quête:the rumble

'This is a journey into sound...,' These familiar words, accompanied by the rumble of a distant train, signal the opening of 'Let's Take A Trip', the sophomore album from Terrel Wallace aka Tall Black Guy. Since 2013's '8 Miles To Moenart' TBG has cemented his position as a standard bearer for the current hip-hop / beats scene. Born in Detroit and now residing in the UK, Wallace's signature style of incredibly clever sample flips and deft production chops has won fans across the globe including Gilles Peterson, Lefto, Jazzy Jeff and House Shoes.

Since his debut release in 2011 (a daring and addictive flip of Fela Kuti), TBG has become revered for his unique take on soulful hip-hop production. The swing of the drums, the textures of the instrumentation as well as a fearlessness in taking on the classics (his Soundcloud page includes flips and chops of tracks from James Brown, De La Soul and Michael Jackson) have marked him out from the crowd. One of the best-kept secrets in the scene, his singular talent is now beginning to get the recognition it deserves. In the last 12 months he has remixed Little Dragon and been invited to take part in Jazzy Jeff's Playlist Retreat alongside the likes of Eric Lau, James Poyser, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, Questlove and countless others.

For this album Wallace had a simple inspiration: 'This album is all about taking a journey. As simple as that. Be it physical, emotional or spiritual. It's asking and answering personal questions from myself within some of the tracks and also touching on social issues i.e. racism, inequality and privilege...that have been at the forefront of my mind over last three years.' Sonically there is also a shift: 'Jazz has definitely been more of an influence in this project, as I have been really inspired by so many up and coming musicians who I've been blessed to connect with'. Some of these musicians, including Kenny Keys, Miles Bonny, Diggs Duke and Dee Jackson feature on the project as well as regular collaborators Ozay Moore and Mario Sweet and fellow Playlist alumni Daniel Crawford and Masego. But this is one man's vision, and for Tall Black Guy this trip is just the beginning...,.

Touching down for the inaugural release on the newly formed label, North of 7 Sounds, is the mighty Rumbleton - a true heavyweight with over 2 decades immersed in sound system culture, running the Stand Firm Hi-Fi label and releasing music on Scientific Wax, Rupture LDN, Outsider, and Samurai Music to name but a few. A true master of his sound, we are extremely proud to have Rumbleton set the bar for future North of 7 excursions. A New Day' takes you on a journey filled with haunting pads, razor-sharp drum kit clashes, and infinite amounts of low-end. Bottomless swathes of atmospherics respire in and out of the mix, culminating in a breathtaking breakdown - crafted with utmost devotion to the Godfather of Soul himself. A truly honourable homage to jungle's roots in sample culture and breakbeat science.Conscience' on the flipside is weightiness refracted in minimalism. Rumbleton fully submerges your mental space in a cavernous, dubwise fog, while militant, scorched-earth drums power the tune forward. A warm, subterranean bassline churns endlessly beneath, all the elements occasionally exhaling and collapsing under their own weight, only to regenerate once again...

Following on from Plus Instruments Love Is Enough Remixes EP comes an accompanying Dubs EP, featuring deeper reversions by Jamie Paton, Luke Solomon, Khidja and joining them with a breaks meets dubwise, Alphonse. Truus de Groots return to her Plus Instruments project after a 30 years break saw the label pick up her off-kilter House roller, Love Is Enough for one of our (e)special remixing packages. Here then, we turn out attention to everyones favourite, the Dubs. Starting with label mainframe, Jamie Paton, his Cloudy Dub-Out pulls his mix through modular prisms for heads down basement rumble. Echo chamber vocals, twisted syncopations and a bass to breakdown walls, this is Patons true calling - dub to get lost in and rightful to kick off the EP. Next guest remixer de jour, Luke Solomon stays close to his original bumpin remix, warping the vocal with skatntrippin wonk, all atop a funk bass line and riding shuffle percussion. Cha cha cha. On the flip, Khidja triumph again with a tougher version. Not a straight up dub of their remix, this pushes a nod to colder (wave) vibes, with industrial percussion riding high on their trademark production. Hard kick atop refrained synths, growing out of Eastern protoid routes to glimpse their future. Finally, mystery man Alphonse comes in from the dark to close with a killer breaks inspired dub. Utilising the originals bass with an angular break, the intricate cut up percussion, Theremin and vocals all glide, keeping the head and feet (jazz) dancing for some (free) party sound system love. Dub is enough

