Review: The 15-year anniversary of Coki's 'Goblin' is upon us and forms part of UKF Dubstep's UKF15 sreies, which also celebrates 15 years of UKF with multiple series of releases spanning drum & bass, dubstep and beyond. Now pressed to 12" black vinyl, and helming up an A-sider's stardom compared to the original Ringo Records 12"'s B-side, 'Goblin' gets the respect it deserves. Once famed and flamed for being one of "the tunes that spawned brostep" alongside 'Spongebob', 'Goblin' is a seriously impish impressor - its snagletooth lead line emblematic of Coki's signature noughts breakout sound - and the track has never sounded so especially powerful and puckish as it does now, with extra reverb and decay effects peppered in. And on the B, fast-riser producer Hamdi provides an asphyxiant B-side, contrasting the original's fanged sludge.
Review: Previously flexing on Wheel & Deal and Artikal, London new-gen 140 talent Darkai now lands on another one of the most respected labels in the dubstep multiverse - Deep Medi. Like all the best 12"s it's a game of two halves as he serves up the rough and the smooth. 'Break Room' is a grizzly, distorted, contemporary hot mess as crushed up drums decay in spirals all around. Meanwhile on the B 'Ogun' goes for much more of a timeless dungeon bound groaner. Booming echoes and snake-like bass, slithering upside your chops. Mood, tension and dynamics all in full effect. High grade.
Review: Sneaker Social regulars Alan Johnson return to the label with more unclassifiable gems. All flexing that bewitching, beaty brew of percussion, smoking 808s, shattered beats and crafty sampling, each cut hits with a direct physical groove. From the System-level dubsteppy title track to the more organic haze and swoons of the finale 'People Of The World', the UK duo have once again weaved a fine line between so many genres without committing to any. Tonnes of love..
Review: East London MC Jus Rival teams up with Camden's Joe Fire here for a hard-hitting new track 'G.M.S (Gun Man Sound).' Following their previous collaboration on 'Dangerous Settings,' the duo builds on their undeniable chemistry for another explosive release with some serious low-end heft. Produced by grime heavyweight Spooky Bizzle, the brass-laced instrumental provides the perfect backdrop for both MCs to shine and Jus Rival opens with a catchy hook and sharp bars, while Joe Fire takes over with a playful, yet commanding verse. Accompanied by a slick visual directed by Honey JD,tihs one is defined by its dynamic delivery and relentless energy.
Kwengface vs Joy Orbison vs Overmono - "Freedom 2" (3:30)
Kwengface - "Freedom" (3:19)
Review: These tracks have received some huge hype just from the plays they have been getting from DJs luckily enough to have them. Now they finally get a vinyl pressing so the rest of us can join in the fun. First up is a three way collab between a trio of well-regarded artists in the UK drill rapper Kwengface, master bass producer Joy O and techno's Overmono. 'Freedom 2' has cut-throat rhymes and two-step garage influences with low-end subs which will destroy the club. The original version features on the flip with a less club-ready and more drill-centric sound.
Review: Say a big hello to the new Modez label here while getting lost in the hard hitting first release from Modelle. It's a bold barrage of bass, Baille funk and dubstep across six sizzling cuts. 'Pursuit' opens up with lithe broken beats wired up with electricity and percussive hits. 'Dum Dumb' is built on a distorted low end with hard-ass raps and brutal drum breaks, 'Razor Rex' arrests the attention with its pulsing bass and bleeping modular synth sequences while 'Petrie's Rage' is a hyper-speed cosmic banger. 'Jeff On God' (feat Parkinson White) shuts down with more low end energy and this time jungle breaks provide the power source.
Review: UK imprint White Peach have served up all things dubstep since before you likely developed any sense of taste. That's because they made yours; 'Likesss' is the latest set of sonic fruits from rising producer Moreofus, and continues to convince us of White Peach's ability to sway our low-end-erring predilections. Through its ploddy trap, midrange growls, triplet transitions, riotous vocal textures, and pistol-whipping snares - B2 'Menace' coming as the night-bussed, heavy-deep drill highlight - Moreofuss seems set to rack up a lot of 'Likessss' indeed...
