Back catalogue: Footwork/Juke

Review: French finesse with German fusion... Willis Anne makes his Shall Not Fade debut with this killer 'Movement' EP. As with previous missives on his LAN imprint, the beats roam and romp freely between footwork, jungle and ghetto-tek with strong twangs of Detroit bringing it all together. Highlights include the wonderful layers of organs and vibrant chords of 'Direct Effect' and the fully-swung breakbeats and bellowing sub of 'Unison'. Get moving.

Review: Binga and Redders join forces once again for a unique hybrid of digi-dub, dancehall and D&B. "Tek Nah Chat" is spacey, gritty and primed for the dance as both characters' unique styles complement each other with physical rawness that no other producer/MC combo can boast (with, perhaps, the exception of Phizzy and Strategy) Further on we get all tripped out by the bending toplines and woozy synths of "Elastic", we get pranged out by the late night future grime "Steppin" and get thrusted back to the oldest of schools with the rampant jungle homage "Chasic". Not a dull moment, Binga is in a league of his own right now.

Review: We don't know who is involved in this brand new Diner's Club International project but we do know that they have put together three superb new records, all of which are landing at the same time. We also know they have come from Detroit, specifically Joy Rd on the West Side, and so come drenched in plenty of the swaggering attitudes you would expect. Diners Club International Part 1 fuses electro, ghetto and techno into booty-shaking cuts designed square for the club. The rhythms are infectious, the drums booming and the vocals bawdy, so snap these up before they're gone as quickly as they arrived.

Review: Hyperdub kick off the vinyl side to their ten-year celebrations with this weighty four-tracker from some of the leading lights from the label's story. Mala is in a strident mood with "Expected, Level 10" carrying through that extra touch of melody from the Mala In Cuba LP. DVA cuts loose with the leftfield scattershot groove of "Technical Difficulties", reveling in tonal experimentation and jagged rhythmic flair to a stunning end. Still locked into the sci-fi trap tangent that characterised Severant, Kuedo turns out the haunting "Mtzpn" and Helix pops up for a remix of Kode9's "Xingfu Lu" that strips down to bare essentials with a little starlit soul rubbed into the framework.

Review: If you love a good old game of musical guess who then get your ears around this, the second of three Diner's Club International records that dropped on our laps under a shroud of mystery. All we have been told about the project is that is a collective of artists from Joy Rd on the West Side of Detroit who are keeping the city's rich ghetto tech traditions alive. The tracks on this, Part 3, are all super short but super compelling - elements of juke, footwork and electro make up the bumping rhythms with smart r&b samples and diffuse synth soul all adding heartfelt charm to the irresistible dancefloor chaos.

Review: Introducing Diner's Club International, a new and anonymous collective, we have been told on the low down, that is here to keep clubs bumping. They hail from Joy Rd on the East of the city of Detroit and are here to keep the ghetto tech scene going strong with a vast array of breathless new rhythms across three different records. Their MO is to get in and out quickly with each track - short, snappy sketches packed with attitude, cut-up vocals and spongy drum and bass patterns. As physical as all these cuts are, they also have a real human heart thanks to the warming pads and well-deployed r&b stabs. These are red hot so do not sleep.

Review: This debut release from footwork crew Teklife's label sees them pay tribute to DJ Rashad, the late, great innovator who passed away in the spring of 2014. Afterlife gathers together a collection of DJ Rashad tracks co-produced by Rashad's close friends and associates, including DJ Spinn, Traxman, DJ Manny and more. As the label themselves state, this 14 track album really conveys the wealth of musical influences and knowledge Rashad possessed with soul, hip-hop, house, techno and many more all brought together at 160 BPM. "Afterlife is our tribute to our friend and our inspiration. Rest In Peace DJ Rashad," Teklife write. Enough said. A must for all fans of Rashad.

Review: Is there a more vital label in all of underground electronic music than FXHE? It never ceases to amaze us how Omar S manages to put out so much music of such high quality, mostly of his own making, but also from plenty of satellite producers he lures under his wing. This time we're treated to a rare full-length from someone other than the boss as the Motor City's Hi Tech duo step up with a raw ghettotech workout. These are sleazy tracks with raw production, bumping basslines, high-speed rhythms and plenty of rapped vocals packed with juke and footwork attitude.

Review: Jim Coles' decision back in 2010 to implement a swerve in his sonic trajectory away from his hip-hop past as 2tall in favour of a more all-encompassing approach that touches on various strands of bass culture as Om Unit has paid off and then some. Subsequent releases on Exit, Autonomic, Civil Music, Metalheadz and his own Cosmic Bridge imprint have all shown Om Unit eminently capable of tempo shifting productions that appeal to fans of Bass music, Drum & Bass and footwork alike. The latter has been explored further while the Dream Continuum collaboration with Machinedrum on Planet Mu and his Philip D. Kick alias where the link between Chicago's juke heritage and UK Jungle was explored. All this and more is included on Threads, a debut Om Unit LP for Civil Music that deftly collates various strands (or threads) of his production career over the past fifteen years for a cohesive 15 track set that veers through of hip hop, dubstep, jungle and even house.

Review: London-based producer Otik releases his first album Cosmosis on Martyn's label 3024. The 11-track LP signifies the fourth album on the imprint across its ten-year tenure, showcasing a more introspective side to Otik's musical output. The album leans into delicate melodies, hazy atmospheres and lush analogue sounds, often evoking blissed-out feels and ripples of brilliant colour. Produced three years ago during lockdown, Cosmosis comes after a period of spiritual struggles, where Otik questioned his faith, religious beliefs, and the concepts of right and wrong. While the pandemic allowed ample time for reflection, Otik translated these thoughts into music from his Peckham-based studio, later finding a home on 3024's evolving discography. Keen to release a body of work that explores the journey of enlightenment and the struggles to get there, Otik drew inspiration from the luminary filmmaker Terrence Malick and how Malick portrayed ideas and philosophies in films like The Tree of Life and Voyage of Time. As a result, the record conveys a compelling narrative of rebirth, told through exquisite sound design and a push-pull pace that oscillates across the album.

Review: It's been a long time since Skrillex (Sonny Moore) pioneered his distinctive complextro sound, characterised by roaring vocal samples, bitcrushed melodies and novelty growls and wobbles. Surprisingly hailing from from an emo background, Moore has leveraged this sound to become an established force of nature, becoming the instigator of an entire tidal sea-change in electronic music. His latest bout of albums, though - one of which is Quest For Fire - hears him exercise his penchant for collaboration more than ever, indulging something of a DJ Khaled-esque streak, but for the EDM-pop crossover world. It's also much less fidgety, erring more on the melodic pop side. Referring to the film of the same name, in which figurative prehistoric cavemen embark on a quest for the discovery of fire, the album is equally a reflection of Skrillex's quest for musical exploration and innovation, as well as his passion for global culture and diversity. We admit: only Skrillex could bring together underground greats like Mr. Oizo, Sleepnet, Joker, Dylan Brady and Flowdan; fresh faces like Starrah, BEAM and Nai Barghouti; and pop-consciousness occupiers like Swae Lee, Aluna, Missy Elliott and Bibi Bourelly.

Review: Scottish fusioneer Stillhead follows up last year's album doublet Out Of The Loop with this exceptional wide-armed spread of sounds that flexes from UKG (the beautifully restrained hip-wriggling intro 'Sick Fing') to uncompromising juke jams (the pounding, loopy 'Girl Problems') by way of deep slithering, hypnotic dub ('Social Distance'). All weaves together with large servings of bass and some rather nifty (not to mention cheeky) samplecraft. Stillhead? Still bumping...