Back catalogue: Deep Dubstep

Review: Some artists' music is perfectly suited to the album format. You could certainly form a watertight case that deep dubstep duo Author falls into that category. This second album (their first appeared on Tectonic in 2011) offers conclusive proof. Deep and atmospheric, with plenty of neat musical touches and interesting sound selections, Forward Forever is a masterclass in the horizontal possibilities of British bass music. Highlights are plentiful, from the jaunty dub pulse of "After Time" (one of a number of cuts featuring guest Quark), and piano-laden stoner hip-hop of "In The Sky" (on which Jehst and Stig of the Dump guest), to the jazzual two-step gorgeousness of "My Only".

Review: While the cover artwork may make Benton look like a moody former member of an R&B boy band, the music contained on Reflections is as robustly underground as you'd expect. Moving from Burial-ish paranoid atmospherics to deep dubstep-soul via a series of sparse, moody and emotion-rich soundscapes, it portrays the London-based producer as a man for whom the simple pleasures of form and function are just not enough. Along the way, there are growling, murky floorfillers (check the hissing "Herman's Hideout" and "Defect Mind"), dubwise steppers ("20/20 VIP") and occasional blasts of piano-laden beauty (the intricate "We're Both Lost").

Review: Previously known for their pioneering and, at times, outstanding work as Hype Williams, Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland have decided to change tack with a suitably eclectic and unusual full-length for Hyperdub. Black Is Beautiful is an odd but endearing collection that leaps between sounds, styles and genres almost at will. Opening with a blast of fuzzy jazz-rock, its 15 tracks variously touches on skewed dream-pop, E'd-up downtempo curiosities, wrongspeed electronica, calming ambience, woozy demo-pop, skittering, smacked-out rave rhythyms, droning madness and impossible-to-define strangeness. It could just be the album of the year.

Review: Given that he's been on the UK jungle scene since the mid 1990s, it's taken Birmingham-based singer/songwriter David Boomah quite a while to put together this debut album. It was, though, worth the wait, as One World Many Cultures is a fine set. Featuring his distinctive vocals (a mix of toasting and soulful singing) over a variety of sun-flecked styles - jungle, dubstep, soul, dancehall, warm, organic breaks and hip-hop soul - it boasts production from Serum, Rob & Robbie, Benny Page and Aries and Gold. The guestlist also includes mic slayers Tenor Fly, Solo Banton, Harry Shotta, Serocee and YT, guaranteeing an impressive all-star feel to proceedings. There's no doubt, though, that Boomah is the star of the show.

Review: It's been five years since James 'Breakage' Boyle last treated us to full-length exploration of his dusty, dubby, enveloping musical world. Given the half-decade gap, it's perhaps unsurprising that When The Night Comes in is a more mature set than previous explorations. While rooted in the kind of post-dubstep, trap and half-step drum & bass with which he's best known, there are nods to bustling, bass-heavy house, glitch-hop, and modern soul, with a range of vocalists swinging by to lend a hand. For all the enjoyable eclecticism, it's notable that the album's standout moment, "I On U", is a roughneck exercise in pounding jungle revivalism that doffs a cap to the early days of liquid D&B.

Review: Of all the artists past and present who claim to let their music do their talking for them, Burial is one of the elite band of whom this truly is the case. In fact, so reluctant is he to engage with the cult-of-personality hoopla that surrounds almost every modern producer and musician of merit, that he remains a genuine recluse; he has never appeared live, only one obliquely-angled publicity photograph is known to exist, and the number of interviews he has given can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Yet despite this, his music speaks loud and wide, and the world has been listening ever since his 'South London Boroughs' EP debut on Hyperdub in March 2005. His eponymous album, which began life as a low-key release in May 2006, is now widely regarded as the benchmark release of the ever-widening dubstep genre, picking up unanimous critical acclaim along the way, and ending the year heavily featured in many 'best of' polls. Now Burial returns with 'Untrue', a new record of weird soul music, which lovingly processes spectral female voices into vaporised R&B and smudged 2step garage. Vocal lines are blurred, smeared, pitched up pitched down and pitch bent until their content is cast adrift from their original context and they whisper their saccharin sweet nothings into the void. The album continues with the debut's crackle-drenched yearning and bustling syncopations, haunted by the ghosts of rave, but also reveals some new Burial treats with a more glowing, upbeat energy. Kicking off with the skittering 2step syncopations and vocal science of 'Archangel', 'Near Dark' and 'Ghost Hardware', before long it descends into a space of radiant divas and ambience. Where 'Burial' first was humid, suffocating and unrelentingly sad, 'Untrue' is less sunless. Many of the tracks are so sweet, they become toxic, underscored by the almost geological rumbles of growling basslines. Unlike the overpoweringly melancholic prevailing mood of before, Burial's sound is now better defined as a downcast euphoria typified by the epic, muted optimism of the album's last track 'Raver'. Forget central heating the radioactivity of this album is all that you'll need to keep you warm this winter. 'Untrue' is available as full 13 track digipack CD, including recent underground hit 'Ghost Hardware', and 9 track DJ friendly double vinyl set, from which some of the beatless pieces have been edited.

