Top 100 Chart placements for Bass / Club
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Objekt launches his new label, Kapsela, with a 10-year anniversary reissue of his lauded production Ganzfeld. An ambitious, evocative electro/IDM epic with cavernous drums and a riotously funky bass solo, Ganzfeld was initially released in 2014 on Leisure System as the B-side of Hypnagogia, a split EP with Detroit electro pioneers Dopplereffekt. It quickly garnered critical acclaim (including Track Of The Year by Resident Advisor) and amassed a cult following despite clocking in at 147bpm, a relatively unwieldy tempo for most DJs at the time. Given the seismic shifts in tempo and genre that have taken place in the 10 years since and the emergence of a new generation of producers with whom Ganzfelds influence has resonated, 2024 seemed like the perfect moment for a re-release. Commissioning remixes for the first time, Objekt enlists Djrum, who delivers a jaw-dropping 10-minute rendition which weaves through multiple genres and tempos with the cinematic flair of a short film score. Milans Piezo contributes a taut, prickly interpretation that builds tension at 80bpm before exploding into a cathartic double-time closer. Finally, US ambient artist Ulla fully deconstructs the original into a serene, undulating lullaby.
In a new release series, Defrostatica is thrilled to showcase up-and-coming producers who are inspired by jungle, footwork, juke, and techno to create their own unique sound for the club at 160 beats per minute. 160 Vol. 1 features Portway from Bristol in collaboration with Slinki, Hone Sound from Copenhagen and Team GB from Manchester. Portway & Slinkis Move builds on a Latin piano before turning into a monstera percussion beat, only to change again on the second drop as a big synth releases the tension. On Madder, the Danish duo Hone Sound skillfully weaves atmospheric pads into a perfectly rolling jungle breakbeat. Juke Joint co-founder Team GB from Manchester flexes his production skills around the serious call to Jiggle Like Jello on a jacked bass line.
Footwork supergroup The Era brings us COMBO PACK, a fresh EP with three new anthems plus Who Betta, the battle track with the triumphant hook Tell me who betta, which came out earlier this year as a single. Telling stories with their feet and the mic, they trade off giving you a deeper look into the Chicago underground. Effortlessly flowing in unison through a maze of drums, theyre creating a new mold for the future of footwork rap or, as they call it, Footwork with words to come. Produced by Teklife co-founder DJ Spinn and with the help of his protege Taso, they bend soulful samples and synths to fit inside the narrative that the Era paints with their words. Classic hip-hop production informed plenty of footwork in its early days, and here, they layer that past with the present, creating their own faster, more cut-up version of boom-bap. And just like the hypnotic repetition of a sample when it gets caught in a loop, their voices are similarly mangled to complement their verses. While they might be riding on top of the production, theyre also a part of it. The importance of storytelling in footwork is often overlooked, and we usually get the tale through the abstract. Vexing synths, unorthodox drum patterns, and stuttering words leave it up to our imaginations to assemble the puzzle pieces. The Era brings us a more concrete version of the allegory through their masterfully crafted bars. They employ themselves as narrators of the streets they walk and, in the process, are making new connections between the world of lyricists and their homegrown Chicago dance culture.
DJ Spinn, DJ Lucky, Teklife, The Era Footwork Crew, Gzus Piece, Jana Rush, Tru Foe
Numa Recordings presents the second single off the forthcoming album by Killa P and Numa Crew. Different Life sees them linking up with London based MC Lady Lykez creating an energetic track that keeps the feet moving and the body shaking. The instrumental is a tropical infusion of hypnotic flutes, rolling drums and pounding bass. A vibrant carnival jam that blends grime & dancehall moods with African kuduro.
