Dubstep Recommendations October 2012

Review: Suffering stress in your life? Don't worry, help is at hand thanks to emerging Dutch dubber TMSV. Taking a warped, harmonising vocal processing technique famously favoured by US garage legend Todd Edwards, "Stress" is an instantly soothing affair that applies the vocal to great effect before dropping into an intoxicating tribal drum pattern. The drums get even deeper on the flip as "Lost" takes on an almost prog-like attitude with never-ending pads that fluctuate between minor chords with raw emotion. Vibe out on either of these sides and your stresses will be a dim and distant memory.

Review: DMZ stalwart Coki launches his new label Don't Get It Twisted in fine style. "Bob's Pillow" is a wonderfully bizarre affair, taking a haunted dancehall approach to the classic Coki sound and flying in some interesting spoken word samples over the top about a chap and his smoking habits. "Spooky" is more traditional in its overt dread and a prolific deployment of hefty editing and nagging sound effects for maximum hype, but still this seems to be Coki in a more experimental mode than elsewhere, promising interesting things for this label.

Review: It's becoming more and more apparent throughout 2012 that Biome isn't human. He's a blooming machine! There's not been a month this year when he hasn't delivered at least one deep, pensive slice of darkness, be it on Macabre Unit, Smokin Sessions, Osiris or New Moon. Back on the ever-reliable Blackbox he's served up something of a bumper package. Five tracks in total, his balance of stark atmospherics and gruff subs is in full effect. The delicate shades of piano and synth-laced light of "Inner Mind", the subtle croaks and groans of the EP's title track "Two Way", the intricate tribal drum patterns and woozy pads of "First Light"... Biome's production line is running more efficiently than ever. Machine music has never sounded so good.

Review: Deep Medi Musik's northern correspondent Commodo truly impressed with the Commodo double pack that surfaced earlier this year, ensuring expectations are at a premium as he returns to Mala's label for a third outing. Over the course of its six years of existence to date, Deep Medi has increasingly become relied upon for those seeking out some proper 140bpm head business and Buckwild ensures standards are maintained with drums that constantly threaten to veer off grid under pressure from the densely layered, cluttered percussion and low end bass that only reveals its true power on a worthy system. There's a drunken funk to the twisted flow of the track that will appeal to many, and it's complemented by "Axis" with a tighter, metallic flex that swaggers forth as Commodo flickers between strange dubbed out refrains.

Review: Dusk and Blackdown have been operating on the progressive end of the dubstep spectrum for some time, having released their first material way back in 2005. Desaflex, their second full-length, continues where previous sets left off, offering a deep but surprisingly floor-friendly take on dubstep. Taking influences from a variety of sources - IDM, electronica, garage and UK funky, most obviously - they offer-up a series of well-polished but pleasingly analogue-sounding cuts full of energy and, most importantly, good ideas. At times, their brand of finely tuned bass-tronica sounds like early Black Dog with a dubstep pulse, at others like a futurist outing to Croydon. Throughout, it's a delightful listen.

Review: One of the craftiest knob-twiddlers in grime steps up to Butterz once again with the bombastic pressure of "Let Me Be The One". The production is as razor-sharp as anything Danjah has turned his hands to in recent times, ripping between string-laden sweetness and ugly flurries of drums with dexterity. Ruby Lee Ryder's delivery meanwhile rides at odds with the madness underneath, striking a perfect note of tenderness and vulnerability amidst the madness erupting around her. With an instrumental on the flip for those afraid to embrace their soulful sides, this one looks likely to blow up.

Review: Alongside fellow West Coast brethren such as Sholohmo, Groundislava is bringing forth a plush take on the Californian beat scene ideals, with his own brew favouring rich synths of an 80s persuasion. This particular slant of vintage aesthetic mining is shot through with the woozy detuned charm and melancholia that made acts such as Hype Williams stand out initially. The tempos on his debut album for Friends of Friends shift around while the atmosphere and approach stays joyfully intact, creating a cohesive ride through a romantic sound universe where melody is king and yet there's not one sappy note to be found.