Beats News

April sees Bristol bass don Facta drop his first release on Bloc with a storming double A-side, backed up with a remix from PAN and Berceuse Heroique affiliate Beneath.

Facta is one of the most exciting artists to come out of Bristol in the past few years, with a string of high impact releases on seminal UK imprints Idle Hands, Tempa, Wisdom Teeth and Soundman Chronicles. And this latest 12 is no different.

The EP kicks off with Alsatian, a deep technical bass workout that merges the UK template of airtight drum programming and the deepest of deep sub bass with a bump and roll that feels like classic electro... Watch out for the second drop, the subs are absolutely lethal.

Beneath closes the A-side with a stripped back take on Alsatian that reduces the original down to its bare essentials of shimmering drums and rumbling sub bass. A seriously deep remix that is strictly for the bass heads.

On the flip, Scotch Mist is cut from the same cloth as Alsatian, with expertly deployed junglist drum edits and some tasteful sample choices elevating the track into something really special. This has been on dubplate for nearly two years and we're really proud to finally be putting it out.

Shout It Out is the long awaited second album from Featurecast picking things up where he left off with debut record - Run For Cover.

Returning with more of his signature brand of electronic party breaks infused with Funk, Drum & Bass, Soul and Hip Hop, Featurecast serves up the goods on this collection of upbeat and energetic tunes that are guaranteed to get crowds bouncing.


[B] 02. Shout It Out (Again & Again) [feat. Illvis Freshly]

Fill Spectre (Frederick Chicoine) is twenty­five year old DJ, radio show host, self­taught producer, and sound engineer from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

He is a decade­long guitarist and mastering engineer who also composes original music. His earliest songwriting influences were heavy metal bands, such as Martyr andMegadeth.

Fred's affection for riff­based music along his burgeoning interest in underground dance music creates his exclusive bass heavy and percussion laden sound. Spectre'scompositions shine with audio based synthesis, creative vocal samples, and fast­paced drums, with a focus on sound system depth and energy. GourmetBeats is first record label to sign Fill Spectre's music.

The first release on Nomine Sound is a solid four-track EP from label founder Nomine,a man with over twenty years' experience in dance music.

NS001 follows from Nomine's work for Tempa by looking to the east for inspiration, a stark dread and calm zen zoning out the dance. 'Path' is a worthy continuation of Nomine's acclaimed 'Blind Man', weaving a sample from Kung Fu Grasshopper over a bed of tumbling drums, plucked strings, and sub pressure. Having centred yourself, slide into 'Peace Please' and focus on the lingering flute melody, the flourishes of X=X's guitar and haunting vocals from iustina to deepen your meditation. On the B-side, open your crown chakra for 'Lost' as iustina returns to add a melodic depth to the floating strings and subtle skank of the drums and bass. 'Mantra' closes the session with a looping prayer and subtle acid lines leading you towards inner peace.

Nomine is the alias of Andrew Ferguson, who began his career as a drum & bass DJ in 1995 under the name Rage (later renaming himself Outrage to avoid confusion with the legendary MC of the same name). Over the past two decades, Ferguson has had releases on Metalheadz, Commercial Suicide, and Tempa, toured the world more times than anyone should, set up his own pirate station, and collaborated with Bill Laswell's experimental fusion outfit Methods of Defiance. Ferguson returned to the music world in 2012 as Nomine following a short break and, when he isn't back on the decks or in the studio, can be found teaching Advanced Music Production at the University of Bedford.

Moving on from the debut release on the label from Perverse, Bristol based Sepiabrings his eclectic but richly produced minimalism to IFS002, a collection of contemplative, abstracted dubstep from the Bristol based producer. Having had his music supported by numerous figurehead artists around the globe, alongside releasing on labels such as Mindstep, Indigo Movement and the latest, on Joe Nice's Gourmet Beats, Sepia makes his subsequent physical release on Infernal Sounds.

Title track Laid To Rest lays down a minimal, slow building introduction, fat, sound design within an ambient framework, jazzy guitar samples rest nicely along subtle stab of sub bass. The minimal sound design and slowly reverberating bassline, mixed in with fat, monolithic stabs and static atmospheric pads perfectly lays down the comedowny tone of IFS002.

Remember is the most conventional of the three tracks on the release, building on the chilling vibes with a mid-paced slab of healthy, upbeat zootskank, with almost tribalistic drum patterns rattling alongside a hooky, echo-ing mid paced LFO bassline, evoking an almost psychedelic vibe, laid back but perfectly movable, designed for front row madness.

