Dubstep charts

Review: Of all the artists past and present who claim to let their music do their talking for them, Burial is one of the elite band of whom this truly is the case. In fact, so reluctant is he to engage with the cult-of-personality hoopla that surrounds almost every modern producer and musician of merit, that he remains a genuine recluse; he has never appeared live, only one obliquely-angled publicity photograph is known to exist, and the number of interviews he has given can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Yet despite this, his music speaks loud and wide, and the world has been listening ever since his 'South London Boroughs' EP debut on Hyperdub in March 2005. His eponymous album, which began life as a low-key release in May 2006, is now widely regarded as the benchmark release of the ever-widening dubstep genre, picking up unanimous critical acclaim along the way, and ending the year heavily featured in many 'best of' polls. Now Burial returns with 'Untrue', a new record of weird soul music, which lovingly processes spectral female voices into vaporised R&B and smudged 2step garage. Vocal lines are blurred, smeared, pitched up pitched down and pitch bent until their content is cast adrift from their original context and they whisper their saccharin sweet nothings into the void. The album continues with the debut's crackle-drenched yearning and bustling syncopations, haunted by the ghosts of rave, but also reveals some new Burial treats with a more glowing, upbeat energy. Kicking off with the skittering 2step syncopations and vocal science of 'Archangel', 'Near Dark' and 'Ghost Hardware', before long it descends into a space of radiant divas and ambience. Where 'Burial' first was humid, suffocating and unrelentingly sad, 'Untrue' is less sunless. Many of the tracks are so sweet, they become toxic, underscored by the almost geological rumbles of growling basslines. Unlike the overpoweringly melancholic prevailing mood of before, Burial's sound is now better defined as a downcast euphoria typified by the epic, muted optimism of the album's last track 'Raver'. Forget central heating the radioactivity of this album is all that you'll need to keep you warm this winter. 'Untrue' is available as full 13 track digipack CD, including recent underground hit 'Ghost Hardware', and 9 track DJ friendly double vinyl set, from which some of the beatless pieces have been edited.

Review: Nova is a new signing for the Infernal Sounds crew and the artist has saved some of his best work for the occasion. He opens up with 'Bonafide,' a dark and heavy wobbler with a busy, oscillating low end that is full of menace while some subtle pitched up vocals hint at the rave. 'Single Fuse' is a noter one to loosen the bowels and melt your face with its lumpy, leggy rhythms and tripped out watery effects. It's 'Fivers' which then gets more tight and tense with an edgy synth hustling in the background while jittery snares keep you on edge up front. 'Intricacy' closes with a heavyweight bottom end and plenty of reverb to get lost in.

Review: Grime might now be one of the biggest sounds in the UK music scene, but it arguably might never have been without the much earlier work of scene forefather Dizzee Rascal. The Londoner broke through just after the turn of the millennium and onto the international stage with his in-your-face bars, mashed-up dance sounds and big samples. Quite possibly his best work is Boy In Da Corner, the stunning Mercury Prize winning long player on XL that is now 20 years young. It gets a special reissue for the occasion with all the big ones like 'Fix Up, Look Sharp' present and correct, as well as a load of fine instrumentals.

Review: Hyperdub kick off the vinyl side to their ten-year celebrations with this weighty four-tracker from some of the leading lights from the label's story. Mala is in a strident mood with "Expected, Level 10" carrying through that extra touch of melody from the Mala In Cuba LP. DVA cuts loose with the leftfield scattershot groove of "Technical Difficulties", reveling in tonal experimentation and jagged rhythmic flair to a stunning end. Still locked into the sci-fi trap tangent that characterised Severant, Kuedo turns out the haunting "Mtzpn" and Helix pops up for a remix of Kode9's "Xingfu Lu" that strips down to bare essentials with a little starlit soul rubbed into the framework.

Review: Nadia Struiwigh's Pax Aurora was a standout ambient techno LP in 2022, and now Nous Klaer Audio have returned to the project to commission a grip of remixes which respond to the source material in distinctive ways. DJ Nobu takes a delicate, mesmerising approach to 'Nana', while Jakojako plumbs the depths of immersive, feathery techno. With Om Unit and Julia Gjertsen representing with equally hypnotic, elegant versions on the flip as well, this is the perfect example of a remix EP which truly adds weight to the original release.

Review: Former Grid member and now ambient superstar Richard Norris delivers two new oracular divinations for his very own Group Mind label, the imprint formed in and after the COVID-19 lockdowns to help mindfully assuage the creeping anxieties of the age. A six-track 12" limited to just 30 copies - numbered and signed by the artist himself (move quick, hares) - these six tracks segue between dub and deep listening, fronting the bass and keeping percussive elements spread and panned. Best on the obverse is the A3, 'Mystery Dub', whose endlessly delayed stabs and cutoff conga samples well convey a vacuum-of-space vibe. The B-side moves into snake-charming dancehall territory, the punning, chordophonic 'Rockers Sci Fi' and the vocal blissout 'Stronger Together' being the ethereal highlights.

