Search "def3" 67 Items

The ever prolific Teffa is back on LoDubs, albeit for his first Vinyl EP.
As just alluded to, this is the second meeting of the Far West Ruler and the Low End Master from Leeds, although one might be forgiven for blinking and missing the highly sought after (sold out in 5 minutes) Poly DubPlate cut released in early 2023, which was a matter of course in a year where pressing turn times quadrupled. As glad as we are that those days are in the past it also still left the inkling that a full release was necessary once the time and tunes presented themselves.

..And as such, here we have a total of 6 now-ting Grime hybrids (4 on the vinyl, and 2 vinyl-only bonus tracks in the DL and details on how to get those as a poly Dub, only for owners of the vinyl EP), Containing the elastic basslines of a true UKG and Dubstep Stalwart, whilst stretching those elements over syncopated, at time staccato-esque riddims, all beneath a novel modernization of the stilted, subharmonic and eski-esque synth bass pads that are quintessentially Grime. There truly is more to these with each listen, all the while grabbing you at first go.

State of the art: From the one and only Teffa.

Rhythm Section International, the impossible-to-define label founded in South East London by Bradley Zero in 2014 has reached the ripe old age of 10 years. Funny thing is, it feels like it could have been almost double that. It’s hard to imagine the Landscape of the London music scene without this foundational force whose influence is felt more than ever.

With this special anniversary release, the label takes stock at this milestone to present a compilation in 3 parts: Past, Re-imagined AND Future: honouring the labels tradition of always paying homage to what has come before while setting sights firmly forwards.

With 100-odd releases in their extended back catalogue covering every imaginable style and boasting influence in every inhabited continent on earth, it’s been quite a decade for the independent label, which began on a shoestring budget with funds made via the now legendary Rhythm Section pool hall parties in Peckham.

From humble beginnings to an era defining output - few would have predicted the slow and steady rise of the imprint and the impact it has had on generations of Dj’s, musicians and listeners - at home and abroad.

Spanning 6 discs and 30 tracks, the compilation begins by taking us on a walk down memory lane and presenting one track from each year of the labels output - highlighting some forgotten classics from the archives over the first 2 discs. For discs 3 & 4, the label invited it’s stable of artists to pick a track from the back catalogue to re-imagine in their own style. This process resulted in some incredibly playful contributions from the likes of Ruf Dug, Session Victim and Private Joy - whose playful reinterpretations add new depth to old material.

Finally, the last 2 discs are entirely new material for 2024, carrying the torch of the previous Shouts compilations - whose sole aim is to shine light on new music from emerging artists

Thousand Yard Stare is re:ni's 3rd 12" and her first on re:lax, the label and club-night she runs with Laksa. Following on from records from Harba, Jurango and Laksa, the ep stays true to the imprint's exploration of emotive high-tempo club records which marry the character and energy of the hardcore continuum with technical precision and slick sound design. With her distinguished alien vocal chops it’s proper ‘get IN UR Hed’ business. The title is a nod to the dissociative state we can find ourselves in as a result of trauma, and how creativity/music is able to illustrate emotions that words cannot. Sonically the ep is continuation of the bass-driven, vocal-led 140-150bpm territory explored on her Timedance and Ilian Tape records, this time more explicitly drawing on inspiration from electro, drill and jungle in the dynamic drum programming, growling 808 bass and icy snares that feature across the 3 tracks.

The 3rd instalment in Headset’s VA series, showcasing unsung Scottish artists making alternative club music in any tempo. 50 copies only

4 tough sound-system club cuts inside. FFO breaks, uk techno, bmore, jungle & 140.

3 perennial tracks from the Headset golden age, unearthed from the vaults for an official release. Summer sounds in the realm of UK Techno, Garage & Jungle.

Londoner Jeigo has always had a knack for intricate and melancholic production. His emotive sounds span breaks, garage and dub and gave rise to a superb album Cerulean back in 2022. This new outing on Air Miles is another sophisticated one that shows some different sides. 'Fig' is a dusty and lo-fi mix of knocking, woody broken beat patterns and pitched-up vocal snippets that bring a sense of pain. 'Act Like You're Strong' is heads down, lip-curling UKG with shuffling and weighty drums and naughty bass. '3-5 Working Days' is somewhere in between - both club-ready but also with post-Burial vocals that tug at the heartstrings. There is a blissed-out feel to the optimistic melodic bubbles and angelic vocals of 'Found Me' that means the EP closes in lush fashion.

Hybrid sounds are offered up by Sunderland born producer Dharma on his Lone Romantic debut. His ‘Clear Glass’ EP lands on Maceo Plex’s left of centre imprint, offering up four tracks of futuristic garage and electro-tinged sounds.

Having previously released on esteemed labels such as R&S Records, Man Power’s Me Me Me imprint and Permanent Vacation, Dharma readies a bustling EP for Lone Romantic that showcases the young producer’s deft capabilities at working through various shades and rhythms with ease.

From the shuffling beats and choppy vox of EP opener ‘Clear Glass’, to the low-slung hip hop meets IDM influences of ‘Work Over’, Dharma serves up a highly accomplished release that effortlessly traverses genres.

