Review: Dubstomp 2 Bass has become one of the premier destinations for UK jump-up, playing host to a whole bunch of exciting names in the scene over the few years. Now a proper flag-holder for the resurgent jump-up movement, the label is Lundy, one of the big up and comers right now who is landing with a fully fledged album, something you unfortunately don't see that much anymore. The first track - '9' - is playful yet devastating, with an upbeat and funky arrangement that lands hard - very hard. 'Give Hard' is less subtle, with pitched up synths that pummel the top end of the range and a snapping drum line that nails the bottom end. There is such a wide range of tunes here that it would be difficult for us to aptly describe them all, but needless to say that Lundy has nailed this one.
Review: Parasite is on Dubstomp 2 Bass with a stomping four-tracker, the next instalment in the label's border-crossing EP series. This is a full EP, then, and we're very much into it as every inch of this release is characterised by quality and the diversity is great to see. You've got big, riotous rollers like 'Lost Contact VIP' and 'The Lazy Riddem', which will get even the laziest amongst you dancing, but then also more stabby tunes like 'Insect Politics' and the old-school jungle of 'Flora & Fauna'. There are seriously nice tones of old school jump-up all the way through this release and it's a return to the subgenres more genuine, barebones side. Wicked EP.
Review: Welcome to Sussex! Home of the UK's first land-based casino, home of the world's second oldest sea life centre and the UK's oldest purpose built cinema. It gets more sun that any other region in the UK and it's been home to more invasions, too. But right now it's all about L Motive and this heavyweight four tracker on DS2B. Ranging from the turbo-charged groans and shreds of 'No Drugs' to the junglised breakbeat swing of 'Hybrid', if L Motive continues on this gully trajectory he won't just be known in his English county but known the world over. South coast badness.
Review: Straight out of Walsall and straight into our sets and hearts; Jedi has been a jump-up tour de force in recent years, and this humungous five-tracker is no exception. 'Rich & Sexy' sets the tone instantly with its sweeping harmonic bassline sliding up and down the scale. The grit and drama continues throughout 'Let Him DJ' grunts and bumps with a slug-like bassline, 'Energy' is stripped right back to the grizzles and features a sexy vocal sample while 'Don't Run' goes back to the raucous styles of the late 00s with its savage widescreen riff. Last but not least MC Weedy joins the fray for the grand bassline finale. Bang!
Review: Following on the heels of his last absolutely wicked release, Aliman is on Dubstomp 2 Bass for a showcase in how to produce gruff, no nonsense drum & bass that hits you hard and steps over the body. 'Fast Bong' is the perfect example, as he out all the tricks for a raucous jump up tune that growls in its stabs and wobbles in the sub bass. The old school jump up vibe carries on into 'Grass', with an urban edge to the sound that smacks sharply of the pioneering jump up producers of 10 or 15 years ago. Big stuff, and another sick instalment in Dubstomp 2 Bass' Straight Outta series.
Review: Following on the heels of his last absolutely wicked release, Midst is on Dubstomp 2 Bass for a showcase in how to produce gruff, no nonsense drum & bass that hits you hard and steps over the body. It's a continuation of the label's Straight Outta series, where they profile producers from around the UK, and 'Too Many Lives' feat Padman is the perfect example, as the pair team up for a raucous jump up tune that growls in its stabs and wobbles in the sub bass, the MC work laying over the top perfectly. The old school jump up vibe carries on the VIP of 'Area 51', with an urban edge to the sound that smacks sharply of the pioneering jump up producers of 10 or 15 years ago. The rest of the release is equally as on point - big ups Midst.
Review: Spiller has channelled the chaotic energy of the dancefloor for this EP, a musical dexterity which has permitted him to create this absolute fire of a release. 'Virus' rolls out above a set of heavyweight drums and crashing hi-hats, which underpin a complex, chaotic yet precise mash of intertwined bass synths and old-school sampling. 'Dope Shit' opens with a heavy arrangement that's matched in its upbeat drum lines, a serene moment of construction in what quickly turns into a very rough sea full of choppy basses and dirty sonics. Banging, and the other two won't let you down either.
