Borrow.
Review: Following Wolfe and Pavv, old bashy big beak Pelikann steps up for the new V/A compilation. Hand-picking his current floor-fired faves from the freshest of the forefront, highlights hurl and heave from every nook, crook and cranny. The brutal bombardment of WATSN's "123UH", the toxic slurry bass of Odd Nature's "Bait", the breakneck steps and broken glass bass of Brent Kilner's "Never See Me" are just some the rude, crude floor-punches... And that's before we get to Pelikann collaboration with with Tik&Borrow in the form of the sweary, bashy tribal slammer "Giv A Fuk". No zeroes... Only heroes. Big up Pelikann each and every.
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: Get Fluxed Volume III couldn't have come at a better time; the summer heat is out and these garage drums aren't exactly gonna play themselves now are they!? Featuring Martin McFly's infamous Nike spacers on the cover, this jam-packed comp of goodness features all of the label's biggest names and, of course, the creme-de-la-creme of UK house music. Sitting somewhere on the hardcore continuum between garage and breaks, the likes of Pharaoh K, Joedan, Pelikann and Krissi B, among others, set out what will surely be THE bass release of the summer in terms of DJ playback. This is the sort of gear you hear out on the beach at Pula's mighty Outlook festival. Sun's out, bass out.
Review: Top talent spotters in the Bass game; Project Allout are back with a new squad of bass-making talent, as well as whole host of established names that project helped to launch to the outer stratospheres in recent years. It's the third edition of their legendary Lengerz series packed with 39 tracks straight from the legion of Lengdom and as we've come to expect from the Steel City boys, they're covering the full gully side of the 125 to 140bpm spectrum; from the eski angst of Arkham's "Jacotanu" the tripped out video game Trap of Creep N00m's "419" to the Pulse X style 808 bass tones of Dubzta's "Energy".... there is even a bit of donk in there via Casement's Young Team. Put it this way, if you are a fan of basslines that make your face look like you're chewing lemons then there is something in hear for you!
Highlights here at Juno HQ include the skaggy chirps on Dead Beat UK's "Baghead VIP", Livsey's TC inspired "Tap Ho" and newcomer Cole slowing the pace but not the intensity with the earth shattering "Mud".
There's a reason why these compilations hang around the top of our charts for years on end, it's because they are jam packed with silly amounts of exclusive A-sides. You don't need to be an Oxbridge educated economist to realise that few labels in the game can boast bang per buck like this!
Review: Tik&Borrow's In:Flux Audio label has developed its strong reputation not least due to the duo's discerning ears. A new Get Fluxed comp always means more of their expertly curated selections. This time round there are 12 cuts that provide something for everyone on a bass tip. Highlights includes the buzzsaw breakbeats of T&B's own "Junction Box", the sinister afterhours garage of "Too Close" by Connerz and heady, dub-tech mayhem of Joedan's "High Times". Also an extra shout-out goes to the digi-dancehall roof-raiser "Get Funky" by King Hydra.
Review: Influx:Audio is a label celebrating the thriving bass scene of their native Yorkshire. One of their shining stars is Pavv (ironically from Brighton) who has made a big splash in the UK bass scene with releases for the likes of U Wot Blud? Here they invite him to reveal his top artists and tunes happening right now and he doesn't disappoint, delivering 10 bleeding edge jams including the space-age UKF of "Things I Do" by Deadbeat UK, the percolating bass gargles of "Nod Ya Head" by Spookz and Pavv's own quirky take on wobble-heavy 4 x 4, "Everyday".
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.
