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Maztek
M-Theory
Renegade Hardware
8.0
I'm all up for
experimenting but
when an artist and label
know who they are and
represent, it's very
refreshing. This track
is incredibly noisey,
energetic and rough.
Full of grinding metal
lacerations and split,
tingly sharp electronic
cuts this is one for
the night before the
morning after.
Cabin Fever
Hard Goin
Co Lab
9.0
These days it's an uncommon
occurrence for my brain to
revert back to its annoying,
arrogant pubescent
vocabulary, where it imagines
the meaning of five or six
eloquently forged sentences
can be replaced by one single
word — TUNE! This track is
brash, in-your-face and will
undoubtedly see you madly
jumping about any given
environment. Whether you're
15 with a war face at your
first drunken house party or
45 listening through your
headphones on your commute,
you will 'go hard'!
Basher
Trojan
Program
8.0
Much like the wooden horse,
this track quietly makes its way,
waiting until the drop to unmask
its heavyweight artillery. However,
it's not as cunningly disguised as
its timbre predecessor. It's eerie
and shadowy from the start and is a
perfect representation of Basher's
thorough understanding of music.
Unavoidable, divesting and glitchy
in parts, 'Trojan' could be likened
to its modern viral equivalent.
Wherever its name is derived, this
tightly twisted low-end banger is a
black beauty.
Mikal
Killa Soundboy
Metalheadz
9.0
Half-time dancehall darkness
including a classic stepping beat,
repeated mutated vocal bites and
066 djmag.com
a large helping of atmosphere.
Sounding eerie and menacing, but
somehow retaining a luxurious layer
of richness and a quality which adds
warmth to an otherwise murderously
cold track. The short bursts of fat
bass which rear between syncopated
beats along with the more melodic,
less predominant bassline together
are a sonic tag team set to
annihilate the floor.
Misanthrop
Deadlock
Neosignal
8.5
Going it alone, Misanthrop's long
overdue solo EP is the epitome of
a head bobber. The perfectionist
production values that can be
expected from a world renowned
label-owner shine on this highly
polished infectious stepper. Mellow
in decorum but still possessing the
power to move a dance, with its
stabs of comic expression, it holds
an air of his work with partner Phace
but is clearly stamped with his own
individual sound.
Swindle
Running Cold (Roni Size Remix)
Deep Medi
8.0
Lovers of dance music are surely
hard-pushed to breathe a negative
gust when discussing the hugely
talented Swindle. This track sees the
original jazz & bass man Roni Size
put his spin on a cut from Swindle’s
much acclaimed ‘Long Live The Jazz’
album. This laidback track has a
soulful, sunny vibe enhanced by the
vocals of no stranger to bass Terri
Walker, with just enough bouncy
badness to hold its own on the
dancefloor.
Optiv & BTK
Zero Tolerance
Dispatch
8.0
are enhanced by an
anarchic neurofunk vibe
which leaves your brain
feeling like it's just been
attacked. The punchy
bassline is relentless,
giving you no room to
breathe.
TC
Vegas
Owsla
6.0
TC was big news five
years ago, but I can't
help but feel his sound is
stuck in 2008. The most
d&b-orientated track
on his newest release
is reminiscent of the
Mindscape
glory days and hasn't
Rat Pack
Eatbrain
really moved on,