Arriving as the third album on Supreems ‘Sweet Sun’ label – an imprint gathering a reputation for future-facing, storytelling electronic music – Sloucho's 'NPC' explores the duality of his main character and non-playable lives. With a strong Irish artistic presence featuring Rory Sweeney, EMBY, Curtisy and more, Sloucho navigates through Cloudcore-inspired broken beats, bass-driven percussion, alternative dreamscapes and wubby fuck-steps on his most complete release to date, laying the foundation for an origin-story in the process.

Garnering support from Surusinghe, Roza Terenzi, Two Shell and more; some of the tracks on NPC have already been heard in clubs around the world - from Antwerp to London and Mumbai to Paris. ‘Mind Traveller’ offers an ambient introduction to ‘Athrú’, Sloucho’s home world, as the artist's pitched vocals act as the listeners guide into the island's core. ‘Mutant’ features experimental electronic artist Rhoshi on a track that follows the kaleidoscopic sonic-themes of Sloucho’s previous Cloudcore releases ‘Slow Feet’ and ‘Silver Veil’, before the Rory Sweeney-featuring ‘Come Around’ ignites the dance with its dutty screw-face two-step, balanced by moments of melodic contemplation before evolving into a techno-dancehall hybrid.

‘Brand New’ stays on the steppy aesthetic, and brings MCs EMBY and Zack Oke into the frame with a 3D Meta-human video created in collaboration with respected, exhibiting digital artist Aisling Phelan. Using a motion capture suit, they captured EMBY and Zack’s performance and imported it into Unreal Engine, using different environments scanned from around the Greek Islands as the backdrop. The result is mind-blowing; a complete digital realm, shot like a real-life rap video as EMBY and Zack spit bars across an elasticated garage riddim. Full video is on YouTube.

‘Super Maramu 2000’ is a cut of alien-club beamed directly from ‘Eile’, the afterlife of Sloucho’s Neolithic ancestors. A waltzer-ride through Latin-bass and techno with an oxymoronic blend of maximalist and minimalist futurism, it’s as silly as it is serious, before the stuttering, juke-influence of ‘Make It Work’ brings the album’s rapid first half (and a bit) to a close.

Sloucho seamlessly weaves from front left of the club to dark, fume-filled rooms on ‘Two Thousands’ (featuring EMBY and Curtisy), ‘Rocks’ (featuring Zack Oke, who sounds remarkably like experimental spoken-word artist Coby Sey here, and Chilean artist Vatican Jail) and ‘Lights On’ (featuring Yamagōchi), Sloucho explores a previously unseen side to his sound, meandering through alternative trap and hip-hop laden beats that are both dreamy and nightmarish, bringing NPC to its starry-skied climax.

2024 repress / green Y3marbled vinyl

Samurai Breaks Y8& Napes team up with 4 massive bass driven anthems for Bristol label Time Is Now! Essential business!

3v1l Gl0b4l1sm is a sound journey to consciousness, which invites us to dedicate ourselves to a sensitive reflection on the progress and dehumanization of this capitalized society.

Four cuts full of rage and freshness, capable of immersing us in the perfection of the chaos through industrial breaks and delicate melodies guided by the brutality of their synthesized sounds.

7053m4r14 is the architect of this project published by the Black Quasar Records label, with which also shares his previous work. The multidisciplinary artist who converges between numerous genres and akas, such as C-System or Spectrums Data Forces, opts for this album for a fusion of styles ranging from IDM, Break Beat and Electro.

The pristine mastering by Koschitzky is what finishes signing this piece.

White label, incl. inlay

This remix compilation, affirming the friendship across both sides of the former Iron Curtain, is released by a bunch of music lovers in association with the independent label Xion (xionlabel.bandcamp.com), right in the heart of Europe, the city of Prague. Enter "Holan Remixed" – a full tribute to Ota Pavel's and Luboš Fišer's work and its typical poetics, compiled from six electronic music remixers. UK based pioneer of atmospheric drum'n'bass Lucida represents the west side, while Sintez, a skilled producer hails from the east side with his deep dnb roller. The rest are 3 guys from the Czech republic – Rabbit with his 2 reworks, one in breakbeat rhythm and 2nd with mellow deep dubstep vibe. Prague based owner of Pathfinder Records Title brings his vision of deep drum and bass and Martin Kuška closes the whole EP with an ambient piece.

3 Feet Deep is back with a new record infused with personal significance - five UKG tracks cooked up by French artists. Folklore associates Bernardo & Stefan Dubs deliver two enthralling dark 2-step tunes respectively on A1 and B1 while Enrico Dragony, DJ W!LD, and Pépé Elle explore the rhythmic realms of 4x4 beats. The record is guided by the loose, instinctive style of each artist, evolving organically following their own interpretations of UKG.

Following the "Hey Oh Let’s Go!" 7-inch debut and the second release “so I ride ep”, label owner Dove Quiete is back on Muovo Musica Records with his uncles Sapo and Cristian Croce for its third release: a 4-tracker mixture of Acid, Bass, Electro, Punk, Techno, and a whole lot else.

Written and produced by Guglielmo Prati aka Dove Quiete in the infamous Serendeepity basement studio. Mastered at Prisma Sonoro Studio.