Review: South east UK representing! MidsT returns to DS2B with one of his most accomplished and power-packed EPs to date: 'Straight Outta Maidstone'. Each cut packs its own surprise and sense of character from the emotional oboe flexing on 'Influenced' to the conspiratorial tones and harmonic bassline groans of 'Area 51' by way of the high voltage electricity bass bumps of 'Reazon'. With plenty more packed in besides, this is a massive EP from a very exciting UK new-gen rising dnb star.
Review: Dubstomp 2 Bass are without a doubt one of the strongest jump up labels around at the moment and their output is so damn consistent, with almost a new release every week. This week it's the turn of Jedi, a regular on the label, and, this release is a four-tracker chracterised by its sheer veracity. With crisp drums and a tumbling percussive line, 'Bald Fuck' rolls out in style, hitting punches and stealing packed lunches left right and centre, with a really original, complex approach to make interlinked basses. The madness continies on the other three, and 'Ball Washer' is especially potent, with slicing basslines that cut through the air with untrammelled ferocity. Proper tunes these - no messing around, but then again what would you expect from this label?
Review: Dubstomping around the Christmas tree, have a happy holiday as DS2B continue this year's new V/A series with a generous blast of fresh talent for your festive season. Featuring a range of close label allies, and showcasing a sound across the board from sharp, scrappy jump up to ominous, bulldozer foghorns, it's another full spectrum D&B assault. Highlights include Jedi's Need For Mirrors-esque tripper stepper 'Guns Of Navarone', Midst's disco-tinged grot on 'Your Ears' and Pruf's firing rave homage 'Flashback'. The list goes on. Everyone dancing merrily.
Review: Fire in the hole! DS2B link up two new-gen arsonists Midst and L Motive for four hair-raising, soul-singeing tear-ups. Big drama in the riffs but tension laced in every element, each of these cuts fit in perfectly with the hybrid jump-up sound that's pushing all the right buttons right now. 'Interesting' is a spooked out Q&A between two ghostly basses, 'Devil's Lettuce' is a pranged out ode to the green fingered massive while 'Mankind' is all grunts and shunts. Last but not least is 'We Shall Present' is a theatrical swaggering finale. Lettuce pray for more vibes like these.
Review: The force returns... Super prolific UK producer Jedi is back on Dubstomp 2 Bass with four slabs of peaktime batterage. 'Dance For Me' starts the engine with big bulbous bass licks and shades of classic rave on the hook. It's backed up by three equally stinking pieces; 'Kick Yo Ass Style' fuses up a whole array of sounds from sizzling bassline to jungle breaks, 'LaLa Land' gets all trippy with a playful vocal sample and some of Jedi's smelliest bass textures imaginable while 'Mans Bait' gets all sinister, paranoid and gritty for a dark finale. If you ain't dancing for Jedi who are you dancing for?
Review: Steamrolling into the toilet that is 2020 and blasting the doors off the hinges, the mysterious L Motive continues his sterling motivational murkery work on the Audio Overload label collective. This is his first for the mothership Dubstomp 2 Bass and we guarantee you'll be stomping to each of the four cuts... The eerie graveyard tones and sudden bassline flip of 'Darker', the big splashy drums of 'Amnesia', the tension and raw power of frustration and the jittering croaks of the finale 'Lone Wolf'. Time to get darker...
Review: There aren't many things better than a wicked MC EP, as their vocal flavours provide a constant anchor for a subsequently more diverse, more exciting range of production quality. That's exactly what's happened here, as MC Weedy joins up with Jedi, Falco, Mackz and Lowlife to form a five-tracker outing in fiery jump-up flavours. It's a proper riot, and no track fills that roll better than Macks, whose production on 'Top Of The World' is absolutely classic old school flavours that reminds us of early Hazard or Sub Zero. Jedi flips a hip-hop intro into a choppy, naughty piece of work on 'Amber', whilst Falco rolls out the foghorn business on 'Quid Pro Quo'. Unreal.
Review: Strength in numbers! The ever-heavy, ever-ready Dubstomp 2 Bass family unite once again for the second instalment of their DS2B Collective series. Familiar faces all the way as we're reminded of how forthright and firesome the label's output is; Jedi brings his signature dancefloor weight and trippiness with cuts like "Donald Duck", DEEb brings the emotions and subversive dynamics with and Falco's epic "Hysteria", Lowlife gets twisted with his moaning, groaning basslines with his contributions (especially "The Other Side") while newcomer Mudlark follows up his single earlier this summer with the almighty trouser-blazer "Be A Mudlark". And that's just the tip of this gully iceberg.
