It's unspeakably hot. You can't go outside, you can't even leave the shelter of the air conditioned living room. When I tried to go for a shower I almost axed myself on the sink after slipping in a pool of my own foot sweat. Fortunately being stuck indoors is an excuse to listen to new tunes all day whilst the missus ventures forth into the outside world in search of employment. Don't hate me this is what's known as gradual acclimatisation. Anyway I hope you're sitting comfortably and ready for some heavy new beats for a brand new year, which by all appearances promises to be a good one. After a long Internet drought we're back in the game and I've been all "fatty in a cake shop" for the last couple of days, so to get the ball rolling here are a few sparkling gems of musical freshness for you all to enjoy.
Debruit has been turning heads for a little while now, but until he released his new EP Spatio Temporel I was yet to be wholly taken with his sound. These four new tracks are a stunning combination of playful manipulation and wholesome bass, standing alone in their ability to make you chuckle uncontrollably, shake your head in disbelief and bounce like a possessed kangaroo all within the same bar. Cleverly looped and cut samples, cheeky vocal led drops and splashes of furious wobble all combine to produce some of the freshest beats this year so far, not that the year is barely five minutes old yet, but I figure they'll stand the test of time with ease.
I've already mentioned Shlohmo in recent months but a rerelease of his Shlohmoshun EP deserves an extra shout. Complete with remixes from artistes de jour, Tokimonsta, Devonwho, Fulgeance and Low Limit this repackage boasts some tighter mastering, two new tracks and a few nice tweaks to the original tracks which only serves to enhance their lush, subtly affecting atmospherics. Teeth is the standout of the new tracks, bringing static crackle and pin prick percussion before dropping a tearout bassline that could probably shear off your ears if played loud enough. My pick of the guest spots is the Devonwho remix of 7am, compressing the original sounds into squashed bleeps and tight edits before unleashing tribal drums that roll the tune through to a satisfying close.
A special mention must go out to Loops Haunt for his début release (that underground cassette promo aside) Impact OmniHammer b/w Joplin. Since their original airing on various promo mixes these two brain tenderising beats have evolved yet further from their already impressive roots and I for one am overjoyed that I too can now drop two of my favourite tunes at a cost of less than £2. Hold tight for Loops Haunt madness in this coming week with his Rubber Sun Grenade EP dropping on Fortified Audio. If you haven't checked this startling talent out yet please grab his Promo Mixes (1 & 2) and Electronic Explorations showcase from earlier last year and brace yourself for some sonic mischief of the highest order.
Finally a brief word on a slept on album from last year that friends recently brought to my attention; Medschool newcomer, Bop's first offering to the world of ephemeral Drum and Bass. Clear Your Mind is vaguely reminiscent of Instramental and Consequence, but elements of glitch and IDM shine through the wash of atmospherics, drawing more appropriate comparisons to artists like Shlohmo or Kelpe. Haunting, melancholic synths are perforated by laser guided, needle sharp, bit crushed percussion, incredibly unpredictable in the sparsity or cluster of it's arrangement. The resulting composition is a beautifully spacious work of individuality sprinkled with just the right amount of glitch to keep things bubbling along nicely. All in all a well worthy addition to anyone's collection and another much needed boost in credibility for the DnB scene.
Enough chatter for now, night has fallen and it's just about cool enough to go lie down without sweating a small lake into the mattress. No time to relax though for now is the hour of the mosquito onslaught. Subtropical life isn't all it's cracked up to be.
