Garage | 2Step | UK Funky | Bassline Vinyl 393 Items

The first release on the brand new DigBig Records comes from prolific Swedish composer, producer and DJ Joey FDH. In Level 7, Joey steps away from the harder electro beats she's known for and goes inward to explore the depths and corners of her own shadow through four slow burners. The EP rides a soft yet sinister groove with two acidic workouts on the A side - the beautifully atmospheric Acid Girl and the cosmic-dreamy eponymous Level 7. B side morphs effortlessly onto heavier but just as funky vibes with Shadow Play that slaps in the face with infectious breaks and the hypnotically thumping Shift Shaper. Spending over a decade in Berlin honing her signature dark sound, Joey FDH has recently returned to her homeland to find new inspiration in the forests and moors surrounding her now, adding a refreshingly introspective layer to her productions.

For our first release in the sound-clash series, Xander goes head to head with Papa Nugs. Based out of Brighton, Xander has made a name for himself in the UKG/breaks scene over the last 18 months with his exciting sound design and work for his own label, Over and Out. The A1, "Dead My Sound", combines moody bass-lines with snappy drums to make a fierce 2-step dance floor killer. The A2, "Watch It", follows up with a menacing Reese bassline. Papa Nugs is another prominent name in the UKG and breaks scene at the moment, having also had an exceptional 18 months. With releases on labels such as Constant Sound and Ba Dum Tish, we knew he'd be the perfect competitor for Xander The B1, "Blip", provides skippy garage drums and with warping bass stabs taking inspiration from dubstep sounds. The B2, "Do Something", showcases a completely different side of UK garage, with slamming 4x4 drums and a chugging bassline.

Soundtrack for your Pagan rituals next weekend.

Scruscru & Mike Fot return to SlothBoogie Recordings for the second instalment of their ‘Spliff Jams’ series, ‘Vol. 2’. Scruscru and Moscow’s Mike Fot teamed up between 2018 and 2020 for a series of jam sessions at the latter’s apartment to record a bunch of music using a variety of Roland and Korg gear late into the night. Vol.1 was released on Sloth Boogie in September of 2021 and here the pair return to the label for the Vol.2 to kick start 2022. ‘k60k’ leads the release, fusing skippy garage beats, squelchy acid licks, oscillating keys and cut up vocals, ‘Enjoint’ retrains a similar aesthetic with a shuffled garage-tinged rhythm and amalgamation of chopped and pitched vocals snippets while a bumpy bass groove and warbling chord sequences further fuel the bouncy groove. ‘Hummus Dealer’ follows next on the flip side and shifts focus to swinging breakbeats, bubbling synths and hazy brass samples throughout. ‘Bro’ccoli Lasagna’ then rounds out the release, dropping the tempo to deliver an ethereal slice of downtempo goodness fuelled by off-kilter drums, snaking resonant synth lines and airy textures.

Ghostbusters (Suzanne Kraft & Anton Pieete) spent all night investigating strange goings-on at a farm cottage, only to find squirrels. (quality record this...sik one)

Stepping Hill EP Kicks off with a classic cut ‘Planets’ a straight up Bruk workout, reminiscent of the original CoOp days when Seiji’s Loose Lips was running the dance red hot! These crunchy Bruk step drums keep this jam running with vocal chops, talking philosophy about the planets and language, while lush chords, bleeps and a fat round bassline roll through to keep the energy moving, what else does one need to fling foot on the floor! (Try saying that fast!) One for the steppers! The second track takes us on a more 2 step UKG vibe, baring the other strings to Szajna’s bow. ‘Pavement groove' is a proper soulful roller featuring London born, Manchester based Yemi Bolatiwa, a talented vocalist and songwriter who is a leading light of the Manchester music scene. Working with orchestras, bands and DJs in a range of different genres, a versatile performer as her recent single, ‘Water’, showed. On Szajna’s ‘Pavement Groove’ Yemi’s soulful vocals flow in and out of the 2 step rhythm and jazzy chords with low end sub basses laying foundations to the groove. Then to finish off the A side Szajna pulls out Tape Cut, another sweet roller, more breakbeat than Broken-beat but still chopping it with that Bruk essence. Chords and percussion dance with the drums until a hypnotic flute introduces itself. It’s uplifting, playful, beatsy, bassy with dubbed out FX, a perfect bridge to the B side. B1 rolls in with D.R Juice, a fave in the office, hitting all the right buttons in a Bruk dance floor sense. Dark and moody with proper chunky broken drums syncopated with this stab that gives the whole thing a kind of wobble while dubbed out sirens bleed through the tight hi-hats and deep bassline. We’ve been playing this one for a while and can’t wait to mash the dance with this one ! All you Bruk Steppers, S P R E A D O U T ! Like you’d need any more after that, Szajna lays down more soothing soulful garage esq beats on ‘Feeling’ with singer songwriter for The Darling Mundaring, London based, Crystal Alice, who has gathered a wide respect for encapsulating music that draws the listener into an unforgettable and intense experience, vocalist Crystal entices the listener with her soft sultry melodies that tell stories about love, loss, life and redemption. Finishing off with Low ft Rosco G, skippy drum patterns once again keeping up that nod to UKG with piano chords and a muted Miles Davis style trumpet from Manchesters Rosco G. Smooth as you like, a laid back head nodder, that gangsta lean shit. Early support from IG Culture (CoOp), Worldwide FM, Tuck Shop Music, Alex Nut (Eglo Records), Don Pascal, Mark Tilley, Mikey Do

