New arrivals:

MOTHBOY - Beg / Movement - 12" (Ad Noiseam) Mothboy is back and brought his friends Starkey and Lapsed & Nonnon with him for this return to heavy bass lines and club-filling beats. With a clean but massive A side and a grime-oriented flip, Ad Noiseam's favouritee London heavyweight wrecks subwoofers once again and shows that he's at the top of his games and ready to fill dancefloors.

THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION - Succubus - CD (Ad Noiseam) Seductive but perilous, he Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble's new session under the Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation name is a new combination of drones and jazz. Creating sensual, murky and dark atmospheres, ?Succubus? the evolution of this band, with stronger horns and a focus on hypnotic, soundtrack-like material. A deep, dark and yet seductive trip again for the corporation.

PROEM - Songs 4 The City Bus - CD (Coredump) Very nice album by Proem, which in my opinion tops the previous "Socially inept". Mixing his as always perfectly produced flowing and beautiful IDM with a bit more changes and grooves, Proem signs here a very welcome new album, also featuring remixes by Esem and Nautilis. As usual from this project, here is a CD not to miss for anybody into charming IDM.

NAVICON TORTURE TECHNOLOGIES - The Gospels Of The Gash - 2xCD (Malignant) This luxury double CD, packaged in an extensive (and gruesome) DVD-sized digpack is announced as the final album for NYC-resident Navicon Torture Technologies, another reason to go back and focus on NTT's powerful and unsettling carreer. The 20 tracks of this gospel see Leech deliver a very organic, desperate and gritty album which easily put him at the very top of today's power electronics. This is a spot he has occupied for some time, and one'll be sad to see his extremely soulful and massive work go. An excellent closing chapter.

STROM.EC - Divine Legions Beyond Psyche - CD (Malignant) Splendid and incredibly angry new album for the Finnish duo Strom.ec, coming back to Malignant for a second time after their early "Neural Architect" on the Black Plague sublabel. While I am usually not the biggest fan of power electronics, I've always had a soft spot for this act, whose tracks are extremely dense, powerful, somewhat old school but always well executed, and who has the good idea of not falling in the usual clichés of the genre. Add to this a luxury DVD-sized digipack, and you get quite a noticeable release from an underrated band.

TERRA SANCTA - Disintegration - CD (Malignant) While Terra Sancta's 2004's debut album was a (very strong) atmospheric album which tapped a lot in the whole Raison d'Etre / neo-classical direction, the follow-up by this australian project delivers much grittier and noisier tracks. The whole thing is dark and oppressive, as one could expect on Malignant, but still keeps a good balance between the long, subdued melodies and the overall distortion. A good album from an underrated act for anybody into calm but deep industrial.

WOLFSKIN - O Ajuntar Das Sombras - CD (Malignant) New album by this veteran dark ambient musician from Portugal, and his first on the equally long-running Malignant instituation. Full of long drones, bassy soundscapes and pitched down melodies, this album stands out for his very solemn mood and feeling, most of all from the slow and dark spoken words coming here and there throughout the album. A dark and serious trip.

PHRAGMENTS - Earth Shall Not Cover Their Blood - CD (Malignant) Severe and epic second full lenfth album for Slovakia's Phragments, following a relatively low profile debut. Reminding of the good old days of early 90's Cold Meat Industry, "Earth Shall Not Cover Their Blood" is a heavy combination of long distorted noise, neo-classical melodies, a bit of vocals, and a strong industrial feeling all throughout. Serious and dark, but well done and not to be missed by fans of the genre.

CAUL & KIRCHENKAMPF - Sleep - Night - Death - CD (Malignant) It seems like it had been a million years since I hadn't listened to anything new from Caul, and this new CD (a collaboration with the other American act Kirchenkampf) is a very welcome return to my CD player by this master of drones and atmospheres. As usual, this album is extremely calm and deep, but relies more on relatively warm and long drones rather than on soundtrack-ish elements to build its dark and mesmerizing tracks. The production is very good, and this is a CD I can easily recommend.

NIVEAU ZERO - Evil League / Rising Fist - 10" (Destpub) Attention everbody: ?-killer super recommended record ahead: Niveau Zero outdid himself here. "Evil League" is an excellent dubstep track kicking off with great indian string (Bollywood dubstep here we come), and "Rising Fist" answers with an anthemic extremely heavy number supported by distant shouted vocals. As expected from such a description, this is far from your usual middle of the road dubstep here, and is meant to be played over and over. Excellent.

NIVEAU ZERO - Rotor / Cause Of Death - 10" (Destpub) Another excellent two tracker 10" by Paris's Niveau Zero, who has quickly become quite a favorite over here at Ad Noiseam. His tracks combine very catchy and efficient dubstep with driving fast-paced drums, an acute sense for melodies and well found samples. Quite original and a lot less dub than most UK dubstep, this guy's material is dark, club-friendly but still detailled and varied. To sum up: very recommended.

MAHANEE & VON D / LIQUID WICKED - S.A.G.E. / Dubwar (Von D VIP Mix) - 10" (Destpub) Cool, uncommon and surprisingly dub-filled sixth release from France's Destpub label. On the A side of this new 10", Disrupt-collaborator Mahanee and Von D come up with a deliciously gritty and quite up-tempo dubstep-meets-8 bit number (Disrupt fans should take notice). Things get more ganja-influenced with the equally fast but dubbier and straighter B side by Liquid Wicked, which you might use to bring all your dancehall-listening, dreads-wearing friends to purely electronic material. Quite a nice one.

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MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO - Autoimmune - CD (Planet Mu) A new Meat Beat Manifesto is always a feast in itself, and this "Autoimmune" is no exception, all the more since it's clearly more satisfying than 2005's "At The Center". In the three years since this previous albums, the whole galaxy had discovered dubstep but, just like Mick Harris and his "Stealth" album, this other veteran of the super bassy beats that is Jack Dangers doesn't succomb to the trend, and while one can hear the "modern" sweeping bass here and there on this album, we're still speaking excellent dub-infused industrial breaks on "Autoimmune". Fans will go crazy about this one.

VENETIAN SNARES - Sabbath Dubs - 10" (Kriss) Venetian Snares has changed. Yes, you read well: here is a new record by Venetian Snares which is totally devoid of fast breakcore and post-IDM. On the contrary, Aaron Funk pays here hommage to Black Sabbath with two excellent slow and dub tracks, in which only the vocals are kept from the original songs. Definitely the slowest and most bass-heavy material ever to come out from the Venetian Snares factory, and a lot tastier than anything he's done in a long time. Congratulations to Bong-Ra's Kriss Records for bringing this one out.

PELICAN - City Of Echoes - CD (Hydra Head) One of Hydra Head's best known bands, Pelican had put themselves up to quite a challenge while writing a follow-up to their very remarked and very remarkable second album, but have managed not to repeat this CD's very long, dreamy but heavy post-rock (metal) tracks, and instead deliver with "City of Echo" a rather more accessible and riff-based, slightly less contemplative album which still bears the heaviness of Isis but integrates even more post-rock elements than before. All instrumental, as always, and extremely well done. Comes in a luxury embossed digipack, and very heartedly recommended.

BEN FROST - Steel Wound - CD (Room40) Re-issue of 2003's impressive début album by Iceland Ben Frost. This musician has gained a lot of attention recently, and fully deserves it, as his very heavy but extremely emotional drones and noise epics fill a gap between, on the one hand, the whole drone and noise sound and, on the other hand, friendlier, post-rock-leaning constructions and tonalities. Very deep, gritty but not harsh, this is the kind of CD that a lot of similar acts wish they had written. Very recommended.

16 BIT - Put Ya Dirt Inside / Ford Fiesta - 10" (Destpub) Nice and original record for Destpub's fourth release. The London-based 16 Bit crew deliver on the one side a quite percussive, hi-fi sounding and pretty changing dubstep number, very rich in sounds and tonalities. On the other side, some jazzy and latin referrences are added to a slightly straighter track, giving the whole thing an edge rarely reached in dubstep. Nice one.

