Review:
Southpoint continue their 2018 hot streak in spectacular fashion by bringing together 9TRANE's long awaited debut EP: 'Mile High'. Since breaking into the grime scene in 2016, 9TRANE has been on everyone's watch list, releasing regular 130/140 belters. This EP consists of 6 tracks, the first of which being a powerful collaboration with Over The Edge's J River, jam packed with witty lyricism and pounding subs. We are also treated to the grimey percussive power of 'Clap Weapon' and the stunning soundscaping of 'Space'. As a bonus the EP also features the 'Mile High' instrumental as well as two top draw remixes, as Dubzta rebuilds 'Clap Weapon' into a breaksy monster and Tik&Borrow send 'Space' for a classy dubstep refurb.
Review:
Simply Deep's Aerotonin makes his full Southpoint debut with some absolute fire. First up we're accosted by the rapid wry humour of Luciferian and Jabz as "Spin" hits us with beat after beat, bar after bar in the most full frontal way possible. "S&S" gives us the smoky feels; all atmospheric and swaggering with well crafted synths and a perfect female vocal hit while "League" goes in for the big bounce with a "Pulse X" informed finale: Stampy kicks with venomous bass and breaks/fill that come in from nowhere, this is bare chaos material.
Review:
Phengophobia, the fear of daylight. In our eyes, this name couldn't be more accurate as Bushbaby rolls out his fourth full EP with Brighton based high flyers: Southpoint, and it's a dark one for sure. As a project, this really summarizes how far Bushbaby has come, with 'Hold Up' being the perfect piece of dark bass magic to transform any crowd into an absolute zoo. The infamous vocal presence of Dread MC makes an appearance also on 'Montana', a gnarly dancehall infused stomper, packed with lethal energy. The mood then dramatically alters as the young soundsmith unleashes a phenomenal dosage of electronic soundscaping in the title track 'Phengophobia', showcasing the true depth of his skill.
Review:
Since their inception Southpoint have championed young bass maverick Bushbaby. Here they unleash his second solo outing, The Illusive EP. A gifted musical visionary who sounds like no other, here he gets to explore his creativity to great effect. The title track features abstract bass patterns and glitchy scattershot beats, whilst "Marble Arch" is slower and features trap influenced beats and a sombre cello riff. Meanwhile "Gameplan" includes gypsy/middle eastern string melodies and dubby breaks, whilst "No Tomorrow" adds classical strings and gentle chimes into the mix.
Review:
Bushbaby and Zero team up for a one-track mither on the excellent Soutpoint, an imprint which seems to be coming through with consistently high levels of lockjaw bass on a weekly basis! "Forget It" contains everything you could possibly want from a bass hybrid, with a gnarly flute bass floating and meandering wildly amid a loose 4/4 rhythm that blends two-step, house, and straight-up 90s garage. You get three genres for the price of one, and some devastating drops to conquer all dancers in your path.
Review:
Despite being one of Southpoint's 'original family members', the debut release from Brighton's Ceezus and Illa has only just now arrived. The Conquer EP features what they describe as 'three high-powered grime instrumentals', which is only partly true as they draw on much wider influences than grime itself. The title track is full of hip-hop swagger - brassy riffs and rattlesnake percussion - and is given a bouncy 4 x 4 makeover by Tengu and a rabid, doomy and eccentric rework by Aerotonin. Elsewhere they look to ancient Japan on "Ronin" and they chill out on the atmospheric "Wasted".
Review:
Exclusive - and free - to Junodownload, we're very proud to host this incendiary EP from Southpoint as they join us for a full takeover showcase. Having established a spotless reputation in bass circles as they fuse the tendrils of all the genres that matter; grime, UKG, bass and all creative spaces in between. This EP is yet another perfect snapshot of where they're at: Ceezus brings some conscious thought into the lyrical danger of the brilliantly titled "Juno", ChemistRNS cooks up a sassy UKG throwback with "Ciara" while James Mannion maintains the classical two-step and UKG vibes with a harmonic, pranged out riff. It's down to Mofaux to close the deal with "What's Going On" with a toxic brew of swinging kicks, loose amen fills and gangster voices. Southpoint? On point. There's a reason the likes of Marcus Nasty, DJ Cartier and Dappa rate the label as one of the best new imprints in the game right now.
Review:
Futurepast alchemist Chemist RNS makes his debut on one of 2016's runaway label success stories Southpoint with a collection of uncompromised grime instrumentals. Following the sterling strong-arm sounds he's developed on Chameleon and his own Bandcamp, each cut on "Bang Bang" really does hit hard... "What Do You Mean" does the spacious spooky haunted house style that's just screaming for some MC presence, "Alpine Lake" turbos up the drums with added kicks and switchy snare hits while the title track bangs with a unique and tripped out Amazonian twang. High fives on the remixes, too - both MoJoe and Triple S pay complete respect.