The next ten-inch cut of the Time Is Now series comes courtesy of Nicky Soft Touch. These four tracks are a taste of things to come, handpicked from an as-yet-unannounced double LP the Bristol native has had in the works since 2019. Nicky Soft Touch's recent outings include two dusty hip-hop dubplates on London's Ghost Notes Worldwide; for Lonely City Sampler he explores a more British sound. Using a tape deck and a pile of old jungle tapes, cut-up snippets were crafted into an audio collage balancing ambience with rave style crescendos. Driving dubwise bass dominates 'Lost In A Sea Of Rolling Eyes' while disrupted breakbeats meet stuttering chords in 'Lonely City Cut 4'. The closing track's garage-inflected UK techno beat is haunted by spaced out diva vocals, a melancholic mover for city nights.

An assortment of grooves with artists from many walks of life all on one 180g piece of vinyl…

For the second edition of Tessellate's VA series Teamwork, they have looked to Peru's Sinm and Lithuania's S II P for a fast-paced breaks focused release. These are all tracks aimed at the dancefloor with Sinm taking over the A side and S II P looking after the B side.

DJ Pantha joins the Time Is Now family serving up a weighty cut of bassline driven goodness. Born and raised in Dudley DJ Pantha's career began in 2007 and this saw the start of hits such as 'Bully boys', 'They can't do it' and the most successful to date 'Candy Shop'. DJ Pantha is one of the pioneers of Bassline and has spent the past 14 years mastering his craft, now finding himself with his own unique sound. Pantha links up with Bristol based label Time Is Now for his first vinyl release.

Tom Frankel and Dayne Harper, founders of the record label Council Work and purveyors of British underground dance sounds, make their debut as duo Frankel & Harper on Time Is Now's white label series. They serve up five killer cuts of explorative bass-driven production.

The EP opens with "Track & Trace", a smooth but high intensity roller that never gives you a breather from the heavy sub bass. The breaks that hit after the drop push the momentum for the rest of the record. "Ultraheat" features clever chopped up vocals and bubbling effects that create a skippy, upbeat shine to a forward beat that would be at home in the dark of the club.

More clubwise production on "Every Grain of Sand", where echoed samples give a cavernous space to the track which is filled by shimmering arps and the low-end rumble of bass, real late night business that rolls into "Heinous Fly Trap's classic heads-down garage sound. Shuffling house energy meets two-step on "Magnolia", bringing the party energy for the record closer.

Shall Not Fade champions its hometown of Bristol for this next release on the Time Is Now White Label series; Daffy has built a name for himself on the local scene putting out forward-thinking garage on labels to watch like Dim Sum Records and Equal People. This will be his first full vinyl EP and it's not one to miss.

Run Around EP builds up the tension throughout; starting off with "Put Your Feet Up", a ghostly atmospheric piece with a sparse beat, sprinkling of ear candy and crescendo of headsy melodies. The title track oozes a growling bassline beneath staccato vocal snatches - it's a deconstructed style of garage that maintains tension while adding a dreamlike quality. More tension encompasses "Nerves" alongside teases of low end wobbles and harsh breaks that coalesce into a punishing jungle track.

"Lost Again" brings in the B-side with this same energy, an explosion of rolling breaks forming the backbone of this rouch and ready Metalheadz style crowd pleaser, calling out to the rave. "Mishap" serves up ragga vocals, impenetrable sub bass and pouncing two-step ripe for a reload, all rounded off with "Wasp's Nest" - a raucous, no holds barred climax to the EP.

Shall Not Fade's Time Is Now series continues to showcase the cutting edge of breaks and bass oriented club music. This time they introduce Groovy D; this new solo project of one third of Sheffield-based trio Denham Audio curates a totally fresh take on garage which is soulful, unique and genre-defying.