Now available as digital download:

New arrivals:

SHITMAT - One Foot In The Rave - 2x12" (Planet Mu) Third full length album, and best cover so far for Shitmat. After countless mash-ups and insane collaboration, this producer intends on showing his love for 90's rave again, but steps up his game and comes up with something more authentic and better produced than the previous "Grooverider". We're still talking old school rave, happy anthems and jungle to keep the dancefloor packed till the wee hours (with a bit of breakcore thrown in the mix, of course), but one has to admit that the pill goes down a lot better this time around.

VENETIAN SNARES - Horsey Noises - 12" (Planet Mu) Very playful new EP from Venetian Snares, following very closely the "Filth" album. The opener and titlte track is a big surprise, as it is a lot closer to his analog semi-pop Last Girl side-project than to the usual Snares material (and I could swear that it recycles a lot of the first Last Step single, "You're a nice girl"). The rest of the record is more up-tempo, very acid at times with quite a venture into chip-tunes and humor with the very nice closing track. Very well done, and for once there's no denying the changes here compared to Snares's past.

FALTY DL - Human Meadow Remixes - 12" (Planet Mu) Interesting but hard to review first record for New York' s Falty DL on Planet Mu, following another one on Ramp. The track "Human Meadow" is presented in three remixed versions and considering that I've never heard the original (which I don't think was ever released), I can speak only about the remixers: Boxcutter delivers an excellent downtempo-ish IDM track, full of details and sharpness. Mu-ziq uses a lot more vocals and tempo changes, while Luke Vibert comes up with a more housy, uplitfing and quite fun version. All in all an interesting record somewhere between IDM, garage and techno.

RAFFERTIE - Wobble Horror! - 12" (Planet Mu / Seclusiasis) Quite an interesting release for Planet Mu and Seclusiasis. The young (and presumably US based) Raffertie presents here two tracks which, while obviously tapping in the dubstep scene for their sounds and production, are a lot closer to high-energy and tempo electro as far as their structures are going. With a bit of rave thrown in the mix, one gets very enthusiastic, dancefloor-friendly hybrid material which might be compared to some of what Kenji Kinetic has been producing. Not bad at all.

STARKEY - Miracles (Jamie Vexd Remix) - 12" (Planet Mu) Strong remix by Jamie Vex'd for this second single taken off Starkey's "Ephemeral Exhibits" (after "Gutter Music" on Keysound). Keeping the underlying vocal line of the original but serving a much more detailed and brainy instrumentation, this new version definitely adds to the charm of the track. The flipside is also quite a tricky business, with heavy subdued bass and some very gritty beats and melodies, quite in pure Starkey style.

BENGA - Buzzin' / One Million - 12" (Tempa) Excellent new two tracker by Benga, which presents on each side one of the thing one likes the most about him: the A side has a very strong bassline and efficient drums (enriched with a few vocal snippets), while the B side features a catchy, high-pitched melody which might remind of bit of "Night". A very strong record for anybody into well produced, dancefloor-friendly but original dubstep.

ROB SPARX - Sludge / Sour Grapes - 12" (Audio Freaks) Solid classic dubstep heavy hitter for Rob Sparx on Audio Freaks (who are definitely not improving their artworks). Super heavy basses, low tempo, just enough dub elements to satisfy the pot smokers but not enough to scare anybody else: the material on this record is of the kind you can very easily build a set with, and which will get people on the dancefloor in a second. Not the most original material out there, but still strong massive and mean dubstep.

CHIMPO - Steppin / Cerial Killa - 12" (Contagious Recordings) Very cool new two tracker by this Contagious regular. The flip "Cerial Killer" is on my opinion quite the killer, with very heavy bassline balanced with a relatively high and fine-tuned beat, ending up in being tough guy" dubstep but carefully laid out and detailled. "Steppin" is a much calmer track, supported by accurate and almost gentle male vocals. Quite a varied record, but once that reaches his goal on both side; I really like this one.

TECH ITCH - Soulstone / The Kill - 12" (Ascension) Very interesting new "dusbtep" record from Tech Itch. While his production for this genre had so far been quite classic, straightforward and heavy, this producer decidedly took a more up-to-date approach to the genre, with a bit straighter beat and some light Benga influences here and there. It stays generally speaking dubstep, but it's nice to see that Tech Itch was not only jumping the gun to this new sound, but actually has a fine ear for what happens there.

BOMBAMAN - Flower People - 12" (La Dubstep Nostra) Nice, heavy and straightforward two tracker white label on this Godfather-influenced dubstep label. Quite unpretentious and not trying to reinvent the wheel, Bombaman however knows his bass and his beats, and delivery some good quality wobble for all the subwoofers out there. Solid DJ material.

BLACK SUN EMPIRE - The Invasion / Dyneema - 12" (Shadows Of The Empire) Black Sun Empire's second take at dubstep on their Shadows Of The Empire label sees these dutch producer leave part of the tough machinery of their previous 12" behind and focus on a much more syncopated and organic production (I will be damned if one of the track doesn't sound influenced by Funckarma's "Dubstoned" records). The sound is still pristine and futuristic, but the tracks have become more accessible and human, somehow, which gives them an original edge (very welcome in this overcrowded scene).

Z'EV - Sum Things - CD (Cold Spring) The new album by the über-prolific and often esoteric Z'ev sees this musician leaves the drums aside and focus on long, slightly noisy and constantly rumbling low-frequency drones. Dark and brooding, but clearly grittier and dirtier as, let's say, Lustmord, "Sum Things" is a decidedly atmospheric album in the truest sense of the word, but will also appeal to anybody interested in dense, carefully laid and deep drone works.

SCORN - In The Margins - 12" (Record Label Records) Finally! After close to two years of delay, this long awaited 12" by the reigning master of all things bass sees the light of the day, in the form of a classy translucent blue 12" packaged in a full sleeve, limited to 500 copies and handnumbered. "In The Margins" is somewhere between "Greetings From Birmingham" (for the huge, echoed sounds) and "Stealth" (for the hypnotic, massive feeling). Honestly, I don't know how I could recommend this more. Mandatory.

DJ HIDDEN / DONNY - The Unseen / Medieval Beating - 12" (Mentally Disturbed) The dancefloor is clearly in sight with this split between Ad Noiseam favorite DJ Hidden and part-time Current Value collaborator Donny on this second release on Mentally Disturbed. DJ Hidden's "The Unseen" is a dark and absolutely pristine hard drum'n'bass number that contains everything one has grown to love about this producer. On the flip, Donny's track is a bit more classic and goes back to early 2000's Panacea feeling, with plenty of stop / start and a couple of rave sounds. Still, this all stays top notch, extremely club efficient d'n'b.

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VENETIAN SNARES - printf (shiver in eternal darkness) - CD (Isolate) Back in stock: Venetian Snares's first album. Hard complex and rocket propelled rhythms mixed with all kind of insane samples: Venetian Snares is the figurehead of the breakcore scene, and here is my favorite album from him so far. Includes the excellent "Cruel whole" and "Punishing the atoms" tracks, as well as two pieces from the "Salt" 12".

VENETIAN SNARES - Shitfuckers - 12" (Dyslexic Response) Snares's second record, released back in 2001 on Isolate's Dyslexic Response sublabel. This inprint described itself as "not about subtlety or style", and that's definitely confirmed by this very hard, very noisy, very broken, and very in-your-face record, which is clearly very high in the list of the best Venetian Snares releases ever. Absolutely mandatory.

NOIZE PUNISHMENT - Chaos + Disorder - 12" (Dyslexic Response) New all out attack by Noize Punishment. As usual, extremely hard drum'n'bass collide with breakcore assault and fast mixing. Headbanging and shattering.

