Morgan Zarate Hookid EP HDB044


First Hyperdub drop of 2011 - a stone cold future funk winner from Spacek's Morgan Zarate. Over the last few years he's cropped up on the Beat Dimensions and Fat City's Producer #1 comps, from where his 'M.A.B' neck-snapper was lifted and sifted into Kode 9's DJ-Kicks mix. Opening statement 'Hookid' is a straight up scorcher, no question, refracting hyper-reflective R&B-trance hooks through a 3D snakestyle rhythm like Joseph Hammer twysting Terror Danjah. 'Buy Bye' is equally dynamic, splaying some hi-tek swing rhythm into supremely psychedelic shapes, kinda like Spacek meets Bernard Parmegiani in Bernie Worrell's secret Russian space programme-funded anti-G studio. These are gonna make people lose their minds on the 'floor - should come with free oxygen cannisters.

Label: Hyperdub
Genre: DUBSTEP / GRIME / FUNKY
Released: Jan 2011
Catalogue Number: HDB044
quality: 320 kbps

Tracklist:

1. Hookid
2. Buy Bye
3. SP

filesonic dl

Sepalcure Fleur


Spellbinding release from Sepalcure, aka electronica veterans Machinedrum and Praveen. They unveiled a sumptuous new sound with the 'Love Pressure' EP back in the summer of 2010 but if anything this delivers an even greater emotive impact. Maybe it's because they're American, but there's definitely an instinctive feel for R&B elegance and graceful suspension at play here, something alluded to by reams of UK producers, but rarely achieved with this kind of tingling sensibility. The standout track is easily 'No Think', a near side-long swinger built from ethereal, yearning vocals, viscous 2-step patterns and droning subbass looming from their densely lush atmospheres. Complementing the vibe, the enchanting 'Inside' closes the side with a shorter, beatless piece of electronic ambience worthy of Tim Hecker. Meanwhile on the A-side we're in thrall to the crisp drums, smudged chords and sun-heated strings of 'Fleur' and another surefire spine-tingler, 'Your Love'.

Label: Hotflush Recordings
Genre: DUBSTEP / GRIME / FUNKY
Released: Feb 2011
Catalogue Number: HF026D
quality: 320 kbps

Tracklist:

1. Fleur
2. Your Love
3. No Think
4. Inside

rapid dl

Mike Gao / Tokimonsta LA Series # 8


All City take it way out west again, presenting Mike Gao and Tokimonsta on the eighth LA Series split. Gao aka Nightprowl has produced a number of albums for Galapagos4 MCs Qwel, Mestizo, Robust and Offwhyte, but take the spotlight here with five beat nuggets ranging from blunted 8-Bit chop-ups like 'California' to the discombobulated downbeat rave of 'Don't Tell Me' and the dynamic compressions of 'Loving Night'. Jennifer Lee aka Tokimonsta follows her recent debut album with the hazy downbeat sunset vibes of 'Alive' and the even dreamier 'Last Nights Blurry Memories', plus the assured swagger of 'Park Walks'.

Label: All City
Genre: BEATS / DOWNTEMPO / BOOGIE
Released: Dec 2010
Catalogue Number: ACLA10x10x8
quality: 320 kbps

Tracklist:

1. Mike Gao - California 1:23
2. Mike Gao - Babylon Child 2:50
3. Mike Gao - Don't Tell Me 1:30
4. Mike Gao - Hubris Produca 1:36
5. Mike Gao - Loving Night 2:07
6. Tokimonsta - Alive 2:31
7. Tokimonsta - Last Nights Blurry Memories 3:52
8. Tokimonsta - Park Walks 3:15

hotfl dl

pwd._ afterpre.com

Dam-Funk / Computer Jay LA Series # 7


The 7th installment in All City's highly collectable Los Angeles series - aka the one y'all been waiting for! Two tracks from the don, Dam Funk, on the A-side, and three from the hugely respected Computer Jay on the flip, with both producers repping for their city in heavy style. Dam starts up with the nonchalant groove of 'Night Stroll', conjuring imagery of a neon-lit LA street scene glowing against the night sky, 40 in one hand, blunt in the other, followed by a spot of sugar-sprinkled sex funk on '3012 Luv Affair'. On the flip it's all about Computer Jay, cooling out on the craftily programmed 'Phantom', going on greazy with the 8-bit boogie byte of 'Vice' and the brilliantly weird 'Rare Type', like the soundtrack to some illicit pre-cert Streets Of Rage prototype. Thoroughly badass, one of the best in the series fo' sho!

