Juno Recommends Dubstep September 2020

Review: At long last, Von D makes his Deep Medi debut and he's packing some serious Egyptian-Greek wisdom for the ride. We kick off with "Chestlick", a tune that lives up to its name with thick sludgy waves of low-end dynamics oozing out of the speakers. It's followed by the EP title track "Hermetica". Featuring the vocals of Sinerise, there's a deeper sense of contemplation as the wonky loose beats swagger with dubby hypnosis and all manner of trippy layers. Finally Von D signs out with "Symbolism". Tapping into the traditional dub style with consummate ease, it's the sound of Von D delivering an EP we've been eager to see for a long, long time. Salute.

Review: It's been a while since the last solo missive from Finland's premier dubstep producer - three years in fact - so this expansive double-pack on Innamind Recordings is undoubtedly well overdue. He begins via the skittish beats, deep sub-bass and expansive, deep space electronics of "Flo", before bouncing between the pummelling analogue bass and trippy layered vocal samples of "Trippin" and the deeper, echo and reverb-laden deep dubstep shuffle of "Float". Over on record two, "Swamp Dub" is a quietly positive chunk of liquid dubstep warmth; "Tarrot" is a slow, steady and insanely weighty chunk of future dub; and "Morning Glory Dub" is one of the finest chunks of ambient dub we've heard in 2020. Impressive stuff!

Review: Boofy on System; we're surprised this hasn't happened sooner... But the wait has been worth it as we've got two powerful lessons in suspense, tension and low end drama. "Climb Out Of Your Hiding Place" sets the admonishing tone. Paranoid, foreboding and stripped back to the bare elements, it's the perfect pace setter. Flip for another excellently titled track as "Your Shed's Too Big" flips the focus on the rolling steppy percussion and wandering pipe arpeggio that skitters around the cut like a spider on ice. Get shedded.

Review: Felix Ruocco aka Deadcrow hails from The Hague, n the Netherlands, which is mostly associated with rip-snorting electro. He is a master of the dub, however, and now makes his debut on Artikal with a killer two tracker that has already been tearing up dubstep dancehalls. Opener "Scrape" has a real sense of character with its playful lead echoing a classic top line, while the reggae drums below are finished with a truly contemporary aesthetic. "Concrete" is all steel drums, wobbling low end and happy guitar riffs for sunny climes.

Review: Fresh from his White Peach sorcery earlier this year, Bristol's Hiss steps up to K-Lone's slowly blossoming label Wych. An imprint who we're lucky to enjoy one release per year from, every time they do put something into the world it's always worth checking. "Keygen" is no exception. A poignant, emotional tale of product licencing keys told through barbed soul 80s synth funk motifs, this treads the line between G and S.A.D with finesse. "Anatolian Heartland" continues the sombre, reflective atmosphere but with a darker, wave-style twist as soft pads, as smoking 808 kicks and an eastern scale arpeggio turn you inside out. Finally label boss K-Lone ups the twinkle factor on "Anatolian Heartland" for a fittingly beautiful finale. Good knight.

Review: Twisted times call for twisted music: Croydon OG Coki sends the summer off with a two-track headbutt of timeless proportions. "Dub Grinder" is a blast back to 2007 with its brazen horns and flabbery swagger. A track that's been lurking in Coki's sets for some time now and saw a very limited TP release last year, it's now yours to grind on vinyl for a limited time. Needed some extra spice? Flip for "Winter Is Coming" where Coki sharpens up his signature angularities and reminds us who founded the wobble in the first place. Wrap up warm.

Review: BC badness on DDD: after a string of sizzlers on Duploc, ColtCuts returns to Truth's Deep, Dark & Dangerous imprint with four more bruisers. "The Haunting" takes the lead with some real sludgy, muddy, moody graveyard funk while "Help" brings on the creeps with a restrained sense of tension. Flip for "Passage Of Arms", a much more stripped back piece with a dagger-like staccato riff before "Skrrrt" completes the set on a spacious, trippy one. Another crucial one from the CC on the DDDD - the extra D stands for deadly.

Review: LoDubs has been turning out delicious dub for nearly 15 years now, often as a bit of a lone ranger out on the west coast of America. One of its key prophets has been Vancouver's Daega Sound who has mapped the bass sound from dubstep into whatever it is called these days with real craft. Here he serves up two more compelling originals in "Gatekeeper" and "Second Strike". The former is filled with tension as the bass and hits lurch from one foot to the other and the latter is all manic loops and crashing hits. Kromestar closes out with a deadly remix that is more menacing than Mike Tyson in his prime.

Review: The fourth but not quite final instalment of the DUPLOC SELECTS compilation series is a heavy hitting double 12" featuring two tunes from each of the previous four releases. Feonix & A:Grade's "Prumeer" is an early highlight with its spacious swagger and whip-snapping synth sounds depicting a desolate urban landscape, while for a totally different vibe the lush harp ripples of Ourman's "Harpy" is a great escape. With the complete 10-track Chapter III and Chapter IV compilations landing in October and November respectively, think of the final two sides of this release as a fine taster of what to expect.

Review: JEB1 is an inimitable producer who brings his distinctive beats to Hi Tek Sounds with this tidy new single. "Guyana" has a real sombreness in the lead synth that rings out of stuttering drums. There are some soothing vocal sounds, too, but the dread of the bass and tension of the perc do little to assuage the feelings of uncertainly. East Man steps up for the remix on the B side. His version pops with tin pot percussion and growling bass that is at times smooth, at others gritty. It closes out a tight two tracker that packs a real punch.