This week's selection : 

Velvet / Telamon Dub is the third release on Amplitudes, a label championing a cross-disciplinary approach to contemplative and ethereal sounds, spanning the space between dub techno and 140. This third lathe cut welcomes Breez for two melodic dubwise tracks. The first is a weightless, pad-heavy 140 cut that actively subverts the genre’s notoriously dark aesthetics, injecting a luminous atmosphere driven by a buoyant lead melody. The second is a weightier digi-dub stepper that builds a more spacious, delay-drenched atmosphere while keeping a similar sonic palette. Following our recent feature on Guido’s latest drop, we’re happy to push this one forward as part of the broad family of tunes that add light and warmth to the genre, while still being deeply rooted in the sound and built for mighty sound systems.

Black Acre celebrates its 100th release milestone with a bang. Two pillars of the label's roster collide: the elusive dubstep don Commodo and celebrated jazz composer Alfa Mist. The lizard king's affinity for live instrumentation has been demonstrated on previous Black Acre releases, such as the punk-infused Deft 1s or the weighty, cinematic Loan Shark, not to mention the rework of his own Hot Pursuit by Bristol jazz band Waldo’s Gift. This new collaboration is thus a smooth and welcome continuation of his process: field recordings and Alfa’s odd chords are meticulously intertwined to create a dark, urban soundscape in which the weightiest basslines flourish. The original track and its melodic bassline give space for Alfa’s keys to bring an uplifting and colorful edge, walking the tightrope between shadow and light. Meanwhile, the Misty Bay mix is a stripped-down, harsher, and dystopian reinterpretation in which Commodo expresses his full leftfield palette. On the flip, Anz steps up with two rebuilds that promise more direct results in the club. The first is a weightless 2-step reinterpretation where Anz's airy pads successfully bring brighter emotions to the melodic structure. The second is a radically minimal, techy heater in the vein of early Hessle Audio releases that we fully expect to hear dominating London’s legendary dubstep nights. While one might initially be apprehensive of buying four versions of the same melody, the trio successfully develops four distinct, complementary musical ideas that make perfect sense on a single piece of wax. 

In the same vein as Commodo’s production style, RAFA.wav's newest release on Liverpool’s LDH Records exploits what could be defined as doom-laden, unsettling soundscapes and sluggish basslines aimed at setting pressure and dread in the dance. Purists of the harder side of the sound will be pleased by the first track, which definitely offers a traditionally weighty drop. Meanwhile, rhythm diggers will gravitate toward the techno-infused second track. It starts as a stripped-down stepper before the snare placement evolves, leading the groove into more syncopated realms. The title track features a more sophisticated build-up that expands across the first half, ingeniously cultivating a sense of danger before a devastating, classic low-end oscillation erupts. All in all, the entire project is a clear label highlight thanks to RAFA’s meticulous sound design and bold arranging.

To close things out, the forward-thinking Grid Records is back with a five-track exploration of Killa P's vocals by Hedo Hydr8 and its remixers. Each cut brings a profoundly modern touch to a voice we usually expect on more traditional dubstep heaters. The label pays homage to the open-minded post-dubstep mutations of the 2010s, where techno hybridizations and colorful sounds collided with the standard darker palette, perpetuating the genre's ever-innovating spirit. The original mix is fast-paced, with a relentless kick making it a sharp tool for direct damage in the club. The VIP is the definitive highlight of the release. It is built around the striking contrast between modern, contemplative melodic pads—reminiscent of 2010s US rap instrumentals—and Killa P’s lyrical fire, all anchored by a strident, stripped-down dubstep pattern. Finally, the remixes bridge the track with dembow and techno realms to cover the full spectrum of the label's sound.