THE 13TH HOUR / BOMBARDIER - Possess - 12" (Dyslexic Response) Excellent early four tracker by NYC's Jason Snell with tracks from both his Bombardier and 13th Hour monikers. At the confluent of industrial beats, hardcore tempos and breakcore madness, here comes one of the (too rare) records by Snell, demonstrating the power, heaviness of his material. Recommended.

New arrivals:

V/A - Azure - 12" (Terminal Dusk) Excellent and very recommended four tracker compilation from Terminal Dusk. Starting off with a great remix of my favorite track by Komonazmuk ("Love"), going on with a soulful, catchy and über-bassy track by Cardopusher and ending with a gritty and dark piece by Math Head, "Azure" also introduces to the world a track by Lich, a.k.a. the dubstep side-project of Wisp. That's four tracks and four reasons to get this 12". I'm not kidding, this is gold.

KID 606 - Shout At The Döner - CD (Tigerbeat6 / Very Friendly) It hasn't been long since Kid606 moved to the world capital of kebabs, and here it is that he already mention Berlin's culinary wonders in his albums. Taste buds aside, "Shout At The Döner" is a relentless, über-dancefloor oriented roller derby of bassline, electro and a little bit of breaks. But still, whatever his avatar, Kid606's core is still the same, and whil this might first sound nothing like the "Fucking Jams" or "Kill the Sound", this very loud and straight album is full of incessant sampling, irreverent referrences and fun all along. An updated, beef-ed up "Die Soundboy die", maybe, and Kid606's most important album in some time.

KID 606 - Shout At The Döner - 2x12" (Tigerbeat6 / Very Friendly) It hasn't been long since Kid606 moved to the world capital of kebabs, and here it is that he already mention Berlin's culinary wonders in his albums. Taste buds aside, "Shout At The Döner" is a relentless, über-dancefloor oriented roller derby of bassline, electro and a little bit of breaks. But still, whatever his avatar, Kid606's core is still the same, and whil this might first sound nothing like the "Fucking Jams" or "Kill the Sound", this very loud and straight album is full of incessant sampling, irreverent referrences and fun all along. An updated, beef-ed up "Die Soundboy die", maybe, and Kid606's most important album in some time.

MONSTER ZOKU ONSOMB! - Earth Eaters - CD (Acidsamovar / Solnze Records) Cool third album by the australian crazies of MZO, and definitely their most mature and coherent to date. Sampling a lot, respecting little and good natured, the whole thing leans strongly towards a mixture of End's "Sound of Disaster", some early Snog and the everything-goes evil cabaret feeling (but not sound) of old-era My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult. With tracks ranging from raggacore to some who could easily serve as a soundtrack to some Russ Meyer action, "Earth Eaters" is a very fun ride, and a good produced one. Fresh, charming, and quite insane.

AVANTIURIST - Blueberry - CD (Acidsamovar) Very surprising album on Acidsamovar: while this russian label usually releases very dancefloor-friendly, mashed-up and hard breakcore, Avantiurist's début album is a very gentle and low-key collection of electronica track which could somewhat have been released on N5md a few years ago. Very nostalgic, sad but not dark, flowing but oscillating between experimentations and a few well known loops, the whole thing is decidedly abstract, modest and touching. Recommended.

SALFETKY - Constructor - CD (Acidsamovar) Very nice second album for Russia's Salfetky. Staying in the same IDM-ish direction as its predecessor, "Constructor" benefits from a richer production and a bigger emphasis on calm and melodic passages. The whole thing is still rich in breakbeat and Rephlex-like IDM, but clearly takes more time to breathe. An album that fans of UK electronica shouldn't pass on, and which fills the gab between "very" calm material and more beaty stuff.

TREACHERY - s/t - CD (Czar Of Crickets) A new "superband" made of Hecate, Abelcain and Slutmachine, Treachery allows these three dark souls to express their love for doom-ish metal and über dark atmospheres not only with electronic sounds, but also with guitars (played by Abelcain) and vocals (Hecate's). Extremely oppressive, black and "evil", the whole thing sounds at times close to Bong-Ra's White Darkness project, but with much faster riffs and rhythms, and therefore oscillating between doom and breakcore-leaning metal. No listening allowed without making the signs of the beast.

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DIE YOUNG #6 - Eroné & Amose - book (Belio) Sixth book already in Belio's Die Young series, which keeps on getting better and better. The two french artist who get the spotlight this time are active somewhere at the crossroads of classic pen and paper illustration, computer graphics and photography, resulting in often poetic, intimate and touching works. There are some really excellent pieces in this one, giving a fresh treatment to what Belio has been known for pushing.

DIE YOUNG #7 - Besdio Garsia - book (Belio) The seventh volume of Belio's smaller but higher profile "Die Young" series focuses on the Spanish graff artist Besdo Garsia, who has ample space here to present his infectious, deformed and "round" kind of graffiti, writing, logo work and body paint. Very low in computer graphics, this new book confirms somewhat that 'Die Young" is probably more about regular illustration than Belio. Something to check for people in the field.

DIE YOUNG #4 - 36Recyclab - Book (Belio) Fourth volume of the luxury "Die Young" books published by Belio. Less drawings and more design this time around, with this volume presenting the works of Paris's 36Recyclab. Revolving around architecture-type drawing and computer imagery, and expanding to street art, high-end gallery exhibits and 3d modelling (think of some Autechre artwork), here's a kind of artwork which should appeal to everybody who like very modern and slick artwork.

DIE YOUNG #5 - Nicholas Di Genova - book (Belio) The fifth volume of Belio's "Die Young" series presents a impressive number of drawings and painting by Canada's Nicholas Di Genova. Using comic book aesthetics to present mutant animals (mostly birds) made of objects and various parts of real creatures, this artists comes up with a very strong, yet fairytale-like imagery, presented extensively through what might be so far my favorite book of the series.

DIE YOUNG #1 - San - Book (Belio) "Die Young" is a new series of books published by Belio. Smaller in size but thicker and sporting a nice plastic cover and generally speaking a posher look, they do not focus on a theme (as the regular Belio magazines) but on a specific artist, giving him a free hand to show what his art and talent is about. The first artist to be featured is San, whose work seems to revolve around graf, street-art, a lot of drawing and a bit of photography. The whole thing, very street-art centered, is impressive of quality, and is a good first for this young series.

DIE YOUNG #2 - Btoy - Book (Belio) The second volume of Belio's Die Young series focus on Btoy, an artist who fills this book with a lot of painting and drawings (and a sprinkle of graffiti and stencil, but less than in the San book), almost all of them presenting a story of a frail, dreamy looking kid. Light in design, dreamy and quite poetic, Btoy's work is quite original, yet accessible, and should even appeal to people who are usually not into modern graphic design. Very nice.

OTTO VON SCHIRACH - Oozing Bass Spasm - CD (Cock Rock Disco) For his new album, Otto Von Schirach simplifies a lot his music, cranks up the bass, and delivers a mixture of down tempo IDM, grimey rhytms and as insane as ever vocals and atmospheres. The man still likes to rap / speak about zombies, sex and guts, but does it in a more booty, direct and less brainy way. The whole thing has quite a few fun covers (you didn't hear it from me), and should appeal to both fans of crazy electronics and Skinny Puppy groupies alike. Oh oh oh.

SICKBOY - Shake Hands With A Clenched Fist - CD (Tigerbeat6) Sickboy's first album. Hard mashed up breakcore with a lot of energy, aggressivity and humor. Somewhere between early Venetian Snares (with even a remix of his "Intense demonic attacks" track) meets Doormouse. Intense, fun and a must for fans of the genre.

NEAR THE PARENTHESIS - L'Eixample - CD (n5md) Magnificent third album for Near The Parenthesis, following last year's "Of Soft Construction", also released by N5md. Less synthetic, "L'Eixample" is a modest but touching album of slow guitars, light glitch and background electronica. Very atmospheric but not devoid of strong, almost epic moments, this album, completely instrumental, embodies well the new direction N5md has been taking, and ends up being one of the most pleasant album of the label since it turned its head to showgazing material. Recommended.

