Dubstep Recommendations September 2015

Review: Taking the same Mavado sample Coki famously destroyed the last decade with, DJ Madd adds a whole new level of heaviness with rolling tribal drums, tubular bass tones and a droning pad that's so paranoid it's in danger of being sectioned. Flip for the Steppa remix; sunnier on the surface, thanks to its heavy organ play and cheekier bass runs, there's still a world of darkness to unfold when played on the right system. Timeless for life.

Review: Japanese dub stepper Karma resurfaces on Innamind with a deadly 12" exercise in bass science; welcome news for anyone that caught his previous contributions to Vivek's System label and that Back To Chill compilation from Goth Trad. The Heal 12" sees Karma dip into his personal armoury of dubplate weapons for a triplet of deadly cuts with Innamind welcome recipients. Dread vibes run deep through the title track which features some mind-bending sub bass deployment - we gotta hear this one on a big rig!! "Rumblefish" crams all manner of abstract found sound into a taut, almost 4/4 rhythm with dystopian results whilst closer "Flee in The Fog" finds Karma working with Dubtro on a production where the space between elements is key to creating tension.

Review: Want to know the epitome of on-point? Butterz's 2015 output is the perfect example, be it the much needed reissue of Woo Riddim, or the TQD production supergroup of Royal T, DJ Q and Flava D or this latest 12" from the label. Ruff Sqwad man Prince Rapid needs no introduction and he's really on fire with this four track debut for Butterz which really lives up its title. From the moment standout cut "Hear This" clicks into gear, Rapid is on searing form channelling a raw energy comparable to Ruff Sqwad in their heyday some ten years prior. Special mention to the artwork which was shot in the same place a Ruff Sqwad photo was shot a decade ago.

Review: The mysterious WULF comes through with his debut for Tribe 12 Music, an imprint reserved for the more headsy end of bass music around the European quarters. "Ego Dub" and a straight-up roller, a corner-dweller special featuring a heavy bassline, dubwise flutters and a loose percussion flex. On the B-side, "Refuse" man rains the dub tonality, but heads deeper into the wormhole thanks to a sleepy artillery of drums, and a grizzly bassline for that final 'crunch'. Recommended!

Review: Next up on Deep Medi Musik is an assured system smasher from K Man The Phantom, who was previously moonlighting on Mala's label as Dub Mechanics. After debuting his new alias with the Electro Magnetic Destroyer single last year, he's back in action with a double-header that should appeal to all those who love a searing mid-range buzz with their dubstep related material. "Blink" bounces on the most hyped-up of beats, positively shoving the killer lead riff around in all its mechanical magnificence, while "Power Drill" takes that slower, lurching approach to LFOing bump and grind, layering up the intensity only to melt away into a most haunting of mid-session breathers.

Review: Despite announcing their retirement from the record label business earlier this year, it seems like Donga's Well Rounded operation has been coaxed back to the dark side (hooray!) with the arrival of a new endeavour Well Rounded Dubs. Never one to pander to trend, Well Rounded Dubs is concerned with music in the 140bpm / dubstep arena and launches with a 12" featuring some spacious steppers science from Foamplate and Corticyte. Up top local Brighton talent Foamplate makes an impressive vinyl debut with the swaggering sub anthem "Fuzz" (which features some nice field recordings of police sirens) whilst Gully Records affiliate opts for a stripped back approach on "Negative Space".

Review: This month sees Wheel & Deal regular LX One make good on the promise shown over five years of 12" output with his debut album Motions. To complement it, N-Type's label are splitting up the cuts into two four-track 12" samplers with the first arriving before the album proper! "Watchers" sets the tone here with some abstract bassline design lending a degree of unpredictability around a finely crafted rhythmic base, whilst the taut "Cloud City" is a growling heavy stepper in the fashion we've come to expect from LX One. Frisco lends some vocal menace to "Roll Out" whilst "Oddity" ends this sampler on an atmospheric, delay heavy note. The full LP should be great on the evidence here.

Review: Previous outings on the 10" white label series Ruff Cut have come from Killawatt, Kaiju and Send (Ipman and Killawatt) but there is no clue as yet who is behind this latest transmission. Regardless, if you have been following the label's intermittent releases you will feel the need to check these two cuts. Jah vibes abound in "Eazy Tek it Eazy", a dub-wise steppahs track that has Mariana Trench levels of deepness - we need to hear this one on a big rig! Oodles of delay greet your ears when "Word Sound And Power" swings into view, but there is more of a discernible beat to hang onto here.

Review: Epoch's Egyptian Avenue goes full vinyl for the first time with two achingly touching cuts: "Windmill" is a rolling slice of barbed soul with Trentemoller-style pads, Blue Lines era breakbeats and powerful yearning vocals from Afiya. "Devotion" takes us much deeper under oceanic swathes of atmospheric pads, far-away strings and distant halftime beats. From the dance to dirge, Epoch has created something truly special here.

Review: Hotline continue to channel the most exciting sounds to be dissipating from the Bristol locale with their latest release a double pack from the mighty Ishan Sound! Chris Ebdon is evidently sitting on a wealth of Ishan Sound dubs with this double pack for Hotline following on from a self-titled Peng Sound release of a similar nature earlier this year. Presented in striking yellow, these six cuts find Ishan Sound working with the rolling vocal style of Rider Shafique, and sees Ebdon bring his more club-orientated style to the fore. Heavy steppers vibes through and through from the Young Echo man!