Standing at the very forefront of dubstep, Youngsta’s Sentry Records have long been a bastion and hallmark of the very finest 140bpm sonics since their debut release - dBridge’s exemplary ‘Fashion Dread / Digital Dread’ - back in early 2017. Since then, Sentry’s blockbuster release output has continued to startle and sparkle, growing into the sincere, regarded tastemakers they are today. Essential moments like SP:MC’s ‘Vintage / Slugfest’ 2-tracker, Cimm’s outstanding ‘Unknown Caller!!’ album, Nomine’s ‘Stomp / Slip’ and main man Youngsta’s ‘Progress’ w/ Killa P & Long Range have all gone down as stonewall classics, whilst the likes of Egoless, Akcept, Caspa, Icicle, Dayzero, Abstrakt Sonance & Substance, Boylan, Logos, Slimzee and more have provided diverse, tasteful 140 licks. That’s without even mentioning their takeovers at cherished festivals like Outlook, plus their ‘Syndicate’ compilation that’s seen Khiva, Bukez Finezt, Sukh Knight, Truth, Opus, Leftlow and Mr K join the crew. Despite only launching in 2017, Youngsta’s longlasting reputation and their already-established greatness means that Sentry Records is regarded as one of the true dubstep powerhouses around - onwards and upwards.
Review: Following on from a pretty outstanding run of releases, the Sentry team are back at it again, this time blessing us with two brand new heaters from the one and only Cimm. We kick off with the creaky bass slides and unpredictable drum switches of 'Conman', which takes us back to a nostalgic place in dubstep, reminiscent of early Matt-U & Benga sound warblers. On the flip, we enter a more stripped back landscape of hypnotic high end pads and warbling LFO's below give 'So' a uniquely melancholy feel. It's a wicked two-tracker that fits perfectly among the rest of the Sentry catalogue.
Review: The beautiful thing about the ever-present Sentry catalogue is just how versatile it can remain, despite staying true to its dubstep roots. This time around, label-owner Youngsta welcomes the fabulous production arsenal of Substance inside for two system sizzlers, kicking off with 'Dreamstate'. As you can imagine, this is a floaty affair, jam-packed with organic drum textures and eastern-inspired melodic twists, all bolstered up by some ridiculously clean sub-work below. On the flip, 'Bitter End' focuses on some more minimal influences, with eerie melodic expressions and super-powerful bass manipulation playing the lead roles. Sentry have done it again!
Review: Now if you were looking for an allstar 140 lineup, It's hard to look at this new single and not see it as one of the strongest drops of the year. Trends & Boylan are a dangerous duo at the best of times, but when you then combine the majesty and power of their unique approaches to production with the likes of Cimm, Youngsta and the untouchable vocals of Riko Dan, you are always going to end up with something special. The track takes the title 'Hear That', which Trends & Boylan tear to pieces, reformatting it into a rave-ready smash, layering Riko's catchy vocal line over the top of a cascade of lethal horn lines, powerful bass pushes and eerie piano melodies. This is one for the dances, make no mistake about that!
Review: After following the work the team at Sentry have been putting out over the course of the last few years, to see this link up with The Widdler was a very exciting affair. We kick off with the monstrous synthetic designs of the title track 'Triton', which combines a sizzling, alarm like bass sound with minimal percussion for a super-impactful landing. Next, 'Listen To The Sound' takes it old school with some classic LFO manipulation before we dive into swampy arrangements of 'Remember When', doused in subby flavour. Finally, 'Lifeless' finds the balance of both worlds, combining minimal drum designs with earth-shattering bass-tones to round off the project with a bang!
Review: The thing we have come to love about the Sentry Records selections over the past few years is that no matter what direction they decide to take it, we just know they are going to deliver quality with whatever they do. This second edition of their 'Syndicate' series is a perfect example of that as they unleash twelve potent dubstep originals, with the likes of Muttley, CITY1, Youngsta, Substance, CIMM and more all getting involved with some pretty incredible work. The project gives us a fabulous listing of the pure expansive nature of dubstep's sound in today's setting, with a couple of favourites including the constantly evolving, eastern-inspired sounds of Saraphim on 'The Fallen', alongside the reecey rumbles of 'Shotta Kush', which sees the super consistent LSN at it once again.