Afterworld Groove EP features female vocalists and a collaboration with Time Is Now regular Interplanetary Criminal; vocal heavy tracks are a highlight of the record, taking the garage sound away from the confines of the club. "Outta Control" is one of these tracks; Emma Cannon's vocals walk the edge between soulful and mournful, contrasting the wild breakbeats and deep, dirty bass. The title track uses housey intoned keys; this is daytime garage, made for summer parties. Taking influence from his Sheffield home, "Keep Movin' On" has a classic bassline sound palette, cheeky stabbing synths and hyperactive breaks.

"Project Zeus" opens the B-side: stutters of snare and punching bass are broken through with a classic, uncontrollable bassline; the tongue-in-cheek sample that forms the drop will undoubtedly bring a smile to British fans. More minimalist B2 "Timeless" is a chorus of bubbling ear candy until the rolling sub bass looms into a deep, headsy climax. Manchester's Interplanetary Criminal joins to close the EP; with vocals from Anna Straker, "Higher" takes a genre-spanning approach in hazey garage percs and soaring pads. The tempo is down, and misty, romantic sax forms the backbone.

Carrying on a new white label series of killer garage cuts, Bristol's Time Is Now have hand-picked British duo Cortese for their next installment. Expect playful, niche-inspired garage sounds with a unique touch of modernism. The EP opens with "Abbey Park"; a glistening neo speed-garage track with delicate synth chords dancing over the cavernous slow attack bassline. It purrs into the squelchy bassline style "Where You At", that compliments upbeat piano stabs with autotuned vocals. "Floaty" uses an iconic Aaliyah vocal chops, dancing around a chunky El-B inspired snare. This one has a melancholic breakdown which is perfect for a dancefloor breather, before the growling bassline is reintroduced to devastating effect. A collaboration with Brighton-based DJ Movement, "Things That Make You Go 'Hmm'" is pure bassline garage energy let loose in a furore of bass patches in a moodier track that still doesn't take itself too seriously. Closing out, "Figure 1" brings a searing synth melody which complements another rolling bassline. The understated drums make excellent use of a syncopated kick pattern whilst diva vocals chime along in the background.

Weighty Ways strongly believe that every now and then the Universe aligns a series of elements that leads to the uprising of a unique talent. Enter the Room 'Alfredo Romero', alias of Alfie Aukett, Music Extraordinaire hailing from West London. Alfredo Romero is the byproduct of where a philosophical understanding of the sonic landscape meets all its capabilities. With little regard for the restraints of traditional music theory and drawing influences from improvisational genres such as Jazz (which Alfie studied to a molecular level at Leeds University) makes for a superior musical tapestry woven by a man far beyond his years. Alfie's quest for musical enlightenment started at a very young age as a Chorister and experimented with a plethora of musical instruments. This profound musical understanding is evident in "Retrain Station", a four track EP born from the ashes of a desolate 2020. A collection of seamlessly flowing production with tones drawn from the musical nuances of Jazz, Blues and Classical through to the ever evolving face of the electronic music scene from both sides of the pond. Strong on all flavours from Jungle to Jazz. A magnificent EP from a truly special individual.

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.

After some wicked EPs by Yosh, Etch and Tom Jarmey, here is some proper underground UK flavour courtesy of Burnski's Vivid imprint - a new sub label of Constant Sound. The latest one this week is by the enigmatic Tamoshi. On the A side, we have the snarling minimalist roller called 'The System' which is quite reminiscent of early DJ Krust. Over on the flip, hear a convincingly old school junglist stepper, the fittingly titled 'Darkside' that goes all the way back to '95. One for the heads.

Leeds based Torom brings some immaculate fourth world chugging beats - a tight concoction of the primitive and the futuristic - tied together for both the dance-floor and at home listening. A real journey into sound and a must have for any avid DJ or listener.

For Dsd025, we welcome Tom Jarmey to the Dansu Discs team with his new alias ‘Ocean Stirs’. His ‘Through Twist and Seam’ EP takes you on a journey across tasteful, jungle- infused electro, half-tempo rollers and vocal ear candy. It was a breakthrough 2020 for Tom, with numerous releases under both his Tom Jarmey moniker and collaborative project, Mother Of Pearls. Dansu Discs invite him to the crew with an extremely warm welcome.

James Bangura debuts on Mister Saturday Night Records with a six track ep of diverse sounds and emotions. From the far off sounds of drum 'n' bass absorbed through headphones in Alabama and onto his first experiences of parties during the blog house Ed Banger era whilst living in California, all the while hearing the sound of New York house sound at home, this is the sound of an artist taking it all in.