Danny Goliger has been steadily rising as one of the forefront bass & techno producers in L.A. for several years with releases on staple labels such as Dirtybird, Scuffed Recs, 3024 & Magic City alongside his residency on the renowned Dublab Radio. We are super excited to welcome him to the Faux Poly family with his stunning EP Say I Do. Leading off this release is the title track, a 4x4 roller born out of modular hardware jams and delivered with Dannys distinctive ear for detail. In Dannys own words: Inspiration was pretty wide ranging on this EP. From UK funky, to dembow, to dubstep, post-dubstep, and garage. Ive incorporated elements of these grooves and aesthetics into modern bassy club tracks. The single Say I Do has already become a firm favourite within the Faux Poly family, and if youve seen any of us play this summer, then chances are youve been lucky enough to hear it on a big system already. Words from Danny: Im hoping with this record to capture the feeling of club experiences that are dark and moody, while also maintaining an ethereal lightness.Tunes that are bass-y and gritty in tone but not necessarily heavy and aggressive. Something meditative and maybe slightly introspective to keep people locked in.
On Escape from the Club, Alec Pace makes his return to All Centre, following up his Absolute Pressure EP from 2019 with 4 wonky, breakneck techno cuts. Opener Linea kicks off proceedings with a buoyant approach to electro. Encouraging shouts of come on are filtered through disorienting FX, usher in sliding synth lines. As the track progresses, the frenzied synths increase in intensity before giving way to a skeletal drum beat. On the second track Drowning, throbbing kick drums pair with skizzed-out hi-hats. The tracks wonky, rolling groove builds up towards a propelling synthetic percussion onslaught with unique sound design to boot. The title track increases the intensity with skewed acidic pronouncements leading into a lolloping 168bpm beat, embellished with Paces characteristic vocal sample disfigurations. Finally the EP settles on its most frenetic excursion, False Claims. Hiking the BPM up to 148, high velocity drums which nod to UK Funky guide the listener towards ecstatic fervor that is hinted at throughout the proceeding tracks. Escape from the Club is available on all digital platforms from October 18th.
2024-10-18 Joog Music
Tha Nxxt Step, Hesk, EQ Why, DJ Flp, CRAIC DAVID, DJ Please, Scarlett Star, Grifter160, satoruohno, Shirley Temper, Rivs, UFO!, Pouty's Rage, Malice, SlowRolla, Ani Klang, Dylusion, Goldman, DJ Lazergun, D-Program, Vinil Motion, Never Forget, Liquid Giraffe, Chemistry MC, Gold Crate, Soeneido, Dwarde, Quemist, DJ Airwalk, Princess Tornado, ETRA, CURSXR, Centauri
The annual compilation project from Earful of Wax is back with Volume 3. Twelve tracks from 11 emerging producers in the UK and overseas. Deep, techy, perc 4/4 from Dreamrdreamr. Weirdo synth lines over breaks & 4/4 from BFFs and collaborators Dubrunner & SCG. Wobbly UK Techno +spacey breakdown/build-up from northern star Dyslecta. Percussive, wonky UK Bass from Ila Brugal. Sexy percussion for summer warm-ups +Baile vocal from Kikelomo. Dubby 4/4 with UK rap sample of Brixx - Man by hardcore queen Mixtress. Emotive breaks for those drawn out transitions and summer days by Silent Era (FKA Fade - Of Paradise). Scotsman SMIFF with a Hi-NRG TraTraTra-esque club weapon. Parisian Sylvere (Monkeytown / La Creole) with a signature Dancehall Techno @ 130bpm - Maxs personal tip! Toura delivers an in SZN techno grime number +/- Skepta buss my 9 vox sample. Last but by no means least, Yas Reven pumps out 6th gear groovy percussive techno, road tested by Bufo and Tasha.
DREAMRDREAMR, SCG, Dubrunner, Dyslecta, Ila Brugal, Kikelomo, Silent Era, SMIFF, Sylvere, Toura, Yas Reven
Pressure Dome is turning 5! 54 artists, 13 releases, 100s of hours of radio and some incredible parties later were super proud of the community weve built over the years in Bristol and beyond. To celebrate, weve got three compilations in the works - PDCOMP005 being the first of the trio featuring label mainstays Caldera, Talik and Human Resources, plus a host of new names bringing their approach to the experimental club-focused sound we love here at the Dome. Were excited to welcome Will Hofbauer, Meta, Berwick, Kincaid, How Du, Harry Rodger and Rose Again for their label debuts - all artists weve felt a sonic connection to for a while and who have been supporting the label since day dot so, in our eyes, are already part of the PD family. Ranging from the more introspective & elegant expressions of Kincaid, Talik and Caldera to the playful chug of Will Hofbauers Jugo Máximo, to the more up front bass excursions from Berwick, Meta, Rose Again and Human Resources, to the dubby, swung oddities of How Du and Harry Rodger, PDCOMP005 has a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy.