Some Female:Pressure right here with the latest Nvst release; Silence Itself Is Noise! This is her debut for Sspb delivering a 6 track ep which are a reflection of her adventurous club sets, a well-balanced mix of powerful beats and expansive atmospheres haunted by skittering echoes of the dancefloor. Each track feels like fleeting memories of the club filtered through the human experience - flickering moments illuminated by strobes and shrouded in smoke, laced with the tang of sweat and psychedelics. Opener "Tiny Mistakes Feeling HOT (Hellisnotamyth version)" coalesces from curling vapors into infernal acid lines and rhythmic fragments that evaporate almost as soon as they appear. "The Devil Loves The Detail (Lucifer's Fire Version)" builds into an inescapable pulse amidst frayed synthesizers, pressure building to fever pitch before "The Danger Zone Of GFY (Freedom Version)" opens out into icy, astral synths. "Monster of Business (Style Edition)" shifts closer to the dancefloor with a slinking, syncopated groove, conversations from the smoking area or studio creeping in at the edges, before erupting into the frazzled bounce of "The Goat and the Night." "The Silence Itself is Noise (Nonstop Bass Version)" loops back once again to more cavernous atmospheres, warped bells and strafing melodic flourishes ringing out amidst fizzing distortion and skeletal percussion. Silence Itself is Noise doesn't clamour for attention, it necessitates it. Once again, Nvst proves herself unafraid to challenge club orthodoxy, and unwilling to patronize listeners, instead making deft use of tension and release to create genuine moments of surprise and transcendence.

Daffy returns with 4 massive bass driven anthems for Bristol label Time Is Now! Essential business!

3 years in the making we return for Volume 2 of our 'Architects' series.

'The Architects Volume 2 : Alchemy' features 14 heavyweight artists representing their unique style within the Dubstep sound.

Truth, Mystic State, Cimm, Mythm and Unkey see a return to the label alongside label head J:Kenzo.

The compilation also invites new names to the Artikal fold including Fluidity, The Untouchables and Drumterror.

All aspects of Dubstep are catered for in this 14 track journey, from the Deep to the Dancefloor to the Dubwise...

Four tracks from '20 Years Of Phonica' on limited 12" vinyl!

We start off with a collaboration from Paramida & E-Talking. Paramida is the well-respected head of the Love on the Rocks label whilst E-Talking is the pseudonym of Emmanuel Corre, one half of Nummer who have given us stunning releases over the year on their own label, Ad93 and Going Good. ‘Read My Lips’ strikes the perfect balance of old-school warehouse acid and early morning Berlin dance floors.

Next up, Dauwd’s bass-heavy monster ‘Slam’. The US born, Berlin residing DJ & producer Dauwd has been pushing his sound through various styles and genres since the early 2010s. From dub-steppy and tech-house beginnings to his most recent house and dub-techno Psssh imprint outputs he has been driving record collectors crazy for his 12’s for over a decade!

On the flip, Daniel Avery's ‘Bell’ finds the Phantasy and Mute artist at his most contemplative and melodic; it’s streamlined stylings reminiscent of UK Artificial Intelligence 90s techno and Kompakt’s golden era.

Finally, Mancunian producer Willow’s ‘Willbush’ shows why she has been a leading name in the underground house scene for over a decade now, including releases on the renowned Workshop label.

Presenting the third volume of forward-thinking electronics and peerless Jungle / D&B expressionism from iconoclastic Bristol producer and DJ, Krust. An artist who has always been pushing the sonic envelope while keeping dancefloors fully locked.

Introducing 'Irrational Numbers,' a meticulously curated collection of five parts, available on both vinyl and digital formats. This compilation is a treasure trove of hand-picked records and archival gems from Krust's extensive discography, thoughtfully remastered and presented anew for both devoted fans and newcomers.

'Irrational Numbers' features a dizzying array of self-released 12" cuts, exclusive unreleased VIPs and dub-plates, alongside epic major label widescreen classics. It's an unmissable journey through the sonic output of one of the UK's most distinctive and forward-looking producers.

Volume 3 serves us a plethora of unmissable highlights from Krust's enviable back catalogue. From the raw jump-up chaos of 'Rukus', the early rolling business of 'The Resister' to the epic genre defying voyage that is 'Soul In Motion', no stone is left unturned on what is - once again - an essential purchase for any serious lover of electronic music.

For longtime Krust enthusiasts, this project serves as a fond reminder of the boundless creativity and originality that flourished during the early 1990s and beyond. For those new to his work, it presents an enthralling introduction to innovative electronic music that has comfortably set the tone for generations to come. Get ready to experience the evolution of sound and immerse yourself in the visionary artistry of Krust.

More UK Garage heat from Karl 'Tuff Enuff' Brown and friends " All tracks built for Underground Garage consumption"

Fresh off the back of his 100% production mix on Tmhcas002 Big Yosh steps up to the mark and delivers 3 time bending intergalactic bombs on the Space Freight EP, showcasing both sides of his arsenal.

Crafted in space, built for the club. Watch the ride on this one, It serious!

Utter (in collaboration with 3xl) presents mu tate's second album 'they're with you always', featuring Joshua Inyang (Space Afrika), Nikolay Kozlov, Desirèe Monique, Igor Dyachenko and Mathilde.

Available on limited vinyl housed in a high-gloss sleeve artworked by Lucas Dupuy and Art Crime. Mastered by Ike Zwanikken then transferred and cut by Anne Taegert at D&M.

they're with you always inspired by a true story

"Hi there, I'm really happy to present my new EP "Kernel Panic" released on one of my favorite labels "Yuku". I've been discovering a lot of great music and new artists thanks to Yuku and I'm really happy to join the family.

