Beats News

Killer debut LP by Lol K starring vocals by Coby Sey and LA Timpa, following the Londoners’ EP for Mica Levi and co’s Curl Recordings with a crafty set of queer, sensuous pop, configured in brilliant, surprising ways for Rabit’s Halcyon Veil.
The six songs and corresponding instrumentals of ‘The Breeze’ explore ideas of escapism, belonging and inner city isolation in an up-to-date vernacular firmly blunted by sparing, crisply defined but shapeshifting production. The album clearly marks a concerted development of Lol K’s sound - especially compared to their oblique appearances on the ‘Born Under a Bad One’ (Curl, 2018) EP - with the duo’s CJ Calderwood and Junior XL more confidently venturing their vocals into the mix this time, switching between melodic hooks and blunted hush, to a rave-punkish prang out and puckered chamber composition with lowkey rude and innovative production to match.
This newfound confidence subtly oozes from the squashed drill rap mutation of ‘Air Held Softly Alight’, and their ohrwurming opener ‘Proud’, and is smartly tempered into the seething Reese stabs and aggy holler of ‘Oilseed Stone’ featuring an upfront Coby Sey vocal. The album finds its centre in the serpentine, understated strings and dembow bump of ‘Twice’, and the deep 2-step chamber music of ‘Completely Out Of Business’ featuring the vital input of LA Timpa, following his outstanding 2019 debut, and ahead of an achingly strong solo album for Halcyon Veil. For the DJs and anyone who wants to lend their own bars, the instrumentals reveal the subtly whirring mechanics under Lol K’s hood, and how they elide and ride styles while allowing for burred edges and a complex, gauzy soul.

Codigo De Barras’ is the exceptionally tight first album from Lisbon-via-Manchester’s cult batidaproducer P. Adrix - now operating as A.k.Adrix - an LP bursting with shockingly sharp-cut but breezily animated dancers from the top shelf of kuduro, all fire this one!!!
Making good on the promise of P. Adrix’s incendiary 2018 debut EP, the Angolan-Portuguese producer’s first album as A.K.Adrix slickly recalibrates the whirring percussive mechanics of his acclaimed early works with a richer melodic tone in eleven tight, tempered productions.
It’s a significant and confident advance of his style into a more supple, melancholic form of instrumental songcraft, following suit with slicker recent moves by Nídia and Blacksea Não Maya on Príncipe with outstandingly fresh contributions to one of the world’s most vital dance scenes.
The raw electric club buzz of Adrix’s early zingers is still present, only now more refined and betraying a craftier emotional intelligence and sensuality that’s beautifully apparent across the album. From the mix of haunting choral motifs and field recordings with Derrick May-like strings in opener ‘Ambiente Spiritual’, to the album’s standout centrepiece of gently hypnotic flute arps and tumbling tabla drums meshed into tarraxho rhythms on ‘Espuma Nocturna’, or the wide-eyed wonder of ‘Desenhos Animados’ with its impish woodwind and woodblock drums; it’s a rare pleasure to witness Adrix get deep inside his sound and really come into his own.
Anyone looking for the rude stuff will get it in the more raggo charge of ‘X50’, the thumping subs of ‘Hottttttttttt’, and the martial swag of ’Settings’, but the album’s dextrous and intricately efficient push/pull of energies between the club, personal sentiments, and naturally avant leanings, is perhaps best compared with Beatrice Dillon’s stunning ‘Workaround’ in the 2020 field.
Unmissable!

**LIMITED COPIES AVAILABLE**

The second 12" on CC comes, once again, from Hamilton Scalpel. Four tracks of Max Anti-Power Energy, with the last probably being the closest the label will ever come to releasing would could very loosely be described as a "summer anthem". Shouts to our Wes.

Mirrored sticker on sleeve and yellow graffed up label. Kinda like the opposite of the last one. Genius.

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One of the most important artists in the development of the Horo sound, Astral Projection is the first full length ASC album for the Horo label. Astral Projection follows on clearly from ‘Imagine The Future’ with the development of the Grey Area sound progressing and becoming intrinsic to a large majority of ASC’s current work. But this LP is not a Grey Area addendum, Astral Projection is a luminous artistic statement from a sonic perfectionist who the term ‘sound designer’ was made to define. An accomplished and much respected ambient producer, ASC weaves his talent for soaring emotive soundscapes with his undeniable rhythmic prowess across a cohesive 12 track sonic voyage that again accomplishes a rare goal in todays electronic music landscape - a commanding listen from beginning to end. Very few artists are as prolific and consistent as ASC, but we are confident Astral Projection will be revered as one of his finest moments in years to come.

