Bruised Records, a label which has remained as a member of the UK drum & bass underground and an imprint who is slowly growing their field of influence. Hailing from the South East, the label has committed itself to the genres wonkiest edges, pushing through with sounds that cut through DJ sets across the UK and beyond whilst detonating crowds across the country. They represent the new breed of drum & bass from the UK’s underbelly, providing new music for ravers on a regular basis.
Review: Following last month's 'Thoughts' on Vibe Chemistry's Make Your Era, Big Lou returns to his own imprint Bruised along with good pal and kindred spirit Maurizzle with 'Desire'. A sultry stepper that flips between double cream bubbles and acidic rasping bass - topped with a sensual vocal that stalks between the beats - Lou and Maurizzle have found a winning fusion here that hits the soul hard and the dance even harder.
Review: Broadcasting live from Bruised HQ, a fiery six track effort from Teezy & Roche, who have joined forces to deliver a fearsome display of futuristic D&B energy here. Opening up with the tidily designed synthetic rumbles of 'Frequency', a title track that sets the tone perfectly with its clean approach to production. This is followed quickly by the murky synthetic scrapes of 'Sacrifice' and the eerie vocal pressures of 'Rebirth', which are reworked into an almost heart-monitor type rhythm, before 'Call & Response' deploys a devastating array of reesey goodness. To round off, the bouncing synth plucks of 'Euphoria' arrive firstly, giving us another uniquely designed thumper, with the singalong vocal hooks and lethal bass growls of 'Plunge' then rounding off the project with a final dash of panache. Awesome work
Review: Hot on the heels of big Bruisers like 'War Cry' and last year's massive 'Erase You', Big Lou continues hit us hard as he returns to his own imprint with 'Illusion'. A swaggering fusion of big riff energy, swinging triplet beats and a heavy case of euphoria, it captures the big man's energy and strong sense of rave energy perfectly. Already big with those in the know, this is a timeless weapon designed for the big crowds this summer.
Review: Yung Pabz hits debut LP level on Bruised and the world is a vibier place. Building on that highly sprung, oddball funk that he's made his signature with previous singles and big bootlegs 'Just For Tonight' is a full showcase of his sounds, styles and vision; from the stripped-back, high-freq twists of 'Ring The Alarm' to the hurricane rises and creepy grotty textures of cuts like 'Moods', he explores every corner of the jump-up/dancefloor axis on the dancefloor before bringing everything to a dramatic peak with the futuristic funk of 'Rush'. El Pablo scores big on this one... Guaranteed to last longer than just tonight.
Review: Bruised bossman Big Lou battered us with 'Erase You' last spring on a free download flex. Over 70,000 Soundcloud plays later, this springy vocal thumper gets the remix treatment it deserves from two very exciting names in jump-up right now: Kendrick and Froidy. Kendrick goes HAM with the big riff energy and liveliness while Froidy takes us to some much darker, dramatic places with a growling bassline and serious tension. Do not erase this one!