Hello,
It's only the beginning of the month, but already a surge of hot new dubstep productions has hit us like a blasting heat-wave.
2562 raises the bar for advanced sample-use with his 'Fever' album, Scuba's Hotflush label treats us to an amazing collection of exclusives and classics, exploring the boundaries of techno and dubstep, while artists like Bibio, Kryptic Minds, and Cosmin TRG incorporate elements of hip-hop, house, and drum'n bass into their spectacular productions.
Keep an eye out for the newcomers as well: Julio Bashmore, Koreless, Memotone and Lurka all step forward with stunning releases. Happy days! |
MORE DUBSTEP ESSENTIALS
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Fittingly released on April 4, 'Back And 4th' compiles ten new and exclusive tracks by a sensational line-up - Boddika, Roska, Boxcutter, Sepalcure, Scuba and more - while throwing in ten classics from Hotflush's fantastic catalogue as a bonus, such as 'Hyph Mngo' and 'Sketch On Glass'. Absolutely huge!
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Maxi-Single released 04-04-2011 on Hyperdub
Expanding upon their signature sound while playing with a myriad of influences informing his Hyperdub label's kaleidoscopic output, the accomplished dj/producer/label owner/author/etc, Kode9, fires off a warning salvo for his highly-anticipated second album with Spaceape, 'Black Sun'.
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Kryptic Minds' crystal clear sound aesthetics betray the duo's d'n'b roots, but their second studio album is firmly focused on the Autonomic sound. Traces of wobbly dubstep meet Boards Of Canada strings and r'n'b vocals, all generously spaced within the album's 13 sparse and cavernous tracks. Tip!
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Even after releasing five albums, Warp Records artist Bibio still has quite a lot to say when it comes to expressing his expansive sonic vision. In his sixth complete full-length, 'Mind Bokeh', Bibio wears many different hats shifting into personas varying from folky to funky and drenching every moment in blissful haze.
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zero" podcast #023 artist, CosminTRG, has delivered a series of highlight releases on Hemlock, Tempa and 50Weapons, developing his own unique strain of bombastic, bass-infused house and techno. Follow his latest exploits here in this essential 4-tracker for Rush Hour's Direct Current series.
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Punch Drunk head Peverelist debuts on the mighty Hessle Audio with a single to make both parties proud. 'Dance Til The Police Come' parades a tightly wound synth motif over Pev's feisty drum programming while 'Fundamentals' lowers the pace a notch whilst matching its epic credentials. Tip-top.
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Vienna's Martin Stepanek (of Cheap Records and Rondy 550 fame) lays out his blueprint for abstract dubstep on his brand-new Sounding Functions imprint. From 'Introspective's harmonic drones to the sparse, wobble bass meets electronica vibe of 'Skeleton Dub' this is a unique trip. zero" exclusive!
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EP released 04-04-2011 on 3024
Julio Bashmore joins Martyn's 3024 crew with yet more killer r'n'b and dubstep infused house. 'Batty Knee Dance' croons romantic vocals over silky smooth synths, 'Ribble To Amazon' travels to similarly emotional heights and the horsey 'Grand National' boasts a cheeky fanfare. Delightful!
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Montreal-based Jacques Greene appears again on LuckyMe with a new track 'Another Girl' a slick honeyed-up r'n'b haze, a bangin' Braiden remix of 'Holdin' On' and a round of brill reworks of 'The Look' including a surprise from UR's Mark Flash, alongside NYC's Machinedrum and Glasgow's Koreless.
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Parisian beat-smith Débruit lets another EP loose on London's Civil Music, this time strongly influenced by Turkish music and instruments, he fuses his synth-funk broken beat style brilliantly with these exotic flavours. Successfully oozing Eastern mystique with extremely danceable results.
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Hamburg-based Furesshu drops this dirty bomb via UK label Echodub. Title track heaves a swollen bass under dissembled crisp d'n'b beats, 'Post Sonar Blues' has a lighter, bleepier melancholic feel and 'Today & Tomorrow' pulses harder technoid textures. Excellent experimental dubstep.
