Dub Mentor’s warm, peeled-down arrangements, comprised of loping drum loops, chocolatey bass and treated field recordings for texture, lend these tunes the intimacy of late-evening jazz. In its pursuit of optimal clarity of sound, Tel Aviv label EnT-T has been compared favourably with ECM. The Manfred Eicher of this operation is Lior Suliman and his [...]
Post Tagged with: "Bass"
Photophob :: Wasteland Vibes (Laridae)
Photophob has got a very deep, dark and densely textured sound going on with hints of apocalyptic dubstep, shoegaze and industrial influences. Thick rasping basses sear through oppressive textures like missiles across the sky of a city razed to the ground. Photophob has got a very German sound going on. He’s Austrian, but I don’t really [...]
wAgAwAgA :: Midnight Sampler (Record Label Records)
wAgAwAgA has an unusual take on music, with deep basses, really interesting beats and odd field recordings in abundance. He instantly stands out as having a unique style—not aggressive but not altogether passive. Innovative but not leaving the familiar completely in the shadows. I’ve been a fan of wAgAwAgA for a while now, ever since [...]
LUMEN :: Drawn Recordings Mix
An eclectic mix of leftfield, downtempo, dub/step, grit, dark ambient and bass music from UK’s Lumen—courtesy of Drawn Recordings. Sometimes you just have to loosen up and let the grooves take over. This mix by Drawn Recordings resident DJ/VJ Lumen is a syndicated mix for igloomag.com. “…Lumen has been knocking out some cracking sets of [...]
Quanta :: Overflow EP (Enig’matik)
Smoldering bass, trudging beats, spaced lyrical blurbs and precision mastering of low-end frequencies are perhaps Quanta’s finest points. [Release page] Turning more towards dub than its darker step-brother, Quanta (aka 18-yr musical veteran Shane Harris) is the latest signing for Australia’s Enig’matik, an imprint that has steadily nurtured its bass in many a form and [...]
DUB MAFIA :: Dangers at breakneck speed
Since forming just two years ago, Bristol based Dub Mafia have become one of the most formidable acts in the UK dance scene and beyond. The seven-piece band are synonymous with blending drum and bass, dub, dubstep, breakbeat and world music to create their own unique sound. And, with a strict policy of ‘no backing [...]
Crump :: Chiaroscuro EP (Slime)
A bouncy, rolling batch of minimal house tracks with a somewhat understated feel. It’s solid though, infectious and persistent, like a puppy needing a walk. I have to admit—Crump (aka Alex Crump)—is a producer that I’ve not come across before. He’s a Bristol lad with a bit of form and has just had his EP [...]
FURS :: Anti-Node EP (Detroit Underground / eBoy)
Overall an enjoyable EP that segues from quaint electronics to well-oiled rhythm blocks while retaining its bright lit canvass of melodic shuffles. The smothered 8-bit audio bubbles of the early 00′s rings in the air on FURS‘ extended player with dBoy (a collaborative effort between Detroit Underground and the German graphic design group eBoy). The [...]
Mitoma :: Satellite Hive (Daddy Tank)
Letting this one unfold its rugged charm and subliminal forces may just be the link between post-industrial and raw electronic data blasting. [Release page] The second album from this Scottish duo sees them turning off the lights and casting shadows on industrialized bass-electronics. With plenty of albums to sift through these days, it’s a welcome [...]
Kayla Painter :: Self-Titled (Self-Released)
A gentle and subtle journey of quirky samples, floaty ambience, interesting rhythms, sultry vocals and the odd bit of low end to keep you on your toes. It is a laid back affair that is suited to end of the day listening, or maybe a lazy Sunday afternoon in the sun. Kayla Painter has just [...]
Kloudbreak :: Ghosts EP (Drawn)
When every piece of Ghosts taken into account, it can be said that this is one of the very few singles that have the ability to elevate the performance levels of other musicians. The emotional soundscape, haunting lyrics, and blatant creativity was a pleasure to not only listen to, but to think about as well. [...]
Eyelove :: Mysticism EP (Slime)
Awash with floaty processed guitars and trance inducing blurs of electronic ambience, the tracks are downtempo, laid back and deep with an air of reserved technical accomplishment in the production stakes. Not the usual thing you might expect from Slime, a label generally associated with the business end of the DJ market with releases from [...]
Machine Gun Militia :: Open Fire EP (Oeuvre)
An atmospheric blend of introspective moodiness, ominous and magnificent soundscapes, and most of all, heavy growling bass. The more I listen to this EP the more I like it. That’s not to say I didn’t like it upon first hearing it, I did. There is something really balanced about these tracks, the beats are well [...]
Ghostek :: Easy Changes EP (Shipwrec)
Using techniques such as warm synths, white noise, haunting and ghostly vocals, as well as a variety of bass/dubstep contrasts, a dark moody soundscape is beautifully created. Ghostek’s latest EP, Easy Changes, is a strong album with four tracks, each able to stand on its own as an individual piece of music yet come together [...]
Burial :: Kindred EP (Hyperdub)
Everything flows exactly as it should and, in an age dominated by throwaway digital singles, it’s pleasing to find out that there are still artists out there who really do think about the collective whole as a world unto itself. There’s always the worry that self-indulgence has taken over completely when you start seeing 12-minute [...]
Materia :: Komatiite EP (Slime)
Tight drums, deep bass, melodic and harmonic mastery wrapped up in intricate and evolving atmospheres and textures. Swedish born Bristol producer Materia has worn a lot of hats during his years producing music—which incidentally number quite a few now—from Drum and Bass to Tech House, and more recent forays into the steadily deepening black hole [...]
Artifact :: Archaic Line (Deadplate)
More good—forward looking bass heavy music from Bristol and London, a collaboration which seems to be all the rage at the moment. Artifact delivers this mutant house/techno/garage hybrid with unfettered authority. Skittery hats and swinging percussion usher in a killer steppy groove with “machine gun” snares (a somewhat clichéd term, but appropriate) and tight sub, which [...]
Kowton vs Dusk :: Kowton v Dusk EP (Keysound)
A great release from Keysound, pretty much right on the pulse of the bass crossover scene. London and Bristol unite (again) with this deep offering from Kowton & Dusk. In the London corner, Dusk brings his understated bass drenched garage stylings in the form of the slightly sinister “Fraction”. Squaring up to him in the [...]
Al Tourettes :: Swan Sketch EP (Baselogic)
Swan Sketch seems to straddle the worlds of experimental exploration and bass heavy bangers, not only that, but it does it comfortably without feeling contrived. Al Tourettes is a Bristol based producer who has been garnering a lot of critical acclaim recently, and this release only strengthens his growing reputation. A tough and menacing collection of [...]
Five questions for Drawn Recordings
Bristol’s Drawn Recordings have carved a niche for themselves among a myriad of electronic music imprints. What sets them apart is their persistent sifting of high-quality & low-rumbling excursions that touch the extreme edges of experimentation without falling off into the abyss. Igloo Magazine :: When did Drawn Recordings start up and what was your [...]