Philippe Quenum returns to Cadenza Music with 'Solitaire', some thirteen years after helping kick start the Swiss label with the 2003 release 'Orange Mistake'/'Funky Dandy'. This groundbreaking single, co-produced with Luciano, has since become a landmark release, not just for the label, but also as the benchmark for the micro-house and minimal tech-house genre that developed over the decade. With a music career than spans back to the mid-80s (dancing in NYC as part of the breakdance troupe, The Magnificent Force), Quenum found his forte with house music, both as a DJ, and as a producer and label owner. Setting up the Access 58 label in 1998 as a platform for his music and collaborations, Quenum has consistently released over the years for labels like Crosstown Rebels, Soma, alphahouse, Thema and Trapez LTD. 'Solitaire' finds Quenum on fine form; on the lead track, dubby FX and bass shaking shots roll out over an urgent disco beat, muted brass and technoid stabs fire from all directions as the tension building pads flourish. Shadowy forces are at play on 'Mystic'; discordant sounds echo and bellow over reverberating percussion and a dense back beat that fire into life with shuffling hi-hats. Wrapping up this welcome return to the label is 'Mystery'; whipping snares and industrial clangs rumble over the urgent drums for more hypnotizing dancefloor work from Philippe!

Breakbeat Paradise Recordings is pleased to welcome back the Laptop Funkers for another set of high-octane fun & funky breakbeat. This 8-track album is a symphony of samples and breaks designed for you to Feel The Goodness. Following up on the successful vinyl release Ready to Rumble from 2013 the Laptop Funkers is back in better shape than ever!

Almost instantly after Ready to Rumble was sold out and a repress was demanded , tunes started coming in for what quickly turned out to be a full album release. Now after tweaking and perfecting these jams for over 2 years we are ready to present you with Feel The Goodness - a 12" vinyl filled to the limited with the finest beats and breaks this scene has to offer.

The Laptop Funkers ( the alias used by producer and sound designer Nuno Soczka for this breaks project ) is an elusive underground act that only emerges when there are some fresh choons to showcase. The influences are not hard to discover and Laptop Funkers has no problem in taking us back to the glory days of Big Beat with tunes that would make even Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers feel envious!

Some of the biggest grooves you've heard for a while can be found throughout this ruthless funky album : from the soul-gospel flow of the Feel The Goodness tune to the bouncy brass works on Ain´t Nobody Like We , the ghetto drops on Incredible Funk and the contagious funky groove of Soul Power , from the pump up energy on I Can Keep It Going to the laid back soulful vibes on Where The Funkers At , the b-boy banger attitude of Got The Party Rockin and the chemical psychedelics of The Temple.

8 golden joints of epic sampling inferno that'll be sure to keep you entertained from start to finish. Comes in a full-color front-and-back cover 12" vinyl package with custom illustrations by the talented Cristiano Suarez.

As so many times before BBP is here to provide the b-boys and girls with some proper breaks to keep the party going...,

London or L.A. We are guessing UK from the amusing Motorway reference Anyway, we've not entirely worked it out yet. Two clear cut floor rumblers here - following on nice that previous heat for L.A. Club Resource, a few years back. TIP!