Label: All City
Genre: BEATS / DOWNTEMPO / BOOGIE
Released: Nov 2010
Catalogue Number: ACLA10x10x7
quality: 320 kbps

Tracklist:

1. Dam Funk - Fates Say
2. Dam Funk - You've Heard
3. Computer Jay - Old Hearts
4. Computer Jay - You've Known
5. Computer Jay - Strange Days

hotfl dl

pwd._ afterpre.com

Krystal Klear Tried For Your Love (Hudson Mohawke Mix)


Fresh boogie-house heat from man-of-the-moment Krystal Klear, currently on a mission with tracks out for Hoya:Hoya, Dub Organizer, and now All City. Backed up with a Hudson Mohawke remix, 'Tried For Love' enters that dreamy late '80s zone with sparkling plastic synths and swung soul rhythms while 'Boogie Wan' slips into romantical mode with a slow jam for the lovers. 'Dekryptic' is the one you need to watch out for though, bringing it pure '86 styles with full-on soul-controlling synth licks. Out on his own tip entirely, Hudson Mohawke's remix opens into electro-acoustic boogie business before dropping into a Haç-ready piano-house bomb.

Label: All City
Genre: BEATS / DOWNTEMPO / BOOGIE
Released: Dec 2010
Catalogue Number: ACKK12x1
quality: 320 kbps

Tracklist:

1. Tried For Your Love
2. Boogie Wan
3. Dekryptic
4. Tried For Your Love (Hudson Mohawke Remix)

hotfl dl

pwd._ afterpre.com

Illum Sphere The Plan Is Dead


Gleaming freshness from Illum Sphere, capping a fine year of releases and remixes on Martyn's 3024 label and inclusion at the Red Bull Academy. 'The Plan Is Dead' continues a clear narrative arc of releases for Fat City, which started with 'The Incoming EP' and now pauses at these diverse five tracks of futurist Hip Hop. Opening with the Bossa Nova-infused breeziness of 'One For Dimlite', there's an upswing of ecstatic synthline-driven head-nodders in 'Diablo Day Out' and 'Supercharged', both winking to the proggy styles of Hud Mo and Rustie but conducted with a certain sense of Manc-learned melancholy. Flip it to find one of the best tracks in his catalogue, bar none, on 'An Old Escape (Kill Them Kill)', a dread dance wrecker built from tipping tabla drums and spine-tingling surge of darkside synthline energy. Put this in your rave and smoke it! 'Aftermath' closes this affair, going heads down with bittersweet synth tones indebted to classic BoC records.

Label: FAT CITY
Genre: BEATS / DOWNTEMPO / BOOGIE
Released: Dec 2010
Catalogue Number: FC12036
quality: 320 kbps

Tracklist:

1. One For Dimlite
2. Diablo Day Out
3. Supercharged
4. An Old Escape (Kill Them Kill)
5. Aftermath

hotfl dl

pwd._ soundpress

Jamie Grind Footwork EP


After making a solid first impression with his Infrasonics debut, Leeds-based Jamie Grind reduces Chicago footwork to a shimmering flicker of neatened swing rhythms on Fortified Audio. The lead track deploys many of the same elements as your average footwork cut but arranged for House'd-up UK 'floors. Linking with Hackman the pair sketch out a skittering Broken-Beat raver on 'Saw The Light' while 'Without You' runs with percolating 808s, tidy rhodes stabs and sweet garage vibes, saving the killer 2-step blush of 'Now You Know' for dessert. fans of everyone from Hyetal to Andy Stott should give this some attention!

