FEATURED RELEASE
It's almost impossible to find a music magazine or web site which misses out on mentioning Mount Kimbie at the moment. zero" is certainly no exception, and there's a very good reason for this: The London duo's debut album, 'Crooks & Lovers', is simply one of the most entertaining, cohesive, and endearing listens of 2010 so far.
Across its eleven short tracks 'Crooks & Lovers' manages to challenge the dubstep genre's past and future, its conventions and boundaries in such an inventive, gentle and playful manner that it's almost impossible not to succumb to its charm.
Defined by sweet, wistful harmonies, sparse future R'n'B beats, and shiny cut'n paste vocals, songs like 'Before I Move Off' and 'Carbonated' serve as the album's most immediately accessible tracks. Wobbly basslines and deep echoes make an appearance in 'Blind Night Errand' and 'Ruby', but only serve as reminders of where Mount Kimbie's music is originates from, readily giving way to strummed guitars ('Adriatic') or slow-motion folktronica ('Ode to Bear').
'Crooks & Lovers' is a remarkable debut, to be treasured all the more for its blue-eyed approach to stylistic freedom and its charming imperfections. It's an album fully deserving of the praise it is receiving, and certainly one any self-respecting music fan should have in his or her collection.
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MORE DUBSTEP ESSENTIALS
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First album release on one of the most exciting labels around at the moment, and as expected, it is a real gem. ASC delivers his very own definition of drum & bass / dub-step / techno hybrids, taking you on long journey into unknown sonic territories. Highly recommended!
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Compilation released 12-07-2010 on Tectonic
Bristol-based studio and publishing company Multiverse is the city's first address in all things dubstep related, with brilliant labels like Tectonic, Kapsize, and Caravan under its wing. 'Dark Matter' is an essential guide to the Bristol scene, featuring Joker, Pinch, October and many more.
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Bristol's Peverelist drops his follow-up release to his acclaimed album, 'Jarvik Mindstate', which arrived late last year on his Punch Drunk label. His new single sees Pev reaching further into his junglist roots, conjuring up a pair of sparse, percussion-driven, instrumental tracks. Recommended.
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Previously appearing exclusively on dBridge & Instra:mental's Fabriclive 50 mix, Scuba releases dBridge's interpretation of 'Tense' on Hotflush. Notching up the tempo to a healthy 170bpm, dBridge strips down the original's dub atmospherics creating a streamlined minimal roller.
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One of our favourite dubstep-inspired albums of 2010 so far, Ital Tek's 'Midnight Colour' paints our night sky with lush waves of synths, deep low-end bassline, and rhythms that range from abstract downbeat grooves to uptempo breaks. Highly recommended album!
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EP released 16-07-2010 on !K7
Kode9 continues his recent explorations of funky house with this exclusive single for K7!. Save the echoing rave sirens, Spaceape's vocals, and its slightly stumbling groove, 'You Don't Wash' could easily pass as a German deep house production - albeit a very good one!
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Veteran Brooklyn-based producer, Machinedrum, has been cooking with gas lately with a stellar release on Hotflush Recordings (with Praveen, as Sepalcure) and with this exceptional LP for LuckyMe (home of Mike Slott, HudMo, Rustie). Not confined to any simple genre classifications, 'Many Faces' is an unhinged exploration of synth and bass.
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Mark Pritchard's collaborative project with vocalist Steve Spacek, Africa Hitech, follows up on recent single 'Blen' with the raucous mini-album on Warp, 'Hitecherous'. Packs a punch with six futuristic, crystal-clear and weighty dancehall and grime-inspired cuts, including the digital exclusive 'One Two (Instrumental)'.
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The second volume of remixes for Jahcoozi's recent album has an all-star assembly of producers revamping their 'Barefoot Dub' and 'Read The Books' originals: Vienna's Stereotyp, London's Ikonika, and last but in no way least, Ramadanman, who contributes an instrumental as well. Strong stuff.