Will Hofbauer, Meta, Kincaid, Caldera, Harry Rodger, How Du, Human Resources, Talik, Berwick, Rose Again
Londoner Joe Milli joins the Faux Poly family this summer with his instantly classic EP Manifest Leisure. Joes sound is based upon Techno and UK Funky through and through. His radio shows and DJ sets reflect an eclectic taste, branching confidently from these genres, perfectly encapsulated on this release.
Another big Shaka tune from the late 1980s - Bionic Singers anti-apartheid shot Botha Warning - coming out of the same Jamaazima vaults as Hugh Maddos Pop Style LP that we reissued late last year under the kind courtesy of the imprints Nami Harmon. The late Bionic Singer a.k.a Osbert Maddo, or more commonly Madoo, was brought up in East Kingston and as a child attended the legendary Alpha Boys School. He began singing together with his brother UU Madoo (aka Hugh Maddo) and soon became a regular on the Stereophonic soundsystem during the late 1970s. Recording mainly with Joe Gibbs & Errol Thompson and for Winston Rileys famed Techniques stable through the early 80s, he then moved to the US in 1983. Ceasing to record for a period, he returned towards the end of the decade under the Bionic Singer alias on the Bronx-based Jamaazima label, recording this searing indictment of South Africas apartheid government under P.W. Botha following his stroke in 1989.credits
Shepard Tone Recordings presents YES LORD!!!, The New EP from Monsieur Philippe, the alter ego of Juan Felipe. After spending extensive time in the studio, Monsieur Philippe delivers a unique sonic experience that challenges conventional boundaries. The EP explores deconstructed club music, blending elements of psychedelic, dystopian, and experimental sound design. YES LORD!!! unapologetically embraces the brutal, the bizarre, and the eerie.
Paying homage with rescued sound clips from the archives, DJ Spinn & Taso bring us Good Newz, a tribute to the charismatic founder of Teklife DJ Rashad. A warm voicemail from their late friend opens up the track, which quickly explodes into a storm of hyper bleeps and psychotic hi-hats pumping along an infectious rhythm. Its structure eventually collapses, revealing a minimal battle track with pummeling bass triplets. Sounds are mangled, the bleeps and pushed and pulled every which way, and time feels suspended as drum patterns morph. Rashad was known for his mastery of the MPC, and these two are flexing their way around the pads in a way that would make him proud. Using the remnants of their peer that have survived hard drives over the last 10 years, this is their way of saying thank you for everything, and a testament to their mission of keeping his name alive.
With EYX019 Early Reflex is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of Sync Rite, the latest EP from visionary electronic music artist Ziyiz. Sync Rite features three groundbreaking tracks that continue Ziyizs exploration of sound and surreal world-building. Ziyiz, known for their cutting-edge sonics and captivating live performances, has previously released music through labels such as Kindergarten, Failed Units, and Line:156. With Sync Rite, Ziyiz continues to push the envelope, delivering a collection of tracks that challenge the conventions of electronic music. The concept behind Sync Rite was inspired by a unique ritual observed by Ziyiz, where malfunctioning robots consumed a material known as Syndrenal to enhance synchronization and efficiency. This theme of synchronization and transformation is woven throughout the EP, offering listeners a sonic experience that is both otherworldly and deeply immersive.
