Beats News

Hailing from sunny California, Subtle Mind have been making not so subtle waves in the US bass scene for quite some time. Their debut release on Subaltern Records brings in a different style to the imprint with a flavourful, melodic yet weighty selection.

Tracklist:

A: Ambitions feat. Ill Chill
Opening the EP, and featuring Bay Area artist, 'Universal Future MC' Ill Chill on the vocals, lounge vibes greet the listener before sinking into a bathe of bliss and bass. Words and synth lines transcending with low frequencies and space, 'Ambitions' is floating above clouds and diving in the deep ocean at the same time.

AA: Gelato
Subtle Mind are putting the classic 808 drum kit through its paces in 'Gelato'. Mellow pads disguise the heaviness at first, but once the ground shaking bass-line hits, there is no doubt that this one is a tactical weapon; it carries the dance easily while satisfying your melodic desires.

AA2: Standard Strain feat. Saule
With this high-grade collaboration we are welcoming the incredibly talented San Francisco-based Saule to the imprint. Carried by airy bells and soulful vocal hits, Standard Strain brings a jazzy twist to the table. Contrasted by dark synth shots and a bumping bass-line this track is an excellent showcase of the producers' musicality.

Welcoming back the artist who kicked things off for Rarefied back in 2016. Soukah returns to the label in style delivering 3 tracks, including our first collaboration with label homeslices Primer & T.A.R, and serving it up for us on a slab of 180g heavyweight vinyl.

Soulquencies is a perfect harmony of deconstructed soundsystem music, beautifully rebuilt with ambient textures, hints of grime, steppers while all the time melodious, musical and underpinned with bass weight. It perfectly transcends from clean and heavenly harmonies to bass weight and grit, icy to warm in a masterful way. This is the frst full length album on Scrub a Dub and we couldn't be prouder of this piece of music, which is equally at home on the soundsystem or the home Hi Fi. Aquarius - Soulquencies is the latest project from Chikuma Tsuboi who has fallen under various monikers over the years. A classically trained musician hailing from Tokyo, Chikuma moved to the party city of Glasgow in the early 2000's. There he was fully immersed and became instrumental in the music scene hosting some of the cities earliest dubstep nights bringing artists like Silkie and Goth Trad. He helped take small basement sessions to the larger clubs supporting the likes of Mala at the Art School. He played some of the earliest Outlook festival parties and was a tour engineer for Mungo's Hi Fi before returning to Tokyo to complete his Soulquencies project which has literally been years in the making.

Perfect Records is a new label run by bass music producer TMSV. As you're able to hear from PRF001, the label's focus is well-crafted electronic music that embraces the beauty of imperfection.

"Modification" is a much anticipated 140 BPM soundsystem smasher with a heavy bassline, dissonant synth sounds and frantic percussion. It's been played in clubs around the world by DJs such as Kahn & Neek, Mala, Joe Nice and VIVEK.

"Doom Clone" is a perfect example of TMSV's current sound. Sitting at 160 BPM and driven by a relentless wobbly bassline, it's clearly inspired by dubstep and jungle and perhaps even a bit of old school hip-hop.

Finishing off the EP is "Junglis", a modern-sounding homage to hardcore and jungle and the foundation the genres provided in the early to mid 90s for the evolution of the sound that Perfect Records aims to champion.

PRF001 is a taste of things to come from Perfect Records: perfectly imperfect chest-rattling electronic music, at any tempo, firmly rooted in the past while embracing the future.

Darren Cunningham's eagerly~awaited new album is an adventurous, ultramodern, thoroughly British affair, rummaging about in the inner lives of house and techno, and brilliantly elaborating the accomplishments of his debut, Hazyville.
Determinedly off~the~map and resistant to pigeonholing, Cunningham is an enigmatic and playful figure, citing Francis Bacon and Monet as inspirations longside Theo Parrish, Anthony 'Shake' Shakir, Daft Punk, 'binary codes and numeral systems', and The Avengers. He's a hard man to pin down - somehow a key player in the post~dubstep diaspora and yet not there at all - but everything comes across in his shape~shifting, richly textured music.
The South Londoner's acclaimed debut lived up to its name: a series of dreamlike sketches and ideas. For Splazsh the fog has lifted, the sounds are less submerged than before, but still sticky and close - a signature combination of exuberance and introversion, luminescence and puzzlement. Unconstrained by the formal cliches of the dance music he loves, Actress' melodies and arrangements are enthralled by their own genies. Worlds of disturbance and melancholy revolve giddyingly inside the insidious funk of tracks like Get Ohn and Lost. A range of musical influences is redrawn, from speed garage (Always Human) to grime (Wrong Potion), with none crowned king. There is a reflectiveness - the ambient drift of Futureproofing, the radiophonic judder of
Supreme Cunnilingus - in amongst the industrial, synth~wave flavours of Casanova, and the stirring, stately Maze.
Actress has quickly and justly become one of the most respected names in the UK's new dance music underground. His own label, Werk Discs, has proven itself one of the most formidable and taste~making UK independents of recent times, bringing the world extraordinary albums from Zomby, Lukid, Lone and Actress himself. In love with the mysteries of groove and repetition, Splazsh is both a culmination and a new beginning for Actress, a substantial and eccentric work from a brave and coolly individual artist.
With international press interest gathering - photo features in Dazed And Confused, and Fader in the US, and a session with Wolfgang Tillmans for the cover of the German magazine Groove - the stage is set for Actress.

