Juno Recommends Dubstep: March 2024

Review: Vinyl-only imprint ZamZam Sounds is edging towards 100 releases and will surely hit that milestone at some point in 2024. This is release number 94 and comes courtesy of Innamind alumni and South London sorts Traces. A-side 'No One (Can Tell I)' is the more obviously dub-minded of the pair, with echoing vocal snippets, delay-laden drum machine cymbals and percussive hits riding a skeletal, sub-heavy 'riddim' that adds dubstep swing to a 21st century dub groove. Over on the flip, 'Listen' is a more orthodox dubstep workout - all jaunty but moody grime style stabs, fiendish wobble bass and hot-steppin' South London beats. As usual, the seven-inch is ultra-limited and comes housed in a hand-printed sleeve.

Review: Few are aware that the historic city of Bristol is still home to secret cabals of subaquatic explorers, the most open secret among which is the Challenger Deep crew. From the depths, one of their many regiments, duo Inner Echo, break the surface tension with two new ones, 'Aurora' and 'Ruminate'. Both tracks are masterclasses in deep dubstep, the first revelling in a low-bubbling lead line that leans heavy on the harmonics, the latter preferring a subtle ambience of piracy and novel Atlantean exploration.

Review: Ghetts presents a new album, On Purpose, With Purpose, which follows 2021's epic Conflict Of Interest and continues the ongoing artistic evolution of one of the UK's foremost rappers. Ghetts returns sounding sharper, more unflinchingly honest and boldly confident than ever before, expanding his sonic palette by reaching out beyond rap and incorporating wider genre elements such as soul ('Double Standards'), r&b ('Mine'), gospel ('Hallelujah'), Afrobeat and amapiano ('Gbedu', 'Blessings', 'Tumbi'). With every contemporary stylistic box ticked, Ghetts' purpose is made abundantly clear: to please.