Review: Little is known about Deafblind apart from the fact that he makes ludicrously thumping dubstep of the meditative variety, and this time he returns to Soulstep with a blinding three-tracker, full of bass-weight and peerless atmospheric energy. It kicks off with "My Salvation" featuring Living Proof, a thumping bundle of echoing half-steps and gritty melodies, while "Graceless" is all about the mutant bass hertz and the gnarly, ricocheting arrangement which creates a sort of drunken step to the beat. However, it's "Pots & Pans" where things turn really nasty thanks to some sweltering, disjointed bass licks and pensive, radiant melodies.
Review: According to his bio, Jafu cleans his teeth with a knife and drives a magic carpet. We like Jafu. And hearing this debut for Soulstep makes us like him even more. Quintessentially deep and consummately soulful; each of the three cuts pirouettes between dubstep, garage and good old fashioned electronica. "No More" is the floatiest of the set with a far-away vocal that reminds you of Diane Charlemagne. "Bag Of Tricks" keeps the garage tendencies while adding a much more direct punch to the melodic structure. "Obliged" closes the show with a much more traditional plodding riddim; hypnotising and sturdy, it's what the hours of 4-6am are made for.
Review: Grave grooves abound as Badimup's Baitface calls up some chums for a co-lab hoe-down. "Badmind Breed" sees all three players together on a dark dungeon funk flex with a slurring halfstep and sneaky sense of dread. "Penta" is a much more percussive affair with a rolling riddim that twists and tweaks itself into oblivion. "37th Method" serves up some fancy footwork with a series of very impressive kicks that are delivered with the perfect chest-pressing warmth. "Focus Mode" is a fitting grand finale; strung with warped, croaky drama and woozy halfstep swing, it's guaranteed to trip your floor right out. Heavyweight material through and through.
Review: Tunes are like chat up lines. Play certain tracks and they'll suggest your possible suitor should run a mile as your house is full of empty crisp packets and slugs. Other tunes, however, will suggest nothing but class, empathy and discernment. Seriously, try it. Play "Touch" to the next person you fancy and watch their pupils dilate with wonder. Soft synths and a sultry groove ride throughout as a crafty vocal snippet weaves and bobs amidst the deep melody. It's not a million miles away from Joy-O's work, which is a whole other chapter in tune chat up lines altogether. The lush two-step showdown "Frontin" is less of chat up line and more of a tune to play a little later on at night. You can work out when.
Review: Get your head down and your hood up for these excellent couple of tunes from Yin Yang Audio on Soulstep. First up is "Synergy" - a tense piece, full of uncertain chimes, haunting synth sweeps and chiming below a deep, punishing b-line, which sets the tone for the piece. "Scared", on the other hand, pushes the experimentalism the other way, building from a sparse intro into a gently rattling, lonely main part full of groans and curious SFX. Unnerving yet thought-provoking music here.
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