My first release ever was a footwork release 8 years ago, and I wanted to experiment with this 160 bpm vibe again and merge it with a lot of different personal influences. I've been experimenting a lot with crazy polyrhythm sequencers and Euclidean algorithms for this EP. It was a lot of fun but my laptop didn't like it at all. During the whole process, I experimented a huge amount and experienced loads of bugs and laptop freezes, so I decided to dedicate this EP to "Kernel Panics".

It might be the most hybrid EP I've done. You can hear breaks, electro, footwork, grime, percussive, and dub ingredient within. I also had the pleasure to collaborate with the very talented Kenyan rapper, Nah Eeto, for Piga Makofi, and I can't wait to play this one live with her.

I asked my friend Vica Pacheco to create the artwork and she built this psychedelic 3d world based on "the hypnotic and dynamic energy" of the EP.

Big thanks to Yuku for following me into these new areas of experimentation." - Le Motel

Duskope joins the Time Is Now family, serving up 3 weighty bass driven bangers, backed with a remix from label regular Groovy D.

Enchanted Rhythms is back with a collection of heavyweight tracks from the legendary Dave Dub.

Perfect Records is doing some spring cleaning. Grab your chance and get one of these vinyl packs with 3 releases: Prf002 (Danny Scrilla), Prf003 (tmsv) and Prf004 (tmsv) for a discounted price.

Avalon Emerson & the Charm is an evolution. Created during an extended break from the hectic blur of her life as a touring DJ, the album is a personal statement of intent from an artist who’s long looked beyond the club for inspiration. It’s also the first time that Emerson has put herself, her emotions and, most notably, her voice fully into the spotlight.

Having spent her entire career working more or less alone, Emerson purposely sought out a small cast of like-minded artists to help bring the album to life. A Chief among them was UK avant-pop savant Bullion, who executive produced the record and, most importantly, shares both Emerson’s predilection for shimmering pop melodies and her boundary- less approach to music-making.

Working together, they cracked open her head and heart alike, creating a space where she could intimately reflect on the people and places she’s loved and left behind.

Tuff Culture displaying a love of original UKG, back from the Sunday session days of the genre's infancy. 'Day Dream' has masterfully dry drums and hits and a classic vocal sample that packs in the soul. Smart filters and effects build tension before the big drop, gun fingers and pinging bass all explode to life. Irresistible. On the flip, 'Perpetual Motion' is another stripped-back, scuffed-up, low-key but high-impact garage shuffler with plenty of pent-up energy and a wicked Erykah Badu sample.

3 years on from his debut album Second Language, Minor Science returns in a giddy rush of beats, bass and pitched-up samples. 064 is a cheap thrill ride through a world consumed by work. Inspired by several years of hard hustle, "Workahol" and "Casheine" mash up hardcore, bassline, electro and booty bass to offer (over)stimulation for crisis-era dancefloors. "If you want my lovin' you've gotta work harder..."

Avalon Emerson & the Charm is an evolution.

Created during an extended break from the hectic blur of her life as a touring DJ, the album is a personal statement of intent from an artist who’s long looked beyond the club for inspiration. It’s also the first time that Emerson has put herself, her emotions and, most notably, her voice fully into the spotlight.

Having spent her entire career working more or less alone, Emerson purposely sought out a small cast of like-minded artists to help bring the album to life. A Chief among them was UK avant-pop savant Bullion, who executive produced the record and, most importantly, shares both Emerson’s predilection for shimmering pop melodies and her boundary- less approach to music-making.

Working together, they cracked open her head and heart alike, creating a space where she could intimately reflect on the people and places she’s loved and left behind.

Bang on trend grooves from the Vivid camp, exploring the current fascination for all things that intersect both the garage and breaks genres. Lead track 'Wicked & Wild' is the one that leans furthest into UKG territory, its bumpy bassline and MC-style vocal giving it heaps of energy and attitude. Flip side instrumentals 'Push Past It' and 'Ronin' meanwhile, evoke the early 2000s spirit of breaksteppers such as Horsepower Productions, the latter especially maintaining the bassline pressure and adding it to the more hardcore vibe of rawer, sampled percussion. Maximum respect!

Ends Meet envisions a different kind of future, that while not necessarily utopian, feels less tense and more celebratory in the capture and release mastery of its syncopations. Through seven percussion workouts summoned from hard hitting kicks, flinty hand drums, darting rhythmic excursions and traditional flute-like synth melodies, 3Phaz creates a set of raw and ever-intriguing dj tools for adventurous dancefloors that escape the mere functionality associated with the term to bristle with a life of their own.
Stripping away some of the dankest & darkest layers that made his debut album - Three Phase - such a dystopic proposition, Ends Meet envisions a different kind of future, that while not necessarily utopian, feels less tense and more celebratory in the capture and release mastery of its syncopations. Through seven percussion workouts summoned from hard hitting kicks, flinty hand drums, darting rhythmic excursions and traditional flute-like synth melodies, 3Phaz creates a set of raw and ever-intriguing dj tools for adventurous dancefloors that escape the mere functionality associated with the term to bristle with a life of their own.

"Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the bassbins, Mysticisms brings the latest in its Dubplate series. After the success of his first digital dubb excursions on the version, Persian returns with a second 10” of reggae inspired electronics, covering Bass, Breaks, Digidub and now also, Jungle. Taking no prisoners with the massive opener Survival Dub, Persian marries classic breakbeats and toasting to bouncing, dance floor effect. THE party starter. This is followed by Smoke Mari, a looping steppas of FX and breaks to lay down the Dubplate clash. As ever the link between rave, breaks and sound system culture is explored, this time with the Roots’n’Lovers opening of There Is No Love giving way to a Junglist drop, before risin’ to a beautiful soul sermon. Finally, taking it all down, tings wrap with the deep, sampledelic dub of Zatoichi’s Troubles. With a bass to destroy many a speaker, it’s lanquidity morphs from the EP’s hedonism of sound clash styles to a gliding “tokers delight”. Smoke the Mystery. "

2tuf4u Records are proud to present Undeniable Grooves PT.6, the long awaited and fresh segment from the new series of Hot Garage Vybes, consisting of previously unreleased material from the likes of Gungo Peas (Alex De Joncaire from Switzerland & Karl “Tuff Enuff” Brown), from Santiago Chile debuting his 1 st release on the label Hitch 93. Flipping over on the B-sides, Tuff JAM feat. Pepper Mashey Remixed by UK Dubzz aka Karl Brown and rounding off with the Bournemouth talent of Dynamic Essence, all built for Underground Garage consumption. Watch out for the next series of releases soon to follow.

2tuf4u Records are proud to present Undeniable Grooves PT.5, the long awaited and fresh segment from the new series of Hot Garage Vybes, consisting of previously unreleased material from the likes of Peekay, with the Unreleased Remix of Tuff Jam’s Pepper Mashey “Happiness”, newcomer Dynamic Essence, and D.I.Y aka Karl Brown. Also Alex De Joncaire from Switzerland and Karl “Tuff Enuff” Brown meet again for their next rendition of Gungo Peas “Realizin” with Karl’s Caution Swing Dub). All tracks built for Underground Garage consumption. Watch out for the next series of releases soon to follow.

The second release from Edinburgh-based rave Headset, showcasing unsung Scottish artists making alternative house, techno, garage & breaks in dubby styles. Unknown producer Capricorn One provides 3 tracks of finely engineered Broken Techno & Dubstep, finishing with a dubbed out House jam on track 4. Pressed on heavyweight 180g vinyl Mastered & cut by Optimum Mastering in Bristol (Livity Sound, Tectonic, Pressure Dome) Pressed by Mobineko (Taiwan)

DJ approved by Hodge, Peverelist, Yushh, Chris Farrell (Idle Hands), J Wax, Feena & many more

For fans of Hessle, Livity, Dubstep, UKG & Sound System Techno.

Super deep n’ rolling ambient junglist mutations from hyped cloakroom attendent Florian T M Zeisig and mysterious XPQ? operator Pvas, uniting under the NUG moniker for a highly atmospheric session beamed directly from that short-lived, elusive sweetspot in the mid 90’s when Omni Trio and DJ Crystl collided with Mo Wax’s Some Scientific Abstract Type Shit! and Gescom’s Disengage, all red lights dappling thru a dense fog of smoke.

Rinsed out under the timeless influence of “bong & sterni” - who sound like a legendary Berlin ambient duo, but are just weed and beer - Zeisig and Pvas collide in midair for a stereo-swirled recollection taking us back to 1995 - that Autechre radio show on Kiss FM, peak Mo Wax, Kodwo Eshun’s ‘club trax’ column, just before everything went fully tasteful. Throwing links to more contemporary refractions found on various J. Albert workouts as much as Skee Mask’s most vapourised breaks, the NUG sound keeps toes and heads off the ‘floor with a rugged but lush suite of rave suspension systems making critical use of negative space and recoiling dub dynamics.

One for the early hours of the club, ‘Not Many People Here yet’ gives acres of room to bounce off the walls, while the ruder ‘Filthy Club’ sounds like the backroom heard from ceramic tiled bogs, and you’re already healthily zonked for the zombie float of ‘Is Under The Blanket.’ The radiant pads and swingeing breaks of ‘Morpheus’ dial up Skee Mask’s most pendulous rave visions, and ‘Napping Under God’ rolls out on 9 minutes of webbed breakbeat for the locked-in steppers, with Florian’s ambient texturing fully coming into effect on the blurry-eyed flex of ‘Lite.’

Uncanny just how well this one nails the sound - top marks and full reccomendations for anyone looking for that liminal, junglist special sauce.

Off Beat return with their third release - a mind-bending 3-tracker from label-head Ryvahl. Kicking things off is title track ‘Protopattern' - an off-the-wall sub-bass nose and chest tickler with heavy, scattered drums that are modulated to destruction. 'Send Signal' continues in the same vein with more of the classic sound design of Ryvahl’s previous work. Swift, choppy, UK sounds combine with juke hits, drum machines and dingy reverbs to expand the stereo field into a 4D landscape. Closing out the release is the playful 'Blacklight'. A drum tool that would appeal to fans of Pearson Sound and early Night Slugs records. Big tip!

Shall Not Fade family member Tuff Trax is joined by fellow Melbourner Cold Past on an upbeat 5-tracker focusing on danceability and ultimately: fun. Fluffs EP is full of bubbly melodies, anthemic piano stabs and, at times, rolling timpani drums that add another layer of depth.

Bristol native Daffy returns to Shall Not Fade with his second solo EP, focusing on the darker aspects of 4x4 garage.