I:GOR - The Art Of Distortion - 2x12" + CD (Strike Records) Tremendously hideous cover for the new double LP by I:Gor, which would have deserved much better. Noisier, harder and less sample-based than before, this "Art Of Distortion" displays this now essential producer on one of his toughest and most angry days, and the album contains but a nod to his d'n'b and hip hop endeavours. Super energetic, dark and hard, this 2x12" also comes with a 19 track CD presenting I:Gor's past releases on Strike Records. To sum up: strong music, important release, but a cover that makes you gauge your eyes out.

DETEST - Oxygenocide / Bangacore - 12" (Strike Records) Nothing is sacred for Detest on this very irreverent 12". If the B side is a catchy hardcore track whose beat revolves around a Bollywood sample (you know we like this over here, don't you), the A side is an impossible encounter of gabber and nothing less than Jean Michel Jarre's "Oxygen". Past the first moment of denial, one has to admit that this tune being as well known as it is, it certainly adds to the efficiency and dancefloor appeal of Detest's track. Instant success, but damn Detest for pillaging my childhood hero's legacy.

A WAKE A WEEK - Little Black Cloud - CD (Spectraliquid) Don't be afraid, the first album by Detritus's A Wake A Week project is not an hommage to Orbital. Quite on the contrary, this CD sees David Dando-Moore strip all of his beats and most of his guitars from his trademark emotional and epic material. Combining Type-like introvert accoustic instrumentations and mid-90's Cold Meat Industry neo-classical sounds, this album is at times very modest and, at times booming, and quite always dark. A strong album, which should not appeal only to fans of Detritus.

CARDOPUSHER - Mutant Dubstep Vol.2 - CD (Spectraliquid) Excellent second volume for Spectraliquid already remarkable "Mutant Dubstep" series. The great Cardopusher is behind the wheel this time, offering three of his insidious, bassy and warm weird dubstep, before letting Innasekt and his Lo Dubs labelmate Pacheko gbring the remix treatment to his material. Just as "dubstep" as "mutant", very well done and definitely more interesting than a lot of dubstep out there. Strongly recommended.

MOBTHROW - Mutant Dubstep Vol. 3 - CD (Spectraliquid) Third volume of Spectraliquid's Mutant Dubstep series, and the first to come from a newcomer artist (and a local at that, Mobthrow being one of the managers of this Athens-based label). This one goes all over the place but does it with style. If the opening track is a catchy mixture of jazz and downtempo, some of the following tracks are very hard broken dubstep, and we even find a pretty cover of Future Sound of London (sounding much better than the original, thank God) and an infectious, gritty Mad EP remix. Well done, and a debut by an act to watch.

EBOLA - Mutant Dubstep Vol. 1 - CD (Spectraliquid) Third release on Spectraliquid, and the first for this label's series of dubstep MCD. Ebola kicks off this "Mutant Dubstep", and delivers what I believe are the best two tracks I have heard from him in the genre: very bassy, wobbly, dark and with this touch of breakcore that makes the tracks stand out from regular dubstep. Speaking of breakcore, the icing on the cake comes in the form of remixes by Shitmat and Enduser (excellent one from Mr Standafar here), and make of this nice little CD something not to miss.

BURIAL & FOUR TET - Moth / Wolf Cub - 12" (Text Records) Act fast! Yes, this is the new Burial 12", co-written with Four Tet. It's in stock, but we obviously do not have as many copies as necessary, so this thing will probably sell out extremely fast. Two tracks, who combine Four Tet's tricky but low-key melodies and Burial's beats and depths. It sounds exactly as one might expect (which is to say that it is great). There's no need to say anything, except, again: act fast.

NOIZE CREATOR - Aux2 - Collectors Edition - 3x12" (Active Underground) Second limited edition collector pack from Noize Creator. What's we're talking about today is a tight triple 12" release, containing the re-release of two old releases from the Active Underground catalog (from 1999 and 2001 respectively, both sold out for ages) and a third record containing two brand new, previously unreleased tracks. Music-wise, Noize Creator goes more breakcore than hardcore here, and this more or less reminds me of his album on Ambush: very noisy, syncopated, powerful and original. Guaranteed to go very quickly, and deserving so.

NOIZE CREATOR - Undead / Flesh - 12" (Active Underground) Noize Creator is definitely on a mission at the moment, delivering one strong 12" after the other. The first of a series, this "Undead / Flesh" is no exception. Two hard hitting, quite gritty and dark tracks are to be found on this nice looking clear transparent 12". Once again, Noize Creator had a good day when he wrote them, and the record is powerful, danceable and original from start to finish. Quality material.

Now available as digital download:

New arrivals:

TMK - Need The Needle - CD (Aentitainment) Eleventh year and eighth album for the italian band TMK (sometimes standing for "Thee Maldoror Kollective", here for "Textbook of Modern Karate" with a dark and gritty mixture of post-rock, jazzy horns and industrial samples. Somewhere at the confluent of all genre and pretty forward with all their instrumentation, TMK deliver here quite a wild ride with a lot of dirty and menacing moments, and remind me a bit of what Giardini Di Miro might have done with a trumpet player after a long night of listening to classic industrial records. Something to check out.

SCUBA - Bleach - 12" (Abucs) Scuba keep on their adventures in dub-techno with this new release on the (much too rare) Abucs label. While the beats are a lot more modest than what one could expect, the whole thing just screams its resemblance to good old Chain Reaction / Basic Channel material: echoed, bubbly, and the same kind of approach to dub as the early Pole album. Rather gentle and very pleasant.

I:GOR - The Art Of Distortion - 2x12" + CD (Strike Records) Tremendously hideous cover for the new double LP by I:Gor, which would have deserved much better. Noisier, harder and less sample-based than before, this "Art Of Distortion" displays this now essential producer on one of his toughest and most angry days, and the album contains but a nod to his d'n'b and hip hop endeavours. Super energetic, dark and hard, this 2x12" also comes with a 19 track CD presenting I:Gor's past releases on Strike Records. To sum up: strong music, important release, but a cover that makes you gauge your eyes out.

DETEST - Oxygenocide / Bangacore - 12" (Strike Records) Nothing is sacred for Detest on this very irreverent 12". If the B side is a catchy hardcore track whose beat revolves around a Bollywood sample (you know we like this over here, don't you), the A side is an impossible encounter of gabber and nothing less than Jean Michel Jarre's "Oxygen". Past the first moment of denial, one has to admit that this tune being as well known as it is, it certainly adds to the efficiency and dancefloor appeal of Detest's track. Instant success, but damn Detest for pillaging my childhood hero's legacy.

I:GOR - Strike38 - 12" (Strike Records) Black vinyl repress of this 2005 release by I:Gor. Very energetic, sometimes bordering on gabber, here comes an excellent record for hardcore DJs. Without going over the top, I:Gor manages to combine quite interesting sounds with a strong dancefloor drive. His fans will appreciate, and DJs can't really pass on this one (needs something to mix with the new Rotator 12"? Here it is). Tasty.

PAUL BLACKOUT / RETURN TO REASON - Remain Inside - 10" (Zero71 Recordings) Ill named (but very nicely designed) 10" on Zero71, as the tracks by the great Paul Blackout and the yong Return To Reason featured here are more of the kind to have you rave at clubs till the wee hours. Paul Blackout is faithful to his crowd, and delivers a very strong (yet less breaky than his well known "Fucking Metalheads) combination of hardcore, d'n'b and metal, while Return To Reason deliver an equally electronic and powerful but more nu-metal (yes, you read well) mashup. Anyway, both side are full of breaks and riffs, and this is not something to pass on if you've been enjoying this small but tasty trend.

