Beats News

For DSD023, Bailey Ibbs serves up a killer with his ‘Gurl’ EP. The A side delivers 3 Bailey originals, each serving up a different mood best suited for the dance floor. Where the B side provides 3 completely different flips of ‘Gurl’ delivered to you by Groovy D, Denham Audio & AK Sports.

Warm Fiction proudly announces the label's fifth record from N-Gynn. N-Gynn's Espetta EP sees the London producer experimenting with cosmic, driving sounds that draw influences from UKG, Techno- and Electro across four unique tracks aimed squarely at the dance floor.

Barely a year old and already well-established, Shall Not Fade's bassier sublabel Time Is Now dishes up a plate of deliciously fresh forward beats, from slick R&B vocal pieces to tracks which pack a punch. The six-track compilation features familiar faces from previous releases, with some featuring artists new to the label.

Freddie Baker, releasing under the moniker Bakey, got his first ever label release on Time Is Now last year and has been non-stop since, recently copping a spot on the Rinse FM Garage Hour. His offering for Allstars Vol.2 is a weighty stepper built on a growling bassline. "Dismantle" knocks you off your feet, luckily the second track (a collab between Interplanetary Criminal and Hypho) lays low in the intro before hitting you with a deep, wobbling drop, chopped up vocals skipping across the staccato rhythm. While relative newcomer Interplanetary Criminal (Zachary Bruce) has specialised in pretty upbeat garage, Hypho (Louis Richardson) has been experimenting on the bassier side of club music for nearly a decade, and his dubstep influence shines through in the depth of "Talbot Road". DJ Crisps - Julio Soewandi - closes out the A-side with a comparably bouncy "Ready Salted", dropping a warped bassline for added flavour. Soewandi is joined by South London singer-slash-producer Ell Murphy on "Arms Around", Murphy providing soulful vocals on a slightly dubbed out instrumental - Murphy, one half of UKG duo NITEWORK, lends a proper garage classic vibe to this one.

Joining them on the B-side is London-based Mark Ramsey (AKA Yosh), just a month after the release of his debut EP on Time Is Now. "Over and Out" uses adventurous sound design to build a cheeky roller. Topping off the star-studded comp is Copenhagen's own Main Phase. Adam Schierbeck uses this alias to put out high-octane breakbeat garage and homages to the 90s rave - "Special Occasion" twists and contorts, its monumental bass and MC samples an ode to soundsystem culture.

"I'm very happy to announce the launch of my label Declassified Records - a home for SP:MC productions moving forward. Starting my own imprint has been something I've been toying with for a while now, yet never given my full focus. As events began to unfold back in spring 2020, I realised there was a great opportunity for me to turn a bad situation into something positive. My busy schedule as a touring artist disappeared overnight, giving me a chance to focus my full attention on my music production.

The Album was the fourth LP released for Rephlex and was the first and only time that Grant Wilson label Claridge and Richard James's label released in a digital format only, "The Album" contains 13 tracks amongs the best rhythmic and melodic experiments of the Italian duo DArcangelo on Rephlex, from the musical planetary thoughts of 'Memento' to the brazen "Wild and Loose" walk and the 'Naara' frantic minimal due.. the marked rhythm of 'Circuit Deevel' while or 'Coal Garden' moments of various broken style. Now thanks to WEME records 'The Album' is printed on vinyl for all those who love the idea of having a tangible listening and tactile possession of this release. Listen, take it, collect it.

Farsight returns to Scuffed Recordings for his Renegade EP, featuring three new rave-inspired originals, backed by a bumping UKG remix from Interplanetary Criminal.

One of Italy's brightest new talents, Clap! Clap! (aka Cristiano Crisci) returns with his second album for Black Acre, following on from his colorful breakthrough debut LP 'Tayi Bebba'. Bringing together disparate inspirations and styles onto the dance-floor of his mind, 'A Thousand Skies' sees Clap! Clap! create a high energy and inventive kaleidoscopic fusion of sound - drawing on the traditional global rhythms of the old world, Hip Hop, Footwork, UK Bass and House. * The new album follows Clap! Clap!'s debut album, 2014's 'Tayi Bebba', which sound-tracked the tour of an imaginary island. 'A Thousand Skies' is a mix of Crisci's career to date combining samples and live instrumentation from Clap! Clap! and collaborators such as South African folk singer Bongeziwe Mabandla, John Wizards, and OY. As with his debut, the album is anchored by a story — this time of a young girl's journey through the stars — which completes the work.

