Deep Harbour ft. Alfa Mist

RAFA.wav - AND SUDDENLY EP [LDHD044]

Velvet / Telamon Dub

BBB EP (feat. Killa P)

This week's selection :&nbsp;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&nbsp;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.&nbsp;

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.&nbsp;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.

Our favorite releases from the past few weeks. At the forefront of dubstep.

StepFwdDubstep

STEPFWD RECOMMENDS #16 : Breez, Commodo ft. Alfa Mist, RAFA.wav, Hedo Hydr8 ft. Killa P

Escape Route

Argo • Guillotine EP

OS08 Geoglyph - Hidden Frequencies

Bittersweet

This weeks selection :&nbsp;-&nbsp;French dubstep don Argo's new release on 99cts is an EP filled with nostalgia and dread, yet colorful and innovative, true to the imprint's sound. The title track, 'Guillotine,' sounds like a darker, paranoia-infused mutation of the Youngstar's grime foundation 'Pulse X,' while other tracks take a dubstep direction with a disturbing low-fidelity vibe. Almost harsh to the ears but in a discreet way - reaching literal references to auditory fatigue in the last track, Accouphène&nbsp;- the project is reflective of the disturbing international political context: violent, but virtually softened by Western media.-&nbsp;Mia Koden returns with a new self-released EP in the lineage of their previously acclaimed Keep It Steppin'. It is difficult to say what makes Koden's productions so unique. Likely, it's the time spent building knowledge of the Afro-Caribbean roots of modern soundsystem culture. Maybe it's their innovative spirit and willingness to share this culture with a wider community. Whatever the recipe is, since their darker solo debut on Ilian Tape and the "Hot Take / I Did" two-tracker, Mia's sound has become softer and more melodic, while maintaining raw club efficiency. A fruitful evolution that we salute.-&nbsp;With the psychedelic bass movement in rude health, Geoglyph (Khey Mysterio and Alohn) unveil their Hidden Frequencies EP via Organic Signs. While it initially scans as a tried-and-true recipe of woodland soundscapes and mutating low-end, two structural ideas elevate the project. First, the precise use of "fractal echoes". Delay feedback loops are pushed to the edge of chaos, before being warped out into faster syncopated oscillations, acting as a crucial bridge between hallucinatory atmospheres and the rhythmic framework. Second is that very rhythmic architecture. Meticulously building tension, the tracks deploy raw, functional stepper kicks. Deeply rooted in soundsystem foundations, from the pure dubwise bassline on&nbsp;Mantra&nbsp;to the sliced-up jungle breaks of&nbsp;The Seed&nbsp;- Geoglyph insert cultural references that serve as landmark for the dancers.-&nbsp;Lastly we recomment the latest release on Zha's&nbsp;Fent Plates, welcoming&nbsp;Murphi's debuts on the imprint. Murphi is an artist that reportedly bridges "jazz, dubstep and drill" and we can only push for that. With the genres sharing strongly overlapping musical palettes, it is clear that every one who enjoys one of them could be brought into listening to the others. The overall tone is close from Antisocial crew's Purple Sound, dreamy and nostalgic yet powerful but with reinforced, more assumed jazz and hip-hop influences.&nbsp; While 90bpm trip-hop-leaning tracks such as&nbsp;Escape Route and&nbsp;They Warned You,&nbsp;seems to be designed for home listening, we'd definitely love to hear some of the 140 tracks such as&nbsp;Checkpoint in the club, preferably with a talented MC spitting bars on them. Hopefully something that will happen&nbsp;in future Fent Plates nights.

STEPFWD RECOMMENDS #15 : Argo, Mia Koden, Geoglyph, Murphi

Quiet Folds The Pressure Into Stillwater Hum

Soft Touch

Yoo Buddy / Rattler

SOLIDARIDUBS I

FLR001

This week's selection: - A vital benefit compilation from Dub Hustle Records, with all proceeds directed toward civilian support in Gaza.- Two welcome label-launching V/As from Feeler Records and Poems. A promising start to pushing the boundaries of dub-infused bass music.- Meticulously designed sound system rattlers from Swiss producers Ortovis and Cutkachi via the fast-rising Bodywarmer imprint.- Purple dubstep don Guido returns to his own imprint with a class two-tracker.

STEPFWD RECOMMENDS #14 : Dub Hustle, Bodywarmer, Feeler, Poems, Guido