Review: Dubstomp 2 Bass are back on their wagon, one which is powered not by horses but by the sheer force of the music this label releases on a regular basis. We're especially big fans of the title tune, as an eerie sample lays the groundwork for its relentlessly pounding percussion and deep, wallowing back end, a bassline that stretches into the distance and far over the horizon. 'Destroy' is snapping and sharp, its warmth cut away on the drop and replaced by a wobbling, chopping array of basslines that move through each other with a surprising amount of grace. One of the proper heads.
Review: Hot on the heels of his Raw Motion single earlier this month - and having a pretty prolific year in general, let's be fair - young Instag8 returns to D2B with two of his murkiest muck-flinging pieces to date. "Dangerous Killer" is a real low swinger. Knuckle scuffing bassline, rolling loose drums and precision spoken samples; it's a case of total murderation. "Jungle War" is similarly impressive. Once again, the mood is sinister, the arrangement is minimal and soundboys will get hurt when these are dropped. You've won the battle... Now win the war.
Review: Dubstomp 2 Bass is an extremely prolific label that seemingly has a release out every other day, which makes it more impressive that all of them seem to hit the nail on the head. That nail is on the shape of messed-up (in a good way) jump-up, something Lowlife clearly excels at making. 'Results' doesn't have the tightest sound design in the world but I can't imagine Lowlife really cares all that much, instead he's made a rough and heavy dancefloor tune that'll go down well anywhere. 'In The Feels' opens up with some menacing, suspenseful synths on the introduction which quickly flip into a wave of distortion and dirt, wrapping themselves around the drums in an injection of funk. Sick ep.
Review: Dubstomp 2 Bass don't release the most sophisticated music in the business, but they probably don't really care, simply because the stuff they do release is unashamedly rough round the edges and heavy. Their latest offering is a two-track EP from Sick Run, where he has decided to construct two absolutely devilish cuts that rely on jagged basses and an overwhelming sense of force to slam you to the ground and back again. The first - 'Beast' - is relentless in its pursuit of madness and packs a devastaing amount of weight in its chosen combo of ricochet drums and pummelling low frequencies. The flip - 'Triangle' - is choppier and more precise, a true bit of dancefloor engineering. Awesome.
Review: Dubstomp 2 Bass is an extremely prolific label that seemingly has a release out every other day, which makes it more impressive that all of them seem to hit the nail on the head. That nail is on the shape of messed-up (in a good way) jump-up, something Jedi, a regular on the label, clearly excels at making. 'No You Aint' doesn't have the tightest sound design in the world but I can't imagine Hamses really cares all that much, instead he's made a rough and heavy dancefloor tune that'll go down well anywhere. 'My Time' opens up with some menacing, suspenseful synths on the introduction which quickly flip into a wave of distortion and dirt, wrapping themselves around the drums in an injection of funk. Sick ep and shout out to Skelta for his sick bars throughout.
Review: Dubstomp 2 Bass is another of those very consistent and prolific jump-up labels that just generally tends to release some of the naughtiest cuts from that side of the scene around. RD is on the imprint this time and Bally Gangs features murky tones on all four cuts, each of them dripping with the type of energy that's made jump-up so popular at the moment. Our favourite is probably 'Don't Wanna', a gargling tune that squelches its way around the range, undercut by a skippy but forceful percussive line. The title track is another highlight, a forceful but creative drum section underpinning a wavey amalgamation of bass force. More good work from these guys.
Review: Dubstomp 2 Bass are the Birmingham based imprint of madmen who, day-in-day-out, push forth some of the vilest beats known to both the Midlands and the UK more broadly. Falco is their latest alumni and, judging from this EP, he's graduating with a first in D&B studies. 'Notification' is the standout tune from the album, a deep and dark roller that sits comfortably within current D&B trends and which hits harder than a train that's just gone off the rails, its knockout snare drum and monochromatic bassline effortlessly moving about the arrangement. 'Overthinking' gets light and 'Colliision' is the naughty kid of the groups and knows it, whilst 'Declared Hostile' is another vicious rolling little number. Cop this one.