For our 13th release, Subaltern is proud to present a selection of various artists compiled on one record - different styles of sound, blending together like a Kaleidoscope... For the avid vinyl junkies the first 300 copies have been pressed with locked grooves from each artist and come in a full colour sleeve.

* Alter: Opening the release is Japanese producer Helktram, who debuts on Subaltern with a relentless hypnotic roller. Distorted drums and percussive interludes complete this banger, which has proven to mash up the dance every time.

* Fibers: Being the only resident Subaltern artist on the release, D-Operation Drop doesn't fail to prove why they have returned to Subaltern yet again with this trippy masterpiece.

* Bomb: German producer ILL_K makes his first appearance on the imprint with this mighty stomper. "Bomb" is probably the most accurate title this powerful tune could have been given.

* Landfall: The only collaborative track of the EP, - Landfall' concludes the record in style - dark and eerie atmospheres mark the signature sound of German producer Shu and Belgian producer Zygos.

Kontext, Cyberworm, Diagram aka Abstract Elements, and Melotronics. With this release WOW Signal Records presents a modern view on bass/electronic music, from Future Garage and Dub Techno to Techstep and Leftfield Drum & Bass. These genres are united by uniform deep sound of the planet's breath in our heads. We even release it on vinyl, intent on spreading the music that make us vibe with other bass lovers the world over.

Joe Powers is from Edinburgh, far outside the network of the Grime capital of London. His caffeinated productions as Proc Fiskal are faster than usual, with many clocking in at 160bpm. 'The Highland Mob', his 2017 debut EP, opened up his music to open-eared footwork and drum'n'bass fans as well as the grime crowd. After following that up with a jungle-inflected EP on Cosmic Bridge, 'Insula' switches the feel and intention towards a personal, and melodic music with one foot in Grime, infused with often comic, often wistful recorded moments from his environment. He says 'I wanted to be aware of where the music is coming from, referencing things I'm presently experiencing, like making Grime, my Radar radio show, phone addiction, alcohol, my surroundings, girls, depression, positivity, being unemployed, being employed and hating it, my friends etc. Trying to be true to myself instead of relying on other peoples' nostalgia, and focusing on now.'

The record is a huge leap in vision, with delicate, pointillist melodies and intricate edits reminiscent of Grime producers such as Terror Danjah. It also resonates with Japanese video game music like that recently explored on the 'Diggin' In The Carts' compilation.

'I think I probably make tunes to get out emotions I don't express in day-to-day life. I used clips of my friends talking, drunk folk, and general Scottish life to preserve and represent what my experience is like right now, like a time capsule. Social media notification sounds are designed to release serotonin, which is what I'd like my music to do, to make me, and other people happy, and in using these manipulative noises in a positive way, I like to think I'm taking back the power of the manipulation.'

Proc Fiskal is adventurous and thoughtful as a producer, and at the young age of 21, his debut album is very advanced in its ideas and execution.

After the first successful record, Danish label front man Gaze ill pursues another excursion through the ever-growing Dubstep-spectrum. He returns to his own physical outline of Cue Line Records with four hefty cuts that surely make up another stellar record, however he s not alone. Last time it was his partner in crime RDG, this time its frontline support from the Dutchman & bass mammoth TMSV , who s given Space-Time a completely different spin.