* Clap! Clap!'s unique blend of global dance and timeless sounds draws from nature, traditional music, field recordings and the electronic savvy of modern centres like Chicago and London. At its core is the inspiration of everyday life, what Crisci calls 'the search for new flavours.'* The now internationally acclaimed producer and performer started his career age 13 in the mid-1990s as a rapper, before picking up the saxophone and performing both jazz standards and jazz/punk fusion with his band Trio Cane. Now, as Clap! Clap!, he's taking his energetic live shows across Europe and Japan. Following the release of his debut album in 2013, has found a fan in Paul Simon who told Rolling Stone the LP is 'a masterpiece. He makes music sound new and old at the same time'. This led to Crisci to collaborate on the production for this years Number 1 Paul Simon album 'Stranger to Stranger'.* With a passion for history and the sounds that surround us, Clap! Clap! is a unique electronic artist capable of both channeling the energy of the moment and the intricacies of where we come from to create music that can soundtrack where we're going.

Main Phase returns for a second full-length EP on Shall Not Fade's hugely successful sublabel, the bass-oriented Time Is Now. The Copenhagen native is fresh from an appearance on Danish leftfield label Petrola 80 and can otherwise be found heading ATW records with another Time Is Now regular, Interplanetary Criminal. He serves up a tasting menu of the most quintessential sounds in UKG across Buss It EP.

The title track is understated, sparse but tense using sparing Ragga vox that build to a crescendo, wobbling over into "Our Style" - expect space age FX drawn out over mutant inflections in another textbook eyes down cut. Cheeky bassline garage energy is brought in "Creepin", while teasing breaks and dirty south hip-hop in the vocals.

Looking to the infamous early years of garage on the B-side, "Freaky" channels those classic Ghost releases in its sub-heavy intent, spicy snare and catchy vocal hooks. The EP is closed out with the expansive, gut-wrenching wobbles of "Misdemeanour", accentuated with a highly intricate two-step rhythm.

Incl. Chris Geschwindner Remix

To kick off with their series, SINM presents its first record: First try Fridays (incl. Chris Geschwindner remix). The tree tracker consists of a blend between UK Garage, House and Electro to bring forward cutting edge rave sensations with futuristic vibes.

A side takes you straight to a two-stepper projectile, setting the tone with "First Try Fridays" and its powerful wobble sub and short electric stabs. Perfect for threatening the dance-floor in peak time hours alongside mysterious DDA's approach.

On the flip side, Realness teleports you to a nostalgic scenario with its polished chord progressions and breakbeat strikes. Slowly building up with vocal cuts and glitchy transitions, B2 reaches a both nostalgic and mysterious climax. To close the EP, Beam Dump's boss man captures the beautiful essence of Realness bringing beach-like sensations to a tune that's perfect for warming up a dance-floor or enjoying the after-hours.

More to come soon from the SINM crew, stay tuned!

We are an underground independent label looking to bring music to the scene that reflect the timeless sounds from the halcyon days in dance music whilst ensuring listeners hear sounds they’ve never heard before.

Emergence is our 2nd release and we have signed some tracks and artists which we feel are pushing the sounds of the UK underground forward, Incl. the unstoppable Interplanetary Criminal.
The sounds in the EP resonate rave memories, with darker sinister sounds and thundering basslines of Jungle, emerging into euphoric breaks and bubbling UKG.