The title track typifies Daffy's unique and forward-thinking take on UKG. The dynamic chant of a dancehall MC is ramped up to invigorate a UKG stomper, the product: a rude, flavoursome track which evokes Spooky and Riko Dan's "High Power". Serious. The aptly-named "Darker Days" is more reminiscent of El-B with cool-toned low end growls before "Take It Easy" and "Warped" bring things to an energetic close with a stomping 4x4 rhythm and warped bassline which nod to old school speed garage.

The one that almost got away… A track that many thought would be destined to remain on only the most select of DJs USBs, Kieran Hebden finally clears the sample on one of the most talked about tracks of last year. Flipping the script on 3LW’s 2000 R&B heater ‘No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)’, Four Tet, under his KH alias, works that untouchable magic on the sample in true Hebden fashion. Taking that peachy vocal snippet and looping it up to the high heavens with a chest rumbling, wobbler of a bass synth and skippy garage beat you’re treated to a Four Tet warper of gargantuan proportions, finally officially released via Ministry of Sound Recordings under the title ‘Looking At Your Pager’. In Kieran’s own words, "This track was made in the summer last year just before my first festival set in a long time. I wanted something new to play that would feel universal, positive and futuristic and this is what I came up with." "Since then I think more people have asked me about this track than for anything else I've ever made and I've had amazing times playing it to the best crowds you could ask for. It took quite a while to get approval for the vocal sample but it finally happened recently and now the music is out in the world for everyone." Limited edition promo version one-sider. 1000 only. Buy or Cry.

After three EP's in his own name, and one with Moreno Ácido at Holuzam, Diogo makes his debut 12” in the Discos Extendes series with “FINALMENTE!”. In a singular appropriation of the vast legacy of rave culture, Diogo crosses, along four tracks, a certain time span between the 90's and the 2020's, with all kinds of recycling and updates that the exercise entails. Syncopated rhythmic patterns, robust basses, junglist echoes, haunted voices or celestial pads make up a revivalist sound palette, here rearticulated beyond linear structures. “Até Segunda” sets the tone in territories close to Objekt's Theme from Q in a live sound design amidst sudden disturbances and rallying hooks. Tracks 2 and 3 stand out for their plot twists: “Ponto de Não Retorno” starts with a frenetic breaky maze before get immersed in a oneiric landscape, and “What?!” progresses gently within Vancouver coordinates to be opened to a schizophrenic rawness that, from there, completely remakes the track. “Errar É Ok” is an exercise of decompression, melodically woven, with a dreamy coda pointing to nostalgic horizons. Violet closes the EP with a muscular version of “Ponto de Não Retorno”. "Finalmente!" marks for this unstable balance between familiarity and strangeness, intuitiveness and disturbance, euphoria and immersion. Tracks for the dance floor, yes, with a twist, to be rediscovered as often as you like.

Numbers will release ‘Clear’, the debut album by FFT, on 24th June 2022.The result of three years of focused writing and programming by the London-based producer, ‘Clear’ is deeply psychedelic, defined by a mature sense of melody and structures crafted at a monumental scale. Though FFT has previously released a handful of tracks under various names, it wasn’t until 2017’s ‘fft1’ EP on theUncertainty Principle label that his production talents began to fuse into a distinct and personal style, especially evident in FFT’s‘Regional/Loss’ EP on The Trilogy Tapes in 2019, multiple releases on Bruk Records and2021’s ‘Disturb Roqe,’also released on Numbers.Through it all, FFT has mastered a complex sense of mood catalyzed by sound itself: He builds patches and presets from scratch, and feels these synths and software have their own objectives and reactions, creating a kind of compositional feedback loop.The result is an album that brings to mind a collision of electronic pioneers like Delia Derbyshire and Bernard Parmegiani, 2000’s braindance, the Max-imized wares of an OPN or Objekt and the rough rhythmatics of SND or Mika Vainio The layering of sonic elements and intentions is starkly audible across these nine tracks.They can be seismically concussive and grandiose, but granular and fluid - echoing the Icelandic volcanic eruption that features in the artwork photography byGeorge Cowan. ‘Clear (Eight-Circuit Mix)’sets a euphoric tone immediately accelerated by the jagged sounds and vocal textures of ‘Redeemer’. ‘3 Sided’ channels hyper-urbanity from its almost entirely analogue palette, and by contrast ‘Disturb Roqe 2’is bracingly digital, gyrating in random cycles between clustered percussion, metallic splinters of audio and artificial vocal tics. Opening side two, ‘You’ve Changed’ adheres to a more abrasive core, while ‘Heal’ and ‘Heal (Alt Mix)’evolved out of linked pieces in FFT’s live sets that grew into complete tracks in the months before Covid-19.The significant intensity of ‘Heal’ in particular was refined during strobe-heavy live performances and is the album at its most turbulent, the claustrophobia interrupted by dazzling arpeggios.The overall impact of 'Clear' is cinematic and precise, marking the arrival of an impressive electronic musician who is not new but has come into his own as a fully developed artist

Nottingham based artist Cyclonix launch new journey Little Red Hand and kicks off its schedule with heavy 3 track "Metal Bass" EP from him. Label aim is to champion the sounds of modern electronic fusion music on the broken beat and future jazz spectrum taking in hints of house, techno and breakbeat culture. Music that will stand the test of time - like the handprint in the logo - one of the oldest forms of human expression. Powered BY Art-aud

Frankel & Harper deliver the appropriately named "Return EP" on their council work imprint. following on from the "Crouching Tiger EP", Cwr005 sticks to the signature Council Work sound, bringing together a fusion of UK Garage, Drum 'n Bass, Breakbeat, Dub and many other flavours. The 3 original tracks feature in the shape of Counter Strike, Armshouse and Return, with the release rounded off with an infectious, stripped back remix of the title track from Trule head honcho Al Wootton. From all out dance floor destroyers, to deeper and more cinematic textures, this collection of beats should easily find a home in many record bags.