Review: William Bevan has now been operating long enough under the Burial alias to be awarded a celebratory "best of" compilation by Hyperdub, the imprint he's been releasing on since 2005. This is no ordinary retrospective, though. It deliberately ignores the celebrated early portion of his career, with the artist choosing to focus not only on tracks made and released in the last eight years, but also those tucked away on B-sides and the darker corners of his EPs. It offers a fine snapshot of the subtle evolution of his sound, quietly creeping between the hushed field recordings and glacial synthesizer lines of "Nightmarket", the intensely up-beat breakbeat madness of "Rival Dealer", the haunting, near 14-minute melancholy of "Rough Sleeper" and the future garage rush of recent single "Claustro".

Review: This first album on Kode9's deeply-respected Hyperdub label comes from the mysterious Burial, who carves out a sound which sends the dormant slinky syncopations of UK garage, via radio interference, into a padded cell of cushioned, muffled bass, passing through clouds of Pole's dense crackle dub en route. 'Burial' - the album - explores a tangential, parallel dimension of the growing dubstep ouevre, using sounds set in a near-future South London submerged underwater. You can never tell if the crackle is the burning static off pirate radio transmissions, or the tropical downpour of the city outside, taking its loud-quiet aesthetic neither from the latest digital glitch software nor a mere nostalgia for vinyl's intrinsic physicality. In their sometimes suffocating melancholy, most of these tracks seem to yearn for drowned lovers, as haunted echoed voices breeze in and out, on roads to and from other times. The smouldering desire of 'Distant Lights' is cooled only by the percussive ice-sharp slicing of blades and jets of hot air blowing from the bass. Listen also for a fleeting appearance from Hyperdub's resident vocalist, the Spaceape, unravelling his cryptobiography. 'Burial' is a renegade signal from other frequencies, a tidal wave of seductive low-impact noise submerging all but the crispest syncopations, and is well on course to be universally welcomed as the standard-bearer for creative vision built upon the grime and dubstep blueprint.

Review: Cologne-based Belfast boy Dominick Martin has been delivering deliciously good albums as Calibre for the best part of a quarter of a century, frequently departing from his trademark drum & bass sound to showcase his love of other sub-heavy and mind-bending sounds such as dub techno, ambient and dubstep. On Little Foot, his first album in two years and 22nd in total, he leans into this considered eclecticism. For proof, compare and contrast the tactile and dreamy 4/4 dub of 'Blame Dub', the dub-wise junglist bruk-up of 'Special', the mutant two-step delight of 'Ukrained', the angularm, sub-heavy UK techno of 'Threadvare' and the Mark Ernestus style spaced-out dub techno of 'Choosing Beggar'. And that's just CD1. A genuine triumphant from one of bass culture's most distinctive musical voices.

Review: Under the Calibre alias, Dom Martin has never been afraid to supplement his main drum & bass work with tracks that explore different musical styles. He's gone one step further on this album for Craig Richards' label, the Nothing Special. Stripped of all jungle intent, Grow impressively shuffles between jazzy future garage, hazy post-dubstep soundscapes, warm, breakbeat-driven grooves (the early Blu Mar Ten style bliss of "Thunder Fog"), throbbing futurist dub (the brilliant "Over The Top"), and, perhaps most surprisingly for those keen on D&B, four-to-the-floor deep house (the clandestine "Mention"). The fact that it's all rather good confirms what many in D&B already knew: that Martin is a hugely talented producer.

Review: Scott Monteith is something of an electronic veteran, having plied his trade with the likes of Scape and Wagon Repair since the turn of the 2000s. Over the years, he'd steadfastly refused to stick to one style, flitting between dub techno, glitchy minimalism, jaunty electronica and paranoid ambience. Throughout, his releases have retained a heightened sense of atmosphere. Here, he delves into his varied box of tricks for eighth solo full-length. Those familiar with his style will feet right at home, as Monteith contrasts the organic-electronic fusion of "Alamut" and deep dubstep-pop of "Lazy Jane", with the ricocheting minimalism of "Punta Des Chorros" and dense dub techno of "Yard".