To coincide with the release of their eagerly awaited debut album Gate Of Grief (now due out on 20 July), US dark electronic outfit WHITE RING release a double AA side 7' single of the two lead tracks on the album 'Leprosy' and 'Nothing'. Blending heavy, distorted electronics with eerie, unsettling vocals they push the boundaries further, subverting genre ideas and mashing them all together, with industrial, metal, rave, chopped and screwed, rap, grunge, neo folk, post punk and new wave all in the mix

'Leprosy' is brooding, abrasive and ethereal all at once, the track draws from a varied and challenging palette, steeped in existential dread. It was the first song they wrote for the album and features the vocals of co-founding member Kendra Malia. As Bryan Kurkimilis explains; 'This song was the first time we really wanted to start exploring aggression in our music.'

'Nothing' is underpinned by gothic 80s beats and sinister synth bass-lines. It crackles and fizzes with arcade bleeps with wraith-like melodies floating over the top. In this song, nothing is true and everything is permitted. It features the first collaboration with newcomer Adina Viarengo, who added her vocals in 2016 to the existing instrumental track that Bryan Kurkimilis created for the first set of WHITE RING demos in 2009.

WHITE RING were originally formed by Bryan Kurkimilis and Kendra Malia, before they were joined by Adina Viarengo, with Bryan and Adina currently touring as a duo. Gate Of Grief arrives a full eight years since their benchmark EP, Black Earth That Made Me, which sold out almost instantly, making their records some of the most highly sought after on the underground scene and earning them a cult following across the globe.

Swerving from aggressively abrasive to beautifully ethereal, musically they draw from varied and challenging palette, whilst tackling themes of loss and acceptance due to struggles with drug addiction and existential dread on a broader scope.

Dwelling on the outskirts of pop music, WHITE RING grew up in the age of the internet and were exposed to a huge range of music. They have developed a unique style while pushing the boundaries of accessibility and musical genre. They have created a piece of art that is brimming with symbolism and underlying tensions, that seduces and scares in equal measure.

Off the back of the “Dartford Crossing” EP with Alec Falconer, label founder Jack Michael returns for a solo outing with four dynamite productions entitled, “South East Vice”.

“Mr Nice” has a killer sidewinding bass line which sits comfortably between the gentle synths and deeper vibes of the track. Title track “South East Vice” creeps with a more mysterious and serious energy, jam packed with sounds of the early rave days.

On the flip “Rampage” does exactly as it says on the tin, urgent, and direct, the ghetto vocal pays homage to garage sounds of the past, grime like synths flash in and out - going back to the roots. Showing no signs of slowing things down, the B2, “The Grotty Choir” is a slick and pacey broken beat number, with speedy shuffling drums and chunky bass, on a jungle tip.

Another display of dance floor bedlam from Jack Michael and the Orbital London outfit, enforcers of modern day rave moods out of the UK. Prolific sounds once more.

Super second venue on the new FOLKLORE records sublabel ! MUST HAVE

95Bones channels a year of pent-up dance

It’s all killer and no filler on this heady mix of breaks, NY house, acid and UKG. 95Bones flexes his hardware muscles on a 4-track EP designed to be played loud in a dark room.

In recognition of the influence of LGBTQ+ culture on contemporary dance music a portion of proceeds from this release will be donated to Stonewall Housing.

Lovingly delivered by the crew at YAM Records.

Taking you back to the sounds of Underground Garage with the bumping 2-Step flex of Jodo Kast.

From Norway via Berlin, O.M.Theorem debuts with an EP rooted in 160BPM sub-heavy atmospheric soundscapes, that explores connections between different tempos and time signatures. Side A presents two percussive driven polyrhytmic explorations while side B steps into slightly more familiar dubstep / UK Garage territory.

Jamie xx releases a remastered version of his debut album ‘In Colour’ on Young Turks.

Jamie’s definitive ‘In Colour’ is a bold, celebratory and emotional artistic statement that received critical acclaim across the board as well achieving huge commercial success.

The eleven track LP was widely regarded as one of the best albums of 2015 and was voted in the top 25 of Pitchfork’s Best Records Of The Decade. ‘In Colour’ went on to receive Grammy, Brit and Mercury Award nominations, reaching Gold status in the UK Official Charts, and its lead single ‘I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)’ featuring Young Thug and Popcaan is certified Gold in the USA.

As well as continued success with The xx (whose third album ‘I See You’ was released in 2017), Jamie released a new single ‘Idontknow’ in April this year, which has sold out on 12”.

