recommendations 
Sunday, 20 May
Featured Download
Laurel Halo's 'Quarantine' is one of the most compelling debut albums we've heard this year. Ever since she revealed the hyper-fused kinetics of 2010's 'King Felix' EP, there's been a certain weight of expectation on this unique artist, which has evidently been fulfilled with the likes of her technofied 'Hour Logic' and 'Spring' EPs, plus the criminally overlooked ambient holo-spaces of the 'Antenna' cassette for NNA Tapes. Yet, if you still haven't been convinced of her skills, a newly established connection with the esteemed Hyperdub and the utter brilliance of this album - from the sounds to the artwork - should be ringing yo… Read more
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UNO NYC have assembled a killer remix package for Fatima Al Qadiri's 'Genre-Specific Xperience' EP. Girl Unit reworks 'How Can I Resist U' with a freestylin' Electro flex and white flash synth bursts, while DJ Rashad gives our percy 'Vatican Vibes' a pensive yet pummelling Juke overhaul and Kingdom gets to grip with 'Corpcore' on a percolating future Bass tip. New York's Dutch E Germ is a new name to us, and on the strength of his smartly diffused 'D-Medley' remix we hope to hear much more from him. P'raps best of all though are Dubbel Dutch's sparse and infectiously bubblin' re-do of 'Vatican Vibes' or Ikonika's exceptionally iced-out, droning and beautifully sculpted take of 'D-Medley'. Recommended!
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Companion EP to Patrick Walker and Smear's imminent debut album as Forward Strategy Group, featuring two of its heaviest cuts, one exclusive track and a brace of remixes from Factory Floor. 'Labour Division' is a low-slung but shark-eyed warehouse number with shades of Luke Slater's LB Dub Corps project, while 'Mandate' explores darker, more minimal territory, with killer snare edits and scruffily dubbed-out chords, and 'A Greyed Out Life' is lush synth dreamscaping a la C2, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream and even early Human League. Factory Floor's remix of 'Nihil Novi' is an interesting synthesis of post-DF… Read more
EPROM
Regis Chillbin (Machinedrum Mix)
Rwina Records
MP3 Download // £1.70
FLAC Download // £2.50
Cat. Number: RWINALP001S
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West Coast beatsmith Eprom returns with this bass-heavy slice that’s bound to have Brainfeeder headz knocking wrists with the Night Slugs brigade before you can say ‘sidechain’. It’s good stuff and comes with all the kind of sirens ‘n 808 kicks you’d want from a low-slung groover, but the real meat’s in Machinedrum’s dangerously f*cked rave throwback remix. Typically for the man ‘drum, it’s unclassifiable save for saying that it’s dance music – but those stabs, THOSE STABS. Take it to the warehouse, lads.
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*Senking returns to Raster with another double-headed set of slowed-down, rugged and dark transmissions.* Senking's 2nd EP follow-up to 2010's heavyweight 'Pong' LP sees him add chiming harmonies and even vocals to his abyssal bass contours. With gargantuan A-side 'The Dance Hall Walk' he lasers warped and glooming features into a hulking iceberg sculpture, perching a blunted text read by Michael Cramm over unshakeable, plunging bass ballast. This will sound shocking on a big rig! B-side's 'Closing Eyes' swipes away any extraneous sounds to leave a desolate scape of plangent, ringing tones skidding across icy synth surfaces and harmonise… Read more
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Superb debut drop from a mysterious East London operator by the name of Buzzin10. The three tracks of his 'Basement Mood' EP are pieced together from samples twocked off of old tape packs - mainly Garage Nation's legendary late '90s cassettes of DJs like EZ, Ray Hurley, Karl "Tuff Enuff" Brown and co - and fused with really trippy, sparing melodies reminding of classic AFX, Zomby or Drexciya. If you ask us it's one of the best things Frijsfo have released, and that's saying something when you consider their killer Sully releases. Highly recommended!!!
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Killer package of Illum Sphere remixes, headed up by Kidkanevil, whose version of 'Agent White' seamlessly, stylishly shifting from sub-heavy, rudeboy R&B swagger to choppy old-school jungle and back again - no DJ should be without this. Dabrye is brought in to give 'An Old Escape' a facelift, and he responds with an immaculately low-slung fix, one of his custom slouchy beats framing sparkling synths and raw boogie-down bass. Ikonika steers 'Chasing The Midnight Moth' into sci-fi steppers' house territory, Detroit-style strings rubbing up against soca-inflected snare syncopations and tranced-out arpeggios, while Om Un… Read more
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Stepping off early releases on Horizons Music and Point Audio, this exceptionally talented 17 year-old Cornish producer joins the big dogs with two deadly focussed D&B actions. On 'Fractured' he sets a broad-shouldered swagger from gut-punch subs and clustered snare rolls executed with the sort of precision warranting his moniker. Flipside's 'Off The Cuff' resolutely sticks with the ultra-efficient aesthetic, using icepick-on-iron snares and wide, sludgy subs synced with cyber-strafing atmospheres for a proper dread future shock.