Review: When it comes to dubstep, Distance (AKA DJ/producer Greg Sanders) has pretty much done it all. Since making his debut in 2003, he's released two fine albums on Planet Mu, mixed a volume of the Dubstep Allstars series, and laid down a string of killer 12" singles. With this history in mind, it's perhaps unsurprising that Dynamis, his first full-length for Tectonic, sees him look further afield or inspiration. While heavyweight sub-bass and the rhythmic swagger of dubstep remain at the heart of his productions, the album also incorporates elements of dubstep, experimental electronica, IDM, electro, ambient, and even Nine Inch Nails style fuzz-rock intensity.

Review: Former turntablist DJ Foster has been one of the biggest names in the Italian dubstep scene since the mid 2000s. The timing is clearly right, then for this debut mix album. Mining the deeper end of dubstep - think evocative chords, smooth but deep basslines, skittish rhythms and intoxicated sounds - Bloodstock is a fluid and sensual journey perfect for post-club sit-downs and horizontal listening. Along the way, there are notable tracks from FNC, Occult, J Robinson (the more obviously dub reggae-influenced, Mad Professor-ish "Lions in Croatia") and Konvex, whose sparse but fearlessly rhythmic "The Fight" provides a clear highlight.

Review: Dusk and Blackdown have been operating on the progressive end of the dubstep spectrum for some time, having released their first material way back in 2005. Desaflex, their second full-length, continues where previous sets left off, offering a deep but surprisingly floor-friendly take on dubstep. Taking influences from a variety of sources - IDM, electronica, garage and UK funky, most obviously - they offer-up a series of well-polished but pleasingly analogue-sounding cuts full of energy and, most importantly, good ideas. At times, their brand of finely tuned bass-tronica sounds like early Black Dog with a dubstep pulse, at others like a futurist outing to Croydon. Throughout, it's a delightful listen.

Review: UK techno veterans Mark Broom and James Ruskin first joined forces under The Fear Ratio alias back in 2011, delivering the inventive - and hugely enjoyable - IDM-meets-techno full-length, Light Box. Here they join forces once more for a follow-up that gleefully explores similar sonic territory, whilst throwing a few more influences - most notably experimental hip-hop and vintage electro - into the pot for good measure. The result is a hugely entertaining album that naturally doffs a cap to Skam Records' dystopian roots, as well as the heavyweight soundsystem throb of dubstep, the hypnotism of dub techno, and the crackling electronic wizardry of Autechre.

Review: A giant leap for Punch Drunk, this debut LP by Bristol producer Guido could lead to an avalanche of fans for the burgeoning "purple sound" of young Bristol producers like Guido, Joker, and Gemmy. After only a handful of singles and remixes, Guido has fashioned a perfect album that drips with freshness and originality. Combining post-dubstep styles with a pop sensibility and the production clarity of The Neptunes, there's a host of unlikely sounds thrown into the mix that strangely end up working - check the Kenny G-style sample flipped perfectly in the appropriately named "Mad Sax" as an example.
While the album starts off on an exclusively instrumental tip, "Beautiful Complications" bucks the trend and features a deliciously warped female vocal that works a treat with Guido's sparse and gritty beats. As the album steadily grows in energy, tunes like "Way You Make Me Feel" and "You Do It Right" pack more beats into the bars and the album really feels like a journey, not just a random collection of songs. Not only is it an accomplished debut, it's fiercely original and exciting, and comes very highly recommended indeed.

Review: Undisputed godfathers of UK dubstep Horsepower Productions are back with another full length; their first in 12 years since 2004's To The Rescue LP. As Tempa themselves put it succinctly: "Crooks, Crime & Corruption" draws from numerous facets of the UK underground and further afield in order to take you on a compelling, wholly immersive journey. Highlights include "Justify" featuring Harry Keyworth which sounds like Jah Wobble versus Ry Cooder, the deep spiritual house of "Bak 2 NY" or "Kurisoity 6" and the business as usual, street level bass therapy as heard on the raw "Change" or the pure fire junglist anthem "Criminally Insane".