Review: It's been a brief minute since we heard from the forward thinking Cimm, with his recent LP drop being one of our recent steppers highlights. This latest four tracker continues in the same reign of form, with 'Endo' providing us with a haunted yet wonderfully wonky introduction, packed with creepy percussive inputs and grizzly electronic leads. Next, Cimm shows his elegance with sampling as 'Grape Lime Ricky' gives us a more mellow dive into the dubstep depths, followed by the dungeon ready delay designs of 'Endless Sky' and dubwise influenced compositional structure of 'Space Queen' to round off the release with real finesse. Amazing work.
Review: The run of form we have found Sentry to be on over the past few months has been pretty astonishing, with their consistency levels hitting an all time high. They return here for a fantastic collaboration EP, kicking off with Boylan & Logos linking up for a sizzling sub-heavy roller entitled 'Orders', jam packed with lethal snare pumps and a steadily progressing LFO line that just breathes energy. The party expands on the next track as Slimzee & U.S.F join Boylan for the high energy drum expanses and rattling bass tones of 'The Mould'. These two tracks work perfectly as a pairing and fit precisely into the sound that Sentry have been pushing!
Review: Sentry have been a serious killer streak of late and this latest collaboration if most certainly a product of that. We see the legendary Youngsta link up with the rapid fire flows of Killa P and Long Range for a certified smash, taking the title 'Progress'. The link up is a match made in heaven, as Killa P and Long Range let loose a destructive display of rapid fire flows and rhythmic switch ups over the lethal reesey textures of Youngsta's flawless production. This one also comes complete with Youngsta's fantastic instrumental version, which despite the brilliance of the lead vocal, most certainly stands up as an instrumental project.
Review: It has been a seriously long while since we saw dubstep in such a strong position, with an incredible selection of newcomers making their way to the forefront and a number of the old guard continuing to up the levels. This latest single drop from the team at Sentry sees three powerhouses in Abstrakt Sonance, Substance and Pushloop come together for a grimey roller on an official 'Smoking Blunts' remix. Pushloop gives this one a seriously gritty edge, using stunning horn stabs and warbling metallic bass stabs in a perfect call and response motion. This one will most certainly be lighting up dances up and down the country.
Review: When we heard the news that Cimm had an album on the way, we could barely contain our excitement. When we then learnt it was to be featured on Sentry, our expectations tripled, and boy does Cimm deliver! The project takes the name 'Unknown Caller!!' and is a perfect embodiment of what today's deep dubstep scene represents, from the irresistible sub pressures of 'The Corner' alongside Rider Shafique to eastern-dub hybrids of 'Blue Sapphire' and lower tempo bass quakes of 'I Am Jack Travis'. The collaborations are fruitful on this one, as Cimm also invites Youngsta, Mr K, SGT Pokes, Riko Dan and Animai to take part in what is undoubtedly one of the strongest dubstep projects of the year.
Review: Now most of us will know of SP:MC for his heavy hitting work within the dubstep scene, always providing either a crispy new vocal assist or punchy original piece of production in the 140 zone. However we here see him expand into a more garage sounding area as we leap into this fantastic new project, courtesy of Sentry. We kick off with the smooth percussive pressures and groovy rhythmic twists of 'Vintage', which packs a serious punch. On the flipside we are given 'Slugfest', another tasty helping of crunchy drum designs and more organic sounding percussive twists.
Review: What a time it is for dubstep, with a number of legends making reappearances, it was only a matter of time before two of the founding fathers of the sound returned to where they belong. We have to give massive props to Sentry who unveil this brand new two tracker from The Others, kicking off with the neurotic bass rolls and unpredictable drum designs of 'Shaolin'. On the flip side, we are tuned into more production magic as the super techy sound design of 'Feedback' emerges, dripping in electronic magnificence and unique themes. We couldn't be happier to see The Others back in business.
Review: Sentry Records has put together some serious releases over the last few years, showcasing the latest and greatest in dubstep and its surrounding genres. We are therefore introduced to and absolutely storming compilation here as we reel off bangers from the likes of dubstep legends such as Caspa, Truth, Sukh Knight, Youngsta and more. For us, the highlights of this incredible compilation are quite clear, kicking off with the stunning production of 'Judas' from Nomine, who brings forward his uniquely metallic sound design on mass. Another absolute heater we couldn't forget is the spooky yet satisfying 'Crocodile' from Dayzero, packed with wicked drum flavours and haunted overtones.