Review: The second instalment of Brownswood Recordings' Remix Editions series features two dancefloor hitters; one from new kids on the block Izco & Reek0 and the other from sub-bass heavyweight Coki. Each producer turning their hands to a remix from a different track from Oreglo's debut EP, 'Not Real People', both efforts turn out to be massive. Izco and Reek0's version of 'Levels' opens the proceedings with a stargazing march, fusing motifs of amapiano, carnival and UK jazz. Coki's flipside is much more dubious, working in a much lower dubstep register, and filtering Oreglo's original 'Opedge' jazz instrumentation into a mnemonic groundwork for a grime-caked heater.
Review: Apocalypto! Foreign Beggar PAV4N lays down some hard hitting truths with the hard hitting Truth and the results are sizzling in moody futurist fusion. 'Brave New World' (with Saskilla) marches us slap bang into the middle of a 23rd century war, 'Pythons' slithers with so much attitude you can feel squeezing you, softening you up for Pav's lunchtime treat. 'Online Overdose' (with Ashez) hurls us into a neon swing, pinging through the arpeggiated sci-fi swagger before 'Pyrex Jackie' goes straight up Universal Soldier. Metal jacket tackle.
Review: Old Clarty pants Spooks switches up his brand for a new heavy hitting series of club jams. Kicking off with 001, there's a very distinctive bite to this ghost's bark as he goes in on the heavier tear-out vibes with 'Shark Attack'. Deeper into his ocean we plunge as 'Quiet Storm' sucks us down into the sand and 'Sitting Bull' flips for an upbeat early 2000s breakbeat garage type of mission. 'Gas Mark' brings this bloodclart bake-off to a tasty but very messy finish. Sheesh what a set. Spooky never misses but this is some serious Bizzle even for him. Essential.
Review: Serbian crew Traka have been doing absolute bits on Yuku over recent years. Flexing between beats, experimental bass, grime and occasional excursions into drum & bass, the collective have a sound that defies tempo and template. Here they make their debut on FKOF and 'So' is the standout cut thanks to some absolutely savage bars from Rider Shafique. The energy is kept up top from the off; 'Shock Em Up' is an industrial funk-up, 'Shake Junt' melts with a warped Mo Wax feel while 'Silus' closes with a twisted hybrid of grunge and crunk. Stash it, bag it.
Review: It's not often we pass on much trappy EDM to listeners at Juno, but Eprom is a special case, having made a name for himself for pushing the glossy post-dubstep trap style that made many artists like him famous. At the same time, Barclay Crenshaw (Claude VonStroke) is another name in the EDM world whose direction isn't quite the same as Eprom's, but nevertheless shares a space with the former artist for having also remixed Yung Skrrt's wilfully trashy hit 'McDonalds' of late. As both artists have dropped their respective cuts in many a DJ set all over the world, Skrrt's label DIRTYBIRD have now orchestrated a meeting of the two minds - not least to mention this juicy vinyl compilation of the two remixes.
Review: Make The Ting originated from Elijah's online writings on creativity, known as 'Yellow Squares' on Instagram and Twitter. The first post appeared on July 31, 2021, as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in the UK and then evolved into lectures and broader explorations of his creativity. In summer 2022, Blay Vision's 'Cammy Riddim' sparked the idea of translating Yellow Squares into songs. Collaborating with Grime MC Jammz, the pair created the track 'Yellow Square' and during a Muay Thai retreat in February 2023, Elijah expanded it into an album that is presented here and emphasised speed and spontaneity, choosing final instrumentals the day before recording. It is a cutting-edge exploration of bass, grime and trap.
Review: Longstanding White Peach fam MOREOFUS returns with this ferociously wide-armed four-tracker. 'Too Far' and 'Okay Look' go hard from the off with big spiked out riffs and sacks of swagger. Real brute force 140 jams. Need a little more sweetness and swing? Flip for 'Blame' and 'Sixteen'. The former a sassy piece of dark garage with occasional flurries into unapologetic electro bassline. The latter a walloping slab of steppy techno that sites somewhere (quite breathtakingly) between funky, garage and breaks. Sweet.
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