Review: Having previously set out his stall via a series of well-received singles on Tempa, Wheel & Deal, Osiris Music, Cold Recordings and Boka Records, Jack Gibbons' has finally got round to producing a debut album under his now-familiar Ipman alias. Pleasingly, Depatterning is a thrill-a-minute set with a genuine sense of purpose. Taking heavy, surging sub-basslines as his foundation, Gibbons gleefully lays down a range of tracks that giddily joins the dots between post-dubstep rhythms, early British hardcore, classic jungle, fuzzy 4/4 grooves, IDM, mutant two-step and ambient. Throughout, he retains the perfect balance between redlined funk, crackling soundscapes and the melodiousness of vintage electronica.

Review: Following on from his debut artist album Cyclical in 2008, Brighton based producer, Ital Tek brings us his sophomore outing, Midnight Colour on the highly respected Planet Mu imprint. Kicking off with "Neon Arc" - a deliciously fuzzy broody number, with a nod to the Joker-style 'Bristol Sound' in the synths - it's a promising start to what soon unfolds into a magnificent album. Moving through the melodic, reflective Mount Kimbie style "Talis" with its evocatively drawn dripping and chiming, and hollow textured soundscape, to the more abrasive "Moonbow" and "Babylon", it's easy to see why Ital Tek has garnered such a reputation for himself in such a short time. Midnight Colour picks up on the sound that has come to define Ital Tek, taking the whole 'post-dubstep' tip to new lengths, weaving 2-stepping garage rhythms round sonic textures with plenty of moody atmospheric melancholy.

Review: Given that Young Echo operatives Kahn (AKA Joe McGann) and Neek (Sam Barrett) have been working together for well over a decade, it's a surprise to discover that this is the post-grime, dub-loving duo's first collaborative album. Wisely, they've utilised the potential of the album format, choosing not to fill the set with bona-fide club bangers (there are naturally some present), but instead take us on a deep, psychedelic, mind-altering musical journey that effortlessly blends dark ambient, deep dubstep, grime, twisted electronica, smoke-charred sonic textures, dub-wise riddims, chiming electronic melodies and countless guest raps from some of the best MCs in the business. In a word: excellent!

Review: It seems fitting that the hundredth and final volume in the "FabricLive" mix series should also be its most hotly anticipated. Coming from heavyweight heroes Kode9 and Burial - whose previous back-to-back mix for Mary-Anne Hobbs' show eight years ago has reached near mythical status. The album is a wonderfully full-throttle and mixed-up affair, with the shadowy bass lieutenants giddily flitting between quick-fire sections focusing on South African gqom, footwork, Juke, vintage hardcore, early jungle and more contemporary dancefloor experimentalism, each broken up by typically blazed and paranoid ambient interludes and the occasional surprise selection. There's a lot going on throughout, but that only adds to the fun. In other words, it's a triumphant finale to a landmark mix series.

Review: From Cuba, Mala heads south for another mystic adventure in international cross-pollination on Mirrors, the Deep Medi man's latest LP-length bubbler for Brownswood. Fusing inspirations, energies, talents and techniques from Peru - and working with some of the country's most respected musicians - it's another immersive body of work that genuinely sounds like no other. From the pensive tribal march of "Cusco Street Scene" to the shimmering twangs and dusty, languid claps of "Zapateo" by way of demented insistency of "Looney" and the muddy cosmic textures of "The Calling", Mala has once again immersed himself so deeply into a culture and musical discourse that he not only speaks it fluently but has added to its rich vernacular. Vinyl was invented for albums like this.

Review: Mala's album project comes to light with a healthy amount of expectation. The DMZ / Deep Medi Musik main man has always carried a reverence amongst the dubstep scene for his unfussy approach, staying true to the sound he helped forge in the nascent days of the genre while avoiding over-exposure or buckling to hype and trend where so many of his peers succumbed to change. As such this project sees the man well outside of his comfort zone as he tackles a specific album project whilst sticking his head more clearly overground to work with Gilles Peterson on an adventure in Cuba working with local musicians. This is most definitely Mala's music, and the spiritual, tribal nature of his productions to date only gets enhanced by the influx of Cuban folk sounds. This is no simple case of ripping samples and dropping them for token effect though; the percussive patterns and licks of piano, guitar, horns and voice are completely interwoven into the South London pressure as if they were always meant to be. It's testament to the pure approach Mala takes in the studio that he manages to balance these unlikely bedfellows to such fluid effect. Undoubtedly there will be naysayers who will argue that in doing an album of this nature Mala is diluting his purist vision for dubstep, but in truth the approach and end results he has managed to conjure up bring a revitalising, fresh angle to the genre, which is what it needs in abundance. There's maybe a lack of the "shock of the new" factor as Cubano music is not exactly a stranger to UK dance music forms, and Mala isn't exactly switching his own stance too drastically, but ultimately that doesn't matter. The whole album is direct and immensely satisfying to listen to, capturing the alluring spirit of South American folk tradition and empowering it with the transcendental nature of dubstep in its finest form

Review: Great Lengths, the first album by singular Dutch producer Martyn made big waves last year. Yet another talent to drift from drum and bass into 2-Step/dubstep/wobble territory, he put his own unique stamp on the genre and was shown a lot of love around the world as a result. This revisit to Great Lengths sees two very spooky gentlemen, Zomby and Redshape, take on two of its tracks.