Rua 29 is both a physical and a virtual place. The Milan-based electronic producer Maxwell Simons brings together a bunch of diverse worldwide collaborations into a work of boundless energy. Shuttling between hard techno, footwork, and bass, the artist orchestrated every bit: “ Big Space and I worked side by side on 4 tracks, starting from his ideas to which I added my own approach to chopping and editing samples over a pad of arrhythmic drums”. From Johannesburg to LA, all the way to Philadelphia and back to Milan through a virtual connection that creates a collective scenario where different characters find their home base. The first track, In Yo Feelings, kicks off with the audacious rap by Shamon Cassette on top of chop and stitch materials and a rolling bassline. To keep up the frantic rhythm, Nhjf, and The Beast They Made (Redux) feat. Buddy Leezle add even more obsessive drum interplays, creating a weary zig-zag among hard techno and jungle. The tiny dexterous moves of Sax Appeal feat. Richi Rich reminds the most sped-up cricket sounds of DJ Rashad, which follow through into a perpetual motion with Mr Kind and High Love where the bass gets physical. Getting down even harder in Showing Rage with powerful gutter beats and the dissident rhymes of Shamon Cassette. Nhjf Remix closes this world-wide virtual journey clustering unbridled bass intensity delivered by the UK based producer Deft.

The unstoppable force that is Interplanetary Criminal returns to Time Is Now teamed up with up-and-coming DJ Cosworth. The Mancunian, one of the first artists to release on the imprint, and the Londoner making his debut, pack a punch with three chest rattling tracks making up Ruff EP.

Hyper two-step underpins 'Trust Me', a stuttering unconventional bassline stinker which sets a tone of unpredictability. The high octane breaks that explode from 'Ruff (Hyper Mix)' catch the listener equally off-guard, Ripgroove-style drop added for good measure. 'Jumpin' feels minimalist in comparison, with just hints of a thunderous sub-bass for tension building heads-down business.

Ruff EP drops 3rd December via Time Is Now.

A sacred grove is a place in a forest thought to hold spiritual powers. Throughout history, these sites have been places of worship and ritual. Since the rave boom of 89’ - a new generation has found an alliance with nature steeped in hedonistic abandonment. So it is a befitting alias for the Malmö-based producer Teodor to use in order to serve us these spiritual excursions into ‘open air’ territory. While he has previously donned this mantle to provide atmospheric lo-fi techno on the Japanese label City-2 St. Giga (then as a duo with his friend DJ Natto) - here he hits closer to the deep house palette of his 2017 album ‘Neo Geo’ under the alias Fyodor The DJ. For the 8th instalment on blundar, the artist has worked closely with the label in picking out the right tracks from his vast archives. While the tempo sometimes staggers well towards BPM levels of hardcore techno, the touch remains gentle and soft. This genre-defying characteristic owes a lot to video game music, and especially Japanese games, where Teo finds a lot of his inspiration. The first track bathes us in tropical field recordings before tripping off into a relentless tribal groove - countered by meandering new age flutes. A2 is a fluid and complex piece, vibrating with a warm tenderness all the while maintaining a minimal progressive path. A3 deals in crunchy breakbeats and layers upon layers. On the second side, B1 builds through a hazy fog of tape hiss, pierced by the bouncing thud of sped-up bongos and an arpeggio that escalate it all into transcendental euphoria. B2 goes ‘off the grid’ for a heady trek of slippery beats that spill out into small flecks of breaks, all the while gleaming through the doorway to a sombre ambient jazz score. Closing off this 12” is a chilling high-speed chase through a neon-flashing night, propelled by a numbingly hard hitting drum machine sequence. The artwork for Blundar8 is as always photographed by mutantexture. The photos - which were taken during a hot summer by the Western Harbour of Malmö - were picked out by Teo as this is a place of great significance for him. A place for the daydreams of sun-dazed ravers

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.

MCC returns with x3 roll cage rattlers from the elusive DJ Skift, rumoured to be operating remotely outta the True North-North East territories. Recommended if ur into anything good.

For decades there have been rumours of arterial secret tunnels running beneath our cities. No-one knows why or how long they have been there but maps and reports have appeared over the years thanks to a handful of wide-eyed whistleblowers. Often hiding in plain sight behind faceless logos and Haga fencing, these tunnels are said to contain the government’s dark explorations, store unspoken cargo and even house extraterrestrial experiments. Subterra Highway is the debut EP from D3u5e & GAV. A tribute to conspiracy theories, obsession and corporate illusion. An important moment for both artists and Programm's first release after our sampler last June. Each track of the EP takes you down a different path. Jittering in and out of the darkness with both artist's trademark off kilter drums and engulfing basslines. They draw on influences from breaks, grime, and UK techno to travel down each rabbit hole. The cover is designed by Alfie Allen and we have worked with directors Constantine Spence on a music video for Free Mars. Mastered by Foundry Audio.