CLV002 opens up with a serious wobbler: one that is reminiscent to the golden days of the fundamental Dubstep sound, but housed in a completely different straightjacket. It swiftly sets the pace, as the wobbles escalate into the leading element of the destructive Space- Time . The second cut by the Danish producer adds the step to dub music so to speak and lively resembles King Tubby on a Dubstep flex. Watch out for that naughty second drop, which holds
nothing but booming vibrations that ll hang fans upside down. Spirit Of The Forces unveils an equally refreshing take on bass music thanks to the creative structuring of both low-and-high melodies. This allows listeners to take flight
easily and fly away from what we call reality an excellent track for both spring and summer time. TMSV s spin-off is as bright as its forerunner, but far more up-tempo and hypnotic. Utrecht s producer instigates a spacious stepper that defeats time & momentum by incorporating his raw remix techniques. The right remixer for the right record: Cue Line Records at its best!

Very limited! 10" Vinyl housed in a custom sleeve.

After an inaugural, top-rated release by Kouslin and his friends, the Le Chatroom familia remain on top of their release schedule with this successive record, featuring some familiar faces from the UK music scene. The team have compiled another hefty VA, containing three bass-heavy tracks close to the 130BPM mark that definitely resonate at Le Chatroom's signature frequency. With their first release having received support from a wide range of artists, from Marcus Nasty to Huxley to Bristol's Livity Sound gang, and with glowing write-ups in DJMag, When We Dip and Cone Mag, this second excursion is destined to be a highly successful follow-up.

DJ SUPPORT: Lee Gamble, Peverelist, Kowton, Moxie, Marcus Nasty, Jus Now, Simo Cell, Murder He Wrote, Lurka, Silas and Snare.

2018 Repress with alternate label-art for this epic release on the Frustrated Funk offshoot!

Seattle's 214 (TwoFourteen) is next in line for some HCS ear candy. His Miami roots are clearly present in his strong booming beat programming but Puerto Rico born Chris Roman has more tricks up his sleeve as his style crosses many borders.

"If music-making is 'escapism', Jason has found his refuge (within) the depth of sound and delicate unfoldings of melody" - LiveMag SA

Deep Heads are very proud to present Escapism Refuge's album 'Hold', The Deluxe Vinyl Edition. It contains the Full 13 tracks originally released at the end of 2017 with an added 5 tracks previously unreleased. 2 of the tracks are EXCLUSIVE to the Vinyl Purchase that will only be available on Download Card that is foud inside each Vinyl. There are 2 remixes in total to the Deluxe edition, the first coming from none other than R&S / Apollo Records very own Synkro. He put's a beautiful twist on the track 'Fly Away' Featuring Chari Brix and takes the record to new dimensions. The other remix of 'Mistakes' comes from Nottingham's finest, Congi. It's a 140BPM roller that packs a serious punch. The subs are blazing and beats are full & beefy. Bravo Congi, bravo! 1 of the previously unreleased tracsk is 'Dream Fly' by the man himself. A little more experimental than his 'usual stuff', but is pretty incredible all the same. Then the last 2 are secret for now, you'll have to grab yourself a copy and find out from the Download Card ,)

Here's some info on the Album and Escapism Refuge.

Hailing from South Africa Jason Beukes has earned himself a mass following through his crafting of ambient, electronic soundscapes. Jason's affinity with rhythm was revealed when he began playing
the drums at 13. A passion for textured beats was ignited which saw the young musician delve into production - simultaneously studying 'Contemporary Music' and putting out a string of critically acclaimed EPs under his moniker. Absorbing himself in sophisticated patterns and bringing his beats to life, the young virtuoso fuses elements of trip hop, down tempo and 2 step, at times reminiscent of Radiohead, Bonobo and A Tribe Called Quest.

The tracks on 'Hold' provide the perfect balance of ambient soundscapes and stimulating dance mixes, with Beukes' signature textured rhythms and tight production present throughout. Kicking off the project 'Me Myself And I' marries filtered vocal samples with eerie synth melodies and electrically charged trip hop percussion. 'Self Fishing' demonstrates the artist's mastery of ambience, creating a luscious, all-encompassing stereo field. Enveloping the senses for a truly immersive aural experience, 'Sore' and 'Courage' go on to showcases Jason's unrivaled ability to bring his beats to life.Best described in his own words, the upcoming producer clarifies: "I generally try to absorb as much as I can from my surroundings and paint a picture of what I take in, through the sound I create."

Championed by the likes of LiveMag SA, XLR8R, Kaltblut Magazine, Dummy Mag and Between 10 and 5, it is no surprise that the aspiring musician has seen commendation from Giles Peterson (BBC Radio), Joe Kay (Soulection) and Lefto (Brownwood Recordings). This summer also saw the rising talent make his UK debut DJ set at the legendary Birthdays which was featured by Resident Advisor. With trippy, artistic visuals to accompany his single 'Courage', soon to be released, Jason is showing no signs of slowing down. Escapism Refuge has cultivated an inimitable signature sound and sparked the interest of the dance community globally. With his debut album set to make waves and inbound collaborations with Synkro, Compa and Ash Walker, 2017 is truly shaping up to be a pivotal year for Jason Beukes.