Review: Midst and Jedi is somewhat of a fiery combination, the pair of them together packing a sound that, more often than not, is downright dirty. No Man is a vindication of that and the selection throughout this release is so on-point and so in-touch with current styles of D&B it's a little absurd, you can almost picture the videos on Facebook as each of these drop. 'Maybe' is the unique one of the bunch, a steppy cut that chops and changes the whole way through; the Midst remix of 'Dracula' is our favourite, its wobbling sub-bass riff guides you down into a steam-train bassline that sounds a lot like a Serum cut or similar. The other cuts are also all definitely worth your time.
Review: We're not quite sure how Jedi manages to put out so many releases, to be honest, because the man is just always on it. Always on a mix of labels, this time it's Brummy imprint Dubstomp 2 Bass. The title track is refreshingly heavy, creative bass work and stepping drum smacks forming archways of diving bass force, a joy to listen to and we'd imagine pretty devastating on the dancefloor. 'Sweet Gun' sees Jedi on familiar territory - naughty jump up that makes you want to hit your nan. 'Boner' is different again, a pummelling, fluid back end laid out beneath a rolling set of drums. Yes Jedi!
Review: Sick Run is landing on Dubstomp 2 Bass with a sick two-tracker and, as you can probably tell from the name of the label it's coming out on, it's a seriously murky bit of work. You wouldn't think that from the start of 'Taken' though, which quickly devolves into a pummelling expression of force. The rest of the release is powered by the same relentlessness and 'Sentinel Island'' carries an expansive back end that undergirds a sequence of menacing sounds, a really sick track that doesn't take any prisoners on the dancefloor. Incredible.
Review: There are a load of regular artists on Dubstomp 2 Bass and they all share a tendency to create hard-hitting beats, so having them all come together on this remix LP was bound to have good results. Haunts of the Crypts remixes is a stormer, shown off well in Maurizzle's remix, a sub-heavy, stomping number that relentlessly ploughs down the middle. This LP also sees a return to Jedi's jump-up prowess and hiss remix is without a doubt one of the highlights of this LP, a massively heavy, jagged, stabbing piece of work that still packs ample bouncy funkiness. Excellent stuff.
Review: Lymitless is back on Birmingham's Dubstomp 2 Bass and yeah, the guy who started it all over there is back on the label and, according to the title of this two-track, Here To Silence. He certainly does that here and he does so in style, with Agzzy jumping on board with him to inject a bit of the vocal wizardy. 'Here To Silence' is the highlight of the pair, with a pummelling set of percussive lines interlocking and pushing the vibrant, raw and deep bassline onwards and upwards all the way through the tune. Banging.
Review: Jedi is back, using his force to compel you to pull ugly bassfaces and throw your drink with an EP that doesn't hold back. Its not the kindest on the ears but then again it's not supposed to be, it's a monograph in hard-hitting sonics and dastardly tones. 'John Spartan' is undergirded by a booming snare drum and percussive clarity, but the action happens in the steadily melodic but still raucous bassline, a pitched-up monstrosity of dancefloor proportions. The others feature more big synths, but with emphasis instead on forward movement and serene rapidity - top release.
Review: Derby has given us some incredible inventions over the years including railway roundhouses, the waterworks system and hotdogs but all those things pale in comparison to this new bash-up sesh from DJ Mackz. Straight outta Derby and into our hearts, the whole EP is tailored for proper dance damagement: "Finesse" fuses up a little sensual R&B flavour into the mix, "Magnum Boy" has a classic vibe Mackz midlands jump-up forefathers were best known for while "Freaky Tonight" is freaky 24/7 and not just the night times. Throw a naughty VIP in the mix and you've got yourself a Derby demolition on your hands.
Review: Jedi is a regular on Dubstomp 2 Bass and we can see why, his tendency to create hard hitting beats is well known and he's utterly consistent in doing so. One Step Ahead is his latest EP and it's a stormer, shown off well in 'Itty Bitty', featuring Reeality, which packs a diving, rolling bassline and some meaty vocal work from the MC. 'Jelly Leg' sees a return to Jedi's jump-up prowess, as does title track 'One Step Ahead', a grating, choppy number with wicked chord progression. Banging stuff.
