In 2015, Josh Gunston and Jay McDougall (also known as KXVU, pronounced ‘kovu’) joined forces to create ‘Southpoint’ – a record label centred around their motivation for promoting local and lesser-known talent and dedication to reviving their hometown of Brighton’s fading dance music scene.
Since the label's formation, it has gone on to become one of the most celebrated platforms across the entirety of underground dance music in the UK & worldwide, becoming one of the pioneering entities behind large segments of both the UK bass and garage movements of the last few years.
With a catalogue spanning the full spectrum of the UK underground and an artist roster spanning as wide as any major label, Southpoint has emerged as a genuine innovator across the endless corridors of underground dance music. The Southpoint imprint has gone to expand it’s operations and now boasts numerous sub-labels, including Chord & Clank, Inertia, Annecy Records & more.
Key Releases:
Bushbaby - Woman’s Touch
Movement & Moony - Late Night
Movement & Rio - Make A Move
Cortese - Intersection
Drax - Frostie
Southpoint Presents Vol. 8
Skelecta - Faith / At Your Table
KXVU - The Cave
Review: At long last we can finally say that a Bushbaby album has landed on his home label at Southpoint, something we have been waiting to explore for a hot minute. The project is a fantastic collection of styles from the Brighton-native, who pulls together garage flavours in 'Woman's Touch' & 'L.I.A.B', alongside classic bassline grizzlies in 'Annihilation' and the'All N1te' VIP mix. We also get to see him explore a few different areas across the breadth of this project however, from the 80's inspired arrangements of both 'You Are Sleeping' and 'Shiny Purple', to the more soundscape driven styles of 'I Wonder (For Billy)' and 'Chekhov's Gun', the latter of which sees him explore a much techier approach. This is definitely a project worth exploring in long play as we see Bushbaby deliver a killer conquest of electronic dance music.
Review: As always with the Southpoint imprint, it looks like they have delivered another treat for us here as homegrown heavyweight and flag flyer: Bushbaby touches down with a pair of spicy singles, with two different versions of his brand new creation entitled 'Addicted'. This release marks a different direction for Bushbaby as he moves towards a much more tech-house influenced sound, with the A-side focussing on powerful, moogy subs below a wash of pounding drum slaps and stripped back percussive designs. On the flip-side, the 'Burner' mix takes an even moodier route, with subtle bassline pressure and distant pad textures supplying the additional juice. It's a fantastic two-tracker, giving us a taste of Bushbaby's future endeavours.
Review: Following on from a killer release last week from Inkline, the Southpoint team are at it again, this time introducing an absolutely killer to their main roster as MPH deploys four deadly delights. We kick off with the UKG inspired drum flips and rolling bass LFO's of 'You', which leads kindly into rawcus synth textures and dance-ready drum designs of the mighty 'M25'. Next, we are welcomed into the swirling atmospheric bliss and smooth percussive layouts of 'Afraid' before Hamdi joins the party on 'Welcome' for an out and out UKG smasher!
Review: The Southpoint unit have had yet another sparkling year, with their sound constantly evolving at the forefront of UK bass music's ever expanding boundaries and parameters. This year they have taken it to the next level, with the seventh edition of their 'Southpoint Presents' series launching across all platforms, including bangers from the likes of KXVU, Jakebob, Bushbaby, Muttley, Moony, Mofaux, Dunman, Drax, Movement, Tengu and more. We also see Presents debuts for the likes of MPH, On1, Negativ and Daffy, arguably rendering their strongest compilation in the series.
Review: It's been a little while since we saw a release from the Brighton based giants at Southpoint, with their last full project coming at the beginning of December. They kick off the year in serious style here however as they deploy their fourth artist presents series, with local garage and funky gurus Moony & Movement at the header. We see debuts for Gru Var, Earthnut, Doctor Nick, Witchdoctor, Ali McK, IYZ and Lavz, with a string of regular Southpoint dons returning, including Eclypse, Hamdi and co-founder: KXVU. For us, the first stand out highlights on this release come from bassline wizard Pavv, who strips back his skippy groves for a UKG twist up in 'Dreams'. Out other stand out comes from recent addition to the team: RVB, who's 'Winter Carnival' original is bristling with spicy funky flavour.
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
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: 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: Rising stars of Southpoint and U Wot Blud respectively, the Tengu boys and Mofaux are a powerhouse bassline duo you can truly set your watch by. Going head-to-head, solo and remixing each other on this massive Southpoint EP, "Jinzo" is a bubbling cauldron of ideas and signature sonics. The lead track is a straight 4x4 groaner that chugs with a cool slo-mo restraint around 125, while Tengu and Duke join the grime dots with "Parasite" and Mofaux gets his best seasick bass out for the wobbled-out slapper "Nike Airs". Elsewhere Mofaux flips "Parasite" into a twisted 22nd century garage roller while Tengu adds the nastiest alien bass possible to "Nike Airs". And if that's not enough Habouchi's joined in for the final leg of the party with an absurd grit-jacking remix of "Jinzo". Massive.
Review: The marvellous Scullious is back with his second EP and it's Southpoint that makes it all possible. The bass maverick doesn't seem to stick to one particular formula when constructing dance beats, but if his diverse assortment of tunes had to be condense down to one then it would probably sit within the garage camp. "Plastic People", an ode to the regrettably closed London institution, is a deep and meandering stepper with that vintage garage swing, while "False Intentions" drops a slo-mo house rhythm of lost chords, and "Lost In Captivity" glitches its robotics to a half-step tempo and dreamy, hazed-out kind of atmosphere. Noble remixes "Plastic People" into something of a juke experiment, which leaves Muttley's version of "False Intentions" to provide some grime lift.
Review: Southpoint centrefold Inkline returns with three more blistered bass workouts. It's clear from the moment the fractured beats of "Gentlemen" kick off he's taking care of business: popping, groaning and rolling, "Gentlemen" is a timeless piece of breakage that will fit across all styles from grime to techno. Deeper into the EP we dive to find a straight up slab of 4x4 ruffage on "POW" and bliss-licked chords and barbed soul on "Reach". Throw in a 23rd century Afrobeat version from SaidWho and you've got a supreme package. Southpoint = on point.
Review: Brighton's Tengu has appeared previously on Bodhi Collective and 3000 Deep and now appears for local imprint Southpoint with some seriously dark, street level breaks for the late night on "Needed Someone" with its sampled R&B vocals providing a great contrast from its nefarious elements at play. "Squelch" is definitely more uptempo and uplifting with its pitched up house pianos during the drop, pumping four to the floor beat and what a massive bassline. Finally there's a wicked remix of the title track by Hungary's finest Sirmo who the gives it some proper UK funky flavour and blows the doors off!
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