Founded in 2015 by dubstep forefather Sleeper, Crucial Recordings has continued to develop and strengthen its undeniable grip on the dubstep world with each release, never failing to act as an unyielding beacon within the scene for unearthing fresh, standard-setting talent. Leaping from strength to strength, this highly prolific imprint constantly delivers multifaceted and boundary shattering bass music through ingenious and unprecedented ways.

The latest addition to the label's ever-expanding vision for multifaceted bass music comes from Rotterdam-based Hebbe, who has truly emerged from the shadows recently through releases on Subway Recordings, Artikal Music, DUPLOC and Version Collective. Regarded as the most promising up-and-comer in the Dutch dubstep scene, Hebbe sports an obscure, sound driven flow that aims to inject diversity and progress into today's musical output. Keeping within a similar spirit, Hebbe's CRUCIAL016 boasts two far reaching tracks, Mad Hatter' and Galata' that convey trailblazing bassweight through two very different formats. While Mad Hatter' cuts through to the core with simplicity and impact, Galata' equally enchants with smokey darkness and trenchlike depth, building upon Crucial Recordings' irreplaceable position within the dubstep circuit.

The third chapter in the vinyl installments on Gaze ill's Danish Cue Line Records is written by Belgian artist Zygos, Georgio Roumans. An unforgettable piece formed by 3 distinct original tracks plus an outstanding remix by Italy's most wanted, DPRTNDRP (D- Operation Drop).

The EP opens with the toxic symphony of 'Laicism'. By chest pressuring hits right from the beginning, we're pushed into another world where everything is moving though it feels like time stands still for a moment. Mellow melodies formed in layers of feedback alike sounds and endless reverberated stabs generate a persistent tension held tight by the static, marching drums. The title track 'Sudd' forms part 2 of the journey through Georgio Roumans' explorative universe. To think everything can move this fast yet keeping a minimal expression is beyond reality. From 8th to 16th to 24th notes - variations through the bass, percussion, and melody sections - a discreetly conducted progression is reached throughout the track. Accompanied by weird background soundscapes the sub bass takes the lead on the tight Halfstep- package of 'Tapered'. The drums are simple and hard, which is just what's needed to tame and control the strong movements from the sub. Super minimal for the sound system. Italian DPRTNDRP brings new life to 'Sudd', which awakens in a completely different light than the tempo- filled original. Strange sounds and rhythms, raw and dirty. DPRTNDRP makes the remix a must hear.

The vibe is intense from start to end, and the EP hits perfection due to Georgio's naturally alive style, and the clever remix from the ever boundary pushing DPRTNDRP. Signature sound, deluxe on 180 grams heavyweight vinyl!

Repress

Rarely you come across a record which embodies Dubstep so well that rallies the entire scene behind it. From the brosteppers to the deep heads this record has been getting love from all corners of the earth. We're talking about "Under Control" the latest outing from Germany's next top wobble aka Bukez Finezt. Its eerie intro sets the tone perfectly to interlude this hypnotic stomper. Once the sonic warfare is unleashed it'll transport you to a word of desolation, where aliens run rampant and technology has absorbed everything around them.
"You Don't Belong Here" & "Pace Yourself" are on a equal tip. 2 bigtime subloaded heavyweights that'll remind you that Dubstep is still very much alive and reminds us why we fell in love with this minimalistic bass heavy genre to begin with.

Here's what some DJ's had to say about Under Control:
"VERY NATTY!" - N-Type (Wheel & Deal)
"This one destroyed Contact last night" - J:Kenzo (Tempa)
"Three words.... Gun, Finger, Riddim." - Kaiju (Deep Medi)
"DUDE TUNE" - Megalodon (Never Say Die)
"System tune. Don't even bother playing this at home!" - TMSV (Artikal)
"Biggest tune of the year" - Tunnidge (Chestplate)
"One of the heaviest, most refreshing records of the year" - Compa (Deep Medi)
"Pfft more like OUT OF CONTROL" - Beezy (HENCH

Hidden Operator playing along to tribal drum music Exploring the outer limits of dancehall. In dub.