Zomby's output has been fairly prolific of late and he's established a fanatical fanbase who follow him hawkishly. Anyone who's heard his Rave homage "Where Were U In '92?" will know how extreme he can get, but on his mix of "Hear Me" he plays it relatively safe. He keeps things nicely sparse, keeping the "Can you hear me" line from the original while adding some nice arpeggiated synths and a funky Soca beat over the top. Needless to say, his fans won't be disappointed as it's bound to blow up big time with DJs over the next few weeks.

Berlin-based Redshape is an enigma, a man whose identity is unknown and who wears a mask to hide his face at all times. He also does an awesome line in Detroit techno, which is thankfully fully visible on his mix of "Seventy Four". A wicked whispering vocal keeps the tune driving along nicely over gliding synth pads to create a mix that's as woozy as it is pumping. Both of these mixes come very highly recommended.

Review: Having built his reputation via a swathe of heavy, soundsystem-abusing 12" singles, self-styled "enigmatic producer" Nomine switches focus for this much anticipated debut album. Altogether deeper and more imaginative than his -admittedly brilliant - singles, Inside Nomine makes great use of the album format, delivering a slowly evolving set of tracks that blends dubstep essentials - heavy bass, punishing rhythms, paranoid and spooky textures - with African-influenced percussion, hazy vocals, bubbling electronics and plenty of strange spoken word vocal samples. As a result, it's an impressive set that marks Nomine out as one of dubstep's greatest contemporary talents.

Review: It's been 10 years since Italian junglist collective Numa Crew first got together. This debut album, then, is long overdue. Those who've followed their progress will know what to expect - a heavily dub and reggae influenced fusion of classic jungle, jump-up and Ganja Kru style dancefloor anthems, often with plenty of references to 'erb. Of course, it's not all vintage drum & bass riddims and ital vocals, and there are a few tracks that doff a snapback cap to trap, dubstep and grime. Interestingly, there are also a handful of straight-up dub and reggae cuts. Making New Underground Music Alliance a pleasingly varied and entertaining debut.

Review: Some three years after he emerged in the misty heights (or depths) of Witch House's short lived notoriety, the amusingly spectral named oOoOO delivers his debut album Without Your Love. Evidently no longer aligned with the Tri Angle aesthetic, this eleven track set comes via the Nihgt Feelings label the San Franciscan producer runs with a "couple of local gravediggers" and expands on the approach shown on his two EPs for Robin Carolan's label. No longer called Witch House, oOoOO is now embraced as the point where post modern R&B song writing meets queasy, spacious musical arrangements, so expect auto tuned vocals floating over ethereal ivory blessed soundscapes and crust laden MPC beats. The stuttering detuned Atlanta hip hop of "The South" and the suite of Burial-esque cuts that follow are standout tracks.

Review: Hessle Audio's baby faced production genius David Kennedy effectively uses this Fabric Live mix to sign off the Ramadanman pseudonym that has delivered so many classics of recent times. FabricLive 56 should be seen as a wider celebration of the many disparate strains of forward-thinking bass music that populate so many screen inches and record shop shelves. The 30 track selection expertly weaves through everything from dubstep, future garage, stripped-back post-rave and UK funky to next-level electro, noughties bruk, tropical beats and heavyweight 808-workouts. The impeccable mixing, action-packed vibe and heavyweight tracklist (MJ Cole and Wiley, Addison Groove, Joy Orbison, Pinch, Girl Unit, Mala etc) combine to make something very special indeed a lesson in 21st century beats and bass from one of the scene's brightest stars.

Review: It's nearly three years since Bristol-based dubstep explorer Phaeleh released his debut album, the decidedly deep and murky Fallen Light. On this second full-length, he switches his attentions to the more accessible, downtempo-influenced end of the genre, matching his ever-present low-end heaviness with intricate melodies, breezy atmospherics, and woozy, trip-hop style female vocals. For the most part, it's a formula that hits the spot, with stand out tracks "Here Comes The Sun" and "Whistling In The Dark" offering a contemporary take on '90s trip-hop. Best of all, though, is the beatless title track, which is little more than a powerfully emotional exercise in sublime piano playing.