FLYING LOTUS / JOKER - Glendale Galleria / Untitled_Rsn - 12" (Tectonic) Excellent third volume of Tectonic's new split series, pairing up Warp's hottest young act, Flying Lotus, with one of the most talked about and highly regarded dubstep guy of the moment, Joker. Both deliver excellent instrumental tracks in a much more downtempo and melodic way as one could have expected. Flying Lotus's side, while still built around his mesmerizing reinterpretation of hip hop, is on par with his "Los Angeles" album, while Joker delivers a slightly more percussive but very charming and efficient side. Recommended.

MURDERBOT - Tremor Dub - 12" (Dead Homies) New two tracker by Murderbot, the founder and manager of Dead Homies, who offers here an interesting combination of massive dubstep beats and bass and his usually more uptempo booty rhythms. While massive and not necessarily uplifting, the whole thing has a very cool breakbeat appeal and shows that Starkey is not the only US producer to mix dubstep with a more urban feeling.

V/A - 15 tracks from Binkcrsh - CD (Binkcrsh) The 16-track "15 tracks form Binckrsh" is the first "real", pressed CD from this Berlin label which first started as a net only thing. Containing only new tracks written for this project, this unassuming CD goes a bit everywhere from the fields of tricky IDM to the ones of flowing electronic, with such people as Toyz'r'me, Karl Marx Stadt, Dalezy or Lackluster. Funky and playful at times, chilled out and pretty at others, this is a good occasion to (re-)discover what Binkcrsh is about.

SEVEN - Dark Passenger / Conspiracy - 12" (Aquatic Lab) Excellent massive down-tempo dubstep from Seven, again for Aquatic Labs. Both sides are really dark, low-altitude and menacing, with a very well found dark bassline. The sound is quite clear and distortion-free, making this 12" easy to play with any kind of "classic" dubstep, even though this material is definitely ing the heavy hitter category of the genre. Very recommended.

F-ONE - Madhouse - 12" (Southside Recordings) Upbeat and very lush two tracker for F-One. In comparison with his recent material co-written with Kromestar, the tempo is considerably higher, the atmosphere less stripped (and strict), and the beats tend generally speaking more towards techno, even though one would be hard pressed to see any leaning towards dubby Chain Reaction territory here. Cool, post-normal dubstep and very dancefloor-oriented material here.

GUNJACK / BLACKMASS PLASTICS / BRACKET - Ugly Boys Have More Fun - 12" (Consume) Varied but coherent compilation on Consume, starging up with a rather ravy and uptempo track by Gunjack, and getting much darker on the flipside. Blackmass Plastics's contribution is a mid-tempo, heavy and menacing dubstep number as we have grown to expect rom him. Closing up the record, the late and missed Bracket delivers a more energetic, bassy and percussive mixture of wobbly basses and breakbeats with a very strong dancefloor appeal. A solid 12" from the "other" UK dubstep scene.

STH - Straight To Hell - 12" (Xtractor) Solid, upbeat and resolutely dark first vinyl release for STH and the Berlin-based Xtractor label (who had till now had net releases only). The formula of dark, bassy and relentless d'n'b might be known, but this guy does it quite well, and here is a record that might have its place in many sets. Classic but efficient.

ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE - Bring Back 98 - 12" (Subvert) Animal Intelligence, a.k.a. the founder and previous manager of Australia's Hardline Rekordingz, comes back after years of silence with some tracks written as an hommage to his golden years, the late 90's. Bordering on hardcore, full of heavy massive straight bassdrums but also rich in breaks and typical (for the period) hardcore vocals, this is quite the efficient record, even though it shows how the genre, back then, hadn't yet included tons of distortion and überfast tempos.

RSD - On Deck / Accepted - 12" (R8 Records) Two-faced new record by RSD, this time on the new (to me at least) R8 label. "On Deck" is a mostly dub-techno track, following the ever more threaded path of 2562 & co, well done and nicely gritty, while "Accepted" is a much more menacing, syncopated and heavy dubstep number, with which RSD might be delivering some of his darkest work to date. I'd go with this one, but the full 12" definitely has both sides of the current evolution of dubstep.

MONKEY STEAK - Ratatosk's Tree - 12" (Sleazetone Records) To be honest, I hadn't really followed Monkey Steak since their 2006 release on Death$ucker, and was pretty surprised at this act mutation from light melodies and d'n'b to the very booty, bassline oriented electro of this 12". A very upbeat 5 tracker that might remind at times of Drop The Lime's "We Never Sleep" (in a much more human and varied way), this record is quite the solid DJ tool, but probably for a totally different kind of parties as the ones where Monkey Steak used to be played.

DEV79 - In Ya Face - 12" (Seclusiasis) Super energetic and highly booty new bassline / ghetto three tracker for Dev79 (who has really re-invented himself since the days of his releases for Sonicterror). A bit like the whole Seclusiasis crew, Dev79's motto has turned to highly danceable material, as confirmed by the various remixes on this release (including one by Baile Funk master Edu K). Booty shaking ahead.

V/A - Hardcore Junkieee Vol. 1 - CD (Maddest Chick'ndom) The return of the revenge of the daughter of the crazy Japanese trancecore. This absolute hideous CD is a selection of 14 tracks by mainly Osaka based producers of the genre, compiled by DJ Chucky, a.k.a. one of the figurehead of this über-bouncy, hard, highly efficient but just plain weird Japanese mixture of happy hardcore, gabber, breakcore and mash-up. It really goes all over the place, and is guaranteed (though only in the rigth conditions) to send clubfulls of people dancing around. Love it or hate it, but when the time is right, this thing is as addictive as crack.

THE OUTSIDE AGENCY - Return To The Point Of No Return - 12" (Symp.tom) Third 12" for The Outside Agency in 2009. In contrast with the "Surreal / Chaos Theory" one, this one is actually a "return" of sort, to straighter less d'n'b-meets-hardcore kind of tracks. Featuring an uncommon level of distortion on the one side, and some delicious acid elements on the other, it is a pure (and great) Outside Agency record, but clearly more something for the gabber heads than for the ones of you who follow DJ Hidden and Eye-D's adventures in the mixture of straight kick drums and essential breaks. But hey, that's still TOA, so go and bounce around.

NOIZE CREATOR - 12 Long Hours / Part Of The Dead - 12" (Active Underground) Blood red vinyl for this very dark 12" by Noize Creator, released without much publicity in the second half of 2008. New material by this producer has become quite rare, and this kind of oppressive, old-school / classic breakcore offering from him is quite welcome. Reminding more of acts such as Abelcain or Slutmachine than of Noize Creator's more distorted past, this is a record which could easily have been released on Zhark, and which should make any fan of not-too-noisy but definitely broken and dark breakcore very happy.

Back in stock:

WILT - As Giants Watch Over Us - CD (Ad Noiseam) Wilt's third album for Ad Noiseam, "a sonic declaration of political unrest", in which Wilt mixes his well known deep ambiances with modern electronic element to compose the mesmerizing soundtrack to our times. Varied, hi-fi and colossal.

NEAR THE PARENTHESIS - L'Eixample - CD (n5md) Magnificent third album for Near The Parenthesis, following last year's "Of Soft Construction", also released by N5md. Less synthetic, "L'Eixample" is a modest but touching album of slow guitars, light glitch and background electronica. Very atmospheric but not devoid of strong, almost epic moments, this album, completely instrumental, embodies well the new direction N5md has been taking, and ends up being one of the most pleasant album of the label since it turned its head to showgazing material. Recommended.

KID606 - Wickid - 12" (Peace Off) Excellent 4 tracks 12" by Kid606, who delivers here a pearl of very hard beats, mashed up rhythms and weird samples, in the vein of his two recent "Kill sound" CDs. It might be high time for some people into hard electronics to finally open their eyes on the kind of material Kid606 is writing these days, and this "Wickid" is a good way to do so. Extremely tasty, as usual from this artist. Not to be missed.

