Dubstep Recommendations March 2012

Review: Randomer's "Real Talk" was one of the highlights of the Numbers output last year, a gleefully chunky piece of bass-heavy techno that rightfully raised the producer's stock to the level of his peers such as Blawan. This release for Untold's Hemlock Recordings shows that "Real Talk" was no one-off, delivering two tracks that punch even harder than before. "Scruff Box" utilises beefed up, lo-fi 808 drums whilst 80s electro samples give the track some brash swing - in the hands of any other producer the results could be terrible, but in his hands it's the sound of being hit in the face with a bag of rocks. "Get Yourself Together" meanwhile combines detuned piano and string stabs with clattering hi-hats and a white-hot bassline. Despite the horror movie feel of the samples, the results have the required kick - and most importantly the required charm - to make this another winner for the producer.

Review: Last seen back in 2009 sporting Quantic & Nostalgia 77 jams across a dinky 7", the elusive Tru Thoughts Black Gold series returns with a third offering detailing what the label has up their sleeve in the coming months. Judging by the three tracks here, the South Coast imprint is getting ready to unleash some rowdiness not least the tantalising prospect of Sleeping' Giantz. Formed of three legends of UK music in Zed Bias, Fallacy and Rodney P, "Badungdeng" is tuff, sub heavy bruk anthem and bodes well for their forthcoming album. Alongside this, The Colonel teams up with veteran spitter MC DRS for the soundbwoy grime flex of "Can I Get Some". Intriguingly Preston's finest Cottam spreads his wares across the expanses of the B Side with the disjointed Martian alien futurism of "Hit The Wall (Frustration)". Those expecting slo mo deepness will be surprised at a track more akin to the music you'd find on a Mathematics release, and to our ears it's quite effing brilliant!

Review: Having previously impressed with a single for Dublin's All City last year, Tessela's effort for Peverelist's Punch Drunk is simply one of the heaviest things you'll hear this year. The primary feeling given off by "Channel" as it whips into life is one of chunkiness. The synths slam like weighty percussion, while the box-jam beats snap and crack with an MPC kind of funk that it's hard to achieve through simple quantizing. The sound space that Tessela occupies is certainly a brave one, as it neglects to pander to notions of mixability and consistency, darting around in impulsive flurries of snare rushes, madcap sampling and slowly mutating melodic phrases. On "D Jane" the lead-in holds back on a relatively steady groove (albeit populated by a delirium of samples), only to jerk into the main section on a completely different swing so as to pull your ass in the opposite direction.

Review: Weighing in with some monolithic dubstep styles on Mala's ever excellent Deep Medi Musik imprint, Japanese producer par excellence Goth Trad proves that there can be some give in big room ravey dubstep, and though the track may primarily lurch around aggravated mid-range synth grind, the moments of calm creep in with control that comes from a diverse and adaptable producer. On the flip "Cosmos" takes the deeper approach, using inter-locking percussion and devastating sub bass for a classic exercise in proper dubstep. Whichever kind of set you're plumping for, this release is definitely for the purists.

Review: It's not so often we get to enjoy a DMZ release these days, but as you might expect this is primal dubstep that continues the tradition of the earliest forms of the music. Coki's "Marduk" plys his preferred trade in mid-range tweakery. While there's an endless legion of imitators melting faces the world over with this style, it's the restraint Coki exercises that belies his roots in the sound. Mala meanwhile opts for a drawn out slab of dread with a steadily rising synth that is as deadly as it is understated, proving that the originators always do it best.

Review: Where Scuba's earlier work was typified by the same metallic sheen and monochrome hue, it's noticeable on his third album Personality just how much more colour he's letting into the mix. Whether it's the crisp electro breaks of opener "Ignition Key" or the joyous pop chimes of "July", the mood is overall far sunnier than the Scuba of before. There's drum & bass explorations being made on "Cognitive Dissonance", chart-baiting hooks aplenty and a wealth of vocal action from speeches to divas. All in all it's another essential, multi-faceted evolutionary step for the Berlin-based producer.

Review: Having wowed the world with his first two records, Objekt's arrival on Hessle Audio is a logical and welcome move. The wobbling bassline of "Cactus", premiered on Ben UFO's Rinse:16 mix, recalls Mala's savage productions, tweaking the oscillators just enough to make the bass scream whilst keeping things tasteful, despite its crazed metamorphosis into a raygun at the halfway point. Flipside "Porcupine" meanwhile is militant techno with all the purity and focus of Jeff Mills' best productions, a maelstrom of pummelling beats and swimming chords with a diamond-like beauty despite its pneumatic ferocity. In a word: essential.