Closing track Separation winds things down with it's ambient, glitchy waves of reverberating subs into the mix, driven by shining ambient bass and synths and drifting alongside an abstrused drumbeat, communicating a contemplative, end of the night vibe, one to be pumped gently through the headphones to battle that post rave sadness.

Sepia continues in the tradition of many artists in 2016 and pushes the boundaries, not once breaking into worship or revival. He brings his trademark dreamy sound design, nestled within conventional Dubstep structure in an atmospheric context, laying down a varied, atypical sounding release, rewarding those extra spins on the table with beautifully mastered depth and listenability.

Horsepower Productions, and their ever present head honcho Benny ill, revered in underground music circles as among the key early innovators of dubstep, return in 2016 with their much anticipated fourth album: 'Crooks, Crime & Corruption'.

Continuing their working relationship, which stretches back to the early days of 2000, for the design of the 'Crook, Crime & Corruption' packaging, Give Up Art drew on the visual language of law enforcement — creating rolls of custom printed 'Police tape'. Each plain, unprinted 12" sleeve is wrapped by hand in the tape, sealing in the discs, and making each pressing unique.

An ambitious and varied record, it finds the group expanding their horizons and broadening their sound palette, while maintaining the unparalleled production chops that first made them such a force in the scene.Their pioneering early singles sought to strip UK garage of its slickness, adopting a stripped-down, dubbed-out approach that emphasised roughness and powerful bass. This was music for real heads, not commercial dancefloors.'When You Hold Me / Let's Dance' launched the seminal Tempa label, and even the term 'dubstep' was first popularised in a 2002 XLR8R cover story about Horsepower. The 2002 debut album 'In Fine Style' stands as one of the finest documents to emerge from the UK undergroundl, while 'To The Rescue', which followed in 2004, saw the group play a vital role in shaping the direction of the music they had made possible. 'Quest For The Sonic Bounty' (2010) sees Benny and co. double down on their core strengths.It's certainly the most sonically varied Horsepower album yet. Rhythmically diverse, 'Bak 2 NY' and 'Kuriosity' unexpectedly draw from classic house, while 'Criminally Insane' is the perfect conclusion to the album, ten minutes of breakbeat madness evoking a crazed dash through rush hour London.If previous Horsepower records were defined in part by a commitment to darkness, then the new album sees a certain amount of light emerging through the cracks. Just check the summer BBQ vibes of 'Bak 2 NY', or the balmy shuffle of 'Curiosity'. At the other end of the spectrum the sticky weed paranoia and industrial clank of 'Ruf Justice', all gunfire and sirens over punishing sub-bass.Two of the tracks you might know already. 'Good Ole Dayz' and 'Justify' - originally released together as a 12' back in 2011 - both appear here in new versions. 'Good Ole Dayz' marries dubstep wobble with an explosion of colour, while the decidedly psychedelic 'Justify' (a collaboration with guitarist Harry Keyworth) falls somewhere between Hawaiian surf and Morricone western.The group's love of cinema has always been one of their defining stylistic traits, and it's in full evidence on 'Crooks, Crime & Corruption', there's a refreshing patience to these ten productions, and a stunning command of atmosphere.Immaculately constructed and immaculately realised, 'Crooks, Crime & Corruption' draws from numerous facets of the UK underground and further afield in order to take you on a compelling, wholly immersive journey.

Mr. Mitch's Gobstopper Records follows Loom's 'European Heartache' with GOB019, a debut release by rising producer Odeko. Influences on the Welsh producer's 'A History With Samus' EP are rooted in 21st century - and beyond - communication and evolution:"At the time of writing the EP, I was exploring my interest into humanity's developing obsession with technological integration, the process of creating synthetic life, virtual realities and environments and the potential future of companionship between human and AI." Fact Magazine profiled Odeko among 10 grime producers to watch in 2016 writing "What we've heard hints at an expansive approach exploring the hidden connections between Rapid at his most lovelorn and electronic experiments by James Blake or Oneohtrix Point Never....He's got a ton of potential to add nuance and shading to the label's emotional grime deconstructions, and the outside influences carry a welcome influx of new ideas at a time when the genre can feel a bit self-referential. Trust us on this one."

Ya Tosiba ist ein Duo aus Berlin, das bass-triefende Synth-Riddims mit hochenergetischen Frauenvocals verbindet. Am Mikro steht Zuzu, die gefundene historische Texte in ihrer Muttersprache Azeri toasted. An den Synths und Drummachines: Mesak, der Chef des fantastischen Harmönia Labels. Der Finne ist einer der Pioniere der skandinavischen Skweee-Musik.