I:GOR - Strike44 - 12" (Strike Records) And another killer 12" by I:Gor, who keeps up with all the elements and recipes that have made of him one of the tastiest hardcore producers of the recent years. Pounding, fast and taylored for the club, but with enough hip hop elements (including the obligatory Missy Elliot mash-up) and breaks to unite gabber fans and breakcore freaks on the dancefloor.

I:GOR - Strike34 - 12" (Strike Records) New 12" by I:Gor, presenting here the hardest tracks I have ever heard from him. Very well produced, club-oriented hard tracks with a cristalling production and a structure leaning to gabber. This 12" also includes a remix by Noize Creator which could very well become a classic. Violent, energetic and very well done.

NUMEK - Ghost ST - 12" (Destroy This System) The only thing I had heard so far by Numek was on a rather melodic d'n'b track on his Killing Sheep split with DJ Hidden. Things have changed for this hungarian producer, who delivers here a relentless mixture of heavy drum'n'bass and hardcore. Much in the vein of what such a label as Hardline Rekordingz has been showcasing, this "Ghost ST" somewhat still retains the d'n'b structure, but goes up a lot of notches in sonic agressivity and energy. Hard stuff.

MARTYN - Great Lengths - 3x12" (3024) So here it is finally. Martyn's certainly one of the most talked about electronic producer of the moment, and we finally get to listen to his long awaited "Great Lengths" first full length album. One he might be known as a dubstep and garage artist, this album has more than one foot in the dub techno sound: the bass is contained, and there are as good as no traces of the slowed down d'n'b of some of his Revolver releases. But what Martyn does here is very well executed, and he ends up with a coherent and well done dub techno album that, for once, doesn't sound like a dated Basic Channel one. Probably something that will stay a while.

COKI - Square Off / Warlord Riddim - 12" (Dancing Demons) Strong Coki two tracker to kick off the new Dancing Demons label. "Square Off" is a massive, mean down-tempo monster , while "Warlord Riddim", all full of pulsating sub-bass, goes a lot more in the direction of Coki and Benga's "Night" hit, both tempo and rhythm wise. The overall sound is slightly gritty and the cut is über-bassy, making of this record a good addition for anybody who enjoy their dubstep in the vein of early Tempa or DMZ material.

NAJMAL - One Step - 12" (Kaometry Records / Joprec) Interesting and quite original first release by Najmal (about whom I do not know anything) on the seemingly Berlin-based Kaometry and Joprec labels. Starting off with an IDM-ish cover of the spine-chilling theme to "Requiem For A Dream" and going on with three tracks of contained, low-key drum'n'bass combined with some cool breakbeats and melodies, the whole record sounds a lot gentler and prettier than it looks, and is something which might be used accurately to chill out here and there. Nice one.

I:GOR - Is Intensik - 12" (Detox) For the first label of his own Pandemonium label, I:Gor present two tracks under his own name (in which he goes back to the slightly more broken, hip hop oriented tracks that he had on his "Barwy Korolow" album) and two under the "Intensik" moniker (hard, gabbery and kicking, as we have got used to with his latest I:Gor records). The production is still top notch, the record works very well as a DJ tool, and this is, you've guessed it, another very recommended 12" from I:Gor. Pressed on pale blue vinyl.

NOIZE CREATOR - Aux2 - Collectors Edition - 3x12" (Active Underground) Second limited edition collector pack from Noize Creator. What's we're talking about today is a tight triple 12" release, containing the re-release of two old releases from the Active Underground catalog (from 1999 and 2001 respectively, both sold out for ages) and a third record containing two brand new, previously unreleased tracks. Music-wise, Noize Creator goes more breakcore than hardcore here, and this more or less reminds me of his album on Ambush: very noisy, syncopated, powerful and original. Guaranteed to go very quickly, and deserving so.

NOIZE CREATOR - Undead / Flesh - 12" (Active Underground) Noize Creator is definitely on a mission at the moment, delivering one strong 12" after the other. The first of a series, this "Undead / Flesh" is no exception. Two hard hitting, quite gritty and dark tracks are to be found on this nice looking clear transparent 12". Once again, Noize Creator had a good day when he wrote them, and the record is powerful, danceable and original from start to finish. Quality material.

Now available as digital download:

New arrivals:

BELIO #29 - X10 - book (Belio) Happy birthday Belio. The (at least to the Ad Noiseam audience) well known Spanish graphic design book celebrates its tenth birthday with this issue, and intends on reinventing its formula. While the format hasn't changed much, the new issues are much thicker (250 pages) and features a lot more material. This one really goes all over the place, thematically and stylistically, with a plethora of artists paying their due to Belio, all in good fashion and atmopshere. Maybe a new beginning, maybe a continuation but certainly something to celebrate.

DIE YOUNG #7 - Besdio Garsia - book (Belio) The seventh volume of Belio's smaller but higher profile "Die Young" series focuses on the Spanish graff artist Besdo Garsia, who has ample space here to present his infectious, deformed and "round" kind of graffiti, writing, logo work and body paint. Very low in computer graphics, this new book confirms somewhat that 'Die Young" is probably more about regular illustration than Belio. Something to check for people in the field.

GEMMY - Supligen - 12" (Planet Mu) First release for the young act Gemmy on Planet Mu, following his début 12" on Punch Drunk. The A side takes us straight to wobble kingdom with its metronomic beat and focus on the super heavy bassline. The B side is a bit more balanced and human, containing a couple of good and catchy melodies but retaining the weight and clarity (a keyword of this release) of its predecessor. Arguably not the second coming of Christ, but it will be interesting to follow Gemmy a bit further.

PINCH - Attack Of The Giant Killer Robot Spiders! - 12" (Planet Mu) Interesting new 12" by Pinch, back to Planet Mu. While there's certainly the foreground dub elements and feeling typical to this artist on these two tracks, his drums have turned extremely dry and percussive (one of the track begins with a sort of anemic Scorn beat) and the bass is definitely quite low by dubstep standards. A welcome change, which let me wondering which direction that Pinch is going to take in the future.

ITAL TEK - Massive Error - 12" (Planet Mu) The good news is here is not only that Ital Telk's new 12" contains five tracks (contrary to the two found on most EPs at the moment), but also that this act is at the top of his game on "Massive Error". Kicking up with some dubstep-influenced electronica, and sliding slowly into ever calmer and more melodic track, this record has a strong but lush sound and focus more a lot more on beauty than on muscle. Obviously not a "massive error" at all.

DEATH STORM - Bringers Of The Apocalypse - 7" (Hirntrust Grind Media) Six new outburts of super fast breaks, high pitched screams and sharp noisy guitars by Bong-Ra and Maruosa for this merciless and uncompromising 7". The whole thing has more energy than anything else (save maybe for the first Death Storm 12"), and should appeal to any fan of extremely hard metal, speedcore or sheer noise. It might be hard to believe that the same person is behind this and The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, but it makes it all only tastier.

EUSTACHIAN - Mngwa - 7" (Hirntrust Grind Media) Excellent new two track 7" by the great Eustachian. Coming here with a clearer sound and very good riffs, but still full of sudden breaks, screams and energy, the american duo are at the top of their game on this unassuming yet masterfully executed little record. Very recommended, and among the best metal-meets-breakcore release I have heard.

HENTAI LACERATOR - Chelsea Charmes R.I.P. - 7" (Hirntrust Grind Media) Second 7" for the poets from Hentai Lacerator (a side project of the band Realicide), and their first for the fine and always subtle label that is Hirntrust. As the project's name and this record's cover might lead to believe, this 7" is a mixture of grindcore, punk and electronic beats, with plenty of screams about sex, exploding breasts, sperms and whatever goes along. If you're after something raw and brutal to wake up the crust punk in you, but still have to live with your love for tentacle rape, this might very well be the record you've been looking for.

