Radio Frequency

Dubstep reviews with Signus and Jera

no hats no hoods

DJ Magic - No Hats No Hoods Edition 1

Dirty Canvas has always been a name mentioned when talking about Grime. They seem to be the only people that are still pushing the Grime scene forward, through their club nights and their own record label, No Hats No Hoods. They even released a 2009 Grime calendar! DJ Magic is one of the main men behind it all - and he is the man behind this fantastic mix CD.

Enough of the introduction, let's get down to business. I'll start off by saying this CD has the best intro you're ever going to hear on a mixtape this year. Trust me, Frisco MCing over the X Factor theme tune needs to be heard first hand! The rest of the CD does not disappoint, with 29 cuts of the most up-to-date and classic Grime beats around and an army of MCs that reads like a who's who of Grime. If you have even the slightest interest in Grime go check this out now as it has all bases covered, with the hypest of hype tunes from the likes of Badness' 'Bad Mind Yout' and Tempa T's 'Next Hype' to some classic business from Griminal & Lil Nasty MCing over Alias' 'Warriors' and Skepta's remix of '21 Seconds'. There is even something for the most elitist Dubstep heads with beats provided by the likes of L-Wiz, Clouds, Tes La Rok, Orien and Heny G. DJ Magic ups the tempo towards the end of the CD with Durtty Goodz, Jammer, Badness, Flowdan, Skepta and even Drum & Bass MCs Trigga and Bassman spraying over tracks that are all somewhere in the 170 BPM range. This is the sound of Grime 2009.

Tracks to check: Ghetto - 'DonÕt Phone Me', Griminal & Lil Nasty - 'Greengate Vibe', P Money - 'What Did He Say?', Tempa T - 'Next Hype', Ice Kid - 'My Life', Wiley - 'Where's My Brother' and Scratcha DVA ft. Badness, Riko, Flow Dan and Killa P - 'Bullet Ago Fly'. J

TEC030

J.Sparrow feat. Biggins - The Chase/Fullest (Tectonic 030)

Leeds' own J.Sparrow takes the helm on the most recent Tectonic release and pushes the label to new waters once again. The haunting intro on 'The Chase' makes the drop even more epic when it hits with it's percussive onslaught. This is tribal Dubstep at it's best and for me conjures up thoughts of the famous scene from Zulu when thousands of shields are beaten in succession by the warriors. I've been playing this tune to death in the last few months and you'll be pleased to know this is only the first in a mouth-watering line of releases Sparrow has coming later in the year. 'Fullest' on the flip has a far more uplifting feel to it with synths that really bring the tune to life without detracting from the punchy club element in the drums. This 12" smacks it for me and I'm proud to be one of the first people to have played it. Hold tight Jack "Clacker" Sparrow, ya large. S

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AUS09LTD

Martyn - Electric Purring (Aus Music 009 LTD)

Martyn continues to push the boundaries of his musical palette with yet another breathtaking tune that sits around 140 bpm. The drums on this track are so organic you could grow potatoes in the sound itself. However the thing that makes this such a killer track is the techno-like progression. The drop for me doesn't even hit until 2:06 when it drops the synths and falls back to just drums and bass before edging the synth back in. The composition of this piece shows why Martyn is ahead of the game whether he is producing DnB, Dubstep, House or anything else for that matter. S

RAN09

Ruckspin, Planas, Dirty Le Roi & Fez - Heart Murmur/All Night (Ranking Records 009)

Another home grown release, this time from a collaborative, on Ranking Records, who seem to be consistently putting out quality material in 2009. 'Heart Murmur' features Ruckspin, Planas and Central Beatz' own Dirty Le Roi on the buttons and they've worked together as well as ever to produce a bouncy yet natural sounding track. The drums smack it for me as do all the little changes and incidentals throughout and the sub is relentless. 'All Night' on the B-side features Ruckspin again, this time alongside Fez. This tune is a lot more house orientated with a lovely broken beat and the 2nd drop that is just toooooo smooth. It's releases like this that will put Leeds on the map for Dubstep production. S