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"Two hands, two channels, one take" accurately sums the Ekoplekz technique, but his pitch black portals of radiophonic dub continue to elude description like the movement of bats in a cave. Returning to Mordant Music - home of his 'Memowrekz' double cassette and 'Fountain Square' 12 - 'Skalectrikz' collects "searing live and studio scree from all corners of Ekoplekz's 2011 assault". The first tape features sounds captured and mildewed in his Dromilly Vale home studio (the name being a syncretic homage to King Tubby's Dromilly Avenue studio and the Maida Vale labs of the Radiophonic vanguard) and plumbs the depths of his cheap, arc… Read more
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Last we heard of Deutch bass-head and best bud of Mr. Apparat Phon.O, he was crafting fluorescent Euro-rap with ex-Funkstoerung bloke Chris De Luca, but forget all that – he’s on 50 Weapons now and has a brand new MO. ‘Black Boulder’ is Phon.O’s take on the UK funky/2-step sound and who better to re-engineer that sprawling niche than someone with his production smarts? From the very beginning it’s clear we’re listening to something that has been sharpened by a diamond tipped blade – sure there are references to Burial, 2562 and Martyn (to name just a handful), but Phon.O’s crisp, clean production elevates ‘Black Boulder’ into plac… Read more
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After releasing on practically every Dubstep label in the game, Truth drop two halfstep heavyweights on Tempa. 'Last Time' plays out a darkly seductive, highly pressurised jungle vibe hinging on swollen subs and darting breaks under cinematic synth arcs. Working with vocalist Yayne, 'Dreams' comes as close as it gets to Kryptic Minds' hallowed halfstep dramas.
JON CONVEX
Lied To Be Loved featuring dBridge
3024
MP3 Download // £1.95FLAC Download // £2.95
Cat. Number: 3024018
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After debuting on Martyn's 3024 label in late 2011, Jon Convex is joined by dBridge on vocals for three darkly romantic machine grooves. 'Lied To Be Loved' is the standout cut, rippling a "Moroder/Human Centipede" bass under glass-cut drums and dBridge's tender vocal highlighted with slivers of metallic synth melody in a fresh update of classic Electro schematics. Meanwhile, 'Zero' locks on a crafty sort of Electro-House motion hinting at ruder Detroit moves from an underground UK perspective, while 'Stay' sounds like a wetter Jimmy Edgar cut.
TOBIAS / VILLALOBOS / EFDEMIN
UNTERTON
MP3 Download // £1.70FLAC Download // £2.50
Cat. Number: UNTERTON01
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Ostgut Ton kick off their white label Unterton series with strongly functional remixes of Tobias from Efdemin and the illustrious Villalobos/Loderbauer duo. Reworking 'the title track from the 'Leaning Over Backwards' LP, Efdemin stealthily unfurls a smoky, slinky roller freckled with smallsound percussions and dreamy, hazily harmonised chords almost guaranteed to work wonders at the right time of the night. To 'Girts' Ricardo Villalobos and Max Loderbauer secrete their grid-dissolving matrix of chattering, barely-hinged FX, while the bass gyrates on a fluid axis with a fruity, hip-tucked and swinging sensuality for as long as it takes to get you there. Totally bob on, this.
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Marcus Intalex turns up on Craig Richards' The Nothing Special imprint with two robust yet elegant House and Techno productions as Trevino. He's already receiving a lot of praise from the likes of Rob Hall and Scuba for his productions in this guise and it's likely he'll be getting more for these two. A-side 'Backtracking' works a warehouse-ready groove of super-phat square bass and oxidized drum machine rhythms softened by heart-lifting keys almost guaranteed to trigger whatever you've been taking. B-side's 'Juan Two Five' looks to the classic double refractions of early '90s UK/Detroit Techno with an ornate, blue and atmospheric arrangement likely inspired by classic Mayday, The Black Dog and B12.
5KINANDBONE5 & VIN SOL
Soo Wavey Records
MP3 Download // £1.70FLAC Download // £2.50
Cat. Number: SW001
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Wicked, bare-boned jax from UTTU's West Coast US pals, 5kinsandbone5 & Vin Sol. Dudes know what's up on 'Rhythm Tracks Vol.1', riding raw, chunky and tracky machine patterns like an old skool Chicago boss. All DJ - you need this one!