MRK1 - Kill Zone / Tunnel Form - 12" (Contagious Recordings) Mark One opens this new 12" for his own Contagious inprint with exactly the kind of tunes one has grown to expect from him: a huge wobble monster following a classic dubstep structures but with enough delicious bass to make everybody happy. The B side is quite different, though, with a semi hip-hop rhythm and a long analog-sounding melody. Classic and efficient on the one side, fresh and new on the other, and with Mrk1's clear production quality all throughout.

VARIOUS PRODUCTION - Buds - 7" (Fire Records) And another strong release for Various Production, who pair up with their labelmate Pumajaw for a little 7" which sees them keeping on going forward with their mixture of very delicate (but fresh and extremely well executed) electronic sounds and soft, pop vocals which has taken over their sound at least since "The Invisible Lodger". The whole thing is very gentle, beautiful and a very welcome respite to plenty of harder (but often blurrier) music out there. Recommended, of course.

WHOURKR - Naät - CD (Dan's Crypt / Suprachaotic) Re-release by two spanish metal labels of the previously self-released début album by the frendh duo Whourkr, about whom you might read quite a lot in the future. Sounding like a more metal, but also faster and harder version of Drumcorps, this band create extremely intense tracks of death-metal and electronic breaks, and have the good idea of writing and playing everything themselves. Extremely aggressive, but not without beautiful calmer moments, intense and complex. Killer.

COKI - Square Off / Warlord Riddim - 12" (Dancing Demons) Strong Coki two tracker to kick off the new Dancing Demons label. "Square Off" is a massive, mean down-tempo monster , while "Warlord Riddim", all full of pulsating sub-bass, goes a lot more in the direction of Coki and Benga's "Night" hit, both tempo and rhythm wise. The overall sound is slightly gritty and the cut is über-bassy, making of this record a good addition for anybody who enjoy their dubstep in the vein of early Tempa or DMZ material.

STENCHMAN - Puking Over / Atomic Drugs Activated - 12" (Bovinyl Moosick) Quite the lo-fi, DYI production with this new Stenchman white-label. The main track is a pure "touch dubstep" one, pretty much in the vein of everything I have heard so far from Stenchman: big monolithic bass, plenty of start-stop breaks and a metronomic beat. The B side is totally different, a kind of fast balkan beats-meets-electronics crazy dancey tune that sounds super surprising from this artist but is all good fun.

CLOAKS - Against / Rust On Metal - 12" (3BY3) Extremely gritty second 12" for Cloaks, following a first one in 2007 on Werk. It all sounds a bit like early Vex'd material, without the über-pounding beats, and could easily be classified as purely industrial. The tempo and overall feel, once you have removed the may layers of rust, is definitely dubstep, though, and this might be a good record to introduce noise heads to this genre.

NAJMAL - One Step - 12" (Kaometry Records / Joprec) Interesting and quite original first release by Najmal (about whom I do not know anything) on the seemingly Berlin-based Kaometry and Joprec labels. Starting off with an IDM-ish cover of the spine-chilling theme to "Requiem For A Dream" and going on with three tracks of contained, low-key drum'n'bass combined with some cool breakbeats and melodies, the whole record sounds a lot gentler and prettier than it looks, and is something which might be used accurately to chill out here and there. Nice one.

Back in stock:

PENCILBREAK - book (Belio) Finally out, here's the long awaited book published by Belio about the aesthetics of the breakcore scene. With its 200 pages (bigger and thicker than the usual Belio magazines) showcasing 22 artists having worked for breakcore labels or events (and including Raoul Sinier, Fighting and Droon, who have designed material for Ad Noiseam) as well as articles about this music styles and the labels involved, "Pencilbreak" is a very varied and well realized compendium of much of what breakcore has had to offer to the eyes. Very recommended.

KANJI KINETIC - Shock Tactics - 12" (Rag & Bone) Interesting and highly energetic début 12" by Kanji Kinetic, who adds quite a lot of bassline elements in the d'n'b / dubstep sound that one could expect from Rag & Bone. The tempo is quite high, the sound very lush, and while you get all the dubstep basses and d'n'b beats you could wish for, the whole thing sounds more like an infectious, electro record. I don't know much about Kanji Kinetic, but this is really quite an original and fresh record, and look forward to hearing more from her / him / them.

EBOLA - Mutant Dubstep Vol. 1 - CD (Spectraliquid) Third release on Spectraliquid, and the first for this label's series of dubstep MCD. Ebola kicks off this "Mutant Dubstep", and delivers what I believe are the best two tracks I have heard from him in the genre: very bassy, wobbly, dark and with this touch of breakcore that makes the tracks stand out from regular dubstep. Speaking of breakcore, the icing on the cake comes in the form of remixes by Shitmat and Enduser (excellent one from Mr Standafar here), and make of this nice little CD something not to miss.

NUMEK - Ghost ST - 12" (Destroy This System) The only thing I had heard so far by Numek was on a rather melodic d'n'b track on his Killing Sheep split with DJ Hidden. Things have changed for this hungarian producer, who delivers here a relentless mixture of heavy drum'n'bass and hardcore. Much in the vein of what such a label as Hardline Rekordingz has been showcasing, this "Ghost ST" somewhat still retains the d'n'b structure, but goes up a lot of notches in sonic agressivity and energy. Hard stuff.

BAR 9 - Murda Sound (VIP Mix) - 12" (Z Audio) First volume of two remix records on Zaudio for the currently prolific Bar 9. Pretty much in the vein of his material for Audio Freaks, the A side is a über-massive, loud and evil hard dubstep track with enough bass to devastate any dubstep floor (and the adjacent rooms). The B side present more balanced and slightly faster remixes by Eskmo and Mike Lennon (John's dubstep grandson?). Anyway, that VIP mix should prove quite efficient. If Bar 9 goes on like this, he will definitely get a spot up there among the tough guys of dubstep.

BAR 9 - Coalescence / Domination - 12" (Z Audio) Now that's interesting. Known for his super hard but very classic dubstep, Bar 9 comes here with a record which is, on the one side, a regular but rather melodic and flowing dubstep tune and, on the other, a heavy hybrid between his regular style and high energy electro. We're clearly not speaking of whatever people such as 2562 or Martyn might be doing, but this B side is definitely something very different and new for this artist. Let's see if this is just a one-off, or if he intends on going up further this way.

SHUT UP AND DANCE - Epileptic - 12" (Shut Up And Dance Records) One new very uptempo and anthemic track by the London based Shut Up And Dance veterans, and a remix by Martyn (who seems to be everywhere at the moment). Often bordering on garage and d'n'b on the A side, more dubstepy (but still quite fast for the genre) in a melodic way on the B one, this is quite an uncommon record for the genre, both in speed and sonorities, but also something which should work well as a DJ tool.

ROSSI B & LUCA / DJ WIRE - Enemy / Drums - 12" (War Dubz) Very nice first release on Heavy Artillery's War Dubz series, with on the one side a very anthemic, relatively hard and up-tempo dubstep track full of big tones and movie samples and, on the other side, a bit more laid-back, dancehall-infused one. Varied but well produced by both artists, and stepping a bit out of the most formulaic material of the genre.

CYRUS - Grot Bags / Coco Riddem - 12" (Southside Dubstars) While this new 12" by Cyrus doesn't change too much from the formula he has developped, either solo or with Random Trio, it might be both his most accessible and varied record to date. On the A side, "Grot Bags" is a heavy, very low flying and quite dirty number, while the flipside's "Coco Riddem" gets a lot dubbier, more smokey and roots-oriented. There's therefore a bit of something for everybody here, the whole thing coming with Cyru's typical dry, percussive and resolutely dark sound.

SOUNDMURDERER - Toned Down - 12" (Weme Records) Cool new record by the great Soundmurderer. Oscillating between the ragga-laced jungle of his past on a few tracks and a lot more analog, almost acid and definitely early Warp-ish sound on other, this musician blurs his path here but demonstrate a great talent in mixing these various genres. Fans of Aphex Twin's "Analord" series or the rest of the Weme catalog shouldn't pass on this one.

