Juno Recommends Dubstep October 2020

Review: A decade of pure fossil fuel abuse; Sukh Knight's been revving our engines for years now and this seminal breakthrough cut is being celebrated with two inventive releases and the long sought-after VIP. Man of the moment Cimm adds a deeper twist, manipulating the previously staggered shot-like horns into more of a groove. Elsewhere, Mystic State flip the script entirely. Fresh from their recent debut D&B album 'My Own Private Island', they return to the 140 playground for a superb deep and hypnotic version that's more solar power than petrol or indeed diesel.

Review: Having slayed us with a whole slew of dispatches in the last year or so on the likes of Unchained and Vandal, not to mention his own fine line of self releases, HOST now comes correct on Sherelle's firebrand Hooversound label. Dedicated to the rave, it's another deadly body blow... 'Survive' sums up the angst of the time with its warped 808 cascades, '3D Passive' takes foundation elements like the pitched up vocal, skippy breaks and scuffy, gruff production to 2020's dark standards and Om Unit seals the deal with an exemplary remix. Hoover this one up quick sharp.

Review: We're not sure who's behind this, and considering the source material, we're probably not likely to find out too soon either. This doesn't matter when the beats are as fun as this... 'What's The Difference' flexes the orchestral groove with a swagger that's five bank accounts, three ounces and two vehicles wides. 'Still Dre' takes more of a dramatic lead with its dreamy Joker-style synths and a vibe that still rocks its khakis with a cuff and a crease. You won't forget about this one.

Review: Fresh between releases on Deep Medi and Artikal, French bass lord Von D makes his debut on Infernal with three more hot slabs of bass drama. 'Hunedoara' takes us deep into the heart of Transylvania with its swaggering drums and spooky undertones, 'Akasha' takes us further east on a rocket powered by eastern pipes and pure bass sludge before we climax with 'Layers'. Saving the best till last, 'Layers' is Von D at his most melodic and emotional. Heavy, thoughtful, focused but maximal; there's almost a classical schooling behind the bass weight. Stunning, as always from Von D.

Review: Barely a month has passed since German bass artist Soukah gave the world the powerful 'Deadly Snakebite' but now he returns with his debut on Gnischrew's burgeoning Sub Audio. Two originals, two versions; 'Life Without Meaning' is a sobering, contemplative piece led by a decaying arpeggio and distant, glitchy rhythmic textures while 'You Can Run Much Faster' hits with a lighter note; skippier breaks and a misty but ultimately hopeful piano roll. Meanwhile on the remixes, Kodama adds another four minutes to 'Life Without Meaning', flipping it into an unhurried 10 minute narrative while Ourman dices up the piano and twists the focus on 'You Can Run Much Faster' where things aren't quite as misty but the hope has turned into a much strong emotion. Get up and running 1today.

Review: Following massive cuts like 'Still Here' and 'Youtdem', Brizzle's Prizma and South London don Killa P link up once again for 'Bun Down'. Business as usual; swaggering, paranoid beats with stacks of space for Killa's instantly distinctive Jamaican flow. And if that doesn't set your aggy factor to max then jump on the remixes; Somah ups the tempo and weaves a little more eastern instrumentation between P's bars while Enigma Dubz gets busy on the harmonics with a walloping 2007-flavoured melting bass Q&A. Bun it!

Review: ZAMZAM goes bang bang once again as the dutty dubstep label hits release number 80. Cause keeps it utterly filthy on the a-side with 'Hiss,' a heavyweight nobler with a menacing bassline that's so fat it wiggles as it walks. Crashing hits and sci-fi synth motifs make this a most astral crawler. 'Palms' has whirring synths and a bassline curried oceans below. Freaky vocal sounds are haunting and dark and add tension to the track as it prowls along through an utter wasteland. Atmospheric stuff, to be sure.

Review: Marking five years since the release of his 10th studio album, long-haired US bass-fusioneer Lorin Ashton reissues 'Into The Sun' for the first time since its limited vinyl release back in 2015. Released during a peak time of pretty garish EDM, this was a breath of fresh air and took Bassnectar (and his legions of fans) back to that dreamy, emotional, heavily atmospheric state of breaks. Complete with collaborations with the likes of Sayr, Kang and Louis Futon and remixes of bands such as The Naked & Famous and Wintergatan, it's stood the test of the last five turbulent years incredibly well.

Review: There's not a lot of info about Scott Gailey Spring's first album as Hotspring, though Mood Hut's description of it being, 'digital technology half buried in the soil', is rather good. Throughout, Gailey employs a brilliantly inventive, off-kilter mixture of tipsy, off-kilter drumbeats, distant auto-tuned vocalizations, manipulated new age music sounds, pulsing ambient chords, fluttering electronic motifs and knowing nods to future R&B. It's extremely hard to accurately describe, but both brilliantly beautiful and undeniably eccentric: the kind of album that will have you scratching your head and smiling enthusiastically at the same time. If you don't believe us, we'd suggest checking out the clips ASAP.