Nervous Horizon is thrilled to welcome to the roster, Washington D.C producer and DJ, Soso Tharpa with a new EP entitled 'Fistful of Shells' Drawing from bass, techno, IDM, as well as consciously letting his igbo cultural imprint flow and sonically drive this diverse composition, the EP gravitates between chaos and balance, thunderous energetic burst and vulnerable melodic openings, echoing the producer's life journey, artistic growth and ever changing musical flair. The textured deconstructed layers of fluid percussive motives in 'Cyclops' open the EP with a mellow hypnotic flow. 'Pufferfish', a syncopated bouncy broken jam, follows leading to the dance-floor-ready drum and bass influenced 'Fist Full of Shells'. Moving back to a darker, more percussive groove, Knish and Sabado Gigante, a hybrid latin-afro-house club tool with acid hints and a catchy lead synth, are charged with a both grounding and electrifying dark West African energy that effectively sets the left field club tone of the EP. Slowing down the rhythm for the closing track, Tkapoi, Soso Tharpa creates an imaginary sonic route between the first and last track through which he can unfold, observe and rethink new parts of himself to discover a new foregrounding centre.
Hassan Abou Alam is next to step up to the unconventional Nerve Collect label with six tracks of futuristic club-ready chaos. The finely crafted EP arrives in August and comes on 12 vinyl and via all digital platforms. Hassan Abou Alam has established himself as one of Egypts most innovative underground musicians over the last 10+ years. His music is a meeting of disparate worlds - organic and synthetic designs, digital and analogue tools, the traditional and the futuristic, and it has come on the likes of YUKU, Rhythm Section, Banoffee Pies and Casa Voyager. His versatile sound pulls apart existing genres and reconstructs them as something entirely new. Opener 3asabi is a stylish sonic assault with thumping rhythms and trippy oscillations that will get any dance floor bouncing. Its fun yet functional, serious yet seductive and Basha Ft. ZIAD ZAZA, Ismail Nosrat & Aly B is another kinetic fusion of hand claps and complex drum funk, Egyptian vocal gymnastics and punchy bass. Ghalat has lurching drums and plunging bass driving on beneath mangled synths, odd vocalisations and percussive splatters drawn from a unique sound palette. The drilling low ends of Khalsana Ft ZIAD ZAZA are offset by fluttering percussive details up top while spare but booming kicks shake every bone in your body and the bassline devastates. There is no let up on Mesh Mafhoom which is a ritualistic workout with moments of melancholic synth soul shining through the jumble of tin-pot percussion and crashing hits. Closer Zein is more body-popping brilliance that channels ancient spirits into warped synths and rhythms so complex they melt the mind. Hassan Abou Alams blurring of the lines between the real and the imagined is second to none on this EP. Its a sub-heavy mix of the human voice, machine-made sounds and inventive rhythms that make for something new, weird and wonderful.
Pearson Sound returns to his Hessle Audio label with Which Way Is Up, a 4 track EP showcasing a range of textures and tempos with soundsystem pressure as the anchor. The 808-laced Hornet kicks things off with a sound palette inspired as much by 80s Miami as 10s London. Twister dials up the energy with a jagged lead and scattered breakbeats pulling in opposing directions, while the steppers pulse of Slingshot evokes formative experiences at Subdub in Leeds. The EP is brought to a close with the blissed out title track Which Way Is Up, whose arpeggios dance around each other until they fizzle to breaking point. Support from Mala, Mary Anne Hobbs, Joy Orbison and more.
Londoner Joe Milli joins the Faux Poly family this summer with his instantly classic EP Manifest Leisure. Joes sound is based upon Techno and UK Funky through and through. His radio shows and DJ sets reflect an eclectic taste, branching confidently from these genres, perfectly encapsulated on this release.
This time Samotek delivers a couple of tunes that sound technically pure and beautiful, while still being highly experimental in nature, the result is an incredibly pleasurable listen that should excite your mind and heart. He says this about his new offering: ..its an exploration of the rhythmical patterns of footwork music and an effort to find new pockets within the established framework of the genre. Russian artist Maxim Kozarezov is Samotek, he is a highly skilled, emerging talent in bass music production with a versatile outlook on the variety of bass music genres. He has previously released tunes on Saturate, LoFreq, Wormhole, Sound Museum and now Muti Music.