Review:
Whilst Britain has voted against remaining in the EU, it's positive to see integration is still on the agenda for British musicians. Here the Southpoint crew present their first compilation for our listening pleasure. Distinkt is up first, driving the hi-hats and ragga vibes on 4 x 4 monster "Babylon", next with into exotic, orchestrated RnB/hip-hop territory with Scruloose's "Flukes". Elsewhere Bushbaby's "Yh Man" is a minimal drum machine jam, KXVU's "Assassinuit" is a moody and percussive grime instrumental, James Mannion then rocks up to deliver the aggressive shuffle of "Madness" and Familiar Face provides the boomy trap closer "Lengman Riddim".
Review:
Starting out in the music biz can be a daunting task, but up 'n' coming Brighton bass imprint Southpoint are already putting themselves on the map with this impressive label comp. Boasting a selection of southeast talent, there are six fresh jams here to enjoy. Highlights include the dub-infused 4x4 growler "Babylon" by Distinkt, the heavy, heavy badness of James Mannion's "Badness" and the ominously regal sounding hip-hop of "Lengman Riddim" by Familiar Face.
Review:
New boy Bass peddler Drax (not to be confused with Thomas Heckmann's Tecno project) has been bubbling under the surface and building a reputation for himself in all the right circles Southpoint have managed to secure his services with these five curbside bangers, and the lead track "Frostie" draws the first weapon with a classic sort of grime approach, which allows "Leave" and "Locked" to both work on the same sort of aesthetic with a deeper focus on the half-step beats and additional harmonics. There's a couple of remixes, to boot; Beanzo turns "Frostie" into an even icier affair thanks to the help of a more penetrative beat shuffle, and JFO morphs "Leave" into an early-days Skepta kinda flex. Big.
Review:
Founding Southpoint crewdem Drax comes correct with this deliciously trippy and singular six track mini album/mega EP hybrid. As always, it's laced with a faraway charm with many references to the fair east in its tonal and textural treatment. At points mind bending chaos (the wild Brainfeeder style IDM jitters and chops of "Meka"), at others delicate, honest and emotional (the smoky barbed post love song "Move On") and others pure 23rd century dancefloor (the spring "Strain") this is Drax at his deepest, most detailed and most direct.
Review:
Bristol beatsmith Drone continues his rich vein of sparkling, feels-fortified instrumental grime with his Southpoint debut. "Signals" rides on an ominous reverse bass texture before slipping into a comfortable swagger that's more hip-hop than it is grime. "Target" adds the spooky factor with eerie sweeping synths and ghostly pitched vocal elements before "Fruit Punch" provides the EP KO: big stabs, chop-slapping claps and a kicks that could flatten a family of mules. Game over.
Review:
Long time label affiliate Eclypse makes his Southpoint debut with three on-point grime trips. "Don't Talk Crud" is all about the orchestral stabs, sharp drops and precision depth plunge bass notes. Complemented by a vocal version with an angry and to-the-point Danny Jaqq and a tricked-out technoid version from 9TRANE, it's the gully gift that keeps on giving. It's backed up with two more fire jams: the sci-fi shakes and steps of "Cosmic Ray" and the all-out bounce and snare-rattling power of "Gasoline", both of which are crying out for MC damage themselves. Southpoint just keep getting sharper.
Review:
Southpoint's sizzling with frayed bass naughtiness once again with latest young member Freddie Martin. As proved by recent cuts such as "Carnage" (on Southpoint) and "What" (on Saucy), Martin bounces in the fault lines between bassline, breaks, garage with a low end mutant that never sits still. "Limbo" slams, "Feel" twists a gurgling gutter kicking jam into a vocal daydream while "The Truth" sees him teaming up with fellow Southpoint success Bushbaby for a balls-out breakbeat sandpaper bass jam. Trust us; you'll be feeling this.
Review:
Fresh from being cited as an artist to watch for 2018, Frederick Martini (to use his full title) teams up with one of 130 music's most in-demand and sharpest mic-men MC Dread for an absolutely savage breakbeat/dark garage stepper. Gritty, energetic and loaded with some psycho bass textures; they didn't name this "Carnage" for nothing, capiche?