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One for "those collectors out there", MoS present an unmixed selection of cuts from Andrew Weatherall's 'Masterpiece' compilation influenced by his Love From Outer Space clubnights. The venerable Mr. Weatherall require no introduction if you're over the age of 25 and have even a passing interest in club music. For everyone else he's the guy who behind Primal Scream's definitive '90s LP 'Screamadelica' and one of the most respected wax collectors int he world. For his 'Masterpiece' he draws for no less than six of his own remixes out of 12 on offer. They include his chugging overhauls of Grinderman, The Horrors, Wo… Read more
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Delightfully skewed coastal garage pop parallels from Black Dice's Eric Copeland and Jimi Hey of Sub Pop's All Night Radio. A-side 'Surf 'n Turf' is a new flavour of bubblegum pop masticating bent electronics and slurry vocals with a proper heady psyche bite and grunging bass for the best discos. B-side 'Tuf Jak' is better still; yo-yo-ing elastic bass and electronics whorl the 'floor into a seasick garage swagger soon given a sideswipe of glam stomp and grinding guitars. This is the sort of music 7"s were made for. Tip!
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Promising youth, Blacksmif proffers two classy UK Boogie/House/Bass grooves for Blah Blah Blah Records. 'Hoops Dreams' hits up a slyding Boogie/Bass sound in freshest style, while 'Microweight' locks onto dusted, shaking House move recommended to fans of Semtek, Floating Points, Tom Trago etc.
CELER
Celer
MP3 Download // £4.99FLAC Download // £5.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL / AMBIENT
Cat. Number: CELER046
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"Time passes quickly, and memories all but disappear. Some of the most intimate moments are shuffled aside, later sometimes discovered again only by accident. Merkin, possibly one of the most personal albums that we ever made, for one reason or another, never came to an official release. It was recorded in 2007-2008 in Las Vegas and California, and later mastered by John Twells. For about a year after it was sent and given to friends and labels. By 2012, nearly 5 years had passed since it's creation, Danielle had been gone for almost 3 years, and the album had passed through 3 different labels, in the end all dropping it for reasons such … Read more
CELER
Celer
MP3 Download // £6.99FLAC Download // £8.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL / AMBIENT
Cat. Number: CELER031
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Review to follow shortly…
CELER
Celer
MP3 Download // £0.99FLAC Download // £1.25
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL / AMBIENT
Cat. Number: CELER-ON1
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Review to follow shortly…
CELER
Celer
MP3 Download // £1.50FLAC Download // £2.50
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL / AMBIENT
Cat. Number: CELER026
Featured Download
Review to follow shortly…
CELER
Celer
MP3 Download // £6.99FLAC Download // £8.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL / AMBIENT
Cat. Number: CELER036
Featured Download
Review to follow shortly…
CELER
Celer
MP3 Download // £7.99FLAC Download // £9.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL / AMBIENT
Cat. Number: CELER022
Featured Download
Review to follow shortly…
CELER
Celer
MP3 Download // £7.99FLAC Download // £9.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL / AMBIENT
Cat. Number: CELER030
Featured Download
Review to follow shortly…
Featured Download
Dramatic dread halfstep motions from the barrel of Compa. 'Security' is the one you need: a deftly detailed drum pattern rendered 3D with dynamic echo chamber FX guaranteed to spark up the dance.
DIGITAL SOUNDBOY SOUNDSYSTEM
FABRICLIVE 63: Digital Soundboy Soundsystem
Fabric Worldwide
MP3 Download // £7.99FLAC Download // £8.99
Cat. Number: FABRIC126D
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The rise of Digital Soundboy has been unstoppable, and it's no less than their due - what other label or collective so successfully connects the disparate dots that make up the UK hardcore continuum? The Shy FX-led DS Soundsystem's Fabriclive 63 comp confirms why they're so in demand on the club and festival circuit, with 49 frenetically mixed tracks spanning grimy garage (Artwork's immortal 'Red'), raucous 'ardkore jungle (North Base), bashy UKF (Roska, Dark Sky), dubstep (Skream) skunked-out reggae and dancehall (Rodigan, Gyptian) and of course no shortage of heavy drum 'n bass … Read more
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Bristol don Guido’s latest comes courtesy of his own fledgling imprint State of Joy and is a typically hard-hitting bass-heavy slice of West Country hybrid pop. Lead track ‘Flow’ touts an assured vocal from Jay Wilcox who layers Guido’s orchestral half-time riddim with an assertive air of pop sheen, something you wouldn’t be totally surprised to hear on the radio, for instance. Those of you more sold on the man’s instrumentals might be pleased to know that flipside ‘Africa’ is a return to the fuzzy synth+bass stylings of his previous jammers, and just for good measure there’s an instrumental of ‘Flow’ bundled in too. Good stuff.
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Cutely economical Skweee from this Dutch duo and label. 'Bronze' swaggers with wheezy, melodica-like synth tones and rudely shuffled machine beats. 'Swoop' is slow and low digi-funk with a breezy disposition, backed with a cracking early '90s Hip Hop bonus beats mix and Subp Yao's munted but chirpy remix.
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French dancefloor mastermind I:Cube presents his new album-cum-mixtape. The "M" Megamix is expertly pieced together as a continuous set cycling through 24 relatively short tracks freely morphing between fragments of House, slo-mo grooves and techno for the modern disco. You never know what's coming next, from Zomby-esque digi dance to Italo ballads and quirky 'lectronic funk, making for a highly entertaining listen.