Review: Since 2010, Zeb Samuels' Deep Heads imprint has been on a mission to prove that dubstep can be as deep, melodious, evocative and musically rich as any other electronic music style. This second label compilation - featuring two unmixed CDs, and a bonus DJ mix from Phaeleh - continues this approach. Via a range of previous Deep Heads releases and previously unheard cuts, Samuels and company prove that dubstep can still be sub-heavy and floor-friendly, whilst embracing the sort of rich, jazzy chords, tactile electronics and soulful elements often found in summery deep house and Rhodes-laden downtempo productions. There's much to admire, including killer cuts from Geode, Synkro, Submotion Orchestra and Mercy, whose two-step inspired "Serrana Love" is sublime.

Review: After the undisputed joy of his surprisingly eclectic DJ Kicks mix earlier in the year, Rupert Parkes once again dons his infamous Photek guise for his fifth full length, and his first for some five years. Since his halcyon days as one of British D&B's leading lights, Parkes has progressively moved in different directions, applying his cinematic style to a myriad of genres. Ku:Palm continues the trend, offering a shimmering, entertaining blend of skittish deep dubstep, glistening downtempo moods, '80s-electro inspired dancefloor jams and a variety of luscious 4/4 house and techno-inspired jams. Pleasingly, it not only holds together, but also makes perfect sonic sense.

Review: Since first bursting onto the dubstep scene in 2005, Bristol producer Rob 'Pinch' Ellis has gone on to be one of the sound's leading lights. An early adopter - indeed, he put on the first ever dubstep parties in his home city - he revolutionized the sound with his brilliant 2007 debut full-length Underwater Dancehall. Now a major player, here he revisits his early days with a collection of obscure B-sides and remixes. Naturally, there's plenty to enjoy, from the crystalline electronics and dubwise rhythms of "Motion Sickness", to the dubstep-techno fusion of "30HZ Mutate(d)", madcap IDM of "Attack Of The Giant Killer Robot Spiders" and spooky goodness of "Qawali VIP".

Review: Individually, Pinch and Mumdance have been responsible for some of the most forward-thinking bass music of the past year, with the former's Cold Recordings pushing the darker techno-inspired sounds of the 130 axis and the latter leaving everyone else in the dust with his twisted takes on grime and UK club music. On this mix CD for Pinch's Tectonic Recordings, the pair team up for a B2B session filled with exclusives from themselves and like-minded producers like Alex Coulton, Logos and Ipman, which joins the dots between the past, present and future of the scene. If you were worried that bass-focused music had run itself into a 4/4 shaped hole, fear not - this mix is the next step you've been waiting for.

Review: Given dubstep's evolution of late, it can be difficult to find anything fresh. On this latest volume of Tempa's Dubstep Allstars series, scene veterans Silkie and Quest attempt to resolve this poser by joining the dots between the sound's past, present and future. So, there are bursts of roughness and the odd dubwise roller, but for the most part Dubstep Allstars 9 is a lesson in the deep, soulful and jazz-flecked end of the style. Most of the cuts come from Silkie and Quest's combined back catalogue, as well as the slick fodder put out by Mala on his Deep Medi imprint. That's not a criticism, though; by mining such a relatively narrow seam of material, the duo ensures that the mix has a smooth coherence that makes it hypnotically addictive.

Review: Ninja Tune offshoot Counter has described Alium, Submotion Orchestra's third full-length, as "bigger, bolder and brighter" than previous offerings. It's true that the Leeds-based seven-piece are in fine form, with the string-drenched, early-evening-at-a-festival feel of their more downtempo offerings (highlighted by the fragile, folksy vocals of Ruby Turner) off-set by a selection of tracks that draw more deeply on dubstep, dancefloor jazz, soul and surging electronica influences. As a result, Alium bobs and weaves attractively, mixing lighters-aloft torch songs with more immersive, grandiose efforts guaranteed to get feet moving and lips quivering out on the dancefloor.