FilosofischeStilte returns to Lowriders with the second instalment of 'Munch Palace', further defining his sound and showcasing a clear evolution of a mastermind who has sharpened his sword's cutting edge. The intro to 'Lost' teases you until the heavy kicks drop to cause an eargasm into the eerie feeling ending. 'March pt. 2' follows, which taking that and flipping it into a dream-like state with a liquid type of flow. 'Gwoup' forms the crossroad between trap and footwork - the drive is reminiscent of early 90's rave music. The final original, 'People Are Acting Like', is a crazy post-trap apocalyptic screamer. The EP ends with two amazing remixes, one by the very talented Dutch producer Sam A La Bamalot who never seizes to amaze, adding a hypnotizing vocal and an emotional mood swing to 'Lost'. Helsinki's V.C. delivers a dance minded smoothie version of 'Note' which could easily be the soundtrack to a new edition of the 80's arcade hit video game Outrun.

This new Strand release on Lowriders, Maleza is a very personal take on bass music, Juke, west coast hiphop, Jamaican music, prepared pianos, old detuned synths, odd time signatures and huge live reverbs. The idea of the record came when I was going through a lot of personal struggle and I was not able to get out of it. In the same period I decided to run in the woods near my home early in the morning. I ran every day, and ran and ran. Eventually I got out of my problems. So I left the 'maleza' away. This is a very personal record, each sound has a deep meaning about me and my loved ones. Maleza means 'bad herbs, weeds, undergrowth' in Spanish.

* Established Berlin based producer Carsten Aermes, aka PHON.O, delivers his latest EP 'Afterglow', bringing the Vorsprung Durch (to) Tectonic. Having dropped a number of acclaimed releases on Modeselektor's dynamic imprint 50 Weapons over the last several years, PHON.O has also had a variety of singles and EPs for the likes of Kompact, Bpitch Control, Shitkatapult and Detroit Underground, as well as remixes galore.

* 'Mercurial' kick starts the EP at 137bpm, melting the boundaries between techno, dubstep and footwork with effortless grace. The track sets a mood with an initial sense of ominous tension, before embarking on a strange, cosmic journey, narrated by polyrhythmic layers of percussive interplay. Kick drums bounce, snares crack, hats and the melody builds with mysterious intent.

* Flip over then for the first of two further tales in dubwise beat science. First up is 'U8 Phunk', taking it's name in part from a Berlin underground metro line, it represents a tougher, harder edge to the EP. Recalling echo's of jungle music alongside techno sensibilities, 'U8 Phunk' follows on again at 137bpm with a series of hyperactive drum hits and twisting percussive manoeuvres, charged with a reese-like bassline and grimy bass stabs.

* 'Bell Blender' closes off the EP, further developing themes of broken breakbeats and grimy sci-fi atmospherics, this time at a tempo more accessible to techno dancefloors. Dubbed and spacious, smattered with crashing remnants of breakbeats and scorching synth sonics - it's a fine way to round things off!

Edition of 600, vinyl-only. Stickered centre labels and stickered, printed sleeve. Mastered and cut by Lewis at Stardelta, to 180gsm vinyl. Hotline welcome back their firm favourite for the 10th disc on the Bristolian voicemail operation (07980-988-905 will get you through). Crushing 'floor rhythms on both sides of the disc, with Ritual Dingers making it's rounds on Rinse FM, Radio One and of course in the club scenario via the likes of Ben UFO, James Blake, Pinch, Pev, Mumdance, Batu, Hodge and more. The Off-kilter, 135bpm overweight dubstep swagger of Choke has been a dubplate weapon in the hands of Gantz, as well as Young Echo's Ishan Sound and Kahn for some time now - finally the requests have been answered. Sleeve design by Studio Tape-Echo.

Re-Release des zweiten Albumklassikers der Singers & Players, einem losen Kollektiv mit Prince Far I, Bim Sherman, Jah Woosh, sowie Mitgliedern der Roots Radics, The Slits und Glaxo Babies. Das Dub/Reggae-Meisterwerk "Revenge Of The Underdog" (1982) wurde im Post-Punk-London der frühen 1980'er aufgenommen. Re-cut by Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. LP auf schwarzem Vinyl mit Downloadcard und 24x12" Poster.

Trojan Audio extends its battle plan by introducing the talented Parisian Argo to the team, with remix support from Tempa / Wheel & Deal bass veteran LX One. We promise you that this is one of the releases you've been waiting for in 2016 - be warned!

Argo's 'Recurrence' is a hard knocking original that simply doesn't mess about. The Parisian outs his second vinyl appearance through delivering a dub-oriented, heavyweight half-stepper. This top-drawer production reveals the talent's immersive skill set that has been developed in less than two years.