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Absolutely stunning debut of Glasgow's Koreless, who single-handedly changes the rules of the game like only a (we guess) producer in his early 20s dares to. Two super-minimalistic pop-step tracks with touching vocals and sparse grooves - think James Blake, but with a more funky, upbeat twist. Great.
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More high-speed juke action from the Planet Mu camp, this time with Chicago's Chrissy Murderbot, who chooses to 'work it' with some imaginative disco, reggae and ragga samples this time around. DJ Spinn and Rashad also feature, as do Atki2 and Ghosts On Tape with comparatively downtempo remixes. Strong.
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Maxi-Single released 21-03-2011 on Tempa
Digital Mystikz's Coki takes the bass wobble to the midrange with two killer cuts for Tempa. 'Boomba' brings the spinet out of storage while dropping ton-heavy beats on us, and 'Carbon Aliens' is a phased-out acid-stepper, sparsely instrumented, yet decidedly deadly. Fine work, once again.
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50 Weapons presents its third round of split singles, this time an all-German effort. Anstam's 'Albert' is a tightly toned work of kinetic beat action to blow your hair away, while Phon.o's cut is equally menacing with trippy drones growing around razored beats. Sturdy bass explorations!
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Two lovely tracks by Bath's Lurka sporting a techy and tribalistic edge. 'Return' and 'Stabiliser' both contrast sparse ambient textures with precise, organic percussions in the style of early Skull Disco and Apple Pips releases. No excess baggage on these tunes. Recommended.
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Venezuelan producer Pacheko, known from his releases on Lo Dubs, pairs UK funky flavours with reggaeton, kuduro and acid house influences on his latest EP for Shockout. Three tight tracks and a remix by Nehuen strike strike a nice balance between pop appeal and percussive dancefloor fodder. Nice one.
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Maxi-Single released 28-03-2011 on Tectonic
Tectonic boss Pinch collaborates with fellow UK heavyweights Loefah and Roska respectively for this latest single. 'Broken' is a broody stepper with a spine-chilling bassline and Loefah's epic beats while the Roska cut has his conga rolls working killer over the dusky, dread-soaked atmosphere. Top release.
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Team Acre brings us next-level wonkiness with Memotones 'Multicolour EP' - three tracks of hugely imaginative drum programming, syncopated bleeps, and electronica textures. Add a hallucinogenic, voodoo-shuffle remix by Lukid and you've got a sure winner of an EP.
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Budapest/Bristol artist DJ Madd has hit us with three excellent releases on three different labels within a week - 'No Respect' is the cream of the crop though, a confident single-track release employing humongous bass-stabs atop tight rhythm work to devastating effect. Hit.
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Plastician's Terrorhythm label is home to the latest outing of Om Unit (All City, Civil Music). His 'The Corridor EP' brings together influences from synth-heavy cosmic disco, Mantronik-style electro, and abstract hip-hop - and admirable mash-up of styles with a great Shigeto remix rounding off this fine EP.
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Brighton's SpectraSoul tune into the 'minimal drum & bass' sound with 'Lost Disciple', pitting heavily processed, Mount Kimbie style vocals against a staccato beat that alludes to d'n'b in short outbursts of drum rolls. Comes backed by a classic d'n'b piece, the fittingly titled 'Reminiscence'.
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Maxi-Single released 28-03-2011 on Butterz
Youthful party cuts coming from London's Butterz camp: Fittingly titled opener 'Mood Swings' has a short and suave lounge-jazz break lighten up a dark and heavy wobble bass workout. 'Trending Topic' on the other hand throws a grimy rock-beat and syncopated Funkadelic synths into the mix. Fun!
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Al Bleek (half of Instra:mental) has been decimating UK dancefloors recently with his solo project Boddika. Now dropping over back on home label Nonplus, 'You Tell Me' and 'Breezin' are two more gems of twisted dancefloor dynamite, proving him to be a force to be reckoned with this year. Ace!
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With solo projects in full swing, the Instra:mental duo's productions also take a turn from their d'n'b roots into fully blown electro-dubstep mutations. 'Thomp' truly stomps with slamming elastic energy and the anthemic 'When I Dip' murders with its sinister bassline and avid 808s. Deadly!
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