Over the past few years, Nahash and ABADIR have been sharing food recipes, the same sense of humour, and their love for 90s rave, Beth Gibbons, Sun Ra, and grilled lamb. They met last summer for the first time and enjoyed a B2B together during a label showcase in Fano, Italy. Their memories of and appreciation for 90s and early 00s Arabic pop music inspired their first collaboration on SVBKVLT. Marchadair is the distillation of the meaty club sound by both producers; ABADIRs micro-edited audio sampling and surgical chopped percussions mixed with Nahashs lavish dub techniques and hefty bass, all serving as the main ingredients for these 4 heavyweight tracks. To close the menu, the EP features remixes by Ehua and Toumba. The track titles play on a symbolic link between both artists and their native languages, using French words that have morphed into Egyptian slang. This Franco-Egyptian mixture echoes the hybrid sound of the EP.
Over the past few years, Nahash and ABADIR have been sharing food recipes, the same sense of humour, and their love for 90s rave, Beth Gibbons, Sun Ra, and grilled lamb. They met last summer for the first time and enjoyed a B2B together during a label showcase in Fano, Italy. Their memories of and appreciation for 90s and early 00s Arabic pop music inspired their first collaboration on SVBKVLT. Marchadair is the distillation of the meaty club sound by both producers; ABADIRs micro-edited audio sampling and surgical chopped percussions mixed with Nahashs lavish dub techniques and hefty bass, all serving as the main ingredients for these 4 heavyweight tracks. To close the menu, the EP features remixes by Ehua and Toumba. The track titles play on a symbolic link between both artists and their native languages, using French words that have morphed into Egyptian slang. This Franco-Egyptian mixture echoes the hybrid sound of the EP.
Caverna Ecuadorian producer Daniel Gachet Entranas presents his debut full album Caverna on Infinite Machine. The project explores an amalgam of polyrhythms found in traditional Ecuadorian music such as bomba and albazo, blending them with jagged atmospheres of uk bass and grime. Through deliberate sound design, Entranas seeks to place the listener within the unpredictable ecosystem of the city of Quito and its surroundings. In this record Entranas searches for a sound that conveys both the infrastructural chaos he experiences currently in his home city, while also reflecting the hauntingly beautiful and seemingly perpetual terrain just outside of Quito. Not far from the frequent and unpredictable power outages and city wide lockdowns which are now commonplace due to the ongoing narco wars, there is an Andean stratovolcano visible from many parts of Quito, including Entranas own bedroom window. Ruco Pichincha stands nearly 5000m in height, attracting awe and curiosity of many who happen upon it, perhaps by way of its beauty as well as its innate potential for mass destruction. A particular location of interest for the artist, the mountain emits a kind of objectivity that is distinct from the urbanscape of human activity; it asserts itself, unobservant of the adjacent violence, trials and tribulations. Its very name-Ruco translated in English to old from the indigenous Quechua language-seems to reflect both its acquired reverence from native inhabitants of the region, as well as the relative incomprehensibility of such natural monuments. On Caverna, references to Quito and its encompassing geography are apparent in ways that are direct at times, nuanced at others. Toque de Queda (trans. lockdown) was produced in real time during a city wide lockdown in which Entranas and his collaborator Ene Ese were unable to leave an apartment for hours on end. The sheer apprehension of such a situation can perhaps be gleaned from the seething claps and non-melodic droning atmospheres that build, producing a tone of frustration and unease. Tracks like Coscacho, Muerto A Puntapies and Cruces seem to take on a similarly minimal approach, focused on brooding heavy bass lines and relentless polyrhythms that become increasingly menacing as the tracks build. A listener might imagine these compositions to conjure the rumbling subterranean activity of Ruco Pichincha. As their names might imply, Caverna and Cascada take a different approach, building up shimmering soundscapes reminiscent of 90s new age. These ephemeral sequences seem to summon meditation on natural landscapes in a way that feels lighter and more optimistic, unveiling a softer vision. In light of his prolific catalog, Entranas twelve-track work reaches into territory that feels both more personal and experimental-though these compositions are undoubtedly dance-floor ready. Caverna brings together anthems of leftfield club music with chambers of ambient reflection-both of which read as significant and distinct to the artists background and day-to-day experience in Quito. As the majestic and humbling mountainous surface of Ruco Pichincha might resemble, Cavernas title track ends the record with a reminder; a gentle nod to the significance of such sacred wonders as places of refuge in our human experience; whether we can grasp them, or see them from our bedroom window.
g his iconic 2007 hit BOUNCE N BREAK YO BACK, originally featured on the Juke City Compilation. This high-energy anthem promises to reignite the passion of Juke music enthusiasts and showcase DJ SPINNs legendary creation, offering the opportunity to relive the magic of a true classic. BOUNCE N BREAK YO BACK is now available on all major streaming platforms on TEKLIFE Records.
