Dubstep Recommendations June 2014

Review: A 12", a 7" and two CDs of beautiful deep bass music... All for under a tenner! Dublin crew Absys are celebrating the launch of their Absys Limited label with serious gusto right here. Highlights abound, and they start with the stunning single from Hatti Vatti. "Simple Words" says it all; a delicate, emotive two-step treat, it sets the tone for the whole collection. Dig deeper and deeper and you'll find myriad surprises and delights... From the trembling piano tinkles and spooked sound design on Nuage's "Farenheit 17" to the bellowing subs and slippery kicks on Nuage's D&B track "Fair Question" via the sharp old school detuned synth stabs on LeStR's "Vapour" and slinky breakbeat wriggles of LM1's "Journey". And that's barely the tip of the iceberg, massive in every sense!

Review: Few producers do the future dub thing with as much authenticity and clarity as Hungarian DJ Madd. "Unfaithful Version" takes Al Campbell's "Unfaithful Children" and brings it into the next century with perfectly warm and rounded bass and crystalline drums. Proving he's got just as much soundclash muscle as he has musicality, "Clash Dub" hurtles us deep into battle with a huge bassline, war-cry vocal samples and beats so heavy they could flatten a house. Massive... And super limited. Jump on this now!

Review: Also known as Germany's Next Top Wobble, Bukez Finezt has taken things next level with "Under Control". Hyped across the board (from deep heads to tear-out boys) as one of the key releases of 2014 so far, this sub-saturated swagger-jam has an ability to sing to all corners of the ever-fractured dubstep floor. Want to go deeper again? Head for "You Don't Belong Here". Wonkier than a wooden legged pirate with gout, it's peppered with spooked SFX and a bass tone so ominous it could raise the Devil himself, Bukez clearly has a dark, dark mind! Finally we hit "Pace Yourself". A percussive hype track with a very cheeky horn sample, all manner of madness has been coded into the vast space between the elements. Minimalist chaos anyone?

Review: Recent releases have shown DFA to be as unexpected as they've always been when selecting remixers; Factory Floor saw their work ripped apart and put back together again by Helena Hauff whilst Paul Woolford was invited to work his magic on label mainstay Shit Robot. This latest DFA 12" pulls together two previously digi only singles from new signing Dan Bodan for the vinyl hungry label completists out there. To the uninitiated, Bodan is a highly tipped Berlin-based singer, songwriter whose productions sound like Arthur Russell doing modern R&B. Of most interest here is the remix of "Anonymous" from White Material co-founder DJ Richard which is similarly sparse, reducing the vocals to mere whispers and coating everything in brooding industrial textures. Do check the flipside Stadium Mix, which is according to DFA is "common shorthand for an amazing producer/remixer we are not allowed to mention for some reason".

Review: Their anonymity still impressively intact, no one knows who the London/Berlin partnership behind these left side dubwise slices are, but everyone is loving them. Having showcased aspects of jungle and classic dub on the previous outings, this Record Store Day special explores both hip-hop culture and very early techno flavours... "Track 1" dusts off an old soul gem, strips it back and slows it right down. "Track 2", meanwhile, retains an element of b-boy flavour thanks to the cool scratches, but its bassy body and lo-fi groove screams classic Bleep, Coldcut or Unique 3. Both are genuinely unique.

Review: A long-standing member of N-Type's Wheel & Deal family, you should know exactly what to expect from an LX One release by now... Booming bass drama with the perfect balance of darkness. Naturally the couplet on this 12" is no exception. "Reflect" is all about one massive, ominous drone that seeps through the groove and drapes itself over every element. "Distorted Politics", meanwhile, puts the emphasis onto the intricate drum work. Surging forth with layers upon layers of tightly-knit percussion, if you're looking for total dancefloor lockdown, this is the track that will take you there.

Review: ** Repress Alert **Taken from the recording sessions that spawned Kuedo's critically acclaimed album Severant, "Work, Live & Sleep In Collapsing Space" sees a track that brings together the more jagged elements of the producer's earlier Vex'd alias, along with the brittle footwork inspired and dystopian soundscapes percussion of his more recent output. Remixes are provided by Claude Speed, who provides a version that combines synths reminiscent of early Oneohtrix Point Never combined with motorik kraut rhythms, and Laurel Halo, whose delicate revision combines abrasive violins with a viscous mass of percolating synths.