Since Argo's first release on the firmly respected FatKidOnFire imprint, he continues to raise the bar while slaying the weak. He isn't the youngster he used to be, he has outgrown many music producers in matter of months.

Tempa's LX One delivers a mammoth flip side to Trojan Audio's second 12' outing. Known for his power jams, specifically designed for the best sound systems in the world, the bass colossus from the UK knows the score. Bursts of powerful low-end go hand in hand with merciless roars and heavily handled tension. By executing his trademark sound with bare precision, the producer succeeds in crafting an already notorious remix for the Trojan Audio record list.

We're proud to offer such unparalleled production to our strong group of fans. Trojan Audio's imprint is slowly but steadily maturing into something very defining. The imprint hereby reveals the appearance of two jam makers that bring music to the table that is heavy as stone.

Edition of 1000, vinyl-only, printed and stickered sleeve. Cut and mastered by Lewis at Stardelta >>
For the first 2 x 12 on Hotline Recordings, the elusive Bristol-based label welcome two of Young Echo's hottest talents - Hotline008 features no less than 6 cuts from Ishan Sound & Rider Shafique. Spread across two discs, the label reveal Ishan Sound's most in-demand dubplate artillery, with a high-grade selection of his less-dubwise, more club-orientated material. Amongst the tracklist, we find the dancefloor-damager 'Militant Mindset' along with t he sparse, heavy-hitting dub version by Portland's very own E3, mixed at the Boomarm Nation HQ along with label boss Gulls. Just by itself, Militant Mindset should be enough to warrant a full release but for the labels first two-disc release, they rounded up a further three cuts of Ishan & Rider's most deadly gear - The dread, grime-tinged, dancehall-flavoured E.O.D. And it's frantic 140bpm companion 'Rivet' lay down the rules on separate sides of each disc, followed by the hotly-tipped 'Highest' and it's Instrumental version, with it's signature Ishan Sound palette and swaggering bassline making noise on in clubs, Rinse FM airwaves and getting full support from the likes of Commodo, Kahn, Gantz, The Bug, Sam Binga and many more. In terms of quality, Hotline have pulled out all the stops once again, with each of the tracks undergoing the clinical stem-mastering process by Lewis at Stardelta, prior to the master lacquers being cut, for full physical impact upon deployment. The Record comes in a vibrant yellow printed housing, with no less than 5 unique stickers plastering the sleeve and centre labels, sporting that boastful D.I.Y. Approach the label has been championing since day one.

Marina P, the young reggae-soul singer revisits a classic of Johnny Osbourne's whileMurray Man, a great figure of reggae, with his roots voice, gives us a very 'lovers rock-style' lyric.
For each side, is the famous parisian producer beat-maker of bass music/dubstep , Sa Bat'Machines, who has produced the warm instrumentals.

TUBA 010 introduces the duo Folding City, true bass mystics from New York and British Columbia. Their alchemy like collaborations span tempos but consistently exhibit creativity sincerely and uniquely. The Ice Riddim ep presents three tracks by this bicoastal crew, along with a remix by dr jeep, who is also making his debut on TUBA.

A1. Ice Riddim opens and immediately lays out the framework of the beat, defined by a confident and cold snare drum. The groove is accented with dub flourishes, amazing textural touches, and lyrical drum fills. The bass line, pads and stabs blend into a mosaic of left field minimalism.

A2. The tempo goes up with Groundswell. At 160 bpm Folding City has combined strains of dread vibes and footwork with serious results. The deep resonate kick drum charges ahead while whispers of breakbeats are laced throughout the mix, tempered at times with lush, evocative pads. This one will light up the dance.

B1. Spacewalk, Folding Citys soulful, dark and devastatingly serious track starts the b side. The vocal sample guides the listener through broken drum phrases and modulated synthesizer melodies, with tension held and suspended throughout the arrangement.

B2. The ep closes with a 140 bpm remix from New Yorks dr jeep. By bringing in drum breaks and bass lines reminiscent of early jungle and drum and bass, his take on Spacewalk is a true departure from the original and still relates well to the rest of the record.

Artists supporting the release:
Dusk and Blackdown
J:Kenzo
Plastician
Bukez Finezt
Sinistarr
DJ Madd

Liberation Technologies continue to work with innovative artists and encourage experimental and challenging perspectives in modern electronic music, welcoming newcomer HEX with their latest release. Hex is comprised of London based artists Charlie Noon & Tom Field. Drawing influence from and exploring the outer realms of techno, experimental, rave and grime they breathe new energy into the dance floor. Their spacious sound design fuses unfamiliar sound elements and building waves of melody with blistering percussion and kinetic soundscape.