Zur Feier des zehnten Geburtstags von "In Colour", dem 2015er Debüt von Jamie xx, kündigt der Londoner Produzent und DJ eine limitierte Picture Disc Version der LP an. Das ikonische Cover Artwork des ursprünglich am 29. Mai 2015 erschienenen Albums befindet sich bei der 10th Anniversary Edition direkt auf der LP. "In Colour" hat sich über die Jahre zu einem modernen Klassiker entwickelt und wird gemeinhin als eines der prägenden elektronischen Alben der 2010er Jahre betrachtet. Der kaleidoskophafte Trip durch die UK-Dance-Kultur landete bereits im Jahr seines Erscheinens in zahllosen Bestenlisten. Mit Tracks wir "Loud Places" (mit Romy), "Gosh" oder "I Know There"s Gonna Be (Good Times)" (mit Young Thug und Popcaan) wahrt das Album die Balance zwischen Crossover Appeal und Underground Credibility. Es war für den Grammy und die Brit Awards nominiert und landete auf der Short List für den Mercury Music Prize. Auch ein Jahrzehnt später brilliert "In Colour" nicht nur durch seine Produktion, sondern auch durch die emotionale Dimension, die es auf den Dancefloor gebracht hat. Es ist ein Album, das einen persönlichen Liebesbrief an die britische Clubkultur in ein globales Statement verwandelt hat.

third release from the capital city camp. This time its an EP by Popup

'Ianua' is the stage name of Filippo Midali, a 360 degrees electronic musician that sweeps primarily from techno, electro, breaks, jungle to Chicago footwork with a stable contamination from HipHop culture and scratch, the art of vinyl manipulation.

The self-titled album, his debut album, fully represents this, moving from track to track between various musical genres. The name 'Ianua', 'door' in Latin, comes from the idea of the multiverse and inter-dimensional doors; this is depicted on the cover, on which the front represents the door distorted by the journey through space and time and the back, together with the titles, the sketches and formulas of the presumed door- building scientist.

After appearing on the label's Time Is Now Allstars compilation, Bristol's own Wilfy D makes his second appearance with Shall Not Fade, adding to their new Time Is Now White label series. The young garage star serves up the smooth and soulful two-step he is known for, plus two killer remixes from Time Is Now family DJ Crisps and Soul Mass Transit System.

"Garage Tools" opens out the EP with staccato sampling and a rumbling sub bass wobble dominating the track, the most headsy on the record while "All About U (3am Mix)" takes on a gentler vibe. Using luscious vocal chops and glimmering synths, Wilfy D creates a kind of garage love song, delicate and soothing. He kicks things up a notch on "Know U Like It", a slice of speed garage that grooves along to an earworm melody.

On the B-side Wilfy D's original "Midnight Shift", a clean classic noughties garage sound palette, is reimagined twice by DJ Crisps and then Soul Mass Transit System. DJ Crisps gives the track a drum and bass edge replete with teeth-gritting sub bass power; Soul Mass close out the record with a dirty up-tempo remix perfect for a soundsystem.

INTEASE 0102 is the result of the first two Intease Contest. The idea is that a sponsor imposes tracks / samples on competitors / producers and they do what they want and produce a track at the end. Then the jury makes a preselection and the producer community votes for their favorites.

So here we have the first 2 Mézigue Sponsors as well as Oden & Fatzo. And the 2 winners of the 2 contests.

Black Vinyl Repress

Liam Doc, a staple in the Scottish scene and resident at the Glaswegian institution Sub Club, brings a record of throbbing techno minimalism to Shall Not Fade. Having rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in Scottish dance music from Denis Sulta to Big Miz, Doc's sound is cool, collected and distinctively UK.

Energetic A1 "Jamie Said It Was Wicked" combines earworm distorted bass triplets with atmospheric steel drums, its strong rhythm dragging you into "Icarus" which puts on the breaks in a silky laidback house roller. Doc turns up the nostalgia for A-side closer "2008"; the wide bassline giving a classic noughties feel but with touches of chillout room memories in the smooth piano stabs. On the other side, percussion dominates.