Nikita Kremin, also known as the project it alone, hails from a small town in the Nizhny Novgorod region. He began engaging with music during his school years. Without any formal musical education, Nikita tried to replicate the music that surrounded him at the time: Avicii, Skrillex, Porter Robinson, Moby, Benny Benassi, and The Chemical Brothers. He was previously involved in the project tvzf, experimenting with various genres and sounds. After releasing an album, he realized that this path needed to end at that stage, as he saw potential in his solo work. While still part of the tvzf project, Nikita tried to get on the radar of the label СТВОЛ, but they only noticed him as a solo artist.
Prolific NY-based producer Jetty makes his All Centre debut on ACEN062. Jettys tracks from his excellent series of self-released EPs will be familiar to those who have attended AC parties over the years, and on Feet Dont Fail Me Now he delivers three more singularly infective, hard-hitting club cuts. The Bag Remix opens in his signature style with an earworm vocal hook and nimble percussion, before bringing in a bone-quaking bass over a thumping kick pattern. The vocal cut re-emerges before the bassline pummels with renewed vigor, and Jetty pulls all the elements together in a flying final third. Lost in Regionals is the most introspective of the three cuts, with wistful melodic lines and deep, emotive vocal chops. The track brings a dancefloor punch too, with a tough syncopated beat punctuated by rolling ama basslines and deft inflections of Jersey club samples. On Sunnys, a sub-zero oscillating bassline underpins a heavy club excursion. The track brims with rhythmic intensity, bass hits pinging between beats and frantic vocals scrambling over the drum tracks. A bracing half-speed switch-up.brings the track to another level, rolling to the finish with low-frequency weightiness. Feet Dont Fail Me Now is available across all digital platforms from August 16th.
Sam Binga and Rider Shafique return to Critical in their usual atypical style, smudging the lines between dancehall, hip-hop and US club music with three vocal-driven sonic killers. ‘Bamboo’ is pure dancehall, with a stabbing bashment rhythm ridden by a slack set of lyrics from Rider that would do Vybz Kartel proud. Title track ‘Get Down Low’ calls on Cardiff rapper Magugu to elevate a moody lesson in club-ready 808s. Finally, ‘Vendetta’ takes things fully West Coast, with Teklife producer Taso linking Binga on the beats and San Francisco’s MicahTron joining Rider on the mic.
Bancal makes his Teklife debut with Slide, a brand new single from the French footwork fanatic. Channeling inspiration from composers like Philip Glass, he takes an arpeggiated spectral choir through a maze of rapidly changing drum patterns. Half-time rhythms and reckless hi-hats from Chicago guide a supernatural film score over bleak 808s. A moody moment for the club, or an eerie moment on the screen, it's a wonderful reworking of minimalism, and a magical new addition to the label's catalog.
Elixir dives deep taking on new forms as UK bass legend, Om Unit, joins us at the table. Dub-infused and Bass-heavy breakbeat rumble through the room for Om Unit has revised and revisited one of Bastian Benjamins album classics, Mycelium.