Following almost two years of driving bass music promotion, in the form of compilation albums, free download round-ups, reviews, guest mixes & mix series CDs, the time has come to transcend from what first began as an online blog into our very own music label. After working with renowned artists such as El-B, Quest, BunZer0 and Phaeleh, as well as fellow promotional platforms FatKidOnFire & Deeper Vibrations - the Albion community has developed and grown to become recognised across the board of the bass music spectrum. This extension of our brand will help in pushing this music even more, enabling us to curate a fundamentally diverse sound beside the culture that we so passionately enjoy.The launch of Albion Collective Recordings is to be set in motion with In Pieces, a collaborative down-tempo effort conceived between Vaun and Jafu which is radiant in textural soundscapes. This particular piece has been doing the rounds as a clip on Deeper Vibrations' YouTube channel since 2013, inducing longing excitement for the song to finally surface.
Bristol based Daniel Brown, aka Vaun, has prospered into one of the scene's most prolific producers, covering multiple styles and turning out numerous releases for MindStep Music, Redshift-One and Soulstep Records. After recently hinting at the imminent release of an album, Brown can also reap in the keepsake of ALBION001 alongside Canadian artist James Fuller, aka Jafu, who likewise has blossomed astutely alongside his soulful Chord Marauders collective.In Pieces falls somewhere amongst immersive trip-hop and jazzy 2-step, an affectional arrangement that makes wonderful use of Marvin Gaye's a cappella in his classic Sexual Healing. The composition will certainly induce healing of the cerebral kind, with its stripped and delicate percussion work, dubbed out horns and soothing string sections. Encapsulated within Vaun & Jafu's musical offering is our label's statement of intent. That is, to champion unique music that emanates elegance such as this collaboration - and such as J.Sparrow's remix treatment. Ryan Wild aka Jack Sparrow, a Deep Medi Musik signee and one half of dubstep extraordinaire duo Author, has granted the scene with his tenacity to build profoundly stunning electronic music. Wild has the tempo notched up for his In Pieces edit but remains true to Vaun and Jafu's approach in the sense of its lavish spatial touch. The atmospherics breeze over with a soft vibrancy, as the electronic guitar solo recording from the original plays over the initial main section charmingly. This is all resulting in a simply sumptuous mix which goes right up there with his top drawer remix work for Annie Drury and De Niro & Y. To compliment J.Sparrow's sublime contribution and to also complete the package, the Black Butter Records assosciated and Bristol-based outfit Sly-One have whipped up an outright banger of a remix. Joe Cannon, Dave Constant and Oliver Read can already boast an admirable set of releases in the four years since they've joined forces, featuring on Shifting Peaks, Lost In Translation and 877 Records. Add that to a rude collaboration with fellow Bristol head & rasta emcee Buggsy and a remix for Bad Mojo on Meanbucket, Sly-One had clearly meant business from the offset - and have shown absolutely no let up for us at Albion Collective. Served with a side order of the trio's classic subtle cowbell hits, their 2-step/bassline fusion works wonders with the vamped-up vocal sample and is ready and waiting to rumble clubs & festivals for this summer and beyond. Early DJ support for the release has been noted from artists including Phaeleh, Quantum Soul, Thelem, J. Robinson, Walsh, K-Man, Nanobyte, Syte, Trashbat, Majora and D-Operation Drop & Foster. Radio airings to date stand at Sub FM on the BunZer0's legendary FOB Show, BBC Introducing showcased the release and Monki played the Sly One Remix on BBC Radio 1 Extra. The almighty
Dubstep duo Truth added the J.Sparrow Remix to their recent 'Chronicles' mixtape on Soundcloud, which was posted to their 75,000 plus following, Biscuit Factory Records owner and dubstep legend Walsh opened the edit on his latest podcast and J.Sparrow is set to showcase the version in a mix for the iconic Deep Medi label. Support is confirmed from digital publications such as FatKidOnFire,
GetDarker, Trusik and MTV Wrap up, which will involve a number of featuresm reviews, track premieres and artist spotlights. A review will also be printed in November's edition of Mixmag on Tomas Fraser's Grime/Dubstep page

Juan Sanchez delivers his first single on the raw sounding Drumcode Limited with two monster sounding tracks.

Both tracks represent the gritty, tough side of the Drumcode spectrum and deliver two peak time tracks that will finish a dancefloor off. Using filtering hats, low end rumbles and outlandish beeps, Juan Sanchez encapsulates the sound of Drumcode Limited.

Early support from Objekt & Truss.

Truss - Lag and Vacated tracks are both great. Very strong EP overall.
Objekt - Yeah man! I like the A1 and A2 a lot.

Bringing together the razor edged glitch stomp 'RM2' of Essex's Vacated with the Serbian and Bosnian tag team might of Lag and Forest People's deep and hard rumbler - 'The Anvil'.

On the flip, the heavy atmospheric paranoia of 'Industry by Rotterdam's Matt TDK sits with London new blood Ruins, and his Brixton meets Brum tuff cut roller.

