Review: As one of the most innovative names in electronic dance music, Zomby returns to the front lines with his brand new album 'Mercury's Rainbow'. A fitting title we believe, as Zomby proceeds to weave electronic weirdness to all corners of the spectrum, incorporating a range of classic 8bit sounds, squarewave driven bass synths and unpredictable industrialized percussion. We hear serious grime influences throughout the whole project, especially in the bubbly synth melodies and percussive patterns on 'Whirlpool' and the devil-mix like sounds of 'Solar Ashes'. As a project in its entirety, it is truly mesmerizing, showing once again why Zomby is a name that needs to be held in seriously high esteem within electronic music.
Review: Zombie. The shadowiest of all the contemporary UK producers except for Apex Twin and, perhaps worthy enough of a comparison to the man, in relation to the UK electronic scene. This is his new album, Ultra, and we're glad to see him back on the legendary Hyperdub, now a label surely as important as other British staples like Warp or Rephlex. He's back doing what he does best on here, and that means future-leaning grime concoctions with an added layer of his singular mystique. "Reflection" opens up with jarring drones and sporadic gun shots and, before we know it, we're driven heads-first into a cyclone of sounds and influences on tunes like "Fly 2" featuring Banshee, and "E.S.P". "Glass" offers some trippy, stripped-down techno, but the special material comes though the collaborations on here: one glorious bass excursion alongside Burial called "Sweetz", the frenetic "Quandary" with Darkstar, and the supremely deep collaboration with London's Rezzett duo tagged simply as "SDYF". This is one mother of an album. Enough said.
Review: YES! We'd been waiting on this collaboration from UK start vocalist Wiley and shadowy electronic pioneer Zomby for a long time now, and it's about time it's landed on our shelves. "Step 2001" is a no nonsense grime piece, a clicking, twisted groove made up of darting hi-hats and pacman sounds; you know when they say "they don't make them like they used to!"? Well, this doesn't apply here, as it's a serious head-dive back into the early noughties scene. Reckon it's made on a Playstation? There's also an instrumental version for maximum damage and DJ tool usage.
Review: As one of the first labels to springboard off of the creative potential of dubstep, Ramp has hit release number 50 and what better way to celebrate than by looking back over some of the strongest tracks they've put out in six years. In terms of style, no one track is easy to pinpoint let alone the whole compilation, as you would expect from the likes of Zomby, 2562, Ras G, Doc Daneeka and lots more. The unifying theme would be one of bright, colourful but most importantly imaginative electronic that favours the bump n grind to the all out stomp.
Review: A much anticipated release from Ramp Recordings subsidiary, Brain Math, which brings together the best in limited edition vinyl releases from 2008-10 from a star-studded cast, including stunners from James Blake, Roska (under his Bakongo alias), Brackles and SBTRKT. "Paper Street" gets the ball rolling with a Burial-like air, and is juxtaposed against Brackles' infectious "6am El Gordos". "Pembroke" has that discernable Blakean style, complete with synth haze, distorted vox and clip-clop beats. "Laika" (SBTRKT's first release, don't you know?) adds a dose of mischief, before Spiders take things dark and murky, with eerie SFX a-plenty, and the compilation is rounded off with Zomby's "Rumours & Revelations".
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