Dubstep Recommendations July 2015

Review: Manchester sub-surgeon Compa has been in rampant form these past few years, first surfacing on Boka in 2012 and going on to issue limited 12"s left right and centre for Deep Medi, Kokeshi, Killah Sound and more. After an illicit, under the counter fired up version of Bob Marley's "Exodus" from Compa surfaced earlier this year, he's back and adding Lion Charge to his discography with a two track exercise in dub science. We've tested this 12" on the office turntable and soundclips don't do the bass on lead track "Kingdom" justice at all!! Complementing this, Compa lines the B side with a Bass Drum version which adds even more heft!

Review: Bubbling in the hype cauldron since summer 2013, both "Backyard" and "Tic" qualify for sought-after status... The former rolls on a beautifully chunky groove while the freeform bassline is given a life of its own and allowed to wander freely. The latter is a little more traditional but equally exciting; an insistent bass riff echoes the drums creating a melody that's found in all dynamics of the track. Deep but exciting, driving but still full of subtleties; this 12" ticks all the right boxes.

Review: UK techno veterans Mark Broom and James Ruskin first joined forces under The Fear Ratio alias back in 2011, delivering the inventive - and hugely enjoyable - IDM-meets-techno full-length, Light Box. Several years on the pair realign as The Fear Ratio for a second album, issued somewhat surprisingly through Skam, which gleefully explores similar sonic territory, whilst throwing a few more influences - most notably experimental hip-hop and vintage electro - into the pot for good measure. The result is a hugely entertaining album that naturally doffs a cap to Skam Records' dystopian roots, as well as the heavyweight soundsystem throb of dubstep, the hypnotism of dub techno, and the crackling electronic wizardry of Autechre.

Review: System Sound sergeant V.I.V.E.K gets his bounce on: "Square Off" is a chubby, springy buzz cut that reminds us just how funky dubstep can be. A universal track that guarantees elevation, the Deep Medi affiliate has smashed this one to pieces. "Slippin" shows his more twisted side as the same hook is switched from chubby to sinewy. All paranoid Moomin chat, it's the same track but told through a totally different perspective. Grip two copies, mix up the A and B in the dance and you've got potential to genuinely blow minds.

Review: Released last year, Kenzo and Collinjah laid down serious gully gospel on "Straight Defeat". Now time for two industrial strength remixes: a recently reinvigorated Caspa gets his war drum out for a greasy mechanical roller while Jubei ups the tempo ante with a tribal stepper that strips back the elements and lets Collinjah's vocal take the centre stage they require. Just like Kenzo's original, both versions mean serious dancefloor business.

Review: Innamind have done what everyone has been clamouring after the success of last year's Las x Mikael EP and locked the Finnish pair up in a studio and not let them out until they've laid down another clutch of heavyweight steppers. Nice work Innamind! This time it's a double pack affair brandishing a weighty five productions, three of which are straight up collaborations between the Innamind mainstays. As you'd expect it's a heavily atmospheric affair throughout with the rattling percussive drama of "Drumspeak" the highlight of Las and Mikael's joint efforts, whilst the former's solo cut "Farout" may be the best example of what we like to call drunkstep.

Review: Distance returns with a sentiment every single one of us can sign up to. He's not all chats, either; "Long Live The Groove" is a swaggering, sweaty slab of swinging bass music that develops momentum on every bar. Really juicy, funky stuff, there's a reason this has been kept on dub for so long. "Can You (Dub)" follows, and it's all about the drums. Fine-tuned and polished, there's a sense of liquid movement to the rhythm as strange designs and eerie cries drive deep into your ears. Finally we hit "Straight Up". The name says it all; a moody bass hook that doesn't quit, toxic subs and a weighty halftime drum arrangement... It's straight up badness, as you'd expect from the Chestplate bossman.

Review: Following Mr G and Stingray's hefty refix session, the ID crew lay down four more dot-joining exercises between tempos and techniques. "Weaving Dub" is a future flexback to jungle's heady formative era, "To The Club" is a dub house gem with a winningly awkward vocal texture used as a hook. "Pushin'" takes us deeper into the sub swamp with rolling broken beats and layers of squelchy lava bass while "Russ Elements" takes us back to the 170 zone with a dynamic that places the hook about a mile ahead of the faraway drums. Woozy, weird and wonderful.

Review: After singles for Lost Codes and Gobstopper, the mighty DarkO makes his way to Rinse FM's in-house label with the five-track Solace EP which features a remix from stateside producer Suicideyear. Perhaps the most explicit demonstration of DarkO's talent for attention grabbing, heart nagging melody yet, Solace is superb from start to finish though second track "Fuschia" stands out in particular. It's here that DarkO toys around with R'n'b vocal harmonies and channels some truly cavernous bass lines. Software artist Suicideyear brings his own rolling snare vibe to "Abstraction" for a fine remix to close out the EP.

Review: Boxed resident Slackk aligns with the mythical R&S Records for the Backwards Light EP, having served up some of the most innovative grime of recent times with last year's superb Palm Tree Fire LP for Local Action. This latest juggernaut is a six-track affair, ranging from half-step tech-grime to pseudo techno, all rounded off with extremely lethal levels of bass, of course. "Bells" and "Sleeper Carriage" are out top picks, particularly the latter thanks to its hymnal melodies and near beatless swing...the layers of sonics drifting the ambience into a neat groove. Lovely as always from both artist and label.

Review: Since 2010, Zeb Samuels' Deep Heads imprint has been on a mission to prove that dubstep can be as deep, melodious, evocative and musically rich as any other electronic music style. This second label compilation - featuring two unmixed CDs, and a bonus DJ mix from Phaeleh - continues this approach. Via a range of previous Deep Heads releases and previously unheard cuts, Samuels and company prove that dubstep can still be sub-heavy and floor-friendly, whilst embracing the sort of rich, jazzy chords, tactile electronics and soulful elements often found in summery deep house and Rhodes-laden downtempo productions. There's much to admire, including killer cuts from Geode, Synkro, Submotion Orchestra and Mercy, whose two-step inspired "Serrana Love" is sublime.