Review: Over the years, Modeselektor have forged a reputation as fearless innovators, neatly sidestepping genres and frequently confounding critics. Given their tireless touring schedule and the fact they run two prolific labels it's perhaps no surprise that it's been some four years since the last full-length Modeselektor album. Monkeytown flits effortlessly between skittish 140 BPM bass music, clandestine electronica, sludgy hip-hop and even warehouse-flavoured tropical rhythms (see "German Clap"). There are some real standouts, including a dreamy, slo-mo pop outing with PVT, two collaborations with Thom Yorke and a droning Anti-Pop Consortium hook-up. Must-check.

Review: Having initially sprung into life back in 2005 to provide an outlet for dubstep productions by members of Bristol's bass music community, Tectonic has since developed into a must-check hub for heavyweight floor fillers across a range of bass-fixated genres. The label's shift in recent years is amply demonstrated by this latest Tectonic Plates collection, the first since 2009. Demonstrating label boss Pinch has lost none of his deft A&R skills, this quadruple vinyl has some relatively traditional dubstep from the likes of Tunnidge and Ginz rubbing shoulders with typically juke influenced 808 pressure from Addison Groove, while Goth Trad indulges his inner acid. Elsewhere Hoya Hoya alumnus Illum Sphere brings some electric warmth with "Promise A Secret" whilst 2562 and Kevin McPhee continue their efforts to frustrate the genre police with excellent results.

Review: There was much talk ahead of the release of Darkstar's debut album as to whether the London based outfit could live up to the promise of their stunning breakthrough single "Aidy's Girl Is A Computer" on Hyperdub in 2009. The answer, in short, is yes. In the course of the past 12 months Aiden Whalley and James Young have morphed from a production team into a band, adding vocalist James Buttery along the way, and North, the fruits of their labour, is a fragile, delicate and beautiful record. Tracks like "Gold" and ""Dear Heartbeat"" showcase an 80s synth pop sensibility, forming the backbone of an album that is steeped in worry and melancholia. Buttery's vocal talents add an extra layer of depth to the music, particularly on the poignant, piano driven opening and closing track "In The Wings" and "When It's Gone". There is much to explore on North, which will go down as one of 2010's most affecting electronic albums.

Review: Deep Medi Musik continues on its mission to find the darkest, deepest and heaviest dubstep out there with a new bowel-rumbling release from Compa. It opens with the lurching drums and insistent stabs of 'Mind Control', a spacious wobbler with impossibly weighty bass. 'Emergence' then gets a little busier with zippy leads pinging about the mix and frosty static adding texture to the low end wub. 'Stronghold' is another bleak futuristic vision where all humanlike has been replaced by AI and 'Armada Bleeps' brings glassy texture, edgy chords and glitching breaks.

Review: James Blake's debut album is undoubtedly one of 2011's most keenly awaited releases, and its arrival via his own (major label funded) Atlas imprint ensures their is no lull in momentum for a producer who enjoyed a watershed 2010 with releases on Hessle Audio and R&S. The results here differ wildly from his previous sonic excursions - gone are the shimmering R&B soaked melodies of "CMYK" and the sheer experimentalism of the Klavierwerke EP, which saw the young Londoner depart from the confines of the dancefloor and enter a realm where there was only a passing reference to rhythm-based music. Instead we are treated to Blake's own yearning, raw voice, delicate pianos and an underlying sense of melancholy. Ubiquitous single "Limit To Your love" and the crackly sonic terrain evoked on "The Wilhelm Scream" are among the most immediately pleasing moments, but there is much to explore here. It's a fascinating opus and surely the catalyst to a long and fruitful career at the top.

Review: Finally! Grove's exceptional debut EP from last year sees the vinyl light of day. Sitting somewhere between breaks, drum & bass, hip-hop and IDM, their powerful delivery and black, queer perspective fires up an incredible cauldron that's visceral, physical and loaded with positivity. Highlights range from the subverted jungle head-twister 'F-I-U' to the bulldozer techno stepper 'Intent' with all kinds of flavours in between including a collab with Griz-O, a remix from Ur Worst Nightmare and exceptional life truths like 'Fuck Ur Landlord' and 'Ur Boyfriend's Whack'. Get sticky.

Review: From the eastern sorcerer who gave us 'Dying On Acid' a few years ago on Deep Medi comes 'Pusher Acid', one of the most beguiling EPs Gantz has cast our way in some time. Six tracks over two 12"s, there's a real measured pace and sense of tension running across the collection as we gradually build up to the pensive, fierce and well-chiselled title track. Elsewhere we have the eerie cinematica of 'Sleepless Elite', the left-footed lollops and slug-like bassline of 'Chiral' and the palpitating, slo-mo seduction of the vinyl-only cut 'Spineless'. Keep pushing on.