Review:
Habouchi lands on Southpoint with a four-tracker that sits perfectly into the contours of the UK's currently flourishing bassline and UK funky scene, an impressive display of production diversity that covers ground both melodic and riotous. 'Eden' featuring Jovian & Lou displays both, with an introduction rooted in melodic construction and textural suspense and with the vocalists nailing their vox, it builds to a delightful climax before spinning out into the back end, a patchwork of low frequency shudders convulse, covering the bubbly but also the fearsome. 'Syncopation' featuring Benjammin on MC duties is equally as wicked, with less of a build but more attitude and a serious amount of vocal flair. Sick EP.
Review:
Brighton's Southpoint label, run by Josh Gunston and Jay McDougall, only deal in next level stuff. Hamdi is right up their street: a producer who refuses to accept the rules of traditional bass music. Here he introduces us to three of the freshest electronic dance jams around. The title track kicks things off in fine style - all erratic stop-start footwork rhythms and off kilter mangled bass. Also Moony takes it into sparse 2 step territory whilst "Tengu" makes it all speedy and paranoid. Elsewhere "Dizzy" is a blistering 4 x 4 attack and "Fierce" is a merciless techno-bass meltdown. Boom!
Review:
As one of the most exciting talents on the south coast, Hamdi returns to his home label Southpoint for a superb body of work, showcasing his adaptability and production prowess by exploring a multitude of musical themes across just three original recordings. The title track 'Dictatorship' is a straight grimey missile. Having received support from the likes of My Nu Leng and Spooky, this one has already been proven to mashup a dance with its gritty lead synths and monstrous drum design. Next up, Hamdi's bassline genes come out to play on the 4x4 stomper 'Low' before we land on the more experimental tripod sounds of 'New Wave'. On remix duty, Southpoint newcomer Kotei gets involved on his second EP placement, sending 'Dictatorship' to the shredder with his uniquely grimey synth design and choppy drum layering. The Southpoint storm continues!
Review:
Brighton's Josh Gunston and grime DJ KXVU (aka Jay McDougall) recently joined forces to launch Southpoint, a label determined to promote local talent and to revive their hometown's flagging bass and grime scenes. Here they really pull out all the stops for Integrate Vol 2 a collection featuring appearances from some of their most favourite young guns. Highlights include the moody late night hip-hop instrumental "Flatline" by Drax, the haunted wobble/ghetto banger "You Chat Too Much" by James Mannion & Bushbaby and the sub-heavy headnodder "Almighty Power" by Beanzo & Filthy Gears.
Review:
Being one the UK's standout bass music labels of 2018, we expected nothing less than a kickstart to 2018 from Brighton based collective: Southpoint. For STPT035 they join forces with Leominster's own grime hot shot Jakebob for a real journey of a six tracker. This EP explores the full breadth of Jakebob's highly melodic sound. For instance, the airy flutes across 'Wolf Whistle', the skippy choir driven arrangement of 'Dusties' alongside Lingers and the beautifully applied asian scales of 'Surai' in collaboration with Drax show a softer side of his production. On the other side of the EP we hear the more pulsating sounds of the title track 'Champion', 'Rago' in collaboration with Razor who lays down a lethal vocal feature. On remix duty, Albzzy steps forward with his fantastic dubstep rework of the 'Champion'.
Review:
Bristol based James Mannion has appeared previously on Audiophile XXL, Anthemic Sounds and 3000 Bass but this time makes his debut on Brighton's Southpoint who described his style succinctly: "He blends warm and airy synth pads with hard-hitting 4x4 bassline and breakbeat riffs to achieve a versatile and balanced sound". Here here! "Apache" is classic UK 2-step reminiscent of MJ Cole, complete with orchestral stabs and vocals. There's more of the same on his remix of Rural's "No One" but "Lifted" gets more on the underground sound: sick bassline on this one and sounds great on that part when it goes 4/4. The Karl Vincent & Tee remix of "Apache" is more of a straight ahead bassline house makeover: nice one!
Review:
Having first appeared on the evergreen bass innovation stable for their Integrate album last year, Manchester's JFO returns to Southpoint with a full EP that lives up to its name... Lean, minimal and humming with authentic dubspace science. The title track says it all; shimmering subs and reflective synth ripples, it's as pristine as we've come to expect from the Crystal Recordings founder. Elsewhere we're massaged by eastern pipes on "Illy Dub", we're pushed into the cavernous jaws of deep dubstep with the vibrantly percussed "Darka" and given a royal slap with strings and grimey rifle snares on "Peak". In case there wasn't enough reason to bag this, Triple S has twisted up "Illy Dub" for good measure. Powerful.