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.

With 3 releases under their belt Council Work return with the 4th installment on the label, the 'Crouching Tiger EP'. Sticking with the formula of the last EP, there are 2 originals from the label owners themselves Frankel & Harper, coming in the form of stripped back UKG number 'Crouching Tiger' as the A1, and then bringing heavyweight moodiness on the A2 with 'Conquering Lion'. First up on remix duties on the B1 is Italian producer, DJ and Music On regular Leon with a dubby, rolling take on the title track. Hotly tipped UKG producer ZeroFG steps up to remix the B2 and brings some serious dub reggae vibes mixed with some rude garage flavours to round off the EP and give a great contrast to the original.

Matthew Kirkis aka Destiny71z is back with the third and final instalment in his tweaked out EP series. 4 more experimental club cuts, dripping and acidic, created using a stacked modular hardware set up. These playful cuts bounce through house, techno, garage and electro with an aquatic touch. Loose, electric and stunning throughout.

"Unbroken Dreams of Light" V/A Blueberry Records 2020 Side A;Who is Glen Faba? Hint: I could tell you but then I'd have to undo it. Arable sounds like philip glass if he took some K. Ruby Rod, a track which made the rounds in my live set for 3 years. I'd open with it in front of bands and everyone would take about 7 steps backward from the stage. '5' Todd Osborn sent me a zip of music after my hard drive crashed and I lost everything. I got the complete Blue Note recordings and a collab with Luke Vibert. Here it is. Side B;UC is deadly with the 12" versions. Track comes with cool techno sound effects as well. Horsepower Productions deliver a super rare hardcore artifact from their archives! Side C; Cousin Cockroach on Blueberry!!! You already know. Spurge - a total delight to know and watch out for more from this young beat scientist. Tune is called Deadass. Xglare - Jessee kills it, check her Morph EP on Blueberry - the balance between light and darkness in her sounds astound. Dasychira is slowly turning into a preying mantis and this is what that sounds like. Pretty much exactly. Bénédicte has been busy crafting away at their debut EP for Blueberry, I can't wait for you all to hear it. Softillusion is a dreamy warm blanket. Side D; µ-Ziq on BBR, another dream. We are coming full circle here for this IDM fanboy's wildest dreams. Brrd - I had to straight up jack this 2 minute section from a beat mix that Stewart sent me a few years ago. You can master from an MP3 folks! Focus Group 2. Meet my piano. Her name is Olympia, and my friend Margot named her. The Other Functions - my friends no wave alias is better then yours. Tenant - the rent is still to damn high. Peak acid programming here.

A generation younger than the founders of the Teklife crew, DJ Rashad and DJ Spinn, DJ Taye was originally a rapper and beat maker before hooking up with the collective and jumping into the world of footwork production and DJing. However, it was Rashad’s untimely passing in 2014 that was the unlikely catalyst for developing the sounds and ideas for this album. He says, "When Rashad passed away I felt inspired to continue evolving the music that I loved so much coming up in this world. So, I had to do something…make something brand new." 100% committed to pushing further the potential of the footwork template, Still Trippin’ is ambitious in its range and scope. Taking two years to formulate, the record broadens the possibilities of the sound, forcing it to adapt to songwriting, and also revives Taye’s talent for MCing and producing beats to which he can rap and sing. Furthermore Taye definitely ups the ante with his complex and precise drum programming, never losing sight of footwork’s ability to confound. The album features a range of guests that span contemporary music; the eccentric, instructive rapping of Chuck Inglish of Detroit duo the Cool Kids is featured on ‘Get It Jukin’, Odile Myrtil, a young vocalist from Montreal, lends her smokey soul to ‘Same Sound’, Fabi Reyna, the editor of the celebrated women’s guitar magazine She Shreds, sings and plays bass and rhythm guitar on ‘I Don’t Know’ and Jersey club queen UNIIQU3 offers production and rapping on ‘Gimme Some Mo’.Also, Teklife members DJ PayPal and DJ Manny assist on production, and DJ Lucky is a guest MC on ‘Smokeout’. Taye is ambitious in his hopes for the album; "I took this as an opportunity to not have boundaries with footwork. Different approaches to our ‘underground’ sound to make it broader. It’s only underground until it crosses that visible threshold.” This album brings all of this to the forefront.

incl. MJ Cole Remix

3 of Shadow Child’s “Connected” collaboration album tracks get a makeover from Rimbaudian, MJ Cole and Bodhi.
Rising talent Rimbaudian reworks the only solo track from the project, “Steak Fingers”, and takes the original bumping stripped back groove on a more melodic journey with its stunning arpeggios and new string parts. The backbone of the original remains but be prepared to take a trip to a new stratosphere, with his stripped version which is included too.
Bodhi step up next to remix “Gacid”, twisting and turning the original acid patterns and grooves to make a special rework that gives a nod to early Detroit with new drum programming and pads. The Welsh duo bring the heat.
MJ Cole delivers what must be one of his finest remixes. “Um” the collaboration with Bodhi, already offers a trip that flirts with Jungle, lo-fi and the hypnotic but MJ Cole brings his signature vibe to the table with new keys, groove and provides something that feels as if it belongs in the realms of his seminal hit “Sincere”.