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ARGCD002

Blasta - The Incredible Adventures Of Kenzolika And Quetzalcoatl Among The Air Castles (Argon Records)

Ok, another album now, this time from Russian based Blasta, released on American based Argon Records - at least the two countries can be friends now. I forget the name of this album every time anyone asks me it but it's not surprising given the length of it. I don't however forget many of the tracks off it. Similarities can be drawn between this album and Silkie's in that they both focus on the musical elements hugely in their productions but you can still hear a big difference in the individual styles. My favourites from the album include 'Black Muscatel' with it's staggered drum patterns and subtle wobble, 'Cosmic Lounge' which wins the award for best suited title and 'Zeppeline Nacelle'. That's not to mention the non-Dubstep tracks as well, such as 'Blast Air' which is about as broken as is possible, 'Feels So Good' which sounds reminiscent of Todd Edwards and the down tempo 'Trip 42'. It's a shame this album came out almost the same week as Silkie's album as I feel this CD may be overlooked by some people when it deserves a lot more attention. Definitely worth checking out the man's MySpace every now and then to check for updates: http://www.myspace.com/blastorama. S

MEDI015

Goth Trad - Dark Path/S.A.T.U.R.N (Deep Medi Musik 015)

For Goth Trad's third release on Deep Medi we are blessed with one of my favourite tracks of his in the shape of 'Dark Path'. The initial drop of the track is enough to clean out your belly but when the strings come in it really gives this track a much more melodic feel, even though it still has the gutter bassline growling through. For me it's the second drop that tears the roof off though - the way the tune suddenly evolves again into a much more mechanical sounding beast before the return of the more orchestral elements to bring it all together. 'S.A.T.U.R.N' hits in a much more relentless fashion and is far closer to Goth Trad's "mad rave" sound. This release for me is welcomed with open arms as I personally found the last Deep Medi release of Goth Trad's quite weak, whereas this one is mind boggling. Anyone who hasn't caught this guy live yet needs to get themselves to the West Indian centre in October for Exodus when the Middle Eastern Assassin touches down again. S

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HF023

Mount Kimbie - Sketch on Glass EP (Hotflush Recordings 023)

It's hard for me to say anything bad about this EP - I honestly couldn't be any more in love with it. Whilst not being Dubstep itself, it has been released on a predominantly Dubstep based label so I thought I'd get it in here. The thing that makes this EP so special is that each track is so different yet still holds true to Mount Kimbie's style. The title track on the EP is probably the most orthodox in terms of Dubstep as it isn't completely broken and unmixable - however don't let that fool you into thinking that this track is run of the mill. Fans of Joker will love this track with its gritty synths, cut up vocals and slightly off-kilter drum pattern. It's hard to choose a favourite from this release as each track brings something different to the table. '50 Mile View' has enough bass to kill a moose, 'Serged' has you floating into another world while 'At Least' has you one footing around the room with it's cheeky nintendo-esque bleeps and 2 step drums. I've been awaiting this release for a while now and cannot wait to catch Mount Kimbie play live in Leeds later this year. S

HFT008

Untold - Just for you/Roska Remix (Hotflush Recordings 008)

Another Hot Flush release, this time from Untold who again doesn't fail to produce the goods with 'Just For You'. The entire track surges with energy and is so beautifully layered up that at points sounds simple. The breakdown comes on slowly with a sort of reverse progression into just a futuristic synth before building back up again in a very wonky fashion. Untold refuses to be held back by the restraints of what is considered Dubstep and again shows us why he is such a pioneer of musical madness. The Roska remix for me falls somewhat short, but maybe that's just because of my biased opinion in regards to Funky House? To me though the track sounds empty and lifeless and the only comparison that can be drawn between the two tracks is the use of the vocal sample. Am I wrong? Maybe? But I'm gonna go with no. S

