Balancing spacious dub modernism and angular techno exploration, Japan's Dayzero lands on Menace with a wide-ranging and brilliantly rendered four-track EP. Tsuyoshi Hamada has been a prolific presence in the Japanese bass music scene for more than 10 years, turning his hand to all kinds of dubstep variations for local and international labels. He's just as comfortable dealing in roots-referencing steppas as he is stripping back to a raw, synthetic core, and that makes him a perfect fit for Menace's own bassweight mission. This new EP leads with the metallic, intricate pulses of 'CV Mirror', a percussive workout that constantly shifts gears around a constant patter of 808 toms just crying out for creative DJs to get deep into the blend. 'Multi Peak' throws down the toughest groove of the EP with a chunky beat offset by snappy techno synth flourishes. On the flip, 'Density Control' navigates towards cavernous dub techno chords and a 4/4 thump with hints of UK funky and amapiano guiding the subtle rhythmic accents around the kick drum. Rounding the record off in a mesmerising, heads-down roll, 'In Parallel' weaves delicate layers of percussion through a dense bed of ambient atmospherics. Across the distinctive sound of each track on CV Mirror, Dayzero's approach blends experimentation and razor-sharp rhythms, stepping up to Menace's commitment to take the dance in fresh directions without giving an inch on physical impact.

Continuing his flawless run of releases across labels and styles, Kyoto heavyweight Stones Taro lands on Dubrunner's Menace with four essential slabs of bass science. It was around 2020 when Stones Taro productions started to make waves, as he deftly moved between elegant jungle, rubbery acid, rowdy UKG and sparkling bruk. Much more than a jack of all trades, Taro brings a staggering level of sophistication and personality to each and every corner of the dance he occupies, and that holds true as he serves up Telling The Time. The title track deploys deadly half step and a constant sense of rising pressure around a vocal snippet that calls back to the early days of breakbeat hardcore - cult kids TV show Trumpton was sampled back in the anything-goes day of early rave, and Taro spells out the lineage of his sound with his own trip back to the 1960s stop-motion animation. 'Proximity Warning' locks in for a more tightly wound groove in the 140 realm, weaving a labyrinthine tapestry of samples and atmospheric impulses around the nuanced rhythm section. On the flip, 'Desaturation' leans into true-school dub motifs, complete with siren bleeps and the subtlest flecks of drum breaks in an elegant balance of dubstep's roots and its constant forward momentum. 'False Alarm' saves the most flamboyant moves until last, creating a secret weapon in the finest B2 tradition with a gnarly, floor-igniting riser laced with an incredibly tasteful lick of distortion. It's cool, deadly and wild all in the same bar. Maintaining his devastating flair while subtly tightening his focus, Stones Taro serves up the perfect meeting point between his ever-evolving sound and Menace's commitment to forward-facing, system-minded club music.

Menace UK Bass / Club

Menace UK Bass / Club