"Looks Like a Mad Place" is proper eyes down business, a drum-heavy uk techno number with dubwise bite. More playful percussion on the hard drum hybrid power of "Thyme Bridge (Part II)", but the crowning jewel of the record is the closing track, "A.S.M.R (I'm Trying)". Delving further into pivotal forward club sounds, Doc creates a darker spin on uk funky elements with an ominous, vibrating bassline and ear tickling percs. The EP builds from a ravey sound palette into dark and raw British techno at its finest, proving Liam Doc is a master of his craft.

New imprint beam dump curated and run by Chris Geschwindner starts its operation with the usual madness. Following the idea of a beam dump, a device that captures and dissipates large amounts of radiation, the label showcases music that strikes through its energy and coherent complexity.

For its first release, beam dump introduces the newcomer trio of SINM from Lima, Peru with their infectious blend of breakbeat-infused house and no-nonsense tech groovers. Including 4 tracks, Simulation EP is a fun and innovative approach to current electronic club sounds borrowing inspiration from tech house as well as twisted UK garage and 2-step.

DJ Nobu is back with the next installment of his Extra Tools series on Bitta. In Nobu's own words: "In the time when I have much less opportunities to play dance tracks as a DJ, I imagined the dance floor of the post-pandemic future, which I know will be filled with positive vibes. This 4-track EP consists of variety of tracks that can be played in different phases of a DJ set. I chose to make straightforward dance floor oriented tracks, because I wanted to encourage listeners and DJs not to forget about the fun we have on the dance floor. I wanted to convey my hope to those who are not yet able to restart the parties." Opening track 'Entering' is a trippy psychedelic track for those deep outdoor hours when the snares echo throughout the mountains, 'Resemblance' is an acid tinged breakbeat that resonates with industrial and electro style. On the flip 'Desire' is a hypnotic peak-time techno track that will function well in any environment, and 'Fade' is an atmospheric and pleasant morning breakbeat tune. The striking artwork for the cover is contributed by Nobu's close associate Tomoo Gokita.

The past few years have seen UKG come right back around with a host of new producers and legendary heads alike, laying down 2 step heaters and 4x4 rollers to satisfy the appetite of the garage crew out there. Certified royalty, Tru Faith and About 2 are no exception, back in the studio and taking either side of this 12 inch for a double dose of sweet swung, US tinged garage gold, that will be sure to cause back to back wheel ups in the dance.

Already getting heavy plays on Kiss, Rinse, Flex, Centreforce alongside a bunch of the other pirate and underground stations, you know this ones gonna be good.

Shanghai’s SVBKVLT throw down a killer 2nd ‘CACHE’ compilation bristling with exclusive new zingers from the extended label firm, including Slikback, Hyp11E, Tzusing, Hodge, Gabber Modus Operandi, 33EMYBW, Gooooose, Nahash and more.
Chasing up one of the definitive club comps of recent years, ‘Cache02’ finds Shanghai’s best label is in rude health with a full spectrum coverage of styles from hyperpop to clobbering hardcore rave, mutant drill and back-alley EBM techno by some of the most crucial artists in operation right now.
Gooooose does wicked slow/fast footwork with Memphis rap cowbells and jibber-jawed edits in ‘Cows,’ and the Sbvkvlt/Hakuna Kulala axis twysts out a properly fwd kongo-tekno thriller in ‘Mushen’ by Slikback & Hyph11E. Indonesian mentalists Gabber Modus Operandi go ham with the possessed vox and thunderous kicks of ‘Pedas,’ and 33EMYBW nails Photek-levels of martial dance moves on ‘Coupling.’
Tzusing & Hodge supply the set’s big-room peak with a steaming EBM hammer tune ‘LCD,’ and Shanghaibased UK producer Swimful makes his mark with the glyding drill synths and knifepoint grime drums of
‘Muckle.’ Impressive introductions are also made to Seoul’s NET GALA with the vivid trance futurism of ‘Alternet,’ and the weird, scorched drill soul of Nahash on ‘The Way That I.’

