Review: Dubstep as a whole is in a very healthy place right now, and artists pushing the boundaries of 140 music as a whole across the globe is a big factor behind that. This latest four track delight from Ape Suit is a perfect example of that creativity in action as we kick off with the murky undergrowth and lethal yet subtle reesey tones of 'Abounding Happiness'. Next, 'Human Adult' takes us down a road of crunchy percussive genius and gnarly bass rolls, before the more high tempo drum arrangements and colourful melodic synth textures of 'Tromp L_OEIL' drag us down a different avenue entirely. Finally, 'The End' is a perfect closer, combining warm, fuzzy bass tones with more delicate drum work with incredible results. Awesome work!
Review: It's been a short while since we last heard from Kotei, but he is back in full force with this spicy new single 'ICHI'. As always with Kotei's production, this one is as crispy as they come, taking a strong theme of eastern-style melodies and plucked strings. This of course opens the door to some fantastic remix additions, with Glume & Phossa kicking us off with a regal sounding refit, jam-packed with lethal bass punches and unique percussive expression. Next, MOREOFUS delivers a typically grimey rethink, stuffed with eerie synthesizer drones and choppy drum slaps, before Dakan takes us to the swamp with his squelchy overhaul. Finally, JFO delivers a stripped back finale, focussing on intense drum processing to round off the project with a classy touch!
Review: Infernal Sounds have been on a killer roll of late, with every release landing with some serious impact. This latest assembly of delicious bassweight from Nova is another addition to that catalogue as we kick off this selection with the shivering LFO grinds and punchy drum slaps of the title track 'Bonafide', giving us a powerful opener. From here, 'Single Fuse' combines gnarly, haunted melodic designs with swampy drum additions to give us something bulging with low end power, before 'Fivers' takes us down a much more minimal road, again focussing however on those eerie atmospheric pads. For the finale, Foamplate gets involved for a bubbly creation by the name of 'Intricacy' which utilizes a fantastic sub-line atop lively percussive additions to see out the tracklisting in style.
Review: For a number of years now, the Iron Shirt Recordings team really have been at the forefront of dubstep music, with their release catalogue constantly showcasing a fantastic combination of fabulous newcomers and established stepper veterans. This latest body of work sees them invite the ever-ready Split inside for a masterclass in dub-design as he unveils his full length 'Dream Catcher' album. Featuring twelve vibrant originals and two well-placed remixes, it's a top quality showcasing of Split's intricate production style, from the precise percussive pulses of 'Poison', the gnarly synth twists of 'Mafia' and big room drum smashes of 'No Escape', to the twisted, evil sounding didgeridoo warbles of the title track 'Dream Catcher', which instantaneously catches the ear. It's a pretty masterful display, with our highlights including the delicate clicks and engulfing sub-textures of 'Bubbler', next to the system sizzling reese=bass action of 'Tenacious Theme' and swampy LFO swoops of 'Amanita'. It's a wicked overall project that can be taken as either an enjoyable long play listen or a pick n mix of DJ-friendly singles.
Review: Well following on from a number of impressive dubstep events across the full spectrum of the scene, The Deep Heads team have matched that all with this incredible new compilation as they deliver the third edition of their incredible 'Deep Heads' series. This star-studded lineup is pretty breath-taking, with the likes of Kromestar, Biome, Om Unit, Sukh Knight, Synkro & more all delivering some serious bassweight. The tracklisting is made up of 24 wicked originals, with our favourites actually coming from some of the lesser established faces on the project. These include the likes of Mystic State's sumptuous 'Society' original alongside Astrid, which boasts serious 'Anti-Social' vibes. As well as this, the more stripped back, garage influenced drums of Clubroot's 'Harmony' and dancing percussion of 'Traps' from Escapism Refuge also sit as highlight picks for us!