Rich in tradition & sound, Don Papa & Kambo Super Sound yearly highlights their take on dub & reggae from Moss, Norway. Kambo Super Sound presents a rockin' cross-over digital stepper with horns and galactic synths. Don Papa with remix work by DJ Sotofett drops bass heavy, hard drummed dub with extremely high-attentioned island style horns.

Curve Records returns for their second outing with a powerful, grooved-out, broken beat EP: ‘Planned Cities’ from Bristol’s veteran forward thinking producer Lrusse.

“I like the optimism behind planned cities because they often don't turn out as expected - humans are random and there are unintended consequences everywhere. I never set out to write a broken beat EP, so that's quite been kind of a surprise too, ha.” Fellow Bristol legend Lord Leopard (F.K.A. Lukas) remixes the A1, ‘Crep Check’, delivering a club tool that will heat to any dancefloor.

A1: Crep Check - Crunchy, half-step drums broken beat hot with searing pads and bone-rattling sub.

A2: Crep Check (Lord Leopard Remix) - A huge straight up 4/4 club tool, tried and tested on the dancefloor.

B1: Scaff - An instant classic with a distinct Bristol bass bin sound, lazy broken drums and chopped piano hook.

B2: Those Letters - A soaring broken beat journey, perfect for switching up a 5am techno set.

Lrusse is the solo project of Ed Bayling, also known for slow-mo dancefloor heaters as one-half of Bristol’s Behling and Simpson, and has found regular support from the likes of Midland and Danny Krivit to Claude von Stroke and Todd Edwards, with tracks released on iconic labels such as K7, Tsuba and Dirt Crew, as well as underground fixtures like Nite Owl Diner and Apple Pips.

'Everything U Need' was the cliff hanger Overmono left revellers on at their final performance before dancefloors were forced to close, the duo finding their sound in a culmination of all their explorations to date. Following much heralded collabs with Joy Orbison (as one commentator noted of Bromley "the track that was on every 5 minutes at Warehouse Project") they've since released a succession of forward-thinking remixes and edits of Four Tet, Thom Yorke and Rosalía. Add to that a mountain of co-signs and inclusions in Pitchfork's Best of Electronic for 2019, they've quietly become one of the most vital voices in electronic music today.

Overmono were on a roll before lockdown. As the top YouTube comment for their Joy Orbison collaboration track ‘Bromley’ put it, “so this is the track that was on every 5 minutes at Warehouse Project.” That track and the duo’s own ‘Le Tigre’ were played out constantly by the likes of Four Tet and Ben UFO, the former also hiring the duo to remix his track ‘Teenage Birdsong’.

Then there are their edits. Thom Yorke was so impressed by the duo’s versions of ‘Not The News’ that he let them release the tracks on their own Polykicks label. Add to that their cheeky version of Rosalia – ‘A Palé’, which caught the ear and the eye of the respected flamenco artist, as well as being a highlight of their live performances pre-lockdown.

Then the world abruptly stopped, all their forthcoming gigs were cancelled and suddenly Overmono were able to fully commit their energy to their legendary Bromley studio. It’s was during this time that the duo feel they’ve been able to realise exactly what Overmono’s music should be. “Our work together had so far been about exploring and defining what Overmono is… and we feel like we’ve got this now”.

‘Everything U Need’ is the first track to be released since this realisation and is taken from the forthcoming EP of the same name. Somewhat serendipitously, an early version of the track was the last thing the duo were able to perform live, at London’s Printworks in March. The subsequent video sent the Identification of Music Group on Facebook into a frenzy and has been in demand since. The final finished version along with the other tracks on the EP represent a marriage of everything Overmono have done previously, and it showcases their ability to make music that is as enjoyable on headphones as it is in the club. Topped off with incredible artwork from the acclaimed artist Rollo Jackson, Overmono are clearly stepping into a new era of their artistry. In their own words, “It’s our most complete record to date”.

Joy Orbison premiered ‘Everything U Need’ last night on his BBC Radio 1 show, stating “I’m biased... but I’m a huge, huge Overmono fan.. I don’t think there are many electronic outfits out there doing what they’re doing”, and also hinted towards more music from their collaborative Joy Overmono project in the future.