Review: The Submotion Orchestra is an interesting proposition. An eight-piece from Leeds who built their reputation on impressive live performances, they musically join the dots between floor-friendly dubstep, twinkling ambience, comfy neo-soul, broken beat and future jazz. Really, they have all the ingredients to enjoy considerable crossover success. Take this second full-length, for example. There are yearning, emotion-rich downtempo tracks aplenty (see "Snow" and "Sleepwalker"), but also confirmed floorfillers (the jazz-stop heaviness of It's Not Me It's You" and spooky "Thousand Yard Stare"). In between, they deliver a range of slinky, accessible cuts, including one track that sounds like a dubstep take on Steve Reich's "Music For 18 Musicians".

Review: Long Live The Jazz is the ambitious new set from Butterz associate Swindle, nominally the London producer's third album and most high profile to boot, finding a welcome home on Deep Medi Musik. Since his emergence in 2009, Swindle's stood out in grime and dubstep circles thanks to a propensity to pepper his productions with the influences of his childhood heroes, such as George Clinton and Roy Ayers. Following releases on Planet Mu, Rwina and Butterz, Swindles ascension to Mala's label with last year's Do The Jazz 12" set the tone for what to expect on this LP. "Do The Jazz" closes the album and remains as fun as was upon 12" release last year, whilst the equally deranged trad dubstep of recent cut "Forest Funk" also features amongst this highly enjoyable 13 track set.

Review: By the time he released his superb debut album Changes in 2015, Joe McBride AKA Syknro already had a seven-year career behind him, with releases on the likes of Med School, Smokin' Sessions, Box Clever and Z Audio to his name. Memories 2008-2011 gathers together some of the highlights from the producer's formative years, showcasing his deliciously hard-to-pigeonhole style. Take a quick skip through the clips of the two-disc selection, and you'll find confirmed garage rollers, soft-focus ambient/two-step fusions, dreamy but bass-heavy electronica, post-dubstep drowsiness, hazy future funk, and a gaggle of workouts that defy easy categorization. It acts as a neat reminder of McBride's unique musical voice and production skills,

Review: Browswood return with a fourth edition of their much loved Electr*c compilation series, effectively offering a compelling insight into the budding international production talent wedged in the various micro genres of the electronic music scene. Akkord pair Synkro and Indigo, Jack Dixon and Djrum are a few of the names that have gone on to wider success after featuring on the Electr*c series so there's always a certain cachet to being picked here. It's nice to see such a broad range of styles covered here too with the twelve tracks covering introspective arrangements, kaleidoscopic hip hop, hyperkinetic footwork-Drum & Bass hybrids, 808 heavy house jammers (Deft's "Breakdown" is a particular highlight) and other forward thinking bass-focused flavours.

Review: The ten year celebrations from Hyperdub continue apace here with the second of four planned label compilations arriving with the stated intention of casting "some sunshine" over the label's sometimes "dread filled reputation". Arriving on just one disc this time round as opposed to two, the fourteen tracks nevertheless features productions from DVA, Morgan Zarate, Cooly G, Jessy and Burial among other Hyperdub regulars, who are joined by the vocal talents of Dam-Funk, Fatima and others. Perhaps most exciting is the inclusion of an unreleased track from the defunct partnership of Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland; fans of the latter will also be intrigued by Kode9?s "Lies Lies", which features the talents of Inga in her new solo guise, copeland.

Review: Elevator Music is the best example of the cross pollination between dubstep, grime, house and techno that is becoming more and more prevalent over the last few months. If nothing else, Fabric's first instalment of this new series proves that dunstep doesn't reach its limit with warbling baselines peppered with hazy atmospherics.

Although bass is certainly the name of the game, it is bass that reaches the feet passing the mind first. Not just a reaction to the bass and beats, there is an intelligible and refined sense to the artists and music that feature on Elevator Music. There are warm baselines reminiscent of some of garage's darker moments aligned next to percussive elements of funky house or the bold and brash energy of techno and grime.

Fittingling for Fabric, most of the tracks on this compilation are dancefloor focused. Amid the previously un-released tracks of Elevator Music we are treated to a diverse mix of palettes, again mirroring the vibe of Fabric's club, and the bass heavy genre as a whole which gives it a strong appeal to fans of each sub genre without diluting the ethos to any.

Elevator Music is more than your average compilation and way more than just a collection of tracks. It is a representation of the styles and influences of a sub genre of music that takes in, uses and borrows from a host of already established tastes. Like the Fabric dancefloor itself, Elevator Music embraces all it can, regardless of genre, to remain fresh, new and exciting

Review: Entering what seems like a new phase for Pinch's bastion of forward-thinking dubstep, Tectonic Plates reaches its fourth edition and brings in a raft of fresh producers and new angles on just what the genre might mean in these fractured times. Even the classic standard bearers such as Jakes are bringing curious 4/4 momentum in amidst the sparse, dread filled pressure, while Guido pivots off of the plush musicality of his album to create an utterly broken symphony on "State Of Joy". There are a lot of different ideas floating around the whole compilation, and yet everything holds together with the deep-rooted soundsystem mentality that has always defined Tectonic as a shining example of what dubstep has always meant.