Review:
KXVU has been a bass-game revelation over the past few years, with 2016 being a truly important year for the UK producer. After outing on stables like Project Allout, KXVU returns to his own imprint Southpoint with a full LP, a twelve-track escapade filled with all sorts of twisted vocals and raucous grime sketches. There's something in this for all sorts of listeners, from the vocal riddims of "Sao Feng" featuring Razor, to the pouncing grime bass of "The Locker", and the hybrid-like experiments of tunes like "The Kraken", whose sole purpose is to get on your face, and use as much of the hardcore continuum as humanely possible. Big, bad, and built for some serious head-nodding
Review:
Southpoint co-boss KXVU returns to the homestead with another weighty dispatch. A year and two dope EPs on Project All-Out and Simply Deep have passed since his debut album Cub Inna Caribbean and he's making up for lost time with five serious sphere-spanning sizzlers: "Empire" is all drama and hybrid fire, Writz taps-in for a wry lesson in aggy angularity on "Tekki" and "Hex" takes us deep into the most mystical corners of KXVU's mind. Elsewhere "Koya" applies the breaks for a high speed chase down the darkest of Tibetan alleys while "Ratisu" closes on a lean mean neck snap. Remix-wise Mr B flips "Hex" into a percussive steppy experience while JFO dubs the dickens out of "Retisu". Guaranteed to get your dancefloor into some serious (empire) states.
Review:
Ooof! KXVU taps in Duke for a mission four piece that stretches across the game. From the eastern twangs and raw orchestration of "Mizu" to the trappiest ghetto synths and skippy UKG-style rolls of "Meisei", this sums up the raucous no-rules Southpoint sound with a whole host of messages laced deep into the riddims. Elsewhere "Ketsueki" snaps the panpipes while "Un" shuts us down with a narrative we can all relate to. Powerful music.
Review:
BOOM! It was about time that good ol' Moony stepped onto the Southpoint catalogue with some puristic UK bass for floor-cleansing. The talented young maestro drops the wavey garage drums of "Bullion" for starters, which is followed-up by a main course featuring the deliciously broken beats of "Mutton" and the soulful half-steps of "Be Your Only". These are only our favourites from the menu but, to be honest, this is without a doubt THE garage EP of the week for us here at Juno. Drop any one of these badboys in the dance and then see what happens...
Review:
As one of the real standout label projects across 2018, We are very happy to see Southpoint make their return to JunoDownload amidst an extremely hectic release schedule. Here we see them unveil Movement's debut 'Mendax' EP, which explores everything UKG with a serious twist of flavour. The title track itself is an ode to old school 2-step compositions with 'Camlet Moat' providing some more nostalgic tastings and 'The Burial' twisting into a darkened expanse of bass and drum work. Next up, 'Aku Aku' see's the return of Banzai's unique vocal presence over tribalistic percussive spreads, before we finish up with Moony's smoothened out rethink of 'Mendax', topping off a terrific body of work.
Review:
Bristol's own dubstep dynamo Muttley returns to the super consistent Southpoint brand for his debut solo EP with the label. Having featured on numerous releases and remixes previously for the Brighton based project, this one has been a long time coming. The title track is Muttley at his best, with emotive eastern-inspired instrumentation running riot over heavy 808 patterns. The same goes for 'Neiru' and 'Cuboid' which are both just as energetic with more explorative drum arrangements. Finally 'Yujin' rounds up the EP with a slightly quicker powerhouse like arrangement. On remix Duty, label co-founder KXVU steps forward with his colourful rework of 'Cuboid'.
Review:
Noble by name, gnarly by nature; Southpoint's latest fam member lays down a delightfully angular stepper with a precision kick/snare arrangement and fine-tuned tubular bass tones. Ideal for instrumental grime DJs or MCs looking for beat to vibe on. Remix highlights include Dubzta's string twist, Distinkt's stripped back paranoia jam, KXVU's rifle-like double ups and drum chops and Drax's wave pool splashdown.
Review:
Dark man ting: Noble expresses more not-so-noble intentions with this menacing instrumental grime dispatch. "Junction" serves a serious function with its dance-worrying drama, sharp steps and strident orchestration. "Cement" flips for something a lot more toxic and swampy with its warped-out bass melts and stuttering spacious beats. Finally we have the wily sci-fi trap subversions of "Specialist", a tune that's been on demand since it was teased at the start of the year. You need more do you? Chow down on JFO's exceptional remix and think about where you want to be in life.
Review:
Brighton's up and coming DJ/producer Pavv is back on Southpoint with some truly representative sounds of the UK underground garage sound and after some great releases on Project All Out, In:flux Audio and U Wot Blud? Records. The sexy and wonky title track is no doubt indebted to legends like MJ Cole, but what an impressive tribute; the use of the sampled vocals on this one is sweet. Bushbaby turns in a pretty killer remix of the track too which we dug, adding more swing to the rhythm and some added 'wonk' to the bassline which worked well. Also appearing is "Run Tings" which is more raw, tracky and full of attitude; save this one for later in the night when you want to up the energy level effectively.