This first EP of the band is the synthesis of the sensibilities of the collective and the logical extension of their live performances of ALEA (s). Beyond the music, drawing and animation find their place there with neat artwork (and a limited series which includes drawings by FSTN the illustrator of the collective) and a vinyl which includes hundreds of drawings forming a mini animation movie loop if the disc is played under a stroboscopic light.

John Frusciante releases the first instrumental electronic album under his own name on Aaron Funk's Timesig label. The record is dedicated to his cat Maya who recently passed away, a fellow traveller in his otherwise solitary music making sessions. 'Maya' is inspired by John's favourite music: '91 to'96 UK breakbeat hardcore and jungle. It’s a varied and personal take with sophisticated, authentic production balanced against John’s acute sense of melody, an inspired blending of machines and samples infused with a joyful energy. "I don't have that interest in singing or writing lyrics like I used to. The natural thing when I'm by myself now, is to just make music like the stuff being released this year. I really love the back and forth with machines and the computer." The fun he’s having on 'Maya' is infectious.

SFV Acid takes you further into Volume 2 of Trillium Towers, a defunct business district located in Woodland Hills California. Providing a new EP with G-funk-filtered house & electro cuts!

*Repress*

We return with a LOST DUBPLATE from Bristols finest KAHN, alongside Sector 7 head honcho Boofy. Imhotep has been doing the rounds for many a year beautifully showcasing Kahns raw yet hypnotizing sound. Boofy returns with an energized, hypnotic remix the way only Boofy can do . Strictly sound system vibes!

Manchester's Lack lands on Livity Sound with the 'Inside' EP following on from recent releases with UK labels Cong Burn and Blank Mind,

This new record distills the Lack aesthetic across four tracks. The title track's pulsating drift channels Chain Reaction and vintage Kode 9; 'Machine Club' brings a thumping deep techno sprawl; whilst the grit laden 'Rrrush and 'Shifter' build and innovate on UK rhythm styles. The 'Inside' EP is a window in to the world of Lack and a major statement of intent from one of the UK's most promising rising producers.

Livity Sound is a label set up by Peverelist in 2011 as a vehicle for a raw and exploratory strain of UK techno, rooted in the heritage of UK dance music and sound system culture. It has since become one of the UK's foremost protagonists for cutting edge underground music.

SCDD009 moves straight into the overtaking lane with Skin On Skin, from Brisbane, Australia. Burning through red lights and 909s, SOS takes us on a joyride through the backstreets of house with four murky bone-shakers.
Divided, each track on this propulsive debut is an unapologetic dance-floor anthem; deranged samples, smoked-out percussion, fuck-you-up rhythm and a prominent early Memphis Rap motif. Windows down for this one.

In August 2019, we released our second various artists EP, ‘Folio / 2’.

With this new release, we proudly present the third and final chapter of this particular VA EP series entitled ‘Folio / 3’. We have assembled a small group of our favourite artists for this 4 track release including Hyroglifics, Visages, label head Alix Perez, and long standing dnb aficionados Halogenix and Workforce. Available on 6th November 2020 on vinyl and digital.

CAIN closes out his Fine Grains triptych with a vivacious EP of signature bass shuddering, polyrhythmic drums. ‘High Call’, his first 12” on the now Amsterdam-based label, offers 6 original tracks and a remix by Japanese producer Jun Kamoda in homage to the revelatory spirit and pre-medieval origins of carnivals. Artwork by Dutch/Scottish artist Roos Dijkhuizen created through ink and water drawings.

Colours emerge from the dark, glowing torches and fire embers flicker through the night. ‘Caapi’ warmly draws you into proceedings, an alluring tease of soothing chimes and preview of the infectious shuffling drums that will follow. From ‘Apsara’, Cain sets us on the front foot. A pounding, stuttering rhythm ignites the track, as spinning chord sounds echo and a haunting, hallucinatory vocal lead us on. The carnival is fully alive in ‘Gundon Night’, a sinister and menacing broken track steered by Cosssack warrior chants. High on the mountain we reach the pinnacle of ‘High Call’, a triumphant lead track with CAIN’s recognisable warm and driving, rhythmical drum patterns. The otherworldly psychoacoustic melodies of ‘Taiyi’ and slower-paced triplet drums structures of ‘Zetwal’ make these tracks the outliers of the EP, but they also complement and help to complete the picture. Jun Kamoda’s zany turned up marching techno take on the lead track signs out ‘High Call’ in playful, multi-coloured order.

