Juno Recommends Dubstep: April 2023

Review: Mystica Tribe's 'Ido' is a rare treat for fans of steppers and dub techno, fusing the two into a neatly synthetic stew. The Japanese producer is known for his unique blend of dub and electronica, which he infuses with traditional Japanese music influences. 'Ido' sounds to morph a reggae staple instrument - the melodica - into something else entirely, perhaps a physically modelled Shakuhachi. The J-dub player brings up the B with a 'Renren version', with the word meaning "flowing like tears, or a river" - the track mirrors this, focusing solely on the on-beat with its rapid delays and cascading hi-hats.

Review: Thankfully there has now been enough time passed since the original dubstep movement that people are turning back to the genre to reinvent and reinvigorate it without prejudice. There is plenty of like about dubstep 2.0 not least this EP from Dubamine on Dub Stu, which leans heavily on the original dub sounds of the 70s with its natty vocals and rolling drums all brought up to date with crisp contemporary production. 'Cool & Relax' (feat Nazamba) is a sublime tune to sink into while 'Nature's Dub' is as organic as the title suggests, with bottomless bass and endless depths.

Review: It's not often we pass on much trappy EDM to listeners at Juno, but Eprom is a special case, having made a name for himself for pushing the glossy post-dubstep trap style that made many artists like him famous. At the same time, Barclay Crenshaw (Claude VonStroke) is another name in the EDM world whose direction isn't quite the same as Eprom's, but nevertheless shares a space with the former artist for having also remixed Yung Skrrt's wilfully trashy hit 'McDonalds' of late. As both artists have dropped their respective cuts in many a DJ set all over the world, Skrrt's label DIRTYBIRD have now orchestrated a meeting of the two minds - not least to mention this juicy vinyl compilation of the two remixes.

Review: Manny murker Cartridge continues to flex on some of the most respected labels in operation as he makes his debut on Hotplates with two despicable swagger sessions. 'Elephante' oozes out of your scoops like treacle. All ominous and max-pranged. 'The Dark' takes a deeper twist with its chilling arpeggio, greasy breaks and stacks of cold hard space. Moods on point here, Cartridge is fully loaded right now.

Review: You ever danced with Josi Devil in the pale moon light? Well now is your chance! Making his debut on Innamind Josi (AKA Joe Dreamer) hits hard with three unique system shakers. 'Madnuss 2 Long' creeps out at the front, unhurried but very focused. It's backed up by two more heavyweight flavours - 'Sunk Still' is straight up dub with a clinically obese sub bass melting all over the kicks while 'Horn Switch' hurls in a bucket of warm, squiggly alien funk. Exceptional.