Dubstep Recommendations June 2010

Review: Despite having a moniker which sounds like an all-female pop outfit from the 90s, you'll be glad to hear that Girl Unit, is, in fact, nothing of the sort. A house aficionado of the highest calibre, the South London based producer blends elements of UK funky, 2-step, house, garage, Chicago juke and shades of dubstep with an iconoclastic irreverence for genre boundaries. Appearing on Bok-Bok and L-Vis 1990's label, Night Slugs, the I.R.L EP marks the third release for the burgeoning young imprint, which was established earlier this year. The EP - incidentally one of the most hotly tipped records around at the moment - begins with the title track. A dramatic, cinematic intro (rather reminiscent of D&B producer Rockwell's "Noir") initiates the proceedings with a thumping statement of intent and screechy, sliding synth embellishments. A hollow, clip-clop beat underpins the track, moving from dark, moody moments to more mellow, Mount Kimbie-style sections with masterful ease. DVA takes things down a tougher, rougher street with the tapping, grinding synthetics and raw industrial edge of his 'Hi Emotions' remix, whereas Young Gunz crew member, French Fries tunes in to a funky vibe, with shuffling rhythms, a nod to soca and lashings of sun-drenched tropical exoticism.

Review: South London boys Skream, Hatcha and F One go in hard with tearout synth strikes and powerful percussion. Be sure to check Cluekid's super minimal effort "Sector 9" and LD's "Inferno", where the producer does his riddimatic thing with lethal electro synths and forward leaning soca syncopations. Big release from the Croydon crew.

Review: Oh Benga. Where do we begin? Emerging from the depths of Croydon in the early noughties, Benga has been a pioneer and pivotal lynchpin in the ever-burgeoning dubstep movement. His previous albums, Newstep and Diary Of An Afro Warrior remain amongst the most influential long players of the genre's history, alongside commercial crossover collab with Coki, "Night" and a slew of other high profile releases on labels such as Tempa, Tectonic, Hotflush and Planet Mu. Firmly cementing his reputation as one of the scene's most pre-eminent figures, Benga brings us "Phaze One" - the first in a series of EPs on the seminal Tempa imprint. Bookmarked by the delightfully named "Baltimore Clap" and "No Bra, No Panties," the EP kicks off with jittering, dark riddims and aggressive slapstick, breathy tones. As digital bonuses, "Transform" - another bleepy bad one, and the aforementioned cheeky sampling, dancehall-esque "No Bra, No Panties" - conclude the EP with a resounding two fingers in the face. Great stuff.

Review: London based producer Dark Sky arrives on Bristol label, Black Acre with a superb double header. The title track sees a stepping dubtech intro fly into rave chords and an arsenal of tough breaks, whilst haunting vocals wind around chilly synths. "Ghost Notes," on the flip sees a stun of fluoro synth work and burly aquacrunk beats colliding together in a Nintendo meets dub rave extravaganza.