After the reissue of Iury Lech - Musica Para El Fin De Los Cantos, Berlin based Cocktail d'Amore Music is proud to present a collection of remixes and reinterpretations of the mighty album. Japanese rising star Powder is first up to deliver her take on Barreras. The minimalist dreamscape catches its rhythmic reshape, becoming an underwater deep-house/deep- techno dance floor experience. On the same side Suzanne Kraft contributes with a rather cinematic vision on Cuando Rocio Dispara Sus Flechas. Hatchback opens up the B-side with an evocative version of Posmeridiano. The Californian producer gives a touch of sunshine and open air to the landscape of the original song. Closing the EP Ukrainian producer Zavoloka reinterprets Ukraina with a vortex of three-dimensional sonic layering.

"...while I like to think that creations are a 'moment in time', this, for me, is much more than just a moment."

Truenoys 2020

"Depression is not just for those with painful traumas but it can lurk in everyone who is willing to live in truth... this album can be a cure or a helping hand...soundwise and lyrically."

Amos 2020

A/T/O/S, pronounced 'A Taste Of Struggle' is a project by Amos & Truenoys.

Introduced by a mutual friend, A/T/O/S started creating music together. Their first creation, 'A Taste Of Struggle' was quickly picked up by dubstep pioneer Mala, who signed them to his label DEEP MEDi. Their debut release received an early spin by BBC 6 Music's Mary Anne Hobbs and impressive remixes by Skream and Commodo.

Their upcoming album 'waterman', is the 3rd on DEEP MEDi, following their self-titled debut 'A/T/O/S' and the follow-up 'Outboxed'.

'waterman' once again sees A/T/O/S exploring new territories with their formula of exciting beats and powerful vocals, accompanied by Michiel De Malsche (@MIDM) on the keys as their 'secret, not so secret' member in the studio & on stage.

Luar Domatrix (Rudi Brito) is perhaps more recognizable as half of the artsy-duo Yong Yong that emerged in 2012. After a long season spent in Glasgow, and with editions by Naivety (Naive’s sublabel of Inês Coutinho aka Violet) , Sucata Tapes (Discrepant) and with a track inserted in a VA from 12th Isle, comes back to Lisbon (his hometown) clearly soaked by the sounds of the Scottish industrial center.

“Baía Stamina”, produced in Glasgow, is strongly inspired by the local club scene and evokes the utopia of a heavenly bay somewhere in Italy. Although always looking to bend the barriers of that “squarish” side of dance music, “Baía Stamina” is a dance record. It starts with “Bo Teias”, a track full of percussive elements and unusual sound effects that presents itself as a hymn of the “Baía Stamina” - pure boilling energy. “Take” is the least functional theme on the record. Metal percussion layers are overlapped over a string, creating a certain unrest and discomfort. A vocal incites consumption ("Take, Take, Take") to the point that a pad clears the way for liberation creating a more relaxing and dreamy ambience.

Closing the A side “Bo Teias” gets a remix from the Glasgow duo General Ludd, with whom Rudi used to live. In this version, and as the name implies, “Bo Teias (Gen Ludd Disco Problem Remix)” moves the focus away from the dance floor, ands transforms itself into a rhythmic exploration over the void, punctuated by some recognizable elements. “Outra Face” is a track made to blow up soundsystems! Anchored in distortion and in a broken beat led by the kick of the infamous TR-808 there is an almost epic vibe to it, that shows the confidence that Rudi Brito has acquired in his relaxed production style. “Heavven” closes the record in a completely British tone. The soulful vocal reminiscent of some garage tracks, echoes Bristol production and a time when dubstep producers decided to lower their bpms to something closer to the house. Without ever rushing the theme moves through different sonic landscapes and electronic glitches until a Portuguese voice announces “Acabou-se a brincadeira” (“Playtime is over”). This is peaktime; it's time to go dancing.

Infernal Sounds welcomes Cluekid back to the fray, returning to release two of his most sought after dubs in 'Electric Avenue' & 'Horizontal'. The legendary producer throws you right back to the '08 days on the A side, taking you in with straight junglist sampling and a low-end wobble of a freshly set blamanche. 'Horizontal' displays the same sort of traits, but gives you an added dub-flex through the backdrop melody, and a low-end you'll feel right down in your stomach. It's an ultimate double XL.