A fresh release out of Manchester this summer sees two of the city's mainstays, Obeka and Left, Right & Centre, team up for the first time ever to pack a fiery punch with a ferocious 6-track EP. Featuring a guest appearance from Bryte as well as a spicy remix from Bitter Babe for good measure, the release is a real statement of intent from the label and producer alike. Hailing from Bermuda, Obeka makes up one-third of the Me Gusta Collective, an event series championing global sounds in Manchester, bringing world-renowned DJs, producers, and musicians to the UK for truly unique showcases. Obeka draws direct influence from Bermuda with this release, channeling the island's energy and influence into his production, particularly through the use of percussion and rhythmic qualities that really shine throughout. Contrasting this with the makeup of the city he now resides in, the 'Commence' EP uses the disparity between these two environments, alongside his personal connection to both, as the backbone of the music within it. 'Badman Silo' introduces the release with a tension-building, club-ready hit that infuses pitched-up electronic influences with organic percussion sounds and chopped vocals to really set the tone. 'Ya Betta' is, however, the highlight, featuring the unmistakable sounds of Bryte, whose call-and-response-type vocals create an invitation for true dance expressionism. The final track features Bitter Babe on the remix of the same track, an artist whose Colombian flair combined with contemporary club styles has put her on the map in recent years. Her contribution here uses that Latin influence alongside Obeka's Bermudan style for a drum-laden hit ready to destroy dancefloors everywhere. The 'Commence' EP is available on all major digital platforms on July 26th. Don't miss your chance to experience this extraordinary collaborative effort-courtesy of Obeka and Left, Right & Centre.
lau.ra debuts on HOT HAUS fresh from remixing Jayda G for Ninja Tune, tearing up the floor at Circoloco and appearing alongside the like of DJ EZ, Fatboy Slim & fellow Hot Hauser Meg Ward. Here we are treated to a slice of her signature bass heavy house ready to set the vibe alive on dance floors all summer.
Having first emerged as Rukus back in 2017, both Nico and Jon have been embroiled in the music scene for decades in various different forms. Natives of Bristol, the pair have a deep and long-standing love of dance music in all of its forms, such is the wide reaching arms of the city - embracing all within its rich musical history. From radio shows to promoting parties, from festivals to clubs and all point between, their teenage years spent in the 80s and 90s has left an indelible mark on their influences - a lot of which can be found on this, their debut album. Born out of the roots of soundsystem culture, the early 90s boom of rave music and free parties soon found its way into their ears via mixtapes and pirate stations, then ultimately clubs. The deep cavernous basslines and frantic sped up breakbeats of hardcore drew instant influence and often direct samples from the 70s and 80s reggae, dub and dancehall emanating from Jamaica - just a quick look at some of the biggest tunes of that time can find the roots of soundsystem running deep in the rave - SL2 "Way In My Brain", Meat Beat Manifesto "Radio Babylon" and Lennie De Ice's anthemic "We Are IE". Finding themselves drawn to the original elements, Rukus soon developed a deeper love of dancehall and bashment, retaining that raw energy but moving closer to the source. Retracing their steps, the duo have created an album that not only shows the link between Jamaican music and the UK, but gives tribute to the many legendary tracks that were born out of it. Parallels is about reverse engineering some of their favourite rave and jungle tunes, extracting the DNA and mutating it to develop something new - taking the rave back to the dancehall. Wearing their influences proudly on their sleeves you should be able to recognise some of the most loved classics such as Adam F's "Circles" and Dance Conspiracy's "Dub War" replayed in a new setting, but there's also some lesser known, but just as loved gems in there. Adding vocals was a big part of the plan, once again the pair wanted to find MCs and vocalists that echoed the same symbiotic vibe. First up, Jamaica's Shanique Marie (who is known for her work with Equiknoxx) teams up with Mancunian MC Trigganom for "Ride Or Die", opening the album with scorching intent. Elsewhere up and coming JA superstar Blvk H3ro blesses "Venomous" alongside Bristolian veteran Buggsy. Grime was never too far from the conversation, so up steps Roll Deep legend Killa P for an intense vocal on "Fallen" and Italian bashment don XL Mad on "Darkness". Another Equiknoxx cohort Kemikal crops up on "We Real", his lively chat riding the beat perfectly. On other tracks they've let the music do the talking, letting the genius of the original compositions shine through, but giving them that Rukus tweak. In short, Parallels is a love letter to rave, skewed through a dancehall lens - giving a knowing nod to the past, but with it's eye firmly on the future.
Rukus, Trigganom, Shanique Marie, Buggsy, Blvk H3ro, Kemikal, Killa P, XL Mad