'Mechanistic Overlap' is the first multi artist EP from London's Darkfloor Sound imprint, adding to their catalogue of deep electro, industrial rhythmic; hard, acidic tribal and noise infused technoid from the likes of Phat Chex, Ontal, David Meiser and Savagen.

ROD needs no introduction as the prolific alter ego of a certain Dutch producer already well associated with Figure. Here we are treated to 3 new ROD cuts, precisely aimed at the dancefloor, plus a special Len Faki remix to crown the package. Label curator Len Faki offers up his take on >Truck One< in a storming, action-packed ride, building on RODs sparse palette of sound-design rumbles, and creates a straight up modern Techno roller that refuses to be shy!

After a two year gap Clio is back on Metroline Limited after producing two of the most successful releases from the label's extensive catalogue: For Sure Baby (2010) and Do It EP (2012). In the opening track, The Beautiful Forces, Blade Runner soundscapes morph into post-rave stabs and combine with heavy subs and sci-fi effects to create the soundtrack to a rave in an abandoned space station. On a more Chicago tip, Something Like That is a collaboration with French groove master Loquace. The result is a loose, flowing house jam, which as the lyrics tell you, is all about vibe - it doesn't have to be planned... it's just how you feel! The legendary Thomas Schumacher turns out a serious burner on the flip with his remix of The Beautiful Forces, bringing the vocals up in the mix and throwing in a pumping b-line to keep things moving nicely. Swiss rising star Yvan Genkins takes on marginalising the Chi-town flavour of the original and working the elements up into a eyes-down Tresor-style techno monster. Classic 909 hits, a satisfying low-end rumble... it doesn't get more floor-friendly than this.

Blah Blah Blah are proudly putting the together the final touches to their 10th release celebrations, and to help bring the party, bubbling up London producer 'Cropper' has given BBB the honour of releasing his most treasured possession 'Forever'.
Forever has already gathered a preview courtesy of Pitchfork, thus cementing the support he received from Huxley, Tensnake, James Zabiela, Thefft, and Ben Westbeech among others for his previous record 'Deeper/Drift'.In Renato Pagnani's (Pitchfork) own words: 'Forever, is a hybrid of disparate-but- complimentary moods. Dark, crawling bass spreads out across the house track like stretched molasses, evoking the kind of late-night dread that comes with finding yourself alone in an unfamiliar neighborhood long after last call, but there's a warmth to this low- end rumble that prevents "Forever" from holding you at arm's length as it twists and turns. This bittersweet ache is given yet another dimension thanks to the vocals looped throughout the track, which are simultaneously defiant and vulnerable...' Selected Feedback: Sam Bailey Radio 1 'Sick (5/5)' // Maya Jane Coles - 'Nice Deepness (4/5) // Eton Messy - Love the track (4/5) // Maxxi Soundsystem - 'Sweet. ps happy 10th....

UK stalwarts Jamie Anderson and Owain K team up again for another sumptuous slice of contemporary house music on Steve Bug's Dessous Recordings. Jamie Anderson has been exploring and manipulating the links between house and techno for over 15 years, having released on numerous influential labels, both solo and as a collaborator with other top artists. But it's his work with Bristolborn hot-property Owain K that is currently exciting discerning dancefloors worldwide. 'Do You Know', their latest collaboration, sees Jamie and Owain drop some serious sunshine grooves - shuffling hi-hats and a classic, Chitown synth let you know that this is all about the good times. The spoken word vocal pays homage to forgotten jazz legends - the uplifting vibe sure to put a smile on the faces of dancers all summer long. Jamie and Owain switch it up on the other main track in this release. 'Keep It Pumping' drops the tempo to 118bpm and digs its toes into the sand for a balearic-tinged nu-disco stomper. Disco toms fire, the sub bass rumbles, and spacey synths and vocal samples wash over this expertly crafted sunrise/ sunset groove. A dub of 'Do You Know' rounds off the release from this hugely talented combo.

Here we have a new label and it's some of the best Techy Drum and Bass we've heard for a while. Counterstrike and Cooh do what they do best and bring their trademark tight production along with a load of bass that'll rumble any bass bin. Looking forward to hearing what else this exciting label has up its sleeve.