We've been struggling with the follow up on the HELP012 press release: This record is by DJ Sports, it's called Akrasia and has three mixes on it.
Costumer support: (plusfortyfive) 26 83 82 39. Sports- & Central-action. Saludos para toda mi gente.

A new label from the team behind the "contemporary jungle" imprint Repertoire.

Rave styles from the UK garage, hardcore and techno continuum.

Cologne's Johannes Kolter made his name as DJOKO, but his most recent outing under that alias for Talman Records also included a pair of tracks credited to Kolter. It's that artistic alias he's chosen to use on this single, which introduces the world to debutant imprint PILOT. It's an EP that's well worth checking out, not least for deliciously bass-heavy opener 'Went Too Far', a weighty, stab-happy and sample-heavy affair that recalls the occasional electro tracks made by early blepe & bass and hardcore producers. Garage-influenced breakbeat workout 'Get Into It' is another funk-fuelled treat, while jungle-influenced breaks shuffler 'Selectoor'sic is a bass-heavy beast. The German successfully rounds off a fine EP via 'Illumination', which reminded us a little of Orbital's most melodious early moments.

It’s been a busy eight months since Dampé’s debut on Dirt Crew Recordings. That time has seen the producer hold down monthly slots on Rinse FM, contribute a downtempo electronica/jazz edit to the S3A ‘Pages Remixes” EP as well as open big rooms for the likes of Surgeon and Blawan.

The intervening months have also seen the producer set up camp in the Rhythm Section studio in South East London, and the result of new access to studio gear can be heard all across ‘Garden’. Compared to the debut ‘Peach Shuffle’ this is a far more machine-led and darker listening experience. Snatches of acoustic instruments and space remain, but it’s never long before the disembodied vocals and oversaturated classic drum kits return reminding you this is music best enjoyed in the club.

‘A Basement, 10 Years Ago’ started just there. A bass line dimly recalled from a long-lost 6am jam is sequenced on a weighty analogue keyboard, while syrupy R&B vocals dance around mbira and gangsa, all slowly building and building together. ‘727 and Arp Breaks’ is a love letter to two of the producer’s favourite instruments from the studio. A TR-727 and an Arp Odyssey collide across dubbed out stabs to form some very rolling breaks.
Sunday Night Machines’ sees Dampé tame the box-of-physics that is the Arp Odyssey again with a sprawling meditation on two repeating arpeggios.

‘Garden’ is the one for the dancers. Four variations play with the same melodic theme in distinct sections, with the second variation being the deepest and most floor-ready the whole record gets. ‘France’ is a warped dub-come-hip hop beat that manages to conjure both Lil Jon and Yusef Lateef. We approached Liverpool’s finest ASOK (Lobster Theremin, M>O>S Delsin) for remix duties and to close out the record with a twisted bang. He turned in a propelling weapon that brings a whole new texture to the track listing. It’s very 90’s, very ravey and very raw, in a true IDM style.

With this eclectic mix of sounds we are entering another chapter of the Dirt Crew story and we hope you dig it as much as we do!

Vinyl Only

V.C.V.S. was founded by Irakli Shonia and Sandro Kozmanishvili in Tbilisi, in 2016. After spending considerable time together in the studio, the debut CD album 'Sections from the Imaginary Future' was released in May 2017 on label 'Hanker", containing more ambient/experimental music. After two intense years, Irakli and Sandro found new inspirations and ideas, which led them to return to the studio and record the EP called HUM in August 2018. DJ Sotofett made a variation of Trapped in the Corner together with Kalifornia Keke.

Hej! For ESO-003 we’ve tapped into that Århus connection again. DJ Sports coming in bass heavy with three tracks made for the club. A little dubsteppy, a little garagey, a lotta good. Produced with love and cut nice n loud to be played at 45.

Repress !

Another 4 cuts of proper HARDLINE goodness.
Heady, swinging, club music done right.
Best served with Calvin Kleins.

Third Place captain Will Hofbauer steps up to the plate with 3 freshly laid eggs of barn-storming oddball dance music for night clubs.

Early support for the A side coming from Hessle heroes Joe & Ben UFO.

Giddy-up!