Big, bad and heavy are three words to describe DJ Brokie and Profile’s drum and bass label, Octave Recordings. Dripping with jump up debauchery, the London-based label have been dropping fat skankers from artists like Nu Elementz, Jaydan, Sub Killaz, AC13, Jaydan and K Motionz, since 2013.
Review: Replicant is absolutely on it with this release. Courtesy of Octave Recordings, he's stepped up for a powerful bit of work across two tracks 'Mind Games' is the standout tune, a wobbly collection of sines and subs which taken together form an arrangement that's equal parts heavy and equal parts funky, a tried and tested combination that always goes down well in the club. The flip is just as wicked, and it's the sheer attitude, the no nonsense vibe that this single has, which has made us as gassed about it as we are.
Review: Subsonic is absolutely on it with this release. Courtesy of Octave Recordings, Silent Ninja is a release that's anything but silent, in fact it's the utter lack of silence which makes this such a strong release. 'Tell Dem' is the standout tune, a wobbly collection of sines and subs which taken together form an arrangement that's equal parts heavy and equal parts funky, a tried and tested combination that always goes down well in the club. The other three land more on the jump-up side of the spectrum and the title tune is representative of that sound, with big ol' bass stabs punctuating a tight collection of hits and knocks. Top release.
Review: Shoes off! K Motionz is back with two obscene thumpers that are so hooky you'll be humming in the most inappropriate of places for next five years. "Het Entrepot" pays homage to the European take on jump-up with an insane riff that genuinely comes from nowhere and stays forever. "Bneath" sees him teaming up with Subway affiliate Profile for a laser-licking lash-out deep in the coldest corners of space.
Review: Having escalated the living dickens out of us on his recent Young Guns series, Master Error now fixes his focus on Octave Recordings with two more weapons for the cabinet. 'Different' is a hybrid jam that sits somewhere between all styles in a way that wouldn't have gone amiss in the early 2000s on labels like Formation. All bubbly, riffy and heavy in the twisted samples. 'Elixir' has more of a traditional Belgian bite to it; all rusty lasers and jagged edges, if this doesn't put lead in your pencil then you're sketching the wrong things baby. Masterful.
Review: San Diego savages Sub Killaz return to Octave Recordings with two stone cold slammers. Tapping into the Supreme Being / Modified Motion style of big brazen riff science that characterised jump up around 10 years ago (but with 2019 production muscle) both tracks hit the spot with bags of face-melting horse power. "Time Traveller" is slap to the senses with its rasping Q&A and dagger-like fills. "Oh Baby" is just as gully thanks its spiralling harmonics that writhe through the track like some type of vengeance-fuelled snake. Heavy duty kit, handle with caution and you'll wipe the floor from beneath any crowd you encounter this summer.
Review: This EP from KL is aptly named - Desolator - because that's exactly what it's aimed at doing. There are no frills or gimmicks to be found here, just purely heavy dance music laid out over a range of different tempos and beat patterns. We especially love the jagged halftime of 'Let Go', which feels torn out of a different dimension, yanked from its place for our distorted listening pleasure. There's more rhythmic creativity on 'Desolator', which takes the normally pacey drumline of jump up, slows it down and swings it out to create a naughty stepper that'll turn you on your head. 'Scissor Kick' finishes things off with a final burst of momentum encapsulated in its spaceship of part-jump up, part-neuro dimensions. Brilliant.
Review: We've barely recovered from Froidy's 'Blunts & Booze' headbutt earlier this month and now he's back with this heavyweight two-tracker. 'Wrong Move' is a perilous jump-up freak-out comprised of pure sheet metal dynamics and aggy, venomous energy while 'Alone' sees the Friody one linking with Decrypt for more of a high frequency shock-out. High energy business with full focus on the dancefloor. Total carnage.
Review: Jaydan has become firmly entrenched within the new school of jump-up, his dirty tones being present at raves up and down the UK as well as across the channel. Underworld does things right - kicking off with 'Empty World' - which is just pure attitude encapsulated in a 170 beat and some basses. 'Badman Tune' earns its name with a wobbling sine that pushes up into another and 'Roast' is equally as badboy, stuttering jungle breaks masking a deeper sense of progression via a bouncing stab or two. 'Ways Of The Underground' is a lighter note to finish on, a recognizable sample flung out over a luscious backdrop of wispy pads that gradually escalates into something a tad darker. A quality EP with lots of variety.
Review: VIP time! Belgian badman Trafalgar returns to Octave with two special versions of his last release on the label 18 months ago. The sole preserve of top ranking jump up DJs for the last year, you've might have heard these brain melters already... "Get Out VIP" is pure staccato savagery, now with an added little twist to the hook on the riff. "Unfair VIP" takes an even darker twist than the original but still takes the time to call you fat. You can call him square all you like, but the truth is Trafalgar is all heart.
Review: Put away those gunfingers, get out your laserfists and punch the air like it's your biggest enemy ever; Hizzleguy gets busy on Brockie and Profile's swiftly developing Octave Recordings and the results are nothing short of anarchic. "Spaceman" (with Profile) is an ozone piercing laser shredder with more high frequencies than a bat sanctuary. "Ladies Night", meanwhile, salutes the gyaldem with a rugged rolling bottom end Q and a rasping high end A. Please form an orderly queue.
Review: Next up from the Octave Recordings team, a hard hitting combination in classic two-track style as they welcome the explosive sounds of Muzo inside for a seriously hard hitting pairing. We begin with the choppy rhythmic approach of 'Unknown', a synth heavy surge through squelching synthesiser squeals and hard hitting subs, giving us a vibrant yet super-unique introduction. On the flip-side to this, we check out 'Define', a slightly more stripped back arrangement that does once again make use of gnarly synthesiser pile-drivers and warbling melodies to match, giving us a peek into the more electronic side of Muzo's character. Both of these are primed and ready to produce a ruckus in any dance around the UK.
Review: The crew over at Octave have done a very exciting thing with this latest two-track outing, welcoming a combination of top quality artists inside to deliver face-blistering originals that are sure to let havoc loose among the ravers. We begin with Muzo's solo outing on 'Twenty4Seven', a snarling combination of scuttled synth stutters and metallic donks, wrapped together in high intensity drum sweeps for good measure. From here, the B-side sees Muzo welcome Jenks for a much more LFO driven dip into original D&B flavour, focussing on blipping melodic tops and old school jungle breaks for a very diversified flip. Awesome work!
Review: Previously spotted on Subway Soundz, Jay Jay charges head first into Octave Recordings with this feisty clutch of bruisers. Highlights include the pensive bassline drama on 'Motive', the savage little breaks fills on the title track 'No Time', the total agginess of 'Scary' (along with Instig8) and the eerie tension on 'Never Die' (with MLD) There's 'No Time' like the present eh?
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