Review: Braintree based solo artist Brown & Gammon lays claim to the Essex dubstep crown with this latest brace of bangers for the Circus label. Following on from last year's massive "Painkillers" which caused considerable damage, "Blow My Mind" continues the theme with stomping drums, squiggly synth hooks and a bouncy, house influenced mid-section setting this one apart from the pack. "Riddle Me This" mashes up anthemic pads with Prodigy style cut up vocal snippets over skippy beats with a reggae sensibility. One to watch.
Review: While certain high street shops are trying to cool it up with t-shirts that declare the demise of dubstep, acts like Brown & Gammon are pushing the scene in some of the most exciting directions it has experienced for a long time. Leaning back on a soft synth skank "The Force" is irrefutably funky, boasting sick shades of glitch and house amidst the mild rowdiness of the bassline. Melodic, authentic to dubstep's roots and truly unique, one blast of this will have those fakers binning their t-shirts within seconds.
Review: Easily one of dubstep's most exciting success stories in 2013, Brown & Gammon continue to infuse the genre with the funkiest possible ingredients. As the name suggests, "West Coast" is all about the swooning, funky synth lines. One part French filters, three parts Compton, and coated with a lush vocal from Sierra Kay, it's a stunning jam that will sing way beyond conventional dubstep dancefloors. With a tasty instrumental thrown in for good measure, this covers some serious ground. Go coastal today.
Space Jesus & Conrank - "Meatball Parm" - (2:38) 150 BPM
Tonk Sound - (3:24) 150 BPM
Outro - (1:12) 98 BPM
Review: Next up, the legendary Circus are at it again, this time rolling out the red carpet for Conrank who arrives here on album duty, supplying us with sixteen original creations, showcasing his style from start to finish. The album explores just how dirty dubstep can get, with tracks such as 'Drum In Time' and 'Blast' pushing synthesizer units to the limit with disgusting sound design and gritty bass tones. For us the album is hard hitting from start to finish but our highlights have to include the dance ready divisions of 'Wake Up', which features some stunning vocal work from Charmae, along with the junglist drum switches of 'Level 8' and blippy textures of 'Bubble & Run', which takes on additional work from Patwan.
Review: The power of the Circus imprint is as apparent as ever with this one as they unveil Conrank and Drezza for a stunning dubstep outing on their new collaboratory single 'Decapitale'. The Circus influence is clear from the off as shimmering lead bass synths grind away come the breakdown, packed with colour and energy across smooth melodies and pounding drum work. Excellent work and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for the duo!
Review: Earlier this year Cookie Monsta had a pop at our mums. Now he's having a go at the dog. Is anyone safe when Nottingham's naughtiest is at the controls? That's a rhetorical question; with his level of cage-rattling basslines and tongue-in-cheek sample abuse, no one is safe. "Blame It On The Dog" is a classic half-step swagger-jam with cool reverse techniques on the bass melody while "Big Booty Bass" is armed with a more fractious low-end and some really interesting textures created with the vocal samples. Both absolutely kill it.
Review: Nottingham's Cookie Monsta isn't exactly partial to a bit of good, old-fashioned wobbling', and this latest four-tracker sees the artist doing what he likes best, and thereby not worrying too much about what is the newest and trendiest form of dubstep. From "Ruff" to Soundboy, these four cold-blooded bass stabbers are made for you to nod aggressively to, and if there was still such as thing as FWD @ Plastic People, you know Coki would be dropping exactly this sort of material. True-school dubstep bruisers.
Review: It's party time, Cookie Monsta's holding court and he's packing more than just a few tasty nibbles. Slamming and jamming on a wonked-out triplet riddim, there's a raw sense of mischief that reminds us of the fun and no-frills sense of rebellion Circus was originally founded on. Big grins abound as the middy bass chops and slaps with seasick frequency flickers and party-chant samples lace the fills with silliness. A genuinely fun record, Cookie Monsta's smashed it. Party on dudes!
Review: Fresh, upbeat wobble concoctions from the one like Cookie Monsta. Just a quick warning before you indulge: this is heavy material and will likely appeal to fans of the more aggressive dubstep sub-category. "Eliminate Target" is a gunshot to the head; a raucous piece of beat thrashing guided by a pulverising bass bullet that screeches and coils with every new bar. "Beast Mode" isn't exactly any less boisterous, and its crunchy scream of a bassline goes into machine-gun mode pretty damn quick. A pair of bruisers, so go easy
Review: The Circus performer and compadre of Flux Pavilion and Doctor P steps up with an ear-crushing, stomach-flipping four track EP of epic proportions. Expect smashing mid-range mayhem, with screeching synths and wobbly basslines in abundance. The title track has a cartoon-like feel, with the growling vocal screaming "me want cookie" over vertiginous bass wobbles. "Frontline" juxtaposes "Sweetshop" style screams over throbbing, taught synths reminiscent of Noisia's "Stigma" before "You Can Do It" takes over, with its aggressive punch and kick tactics. Final track "R0807 D06" draws it all together with a series of robotic shudders, percussive hisses and ear-splitting rumbles.
Review: Classic Cookie Monsta silliness; he knows how to truly nurture a hype hook. And on this occasion he's done it with a LOL-worthy jab at our mothers. With the tongue-in-cheek remark about our mums delivered, the high-end bass mischief that follows is one of his most hectic and fun-fuelled hooks to date. Proving he's not a one trick pony, "Cave Of Filth" goes on a deep dungeon flex with heaps of texture and well-reigned drama. Epic stuff.
