Dubstep Recommendations February 2011

Review: Hot Flush returns with more future flex material from budding London based producer George Fitzgerald. After debuting on the imprint in fine form with last summer's "The Let Down" & "Weakness", Fitzgerald finally drops "Don't You", which was a definite highlight of Scuba's SUB:STANCE mix compilation on Ostgut Ton (and was at one point slated for release on Doldrums). Fitzgerald crafts a pressurised combination of treated vocal loops and woozy keys rich in blissful detail, whilst the woodblock rhythm that veers between dubstep and two-step accrues several layers of emotive intent as the track progresses. On the flip Hot Flush boss Scuba dons his SCB alias for an edit that bristles with techno delight, twisting the source material into a reverberant Berghain anthem.

Review: West Norwood Cassette Library comes correct with the bumping house flex of "Blonde On Blonde". The clipped vocal spasms, chunky chords and a beefy rolling tech house groove mark the A Side out as genuine warehouse weapon, worth the admission price alone. However a quick glance at the flip reveals an appearance by none other than Pearson Sound, aka Ramadanman, aka one of the hottest producers on Planet Earth right now. The young producer maintains the 4/4 rhythm of the original cut, choosing to hone in on the chords and stripping everything back; this one's for the heads down brigade. Killer release.

Review: Another hotly tipped act to appear on Scuba's Hotflush imprint, Sepalcure blend ambient soundscapes with lush melodies, hushed vocals and a deep, experimental post-dubstep sound that's quite frankly, really rather wonderful. Kicking off with the title track, Sepalcure send us into a sublime headspace which is somewhere between contemporary hot shots like Mount Kimbie, Pariah and fellow yanks Vondelpark and Ninja stalwarts like Cinematic Orchestra. Next, "Your Love" takes things even more downbeat with echoing, reverbed atmospheric crackles and a warm, murmuring b-line yet there is a sense in which this track won't settle...constantly fidgeting and looking towards the horizon until entering a contemplative passage towards the end. It leads us neatly into "No Think" - which could well be the defining track of the EP, what "Work Them" was to Ramadanman last summer. Here, lurching 2-step rhythms hit home with great effect, the same shimmering, barely-there vocals and an overwhelming sense of brooding darkness. Divine. "Inside" closes the EP with a short two-minute Flying Lotus style finale, incorporating string flourishes, muttering lyrics and warm ambient watercolour washes.

Review: Bubbling Bristolian talent Orphan101 follows up releases on Saigon and his own DECA Rhythm imprint with a debut for Apple Pips! "Propa" kicks things off with a flurry of clicks, alarm style bleeps and midnight chimes like the cinematic soundtrack to a psychological thriller. This is soon swept away by a bone-crushingly heavy, deep DMZ style bassline, which quivers away squid bass style with light, ticking percussion sketched over the top. Juddering chords create a sense of unease, like a light flickering in the gloom or a moth's wings pattering against a bulb. This is complemented by "Disemble", which tunes into his techno sensibility much more palpably with a rippling undercurrent reminiscent of Rockwell's "Reverse Engineering'. Fractured sounds, bubbling bass and bewildering SFX build gradually on top of one other and seem to ebb and flow like organic structures before the track finishes abruptly but masterfully with an artistic musical flourish.

Review: Following a debut album on his own Afterglo imprint and backed with props from Croydon heavyweight Skream, the classically trained Bristol based dubstep producer Phaeleh (pronounced Fella for those not in the know) makes a further step towards widespread recognition with "Falling". Released on Disfigured Dubz, the track displays the producer's panache for crafting atmosphere from billowing beats, sumptuous melodies and floating vocals, furthermore the bassline is dipped in real heaviness. The flipside remix from fellow Disfigured artist Kulture realigns the track for a drum and bass audience, but wisely retains the core brilliance of the source material.

Review: Ace London imprint Young Turks finally get around to dropping the long overdue vinyl version of the Step In Shadows EP from mask-wearing dubstep/future stepper SBTRKT. Whereas previous outings have seen him in full-on bass music mode, Step In Shadows is an altogether housier affair. The broken beats are still present particularly on the cute title track but for the most part this is a dark and claustrophobic trip into late night 4/4 territory. "Hide Or Seek" is particularly intense, while the sub bass-heavy "Colonise" manages to be both unnervingly creepy and oddly beautiful. A definite progression in a year when SBTRKT promises much!

Review: Exit Records drop a second tantalising Mosaic Vol 1 ten inch sampler ahead of the main course which is set top drop at the end of the month. Instra:mental plough deep into the bowels of downtempo machine funk drum and bass experimentalism on "Scene 3", with a decidedly neon tinged synth hook swirling around the spaces between cascading industrial percussion and spurts of sci fi bass menace. On the flip, Mode works at a similar tempo on "Stepping Stones" with the barbed electronic pulses and intermittent bursts of sub bass dynamics that ride the half step stutter, offset by pads rich with ethereal detail. Big tip!

Review: Fresh from impressing all with his drops for Distance's Chestplate label, Tunnidge steps back for more Deep Medi action with two brilliant cuts. Rolling out the cinematic dread step atmospherics, "Dark Skies" applies shuddering sub bass undulations and exceptional usage of Rutger Hauer at his best to a punishing half step riddim with consummate expertise. It is however the B Side track "Tribe" that truly impresses, sounding like it should have formed part of last years excellent Congotronics Remix album on Crammed. African rhythms, chants and percussion are edited and twisted around intricate drum programming and droned out sub bass with startling results!

Review: Legendary reggae imprint Greensleeves launches their new dubstep offshoot here with a suitably titanic match up between Yellowman and Horsepower Productions for their inaugural release. Yellowman's "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng" is widely regarded as bridging the gap between the dancehall and hip-hop worlds and is perhaps the toaster's most ubiquitous track. Equally, Horsepower Productions are credited with being instrumental in the sonic formation of dubstep, so they seem perfectly suited to take on the task of realigning Yellowman's "Zunga.." for the dubstep cognoscenti. There's a vocal and dub mix available here and it's the former that truly impresses here, Yellowman's distinctive tones strangely suited to the break heavy twisted industrial stepping subterranean riddim Horsepower have crafted. Big!