Review: We see here another for fantastic drop from Icicle, a name who has been synonymous with well produced bass music over the last few years, be that in the drum & bass sphere or on a slower, more stripped back flex. We begin the with a title track 'Raising The Dead', which combines a selection of demonic synth movements with grizzly sub textures below and shuffling hats. This is followed by the intensely metallic drum designs and ascending bleeping melodies of 'NT', before the stompy bass growls and subtle breakbeat inflections of 'Shout Me' take ahold. When then finish off on a more relaxed tip as the crunchy yet spacey tones of 'Noughties Riddim' close the EP off perfectly. Very slick stuff!
Review: Prepare to be thwacked with some serious expressive dubstep heat on this one as the futuristic groovemeister known as Dayzero teams up with Sentry for an awesome two track drop. We begin our journey on this one by sallying into 'Sunday On Spaceship', which as you can imagine from its title is a trippy dubstep expanse, alternating between colourful glitch-like arpeggiators and a bag of other super creative sounds, creating the perfect balance between madness and creativity. On the flip we land on 'Down By Law', another scattered embrace between the weird and wonderful, led by Asian-inspired string plucks and unpredictable bass splutters. Fire!
Review: For us, this is without a doubt one of the hardest 140 two track drops we have seen on the platform this year as the team at Sentry unveil an eastern inspired work of brilliance from North London's Cimm. We kick off with Eagle Eye, which takes vibrant, organic eastern style string melodies and layers them demonically with gritty bass notation with incredible affect. We are also gifted 'Old Scratch', which switches the motive to a more dubwise arrangement, without losing that eastern melodic tint. This one brings out more typical dub elements such as super wavy delayed chord progressions, lazers and crunchy drum creations.
Review: Recovering from the damage caused by Caspa's "Gutter Riddim" earlier this year, Youngsta's Sentry returns with a rightfully-hyped newcomer Gramz. Following a strong range of flips and self-releases, here we find the UK talent in full vinyl mode with two ridiculously on-point 140 jams. "Dip Dip Potato Chip" is every bit as tasty and filling as it sounds. Trippy, slurring and woozier than a disgraced celeb, this one sucks you right in and doesn't even bother to chew you up; it just swallows you whole. "Illa" takes the freakiness to even more refreshingly vital levels with its pitched ghetto vocals and drill-like snares. As with all previous Sentry releases, this is nothing short of essential.
Review: The stars have aligned on this one: Youngsta's impeccable Sentry imprint has meant the business since it launched last year with dBridge and it's got hotter ever since. Now battered and bruised by two Caspa workouts, the message is even louder. "Gutter Riddim" is a powerful groaner with warped bass and slight trap elements in the rolling drums while "Hot Head" plays with our senses with a vicious angular drop that suddenly explodes into the wobble fest of your (wet) dreams. Stinking.
Review: One of New Zealand's most outstanding dubstep producers Akcept has the honour to follow up heavyweights DBridge and Nomine on Youngsta's very own Sentry Records. The Tempa-affiliated legend established his record label earlier this year and is dedicated to present nothing but the finest content spanning across from different genres and styles he truly loves. Nevertheless this next and third instalment, due to release on the 6th of October 2017, holds down two brilliant 140 bpm clashers once again. Both "Dreader Than Dread", a rather dub influenced single, as well as "Howl" which covers the lower end, are a legitimate and respectable nod to the soundsystem culture.
Review: Tempa regular Nomine has pretty much taken over on the old dubstep front these days and, in our eyes (and ears), he's the man still truly pushing the buttons when it comes to dark, meditative bass sketches for those sub-bass junkies. "Stomp" and "Slip" land on the young Sentry imprint; the former, as the name implies, is a slow, minimalistic bass bullet with a single-minded beat that bangs away with utter disregard for any notion of 4/4, whereas the latter twists the bass hert into a wilder, more wobbly sort of framework for the heads - watch out for dem melodies circling the airwaves too!
Review: Have a word... Youngsta's launched a brand new vinyl-only label and DBridge launches it. Need we say more? Both "Fashion Dread" and "Digital Dread" are Darren White at his darkest and most stately - elephantine production, moody and misty and ultimately soaked in beautifully warm bass, both cuts have been doing the rounds on dubs for almost two years and have been in demand since Youngsta debuted them. Simply massive.