Mit der Sugarhill Gang hat Skip McDonald Musikgeschichte geschrieben, als Little Axe hat er dem Blues ein
neues, grooviges Gesicht gegeben. "London Blues" ist sein achtes Album. Wie gewohnt standen ihm mit
Mark Stewart (The Pop Group, The Maffia), Doug Wimbish (Living Colour), Keith LeBlanc und Perry Melius
(African Head Charge) alte Weggefährten zur Seite, die großenteils auch in der Supergroup Tackhead
zusammen spielen. Wer in diesem Reigen natürlich nicht fehlen darf, ist On-U-Sound-Mastermind Adrian
Sherwood. Der sorgte bereits in der Vergangenheit dafür, dass McDonald seine Mischung aus Blues, Gospel,
Cajun, Dub und Trip-Hop richtig aufs Parkett bringt. Aus dem Feinstofflichen des Blues sowie Samples
legendärer Wegbereiter wie Howlin' Wolf, Leadbelly oder Son House destillieren sie immer wieder ausgefeilte
Essenzen, die sich durch eine große hypnotische Wirkung auszeichnen. Entsprechend hält auch "London
Blues" wieder hartnäckig an den Traditionen des Genres fest. Andererseits machen sich auf innovative Weise
diverse musikalische Ausdrucksformen der Gegenwart bemerkbar. Wunderschön und phantasievoll!.

90s soundsystem legend TNT Roots on his first official vinyl release (!) after years of dubplates and CDs sold through Ebay and Blood & Fire forums. Two new productions presented in classic 90s stylee with alternative mixes.

5th installment on the hand-stamped imprint and giving a warm welcome to the sound system warrior who goes by the name of Tetrad, with releases on the mighty ZamZam Records. Also welcoming back to the label is man like Headland collaborating with Tetrad on the B side.

Dream Eater Records returns with another six track Allstars EP for our second release. Featuring some of the most exciting up and coming producers of the time as well as a very special track from Slew Dem Crew legend JT The Goon

A1: JT The Goon really needs no introduction. The Slew Dem original delivers classic grime flutes and strings on his track 'Blizzard'.

A2: Rising star and Bristol native Sir Hiss presents the much sought after 'Casablanca'.

A3: We were lucky enough to get another long lost dubplate from the Dungeon Sound Producer Dr. Hugo. This one is seriously weighty.

B1: Polonis delivers that classic grime feel with the N Riddim.

B2: JFO is another rising star with serious talent, he always delivers heavy hitting bass and immaculate production, which is showcased with 'Tell Dem'.

B3: Finally, Filthy Gears, a well renowned grime producer presents 'Filthy Sax' for his vinyl debut! 140 pressure with a trap feel.

Four 140 BPM bass bangers from the grime wonder boy Boylan (who also has some history in drum and bass, releasing for the likes of the legendary Bad Company) and the grime godfather DJ Slimzee, co-founder of Rinse FM, member of the legendary Pay As U Go Cartel and owner of Slimzos Recordings, Slimzee is a key figure of first generation grime who shot to international underground fame at the turn of the millennium, alongside partners in grime Wiley and Dizzee Rascal.

Boylan and Slimzee make an outstanding production duo and this debut EP is a testament to that, these beats leave a trail of destruction anywhere that they are played around the world, while crossing 140 boundaries and delivering unique bass music with weighty attitude.

Support from Seven, Mala, Truth, Youngsta, Bukez Finezt,J:Kenzo, N Type Bun Zero, Rinse FM and SUB FM

We know you've been waiting for this one since last summer! Caspa's debut on Youngsta's ridiculously on-point Sentry has been one of the most requested releases in a very long time. Hot on the heels of releases by dBridge, Nomine and Akcept, the Sub Soldier comes in hard with two absolute burn-ups...

'Gutter Riddim' is a stately spacious construction where every weighty element is carefully considered and plays a key role in the momentum. Tightly sprung tension buzzes through it with high voltage as Caspa lays down some of his darkest designs to date. 'Hot Head' hurls us even deeper into the shadows. A true teaser piece, the first bass line is a staccato stab that gives you just enough time to settle into the groove before the real big-balls bass line comes hurtling out of nowhere.

Rewind every single time, this has been causing uncut mayhem for the few DJs lucky to have it early enough. Timelessly gully and a perfect way to kick the doors of 2018 in. As those who were at Sentry's first anniversary at Fire earlier this month will corroborate: London's heart rate is pounding away at 140 again, some of the most crucial bass music is coming out of the city and Sentry, Youngsta and Caspa are slap bang in the heart of it. The wait is over... Enjoy.

Long awaited iSt3p Dubplate finally seeing a release on WhoDemSound!