Label: FORTIFIED AUDIO
Genre: DUBSTEP / GRIME / FUNKY
Released: Jan 2011
Catalogue Number: ELIM006
quality: 320 kbps

Tracklist:

1. Footwork
2. Saw the Light featuring Hackman
3. Without You
4. Now you Know

media f dl

Breton Counter Balance EP


Hemlock have a habit of thrusting highly impressive new artists upon the world - think James Blake, Untold, or Fantastic Mr Fox. London's Breton are the latest in line, emerging fully formed with a sound that's equal parts post-dubstep, rakish indie bloke vocals and Big Dada-style leftfield HipHop. Their five track 'Counter Balance EP' has already won favour with er, Coldplay's Chris Martin, and is set to achieve much acclaim going into 2011. The minimal framework of African guitar, crisp halstep drums and ethereal cockney vox in 'RDI' hints at something on the edge of dubstep, while the rest of the EP is driven by moody HipHop beats, with the highlight of 'December' clearly primed for bigger things.

Label: Hemlock Recordings
Genre: DUBSTEP / GRIME / FUNKY
Released: Dec 2010
Catalogue Number: HEK010D
quality: 320 kbps

Tracklist:

1. RDI
2. Counter Balance
3. December
4. Pop Death
5. Hours Away

multiup dl

Julio Bashmore Everyone Needs A Theme Tune


Killer and diverse four-tracker from Señor Bashmore, the first for new London label, PMR Records. Most notably Julio diverts his energies into two new areas with the cannily dubbed-out disco triplets of 'Everyone Needs A Theme Tune' and even a slouchy future boogie cruise on 'The Horn That Time Forgot'. Back in more familiar terrain, 'Battle For Middle You' infuses a DirtyBird style deep burner with a sweetly filtered Detroit drop and 'Ask Yourself' floats off on a bed of 808 bass hits and breezy tropical synth pads.

Label: PMR Records
Genre: TECHNO / HOUSE
Released: Jan 2011
Catalogue Number: PMR001
quality: 320 kbps

Tracklist:

1. Battle For Middle You
2. Ask Yourself
3. Everyone Needs A Theme Tune
4. The Horn That Time Forgot

hotfile dl

Raime Raime EP


Massively tipped debut from this new artist and label; Raime, and Blackest Ever Black Recordings. The UK based duo have forged one of the finest contributions to the darkened post-dubstep canon we've yet heard, distilling the essence of Shackleton's most maudlin moments with labyrinthine reverbs and salt-cured percussion over three tracks allegedly built from arcane industrial and post-punk samples. This 12" is already causing much consternation in the blogosphere; with Altered Zones, Simon Reynolds' Blissblog and Fact Magazine all singing its praises. 'Retread' initiates the session with an unnerving arrangement of suspended, ceremonial drums and an immensely affective choral drone, deployed with enough subtlety and atmosphere to really send shivers down the spine. 'This Foundry' follows, uncannily recalling the parallel dimensions of Balam Acab in its dragging Quasimodo flow and and vastly spacious sound design. 'We Must Hunt Under The Wreckage Of Many Systems' puts the final, frozen finish to the EP with a still, centred rhythm seemingly hung from flesh hooks in the ceiling while bowel shuddering subs disturb the flagstones below, shadowy reverbs skittering off cold, concrete surfaces. We've heard about a very special remix package forthcoming, but for now you'll have to flay yourself to this every evening.

Label: BLACKEST EVER BLACK
Genre: ELECTRONIC
Released: Oct 2010
Catalogue Number: BLACKEST001
quality: 320 kbps

Tracklist:

1. Retread
2. This Foundry
3. We Must Hunt Under The Wreckage Of Many Systems

rghost dl

Matt Shadetek Dutty House EP


Dutty Artz don, Matt Shadetek drops four tracks of Sino-Grime influenced Funky for the 'Dutty House' EP. 'Wonton Garden' is probably the most blatant example, with calligraphic digital melody and crisp soca-styled percussion hinting at Slackk's Eski-House sound, while the pitched gregorian chants and Far-Eastern tuning of 'Coco13' also reminds of the ace Bad Autopsy 12" on Ramp. Step into 'Blast Area' for a cold-infusion of Eski melody with late '80s horror synths and bumpin' reggaeton syncopation, or 'Singularity' for the raw, old-skool Grime flavour. Gotta say, we're loving this return to menacing, minimalist grime principles from this, Slackk, Zomby, T. Williams and co.

Label: DUTTY ARTZ
Genre: DUBSTEP / GRIME / FUNKY
Released: Dec 2010
Catalogue Number: DA009
quality: 320 kbps

Tracklist:

1. Wonton Garden
2. Coco13
3. Blast Area
4. Singularity

multi up dl