Review: As somewhat of a label regular at this point, it's great to see the wonderful Angus Green return to Strictly Flava for another two-track delight, showcasing the more delicate side of his production arsenal. We begin this journey with the title track 'Untroubled', which through a gorgeous fusion of fluttering melodic bubbles and sweeping synth textures gives us a much more colourful look at the new school garage sound. On the flip, we explore 'Vortex', a much more broken-beat influenced journey through sonic manipulation and harmonic bliss, giving us the perfect AB-sided two tracker, once again showcasing why Strictly Flava are ranked so highly within the UKG hierarchy.
Review: We are very rarely not impressed with a new Strictly Flava drop, a system we find ourselves continuing to be a part of with this brand new Tuff Trax driven box of delights. We begin with the title single 'The Sexy Track', which to be honest, is exactly what it says on the tin. We are immediately met with an array of unusual, breathy synthesizer designs which add a quirky yet super groovy nature to the track as a whole, which continues the creative themes we tend to hear across the majority of the Strictly Flava catalogue. From here we jump into a pair of ferocious remixes, with Daffy firstly giving the track a sub-heavy, stripped back overhaul, before Prozak throws some horns and vocal slices into the mix for a spicy second rethink. More top quality work from the Strictly Flava team!
Review: With their reputation now being pretty much solidified in every field, we look upon every new Strictly Flava release with nothing but excitement, trusting their A&R process completely. They pull out yet another corker of a two-tracker here, as they welcome the stunning fusion-driven sounds of Howden, kicking us off with the super-vibrant displays of 'Respect', which combines nostalgic LFO action with futuristic pad textures for a powerful kickstarter. On the flip-side to this, we take in 'Where You Go', this time demonstrating some exceptional vocal slicing skills, hearing tasty chops layered atop a blippy instrumental structure with fantastic results.
Review: We seem to say it every time, but we are rapidly running out of new ways to describe just how damn consistent those Strictly Flava fellows really are. They welcome Angus Green inside for their latest drop, featuring two dancefloor ready rollers, again pushing them to the top of the ever growing UK pile up. Firstly, we take in 'Digits', a chord driven bounce that combines skippy rhythms and bulbous bass tones with colourful keys, below a classic slice of Stefflon Don's memorable verse on 'Boasty'. On the flip, the synths are let loose entirely with some groovy biting tones, boogying away above more pleasing rhythmic action from Green's perfectly placed percussion. Lovely stuff as per!
Review: How can you not just love the Strictly Flava catalogue. Every release just seems to exert vibrancy from start to finish, with this latest helping from Stones Taro doing exactly that. We begin with 'Sirens', a worthy title track, combining a fabulous use of minimalistic drum work with a subtle sub-press and gorgeous reverberations. Next, 'Whale Watcher' provides us with a fluttering switch up, pushing light chord progressions and crunchy snare leads to the front of the mix, before 'Space Ranger' lands us with the perfect outro, doused in skippy rhythmic alignments and booming sublines below. What less would you expect from the Strictly Flava team though?
Review: It's only been a couple of weeks since their last outing, but the Strictly Flava team are back doing what they do best here as they welcome a fantastic bunch of collaborators in Ian Campbell, John Steel and Natasha Burnett, who join forces for the incredibly uplifting sounds of 'Roll The Credits'. This one takes a more poppy approach than normal, but if we are honest, it just works as layers of groovy bass bumps and skippy drum expanses provide the perfect foundation for Natasha to lay her smooth nostalgic vocal lines down. This project also comes complete with two fantastic remixes, including Soulecta's lively modernized switch up and Angus Green's super experimental reimagining. Lovely stuff as per from one of the most consistent UKG labels out there!
Review: London producer Itonic is a regular newcomer to the garage game, with just a string of self-released digital EPs to his name. Here he appears on Strictly Flava for the very first time with a two-track missive that we think is quietly impressive. "Check Yourself" is classic two-step garage of the kind that first rose to prominence in the late 1990s - all weighty sub-bass, skipping beats, ear-pleasing organ sounds and the sort of cut-up female vocal snippets that have long been a feature of Todd Edwards' productions. Virtual B-side "Jive" is similarly warm, soulful and positive, with the producer peppering a beefy bassline and a more complex two-step rhythm with bouncy stabs, Grant Nelson-esque keyboard sounds and more glassy-eyed female vocal samples.
Review: Strictly Flava are back at it again, continuing their incredibly consistent run of releases which began around the end of 2018 and has continued until this very day. We see them here unveil three punchy chops from Xodos, kicking off with the lively chord progressions and demonic bass charges of 'Dranking'. This is then chased up rapidly with uplifting organs and constantly evolving rhythmic ideas of 'Forget' before we round the project off with a look at the title track 'The Mustang', a powerful yet minimal roller, perfect for the summer-time ravers.
Review: Well what can we say. This one is a dream combination from start to finish as the rapidly rising sounds of Earthnut team up with one of the most impressive UKG labels of 2019 in Strictly Flava for two tracks of rhythmic excellence. Firstly, we take a look at the title track 'Sunday Slaps', an absolutely stunning piece of garage composition, from it's fluttering percussive expressions to it's unique vocal slicing and expertly arranged rhythms. We can't get enough of it. On the flip side, 'Stannary Step' brings us something completely different, with digital subs leading the way beneath a high energy bed of percussive movement and more of those brilliant vocal chops. This is a truly spectacular piece of work.
Review: Four weeks into 2020 and it's safe to say that Strictly Flava are now definitely up and running, with their second drop of the year coming from the soul sounds of Sensa. He gets busy here with two wavy original UKG slaps, the first of which takes the apt title 'Groovin', being full of smooth chord progressions and stylish rhythmic movements. On the flipside we are plunged into a pool of luscious synth actions and glistening vocal processing, giving us a super cool banger and providing an excellent contrast to the A-side.
Review: We were starting to wonder what had happened to Strictly Flava, as they had gone over twenty days without a brand new release hitting the shelves! We couldn't be happier to see them return and it such an exciting fashion as they unveil the third edition of their highly praised 'Strictly Flava Allstars' season. First up, Earthnut continue their hot streak with the soulful arrangements of 'Play' before MC Chiverton joins D Selektah on the old school rolls of 'Outrageous'. Next, we smoothen out with vibrant horn riffs and choppy melodies on Sam Deeley's 'Rinse Sound' and Solution's sine-heavy 'Spiritual Journey' arrangement, before rounding off with Zero FG & Jay Barrett linking up on 'Underdogs'. What a selection!
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