Review: With the Monsters Music imprint always looking to push the envelope when it comes to futuristic dubstep flavour, it's always exciting to see a new compilation drop and to see the artists they are pushing to the forefront. From start to finish, this project holds some of the gnarliest 140 drops of the year, from the squelching bassy goodness of Chaimba & Darkz's 'Amplify Skank', to the system shattering subs of No Remorse's 'Forgiven' and the metallic janks of 'Decrepit' from Yugen. The whole project is a homage to the more heavyweight, synth-driven side of dubstep in 2023, with standouts including the sub-driven mastery of 'Jezero' from Bulker, the scatty synthesiser madness of Sh?m's 'It's A Square One', and the euphoric melodies of DEFIVNT's 'Falling' epic. 25 tracks, 25 heaters!
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: It's always exciting to see the Dank 'n' Dirty Dubz team arrive with a high energy compilation, with this years '4/20' collection supplying a top quality collection of original dubstep heat. Featuring a pretty exceptional tracklisting, we see the likes of Oakin, Khromi, Jafu, Requake, Mambele, L-Wiz, Pushloop and many more established faces land with a dizzying set of dubwise designs, perfect for both the late night ravers and the day-time skankers. Our two highlights would have to include the skippy chord jitters and booming subs of Nightmare & Oni's 'Soldier Stance', followed by the breaks infused percussive drifts of 'Champagne' from The Widdler, giving us a serious sack of sizzlers to enjoy!
Review: The Dank N Dirty Dubz team have become synonymous with top quality releases over the past few years and this latest selection is a continuation of that theme as they welcome ten of the best inside for a fantastic 4/20 compilation. The roster is incredible, with heavyweight names including Roommate, Pushloop, Roklem, Enigma Dubz and more. There are some incredible tunes throughout, with our favourites including The Widdler's phenomenal dubwise creation in 'Toker, the purple synthesizer slams of 'Cider from Bisweed and of course the breaksy brilliance of Jafu's 'Nuken'.
Review: Languishing in the oceanic pastures of deep, jazz-tinged modern dub-focused electronica, MindStep missions are consistent in their soul and crystalline creativity. Here's a firm reminder - in the slim case we needed one - as the label's exponents are united for the label's second 'best of' style collection. Ranging from the two-step subversions of Sepia's "U Make Me Feel" to the more techno-minded sound palette of Dillard's "Rocks & Trees" to the 22nd century jazz of Jafu & Freud's "Sofia", every facet and feature of MindStep's ever-evolving remit is explored, represented and celebrated in great detail here. Dive deep.
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