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NOPPA004

Distinction & Kromestar/Tes La Rok - Zzzapaah/Do You Know the Future? (Noppa Records 003)

Yet another Leeds head and former Radio Frequency dubplate don, Distinction is next up. This collaboration with Kromestar has always been a favourite of mine and has taken more than long enough to see a release. The synth on the intro pricks your ears up before the ever-changing drop comes heavy. The house-like hats that arrive every now and again just add another reason to dance to this beat and when the intro synth returns alongside the bassline you'll see nothing but screw faces all round. The Tes La Rok track on the B-side I'm not feeling so much and I think it's one of TLR's weaker tracks, which is a shame as he is capable of making absolute gold (check out his remix of Rico Tubbs' 'Gangsters'). Keep your eyes peeled for more releases forthcoming from Distinction - things are blowing up for him in 2009. S

BOKA020

DJ Madd - Better With You EP (Boka Records 020)

DJ Madd may not be the biggest name in Dubstep but his productions are spot on. This EP has a nice combination of styles but I'll start with the title track. 'Better With You' drops heavy and is one to get the people moving - I can only imagine what this tune will sound like in the club as I'm yet to hear it from the dancefloor. 'Reasonz' is a much more laid back track going for an almost Compton early 90s sound. This track is my least favorite from the EP but not by far and it's only the vocal that is a little iffy that lets it down for me. Now, my personal favourite and the last track on this 12" - 'Flex'd'. The drums and the synth tickle into the mix and I've got to say I really really enjoy dropping this in my sets. The vocal is unrecognizable which I love, but it really is the drums on this beat that make it so stand out. They carry the tune along, swinging from side to side with enough variation to keep things interesting. DJ Madd is high on my list of unsung producers and I look forward to hearing more material from him. S

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TEMPA044

Data - Doors of Perception/Leaves (Tempa 044)

Ok so this has to be one of my favourite Tempa 12" ever and it hasn't even seen full release yet. 'Data' is yet another Drum & Bass producer who has dabbled in the Dubstep sound and my god has he done it well. "Doors of Perception" is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard let alone in Dubstep. The live guitar harmonics make this tune so special and the samples used in both this and the B-side are very carefully chosen to compliment the overall feel of the tune itself. 'Leaves' is yet another diamond production featuring as I already stated a fantastic sample taken from the Borstal-based movie 'Scum'. This tune rolls out and sounds more to me like minimal Techno at 140bpm than Dubstep but that bothers me not. The seaside atmospherics of the gulls and the waves on the breakdown take you away to your own little paradise and as far as I can tell Data intended to make a clear statement with these tracks rather than just a couple of Dubstep tunes. This release needs to be heard to be understood but once you've heard it you'll see what I'm blabbing on about. S

RNG008

Mala/Coki - Sinners/Goblin (Ringo Records 008)

DNow this release has been so eagerly awaited by the Dubstep community it's unreal. Half of the people wanting Coki's militant 'Goblin' while the other half were waiting for the meditational sound of 'Sinners'. Sinners is my choice on this 12" and I feel Mala does the original track justice, as seems to be the standard with his remixes/reworks. You really need to hear both of these tracks on huge soundsystems to get the full feel of them so I'll leave it at that because the online samples don't do them justice. Out to Chef on yet another sterling Ringo release. S

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PLV006

Crissy Criss & Youngman - Kick Snare/Pimp Game (V Recordings)

Ok so far I've had nothing but praise for the tracks I've been reviewing but this is where that changes. 'Kick Snare' is just another boring track created for the reload and for me the vocal sample couldn't be much cheesier if it tried. A kick and a snare pretty much makes up the majority of this tune, with different variations of wobble to make the kids go crazy and more than ample amount of drops just so if you missed the reload the first time round at least you can get it on the second or third. I wasn't a fan of Crissy Criss' DnB and he's merely transferred that style over to Dubstep to create something I don't want to give a name to. This track tears up dance floors for sure but when it gets dropped in the rave you'll see me having a chat or heading for the smokers' area. S

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