Review: It's always good to see the legends of a genre return and that is most certainly the case here as we see Caspa launch another storming dubstep selection, this time supplying us with a potent six tracker via Ghost Town. We begin with the wonky LFO structures and haunting choir stabs of 'From The Gods', followed by the swivelling synth melodies and choppy drum rhythms of 'What The Brass'. Next, we welcome a gnarly selection of bass sounds which warble away with an evil tone on 'Sedated', before the more stripped back subs of 'Lost In LA' and catchy vocal sample work of 'Blame You' roll into play. Finally, the wonky synth-based pitch bends of 'Don't Know When To Stop' gives us one last jolt to finish off this fabulous return for Caspa!
Review: The Deep Dark & Dangerous team really do have a top knack for spotting and crafting high end releases, with this brand new 'Ishtar' album from Abstrakt Sonance being yet another winner. Featuring 17 incredible originals, it's a masterpiece of 140 themes and dubstep influences, from the grizzling reeses of 'Mindstate' and subtle sitar slides of 'From Wallah With Love' to the percussive brilliance of 'Beautiful Time To Be Alive' and system ready sub-marches of 'Deep In The Jungle'. There's just so much to enjoy throughout the project, including some high end collaborations, which sees the likes of D Double E, Killa P, Long Range, Crowell, Vandull and EniGMA Dubz all get involved with top quality contributions.
Review: The legendary Deep Medi Musik is one of the most popular unground imprint in the UK and their latest release is exactly what we were hoping for as the invite Bukez Finezt in with four tracks of steppers bliss. We kick off with 'The Idea Of The Devil', a haunted, grubby expanse of haunted synthesizer presses and metallic percussion. Following on from an explosive start, 'Rekt' gives us some serious wobbly goodness before the 3/4 rhythms and colourful LFO work of 'Interrogation' are let loose. Finally, 'Critical Mass' gives us something a little different as melodic layers are stacked up above the breathy drums to add some differentiation before the final whistle.
Review: Whenever we see the Wheel & Deal logo appear in the store we do tend to jump for joy here at Juno Download, with N-Type's now veteran imprint very rarely managing to disappoint. This latest three track display from Oddkut is a perfect example of just how good their discography is, with 'Wonderland' proving to be a very worthy title track, jam packed with hypnotic melodic twists and stuttered key leads. Following this we take it old school as the rowdy LFO textures and heavily syncopated drum rhythms of 'The T-H' gives us a punch of old school energy, before the unpredictable synth flutters and shaker-heavy grooves of 'Nem Fudendo' rounds us off with some serious finesse.
Review: It's been a long time since we have been anywhere close to disappointed with a new Liondub International release, with this latest heavyweight collaboration continuing to apply the pressure, as Riko Dan, Trigon & Dave Gee join the Lion Dub team for a hard hitting new single entitled 'War Dub'. Right from the off we can tell we are in for a raucous affair as demonic horn lines and sizzling sublines provide the perfect skeleton for Riko Dan to run riot upon, unleashing a blistering display of clash-ready lyricism. This drop comes complete with the instrumental version for good measure, making it a must grab for any 140 DJ.
Review: Following on from the fantastic response to its original release last year, Tru Thoughts have supplied us with an absolute gem here as they welcome back the legendary Flowdan for an official remix of 'Welcome To London'. This was one of Flowdan's more spooky creations, operating at a slower tempo, which has been completely revamped by the wonderful Jack Sparrow, who takes the acapella and sends it to an entirely new dimension, speeding up to around the 140 mark and layering it between sumptuous, bouncy bass taps and inventive drum work to give a fantastic original an additional dash of magic!
Review: It's been a hot minute since BBK made a collective appearance, so when we saw that Frisco had gathered the troops for a long awaited collaborative return, we couldn't be more excited. Produced by Trooh Hippi, we hear the grime veterans let loose with a barrage of mainstage lyricism and intricate grime flows over a selection of eastern flute action and pounding sub structures below. It's always good to hear Frisco lead the way as well, who for us is one of the UK's most undersung vocal talents. It's a fantastic new single to reintroduce themselves to the world in 2020.
Review: As always with In:flux Audio, it appears we have stumbled across a bit of a gem as J Kong lands for a spicy new EP project, alongside a couple of very well thought out remix additions. We begin with 'First', a dubsteppers delight, as we witness a swampy creation stuffed full of luscious sub-driven energy and crunchy drums, before 'Second' unleashes a much more wonky design, again going heavy on LFO manoeuvres throughout. On remix duty we have two great producers giving their thoughts on 'First', with Aztec arriving to flip the track into a systemized warbler, alongside Fork & Knife's LFO bubbler of an overhaul. Wicked work as per!
Review: It's been a hot minute since we last saw the Low Pitched team in action as DJ Spookz's imprint returns for a vibrant new single from Retrospect, a Bristol / Brighton based producer whose sound continues to impress. The general vibe of this one seems to be pushing towards genre fusion as much as anything, as we hear stripped back melodic plucks placed above some seriously groovy drumwork, giving a really unique twist to the now incredibly popular UK funky sound, especially when we encounter that killer bass lead. As always, we are very happy to see the Low Pitched team back in action with a banger as big as this!
Review: Thirty Three nuggets of serious UKG gullyness; Project Allout have already developed a serious reputation for generous dispatches, but this is whole new level. Uniting their many lengmen for a deep exploration of the pastures between bassline house, instrumental grime and the broader realms of bass music, every area is covered. Highlights include the eski angst of Chemist RNS' "Stare", the violin-snapping, post-dubstep darkness of Deadbeat UK's "Graveyard", the outrageous VIP muscles of Hoax and Dubzta's "Twilight Zone" and the sassy vocal flexery of Pavv's "You Got Me". This is just the tip of the bassline iceberg, though. Dig deep and grab your own lenger; there are enough here for everyone.
Review: Mainly famed for his startlingly sparse, soulful grooves, here Calibre reminds us of the badman he keeps locked up within his creative mind. The slinky, menacing "Start Again" is one of the highlights of his recent album Spill; all paranoid and cinematic, the half-tempo groove is the perfect bed for Chimpo's distinctive, demonic spittage. In a classic VIP flip-switch manoeuvre, the remix takes us back to the mid '90s with a spiralling, tunnel-like bassline, classic rattling breakbeats and some added 'whoo's for good measure. Naturally Chimpo's vocal works equally as well over this type of lick. In fact if you didn't know any better you'd think he wrote it for the VIP in the first place.
Review: It's been a very exciting time for Sir Hiss of late, who has been pushing forward in leaps and bounds, establishing himself as one of the front runners in Bristol's already heavily populated 140 scene. This link up with White Peach confirms that further as the lo-fi warmth of 'Sunset in Hong Kong' kicks the project off in blazing form. Next we dip into more sumptuous and spooky sounds of 'Haunter' in a high powered pairing with Lemzly Dale. The final track we hear on this release comes in the form of another collaboration as Emz gets busy over the 'Sunset In Hong Kong' instrumental, providing laid back flows and wavy lyricism on 'Rolling'.