Review:
Longstanding Brighton bass master Pavv returns to Southpoint with an absurd bassline cut that's likely to soundtrack all the best bass nights across the country this season - "Falling". Fluttering with a cute but spooky bassline, laced with prominent vocals from bass singer-du-jour Charli Brix and charged with just the right amount of UKG soul, it's got all the hallmarks of a serious bassline anthem. Elsewhere things get gullier than Brighton pier as "Scatter Dub" lashes out with a broken glass bass, "Pick Up The Pace" gets twisted with some of Pavv's nastiest bass textures while "Gully Face" actually takes us down a much deeper bassline path than its name suggests. Complete with a wild and wily remix from Hamdi, this is one of Pavv's biggest EPs to date.
Review:
An artist known for abstract and tough music, Policy's debut Southpoint solo release doesn't disappoint. Known for his frogger-style label hopping, he lands on Southpoint for these latest treats, of which there are three. Darkness is the key vibe here, with "Slink" kicking things off with distressed film dialogue samples and brooding stop-start drum patterns and a sinister bass buzz. Elsewhere "Boca Sweep" hints at witch-house doom and dreamy synths, whilst "Battered Trumpet" flits between bassy garage bounce and fuzzy ghetto bounce. Noble, meanwhile drops a remix full of scattershot rhythms, whilst Glume swerves into smoother instrumental hip-hop territory.
Review:
East London's Razor is every bit as sharp as his name suggests. One of Southpoint's key MCs, his "Homegrown" EP showcases his broadest abilities beyond hosting the carnage in the crowd. Upbeat, intense and focused, "Act Like You Know" balances fire and funk with skill, "Dangerous" is pure grime drama with lavish clipped strings and venomous bars while "Found" sees him vibing with Asante Justice over a sassy Moony two-step and "Get With It". Elsewhere "Get With It" is the darkest, slickest narrative side Razor's ever recorded, "5" takes us to dreamier pastures while "Easy" shuts us down with a classic pulse riddim and some classically trained wordplay. Cuts!
Review:
Brighton's Southpoint imprint are at it again, this time extending their reach to the vocal grime sector in collaboration with rapidly rising voice of Hackney's own: Razor. Known for his incredible work rate and complete collection of mic controller attributes, Razor gets busy with his usual high standard of skippy flows and whitty lyricism. On production duty, Filthy Gears provides the perfect backing, with energetic plucked strings and intense rhythmic design. With a full length project forthcoming early in the new year, Razor is set to make a very exciting start to 2018 along with the rest of the Southpoint familiar.
Review:
Southpoint is a label firmly committed to championing their native Brighton's bass talent. Here they figure that three heads are better than one - teaming up RMarney, Karl Vincent and Tee for the barnstorming "Sound The Alarm". Clocking in at over six minutes, the track is a slammin' slice of muscular 4 x 4 complete with a rolling, pulsating bottom end riff and that timeless Mickey Dread "you make me feel so good" sample. Remix-wise we also get some atonal wobble from Dephex, 1Thirty delivers some similar skippy bass resonance and Dappa closes with a melodic housey banger.
Review:
Breaking through on 877 last year, Bristol's Saidwho returns to the fray on the ever-on-point Southpoint. It's a match made in beat heavy - unclassifiable genre-melting beat sessions with heavy helpings of subby funk. "Banshee" has been damaging on dub for a while - rolling, stuttering and insistent, it lends itself to techno as much as it does garage. "Chase & Run" flips the rhythm for a more spacious broken trip into grime while "Leaked" is a brilliant Tipper-style space breaks funk jam with a raw, roomy aesthetic. Finally on a remix-tip, Mofaux closes the show with mean and moody switch-flipper that rips between cavernous 4/4s and a gnarly break on the drop.
Review:
We were thrilled to see this masterpiece appear on our shelves as the infamous Southpoint movement unveil a sack of gems from SaidWho with his brand new 'Saigon' LP. Taking a 10/10 in Mixmag, SaidWho hones is more emotive side into 8 very special, eastern inspired originals. We are blessed with smooth, luscious future garage designs in 'I Need Love', 'Monsoon' and more. For us, the title track 'Saigon' deserves massive plaudits for its incredible harmonic structure, along with Danny Jaqq's powerful vocal appearance across 'Drowning'. Excellent work from SaidWho and the Southpoint Team