Review: Two years on from its initial release, Bonobo's much-loved Black Sands album got the remix treatment. While remix albums can be a bit hit and miss, Black Sands Remixed largely hits the spot - thanks in no small part to the A&R involvement of Eglo bossman Alexander Nut. The selection of remixers is open-minded and on-point, resulting in some near stunning interpretations. FaltyDL, Machinedrum and Cosmin TRG offer some decidedly floor-friendly rubs (the former's take on "All In Forms" delivering a great fusion of melancholic depth and skittering drums), while Arp101, Blue Daisy, Floating Points (in jazzwise mode) and fast rising youngster Lapalux turn in thrilling, sofa-friendly reworks.

Review: Last time round on his DMZ release Coki wielded an iconic Max Romeo sample amidst the signature Digital Mystikz foundation worrying flex, and this one sided 12" will be equally familiar to anyone that's shared a dancehall with Coki recently. "Duppy Soursop" is one of the producer's most treasured dubplates from the last 12 months, melding near inaudible snippets of dancehall crooner Gyptian amidst an explosive stew of kung-fu woodblock chops and Martian laser beams.

Review: Honest Jon's present the last twelve inch instalment of their impossibly varied Shangaan Shake remix project with the perma excellent MMM and Old Apparatus at the helm. Fiedel and Wiegand's take on the Tshetsha Boys is notable for two things: firstly it continues the duo's recent fascination with rhythms of a decidedly UK Funky nature (as executed with devastating effect on their recent Dex/Rio 12") and it further strengthens the impression Honest Jon's have given the commissioned artists a blank canvas to retain or toss as many elements of the source material as they deem fit. Thus recognisable snippets of the vocals remain alongside a brilliantly twisted treatment of the tinny melodics wrapped infinitely around butt slapping drum textures. Completely different in tone and execution, the elusive Old Apparatus invoke the spirit of Scratch Perry at his most intoxicatingly brilliant with a rusted, half stepping arrangement caked in all manner of feedback which serves to demonstrate how far reaching the project has been over the course of the 12" releases.

Review: Front man for the iconic dub punk band The Pop Group, Mark Stewart is on the cusp of dropping an eagerly awaited album in the shape of Politics Of Envy, which is due out next month. Future Noise present the lead single in the shape of the Primal Scream embellished "Autonomia", which gets the remix treatment from Pinch and JD Twitch. Both present drastic revisions of the cacophonous original - Tectonic boss Pinch ramps up the pressure levels with all encompassing waves of sub bass paranoia squeezing the vocals deep into the mix, whilst Twitch delivers perhaps his most bizzare remix in some time. Equally unnerving, the quite aptly named "Twitch Total Destruction" sees Stewart and Bobby Gillespie get chewed up amidst the machinery of a slow mo industrial chugger.

Review: Some two years since their last emission, El B's Ghost imprint returns with a double dose of dark side swingers weighed down by the sheer pressure of the bass! There might be little information to hand about Caski (other than a remix credit for Man Recordings from 2009) but "Lunatic" is perfectly titled and perfectly poised to cause dancefloor mayhem with rave specific stabs aligning to bucking percussion and screw face inducing sub bass in gleefully obnoxious fashion. It makes for the sort of track you hope there isn't a club photographer nearby when it gets dropped. EL B's contribution "Romp" is positively serene in comparison with detailed bouncing steppah rhythms (some lovely cymbal touches) engulfed by a jagged, schizoid mid range garage frequency.

Review: The Ishimura EP sees Reso adorn the Civil Music imprint with yet more examples of his talent for crafting jagged hi tech steppahs. It's quite refreshing to see a producer still approach the art of dubstep with intent of creating a sense of foreboding and menace, which arrives as soon as the needle drops on the title track and doesn't let up. Foundation worrying rhythms crafted from sonic granite are the basis for an all out sensory assault with a nice change up in beat that will catch you off guard. Alongside it "Vanquish" finds Reso in equally cinematic mood, with vocal samples cleverly disguised by the ricocheting drums and schizophrenic bassline, and Civil score a coup in getting "Ishimura" remixes from Evol Intent and Drop The Lime to line the B Side.

Review: Mad Decent and Lo Dubs aren't two labels that would immediately spring to mind when it comes to collaborative releases, however according to the latter this highly limited 12" came together specifically because Diplo's been a fan since Lo started putting out DZ material several years back. Subsequent to the Canadian dubstepper featuring on a Mad Decent comp, the two labels embarked on some chatting of cheese and this record is the end product. The A Side has a much needed physical release for Swarms remix of Diplo's collab with Oliver Twizt which totally rewires the unorthodox swing into something altogether more calming. Check the flip for the excellent "Bounce" from 6Blocc which rewires a Troutmann classic to a crunked out and diced up mainframe.