October 19th 2009 Releases

2562
Unbalance
Tectonic CD (TECCD 006)
Tectonic 3LP (TEC 034)

'2562 follows up his groundbreaking debut album 'Aerial', and pushes both his creative talents, and the boundaries of dubstep, to another level entirely. 'Unbalance' is an exceptional body of electronic music, and fully demonstrates 2562's adept ability to move through engaging soundscapes with both pin-point precision drum programming and innovative sample regeneration. 2562, real name Dave Huismans, is named after the postcode in The Hague, Netherlands where he lives, a city detached from the main epicentres of dubstep, and thus brings both cultural distance and a uniquely diverse sound to the project. During the course of a brief but faultless discography, he's dropped four killer twelve inches for Tectonic, as well as 'Aerial' - one of the defining albums of 2008 - not to mention a similar number of singles under his A Made Up Sound guise, and, in the process, has blown wide open a number of scenes, allowing a welcome and long overdue cross pollination within DJ set lists.

'Unbalance' sees 2562's vision of dubstep moving forward into previously unexplored areas. Warmer than its predecessor, innovation and experimentation is still as evident as ever, as the influence of Theo Parrish and Flying Lotus meet with the deep end of Bristol bass music. With productions drawing inspiration from garage, dubstep, house, techno and broken beats - affiliations and collaborations have proliferated - killer remixes and one-offs have cemented the Dutchman firmly in the 'A' list of contemporary production talent. 'Unbalance' is impeccably built, and accessibly disposed: sheer dancefloor carnage is guaranteed. Tectonic label boss Pinch says: "I've worked closely with 2562 over the last few years and I can honestly say that 'Unbalance' is an incredible album - it's one of the most exciting releases that Tectonic has seen to date - it vastly exceeds the already high standard he set himself with 'Aerial'." With this new LP for Tectonic, 2562 breaks new ground - in moving away from the dub-techno associations of his earlier works, he creates a whole new world.

It's with some major excitement then that we present his second full length album: 'Unbalance' on Tectonic - right on time for an end of year carve up. Where 2009 was ushered in by fellow lowland compatriot and close friend Martyn smashing it with 'Great Lengths', Huismans, in true competitive spirit, delivers a dancehall crasher of an album, to round out a year of even more pronounced genre exchanges and hybrid sounds. From the outset, 'Intro' and 'Flashback' let fly some of the face cards in Huismans' deck - the ample swell of swung garage informed by a new school sensibility, all grounded by that trademark giant bass presence. 'Lost' reprises a familiar broken refrain in refixed mode, landing with a delightful low-end almost junglist descent and a huge mid range melodic sustain, absolutely killer stuff. With 'Like A Dream' the album is really motoring by now - squashed Mr Fingers style acid machinations inside a wildout bass and drums swing, if anything typifying the sheer sense of progression and development this music brings with it. In many ways this is an album for playing out, but also about playing out - each tune seeming to recombine on second and third listens, just as the DJ's selection is never the same twice, even when playing the same records. Tear up the form book - the diversity and breathtaking momentum of this fine album moves fleet of foot - like Usain Bolt over Berlin - inspirational.'

KOWTON
Stasis (Gmix) / Countryman
Keysound 12"
(LDN 013)

'Big tings from Joe Kowton, sometimes known as Narcossist ....this new Keysound plate epitomises the sheer vibrant energy emanating from this label right now, as funKeysounds have materialised - insurgent and resurgent moments, Blackdown has been on the case since day. 'Stasis' and 'Countryman'. both Transition specials, land at a level which is guaranteed many many spins. Hype twelve for the autumn, believe - and with all due deference to dons El-B / Gurley / Edwards - this is big beeline dub garage made for party - call it whatyalike, big with Ben UFO, Oneman, Brackles and Shortstuff .. Running on a deep 33 cut, throwing a dummy punch of motive dubbed keys, nearly in stasis like the title, topped with a crackling vocal but what an abandoned freeing swing and full funked bounce there is to this tune as it lands - massive - i for one personally can't wait to hear mixes into related stuff : Hyph Mango, Hyperdubs - the low end simply ((( k-i-l-l-e-r ))) mids are crisped and ripped, like the wires of the machine itself are frying under the sheer heat running off this deepest tune, the vocal stabs luxuriant and urgent simultaneously, a chorded dub basement vibe stays very much in the shade, all melded to the full frequency range garage subs - the bass unlocked on this plate is out of control and will take centre stage at peak times.

'Countryman' is a dedicated relative - revolving around a central trodding steppers motif, the groove intensifies with the dread vocal as centrepoint, its fabric is assailed by more crispy bits, the dub builds and the full sub pressure reveals itself, a chesty rattler with ghostly vocals delaying into the mix, a soundbwoy classic for a lost and distant future - fantastic. Narcossist productions have been showing up on radars of scenesters for the past two or three years even, a shelf of unreleased bare dubs, raw and exciting - even his fine-tuned prior 'Sunblind' twelve for Indigo's Mindset, for all its guttural metallic garage skank gave scarce hints at this two sided monster. '

OYARRSS versus CLOAKS
A La Holeage
Abractions 12"
(ABSTRACTIONS 001)

'The excellent Creative Space label from Greece takes an away day for this extra-special release on their Abstractions imprint. Oyaarss are as broadly agreeable as their name may suggest, hailing from Latvia, and found their original of 'A la Holeage' becoming a firm unreleased favourite of Mary Ann Hobbs, and rapidly becoming notorious amongst noise and experimental fans, not to mention the more sonically adventurous dubsteppers. Cloaks take the opportunity to put down their most sonically extreme material to date, as downright nasty certainly as anything yet emitted from their studios. A matching of like minds offers stunning and yet differing results - where Oyaarss occupy an obliterated post-hardcore landscape, Cloaks almost allow you to experience the very elapsing moments of obliteration.'

SIMON SCOTT
Navigare
Miasmah LP
(MIALP 011)
features vinyl-only track 'Dissolving Memories'
(CD features CD-only track 'The Night And The Artificial Light')


LIQUID WICKED ft JOSEPH COTTON / TWISTED
The Governor / The Superpowers
Scrub-A-Dub 12"
(SCRUB 004)