Review: Russian producer Kercha has already served up two superb EPs that cemented his reputation as a contemporary deep dubstep great, and now he backs it up with a standout first EP of 2021. His Mental Ballast EP comes on the label he is a firm part of, DNO Records, and is complete with his signature off-kilter rhythms. Opener 'Ignornants' has shimmering oscillations and deep, dark dub. Plenty of subtle samples flesh out the eerie groove including a clip of Russian maestro E. Ponasenkov. 'Analysis' is another gem, this time with Berlin artist Yoofee with plenty of purple flourishes. There is serious wobble to 'Tigers' that keeps you on edge and 'Acid' is a real spin out to close.

Review: Hailing from Hastings, England, Sustrapperazzi joins the Ilian Beat Series with a dope fonka of a 12".

Review: Zha brings together element of dubstep, grime and trap on his latest 12" for the Naan crew. It is his first outing of the year following solid slabs of wax for the likes of White Peach and this label dating back to 2015. This one kicks off with 'Spice,' which has bass tones pinging about the mix with big hits, snatched vocal yelps and dusty drums all keeping you on your toes. 'Grief' is darker and dirtier thanks to the filthy great oscillation that rips up the swaggering rhythm and 'Harm' gets deep on some pensive pads and intoxicating melodic sounds. 'Two Rumours' closes down with sub so warm and cuddly it's like being hugged by a new duvet.

Review: TMSV has the honour of closing out another solid year for the Deep Mehdi crew. His debut on the label gives a fine representation of his sound across a quartet of dark dubstep gems. 'The Glow' opens in eerie fashion, with low end oscillations and late night tones leaving long tails in their wake. 'Revenge' gets more tense and taught as it traps you in some edgy loops and 'Housing' layers up what sounds like broken glass, ominous drones and flashing synth work into something brilliantly. 'Stay Closed' wraps things up with fractured melody and plunging bass.

Review: Almost 20 years have passed since Australian duo's debut LP Alleys To Valleys landed in our collections. Now we see these valleys from the flip perspective as they creatively scale us to the very summit of Mirror Mountain, their most ambitious body of work so far. Sitting somewhere between Booka Shade, Four Tet and Chemical Brothers, there's a vibrancy and energy that they've only ever hinted at before. From the soaring euphoria of 'Promises' to the emotional, cinematic breaks of 'Golden Hour' and the gentle lament of 'Tides Of Time', the pair weave a beguiling narrative through their work that really brings the album to life. Stunning.

Review: After making a big impression with his first 12" on Senaker Social in 2019, Low End Activism is back with a superb full length. It finds him 'sum up the conflicting emotions attached to memories of home' as he explores his own sonic roots through the prism of future-rushing soundsystem sonics. The tracks are wrought with street level tensions and urban and suburban gimme, with darkness adn frustration. But there is also home and solidarity in these sounds which are sure to unite people of all backgrounds on the world's dance floors.

Review: Bengal Sound is a rising star in the Bristol bass scene and now he makes another mighty fine statement with this two tracker on Wych, the increasingly essential label run by K-LONE. This one comes after his various standout tunes from self-released cassettes fusing dusty old Bollywood samples to red hot club bangers. 'Solace' is the opener and is heavy on the rubbing and cavernous bass with icy leads and on the flip is 'On My Mind' which is just as atmospheric.

Review: Visages are a four-strong crew out of Toulouse who fly the flag for a true-school, soundsystem approach to club music. Their drops to date have spanned labels like Flexor Audio, Impact Music and Dispatch Recordings, but since 2020 they've been building something formidable with Alix Perez's 1985 Music label. Now this build up culminates in the knockout From Lead To Gold, a masterful long player of hard-hitting steppers and snaking d&b workouts which will have seasoned heads and new listeners alike getting giddy. Perez himself lends a hand on 'Black Katana' but really the achievement is all in the hands of these four talented up and comers.

Review: Few labels have been as important to the development of deep dubstep over the last decade than the Deep Medi Musik crew. Here comes another of their fine transmissions, ready and waiting to rattle your ribs and test your bowels. Somah is at the buttons for the four cuts and kicks off with 'Irked' which has inky bass and haunting late night leads over a heavy but deft bottom end. 'Mirrors' pairs more eerie empty space with echoing hits and distant sirens and 'Cold Chain' has a warmer, even slightly soulful sound thanks to the pad work. 'Unmarked' closes with a clatter of percussive menace.

Review: The Indicator label is launching with a real bang this month as it drops its first three EPs all on the same day. This is the second one and it lays out a sonic vision that is rooted in bass and grime. These tunes are lifted from a previously lost CD that hasn't been seen for some 20 years. The music has been newly mastered for this vinyl release and it finds Great Ezcape in ferocious form. These heavy cuts sound future today despite their age as they mix up fizzing synths, sleazy bass and grimy bars.