Shanghai’s Hyph11e commits a debut album of brooding sound design and gnashing breaks to her home city’s Svbkvlt stronghold, following hardcore ballistics for Hakuna Kulala and a lead single prepped with a killer Kode9 refix.
Dragging UK ‘nuum dynamics into Shanghai’s impending, fast-fwd present, Tess Sun aka Hyph11e has carved out a fierce reputation with her shots found on the praised ‘Cache 01’ compilation and in DJ mixes by key players including M.E.S.H., Aïsha Devi, and Kode 9 & Burial over the past four years. On ‘Aperture’ she plays around the theme of holes, rupturing her own path thru rave spacetime with deft, barrelling breakbeats wrapped up in fluidly contoured synth schematics that probe mutant corners of the dance, somewhere between industrial breakcore tekno and junglist footwork, with bleak but sensually personalised soundcraft done in a mechanised outernational dancehall style shades away from her label mate 33EMYBW and Uganda’s Slikback.
Hyph11e sparingly lights up her music like scenes from a rave in strobing start/stop motion and with a knowing grasp of negative ecstasy - finding pleasure in the aesthetic and noumenal spaces between styles, time and space. She characterises this notion in the album’s brutalist bookends, ‘Encrust’ and the chemically overripe lushness of ‘Erosion’, while traces of electro-acoustic strings infiltrate the prowling stepper ‘Accretion’, and more traditional Chinese tonalities describe rangier Jungle Tekno landscapes in ‘Baily’s Beads’, and she summons wraithlike spirits from the fizzing industrial dancehall fissures of lead single ‘Barnacles’. At her most dextrous, proper UK hardcore is rinsed into labyrinthine warehouse variations on ‘Doppelgänger’ and ‘Get Out From Under’.
Anyone who suffers trypophobia may want to proceed with caution, but hardcore ravers of all stripes and futuristic leanings will sink deep into the ravishing style and puckered darkside
discipline of this sharp, incredible album.

After the initial release of ENV012 Kloudmen started sending music that was a level beyond what we had previously heard from the duo. Remixes of and Plays by major scene players such as Caspa and Hatcha as well as the fresh blood in the forms of Bukez, Samba, Sepia etc.

Then out of nowhere in a fashion that caught our ears Kloudmen x Rez. We had to know more! The result was this release.

Producer & DJ Mall Grab has announced his new EP 'How The Dogs Chill, Vol. 1', on his brand new imprint 'Looking For Trouble.' The new release arrives ahead of Mall Grab's upcoming 'Looking For Trouble' tour, including a London headline show on 6th October at E1.

The 25 year old's latest record follows one of last summer's biggest house releases - 'Pool Party Music' on DJ Haus's ever-excellent Hot Haus Recs, as well as a collaborative EP earlier this year alongside Loods on Steel City Dance Discs, the label he runs with his friends Jarred Kennedy and Jackson Fitzsimmons. Having emerged in 2015 with the infectious 'Feel U' EP, the strength and evolution of Jordon's productions has firmly established him as one of dance music's most exciting talents.

The new EP arrives in the middle of another busy period for Mall Grab. Having played well over 100 shows in the last year, he just curated the London event Long Live Southbank - a one off fundraiser party supporting the restoration of Southbank's hallowed Undercroft skate space, which was streamed by Boiler Room. Having grown up skateboarding the event's cause was a particularly special one for Jordon. About to embark on his much anticipated 'Looking For Trouble' tour throughout September and October and with more shows through November & December in Japan and Australia, Mall Grab will close out 2018 on a high.

Childsplay presents The debut EP from mod-r. A 4track summary of the emotional state of youth 2day. equal parts breaks, acid, electro and angst. If you don't like it JUST FUCK OFF

Blazing Shed Hardcore declarations for the lovers & the ravers.

Emerging producer Patrick Conway delivers the goods on the second EP to be released on Art E-Fax.
E-FAX002 is a selection of submerged breaks, dark and spectral bass grooves and washed out melodies all combining to make release that is as eerie as it is infectious. A producer who describes his influences as being 'transcendental meditation, UK Rave, Sheffield bleep/Warp records, Carl Craig circa the early '90s, Silent Servant, Shabba Ranks and joss sticks smoking out the studio', it's not hard to hear the shadowy, dense smoke and heavy calm that unifies those inspirations.