Review: Having previously had "The Bells" remixed by Girl Unit among others, Welsh funky merchants CRST return with a lean, stripped down VIP of "The Bells" which absolutely smacks you round the face with raw, focused club energy. With pitch perfect snares and motorik chords they really keep the funk fresh on a tune that clearly going to get a lot of love in the next few months. "Saturday Tingz" is just as vital - sampling some huge female vocals and chopping them over a highly percussive beat which CRST skilfully reduce down to a minimal stomp for breakdowns. Highly recommended!
Review: Don't let the novelty, yet awesome name fool you - Ill Cosby has got some serious tropical skills and flexes them with all his might on the excellent "Lo Oyen". A bubbly, multi-percussion worker which uses some huge claps and polyrhythmic sequencing to craft something that'll prove fiery on any dancefloor. Emvee adds a Latin/Reggaeton feel with some grimey strings, while Palms Out's Dubbel Dutch gets busy on another Ill Cosby tune, "Kalakuta". which features the maddest sax lines since Guido's massive "Sex Sax".
Review: Atlanta's Distal drops a pair of future-bass winners on the Car Crash Set label, with the title tune leaning heavily on the techno side with a signature shifting arpeggio acting as a mainstay while the beats shift between moody half-step and full-on tech-stomp. In a Pearson Sound-style, "We Are VCR" is a chilly 808 'n' claps fest, topped off with some deliriously wonked-out leads twisting away in the background.
Review: A label on a roll following great releases from CRST, 214, Mistamen and Kingthing Car Crash Set continue with these two new tropical heaters from Cardopusher. "Tarradella Nights" keeps things bubbly thanks to some distant and trippy organ sounds as well as a Balearic-meets-bruk out beat that's so good that it's just left to simmer and build rather than be disrupted with gimmicky fills or drops. "All Bellaca Parties" starts with a set of high-pitched 606 drum hits, a la Ramadanman, and quickly winds in some excellent urgent synths - fantastic stuff.
Review: Bristol's Actraiser drops a big, brash and bouncy set of deep funky riddims on this latest EP for Car Crash Set. Lead tune "Kong Riddim" is a dark, cavernous gem with an infectious set of UKF drums anchoring floating pads and subtle, echoed synth leads. "Adventure Island" on the other hand is heavier on the congas and the stacked snares, while "Bubblun" brings a joyous 2-step rhythm out to play and nestles it around spacey pads and female vocals shots. Quality modern funky to be ignored at your peril.
Review: A truly mesmerising house tune from San Francisco's Cosmic Revenge, backed with some equally ace mixes from Ratcatcher and Beat Connection, making for a very strong single indeed from Car Crash Set. A delirious mixture of subtle pads, trippy arpeggios and laid back 808 drums characterises CR's original, which Ratcatcher (who previously collaborated with Doc Daneeka as Rodski) exploits for his minimal/tropical reworking. Beat Connection (who've just recently toured with Toro Y Moi) add a little more jacking skank to their version, boosting the spacey, sub-aquatic chords as well for good measure. Smart, forward thinking house at every turn.
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