Review: J:Kenzo and Mosaix's Artikal Music has always been one of the more reliable sources of deep, dark and atmospheric dubstep. After an impressive first two years in operation, they've decided to drop their first compilation. Artikal: The Compilation features 14 fresh new and unheard cuts, with contributions from the label's growing international roster of artists. There's naturally plenty to enjoy, from the creeping bass, dub delay and tough rhythms of Skeptikal's "Skavenger" and the dutty pulse of TMSV's remix of Thelem's "Shotlaz", to the picturesque melodies and spacey grooves of Mercy & B9's excellent "Butterfly Kick".

Review: Prior to the 50 Weapons we all know and love today, the imprint was begun as a series of anonymous white labels which we later collected as part of a compilation. This latest collection gathers the best of the label's singles output from the past 12 months. Dark Sky, Benjamin Damage & Doc Daneeka and Cosmin TRG all represent - highlights include Phono's technoid UK garage killer "Abbey Road", Marcel Dettmann's prickly atonal techno bomb "Deluge", and Shed's "RQ-170", an experimental piece of 160BPM dubstep which sounds like Drexciyan explorers picking through the sandblasted remains of a dried up underwater city.

Review: Back in 2010, Peverelist's Punch Drunk label released the Worth The Weight compilation, a collection of hard to find classics from Bristol's dubstep scene. In the years that have passed, dubstep has mutated, and so has Punch Drunk, with the classic dubstep sound giving way to something equally as likely to feature elements of house, techno and experimental music. It's this direction explored in the Worth The Weight Vol. 2: From The Edge, a 12-track compilation featuring tracks from the city and beyond. While Hodge and Tessela represent swung house and techno hybrids, Bass Clef and Ekoplekz are on hand to provide some strange analogue deviations, while Kahn and Zhou represent the city's Young Echo collective. With Pev himself, Andy Mac and Kowton delivering a remix of the classic "Roll With The Punches", this is an essential compilation for anyone with even a passing interest in the past few years of bass-centric UK music.

Review: Brazil's Luvdisaster imprint is one of the country's longest-running exponents of bass music, with releases covering drum and bass, dubstep, grime and trap. Here, they take a different approach, asking a bulging collection of D&B artists to offer-up tracks in non D&B styles that have influenced them over the years. It's a decent idea, and the results are by and large excellent. Highlights include a Roots Manuva-ish hip-hop excursion from Undersound & Intermet ("The Weather"), an immersive deep trip-hop salvo from Duoscience ("Your Eyes In My Memory") and a thrilling blast of samba-jazz from Oliver Ferrer and Michel Palazzo ("Thanks George"). There's also a thrilling piano lament from Undersound ("Thinking of You"), which recalls some of the terrific downtempo work of deep house producer Aqua Bassino.

Review: The original enfant terrible of the bass music world is back with a new album, marking his second long player for 4AD with a sprawling opus of more than 30 skits and skirmishes daubed in his trademark colourful sonic scrawl. There is plenty here that reminds you of the early days of the producer's emergence when dubstep was a younger beast, from the spacious "Horrid" to the measured arpeggios of "Pray For Me", but you'll also find more intricate musings such as the dynamic and dramatic "Memories". Hype abounds on the creepy Funky of "VI-XI", while "Overdose" launches enthusiastically into a jungle tear out. At any given turn, you'll find yourself surprised, lurched from a serene mood into a manic one, only to be tempered again. There's a staggering range of ideas and styles to comprehend here, but would you want it any other way from one of electronic music's most outspoken upstarts?

Review: The eccentric Rudi Zygadlo has always been one of Planet Mu's more interesting acts, but he seems to be getting even more fascinating as the years roll by. His particular USP - vivid pop music that mines a near-bottomless well of influences - allows him great freedom to go in any direction he wishes. Taking the stuccato rhythms of dubstep as a starting point, Tragicomedies finds him romping through woozy and often intensely colourful pop songs that variously touch on '80s synth-funk, R&B, glitch-hop, fuzzy electro and strange electro-folk. There are strings, vintage synths, middle-eastern instruments and Lord knows what else. It's hard to describe, to be honest, but it's pretty darn good.