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This masked London-based producer, who was recently outed as nu-jazz, breaks producer Aaron Jerome, has been raising a ruckus lately under his new pseudonym, SBTRKT. Ramp reveals a collaborative release with vocalist Sampha, 'Break Off', which has the future garage / UK bass evangelists hot and bothered.
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Barely over three months since their 'Oversteps' album, one can infer possibly that the 10-track 'Move Of Ten' is a continuation or epilogue, of sorts. However, 'Move Of Ten' is able to stand on it's own with dubstep-inspired tracks like 'pce freeze 2.8i' instantly demanding attention. Must have, of course.
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Brooklyn production talents, Machinedrum and Praveen, join forces as Sepalcure finding inspiration in recent developments in UK Bass/Garage/Dubstep. Their first efforts yielded stunning results that got the attention of Hotflush Recordings, who quickly snapped up the duo for the EP, 'Love Pressure'. Impressive.
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After a string of well-received releases pushing new developments in UK Bass, Infrasonics introduces two more new faces to the fold, Jamie Grind and Gon. Both producers deliver their own unique take on the fertile area between house and dubstep.
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Since appearing on the scene in 2006, SpectraSoul have succeeded in re-contextualizing the classic sounds of DNB, which continues to be their hallmark achievement. dBridge (Autonomic, Exit) contributes his sultry vocals to the brooding 'Glimpse'.
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1000names deliver an ace debut album, which could easily fool you into believing the Bulgarian duo was actually from Bristol or LA. Ten sweet tracks of stumbling, instrumental hip-hop, influenced by electronica, future R&B and dubstep to make you happy.
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Maxi-Single released 19-07-2010 on Hyperdub
Ill Blu has been hustling UK Funky hard in the underground for quite some time, getting support on pirate radio and clubs, as wells as from big names like Marcus Nasty and Kode9. Unless you count their exclusive CDRs sold only direct to DJs, 'Bellion / Dragon Pop' on Hyperdub is their first official release.
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Being a label artist on Apple Pips and occasional collaborator with Appleblim, Alex Storey has been getting a well-earned amount of attention for his prolific, high-quality output as Al Tourettes. Here he contributes 2 hard-edged, electro-tinged steppers for the If Symptoms Persist imprint.
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A melancholy broken downbeat EP is Lithuanian artist Brokenchord's debut for the fine Black Acre imprint. Whatever you want to call it, post-dubstep or half-step IDM, this record is a must for everyone into the slower left-field side of bass music. Excellent.
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Excellent release by the Ramadanman & collaborator Midland on a laid-back funky tip. Piano house meets cut-up vocals on 'Your Words Matter', while 'More Than You Know' sports a dubbier vibe, with plenty of percussive white noise, filtered chords and deep strings. Another great release for Aus Music.
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Shortly after dropping dancefloor favourite 'Claptrap' on Hessle Audio, Joe follows up with two more of his quirky, stripped-down, syncopated productions on Apple Pips, 'Untitled' and 'Digest'. Far-out, jazzed-up percussion madness!
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Arguably the most innovative producer currently operating in the Netherlands, A Made Up Sound (a.k.a. 2562) is blazing his own path, crafting a hybrid sound of house, techno, dubstep and broken beat. Here he presents his latest dancefloor-aimed mutations, 'Alarm' b/w 'Crisis'. Brilliant!
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Maxi-Single released 21-06-2010 on 3024
Currently one of the hottest producers of funky house tunes, Daniel Yorke a.k.a. Altered Natives releases this two-track single on Martyn's 3024 label. 'The Bitch' is a bleepy, swinging track, while 'Crop Duster' is a darker affair of sinister bass stabs and washed out vocals.
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Appleblim's Apple Pips label keeping it Bristol once again with native Komonazmuk's highly stylish and functional 'Dance Too'. Designed for optimal dancefloor effect, his original mix is backed by summery remix from Lee Jones of MyMy and Aus Music.
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