VARIOUS PRODUCTION & GEORGIA'S HORSE - As It Stops Raining - 12" (Fire Records) As far as I am concerned, Various Production have had a flawless path so far, and this "As It Stops Raining" is no exception. Taking further the idea of pairing accessible, semi-spoken words vocals which was the core of their recent "The Invisible Lodger" album (and of several of their remixes), this beautiful 12" features a slightly beatier and very lush remix of Georgia's Horse on the A side, and the less electronic original on the flip. It is unlikely that you will rave to this, but this is another excellent release from the duo.

16 BIT & MR OIZO - Flat Beat / Classical - 12" (Dub & Run) I'm not totally sure of the status of Mr Oizo's involvement on this record (and even less considering that Dub & Run are almost specialized in putting out uncredited mash ups and remixes), but it's interesting to get on the A side of this record a slightly dubstep-ized and updated version of the french electro overlord by the dubstep wizkids 16 Bit (staying very, very housy here). The B side, a new track by 16 Bit, is a totally different and much more laid back, a slow dubstep piece with classical choir samples, but should prove efficient, albeit in totally different environment. And yet another good record from 16 Bit, yet in another style.

New arrivals:

DISTANCE - Night Vision / Traffic (Remixes) - picture 12" (Planet Mu) Late but very pretty remix picture 12" for two tracks off Distance's "My Demons" debut album. The "Night Vision" hit get reworked by Skream, staying a rather classic dubstep tune but gaining in complexity and production, while Japan's Goth-Trad gets his hands dirty with a weirded up, dry and melodic new version of "Traffic". The whole thing is pressed on a heavy picture record using part of the great artwork from the album. Something to collect, obviously, but which clearly has potential to be played and enjoyed.

BOXCUTTER - Arecibo Message - 2x12" (Planet Mu) Nicely brainy and surprisingly IDM-ish third album from Boxcutter. Barry Lynn had already broken away from the dubstep of his debuts with "Glyphic", but this "Aricebo Message" sees him plant his feet even stronger in the weird electronica, semi Rephlex-ish 8bit territory. Less beautiful than before, but more complex and somewhat more rewarding, this album is quite the wild ride (even including some very dubby moments), and confirm that the man is both talented and open minded.

BOXCUTTER - Arecibo Message - CD (Planet Mu) Nicely brainy and surprisingly IDM-ish third album from Boxcutter. Barry Lynn had already broken away from the dubstep of his debuts with "Glyphic", but this "Aricebo Message" sees him plant his feet even stronger in the weird electronica, semi Rephlex-ish 8bit territory. Less beautiful than before, but more complex and somewhat more rewarding, this album is quite the wild ride (even including some very dubby moments), and confirm that the man is both talented and open minded.

DJ FLOORCLEARER - Malicious - CD (Noizetek) It will have taken some time for the CD version of DJ Floorclearer's to drop, but the wait was worth it. This producer has really grown beyond the absurdity and mash-up mania of his Wrong Music past and Death$ucker debuts, and delivers here 11 tracks of very dry, percussive and resolutely dark breakcore, mixed with a good dose of Ebola-esque super heavy dubstep for good measure. While there might not be a revolution in sight here, this is definitely some of the best "classic" breakcore I have heard in a while, and should make a killing. Very recommended.

WISP - The Shimmering Hour - CD (Rephlex) After a long pause, probably due to the demise of Sublight, Wisp's third album finally sees the light of the day on the prestigious Rephlex. Things haven't changed much, and Reid Dunn's new full length CD fits like a glove on this label, with its very playful IDM trickery, its post d'n'b breaks and its super hectic bleeps and blips. The album gets a bit more melancholic and straightforward towards its end, with long pads that balance the earlier electronic beats. All in all a good follow-up to Wisp's earlier efforts, and something which should gather the same kind of response.

TOTAKEKE - The Things That Disappear When I Close My Eyes - 2xCD (Tympanik Audio) For his new album, Frank Mokros (the man behind Totakeke as well as Synth-Etik) presents us a value-pack in the form of a double CD containing 19 new tracks and 7 remixes. There's somewhat a return to the most contemplative and soundscapes-oriented Totakeke album on Frozen Empire Media ("At The Train Station...") here, as the tracks get a little less percussive, but still rely on clearly industrial, dark and brooding beats and atmospheres. The remixes by the likes of Flint Glass, Autoclav1.1 & co just add to this feeling, resulting in an album which could make quite splash in the industrial scene.

SE - Epiphora - CD (Tympanik Audio) Somebody really liked Gridlock here: for his debut album, Germany's SE presents a very nice, low-key CD of flowing electronica with a clear nostalgic feeling. The beats are sparse, the soundscapes omnipresent, and there's definitely a nod to the late american duo (or their offspring) on this "Epiphora". While gritty at times, the whole thing is well done and very pleasant, and should have no difficulty to seduce people looking for contemplative, instrumental and dark electronica.

L-WIZ - First Step - 12" (Redvolume) Quite dreamy and loungy, this new record by L-Wiz on Redvolume (and the first on this label after a short pause) is a very well done low-key dubstep one. While the beats are quite heavy, the whole thing bathes in enough melodies, echoes and small samples to give a gentle edge to this record, which in the end sounds more "beautiful" than "powerful", and provides a much welcome subtlety to the genre. Recommended.

BAR 9 - Coalescence / Domination - 12" (Z Audio) Now that's interesting. Known for his super hard but very classic dubstep, Bar 9 comes here with a record which is, on the one side, a regular but rather melodic and flowing dubstep tune and, on the other, a heavy hybrid between his regular style and high energy electro. We're clearly not speaking of whatever people such as 2562 or Martyn might be doing, but this B side is definitely something very different and new for this artist. Let's see if this is just a one-off, or if he intends on going up further this way.

STARKEY - Gutter Music - 12" (Keysound Recordings) Very nice idea from the (always lauded here, and still underrated) Keysound label to present us here with a sort of single for Starkey's recent album on Planet Mu. This 12" takes "Gutter Music", one of the strongest track from this album, offers it in two instrumental version and a vocal one, in which some high energy, grime-type of vocals are added to Starkey's gritty and catchy beats. A good way to appreciate again some of this musician's best material, and cut directly to the most efficient moments of the album.

BAR 9 - Shaolin Style Remixes - 12" (-) Solid remix white-label for Bar 9, who pairs up with two regular names of the überwobble for new version of his "Shaolyn Style". This round's winner might be Nero, who breaks the bass line a bit and plays pretty well with samples. Rob Sparx still does a pretty good job on the B side, coming up with a track that might less scare off the fans of classic dubstep. Heavy and wobbly, you know the kind, this is very efficient stuff again from Bar 9.

CYRUS - Grot Bags / Coco Riddem - 12" (Southside Dubstars) While this new 12" by Cyrus doesn't change too much from the formula he has developped, either solo or with Random Trio, it might be both his most accessible and varied record to date. On the A side, "Grot Bags" is a heavy, very low flying and quite dirty number, while the flipside's "Coco Riddem" gets a lot dubbier, more smokey and roots-oriented. There's therefore a bit of something for everybody here, the whole thing coming with Cyru's typical dry, percussive and resolutely dark sound.

SOUNDMURDERER - Toned Down - 12" (Weme Records) Cool new record by the great Soundmurderer. Oscillating between the ragga-laced jungle of his past on a few tracks and a lot more analog, almost acid and definitely early Warp-ish sound on other, this musician blurs his path here but demonstrate a great talent in mixing these various genres. Fans of Aphex Twin's "Analord" series or the rest of the Weme catalog shouldn't pass on this one.

MARTYN - Great Lengths - CD (3024) So here it is finally. Martyn's certainly one of the most talked about electronic producer of the moment, and we finally get to listen to his long awaited "Great Lengths" first full length album. One he might be known as a dubstep and garage artist, this album has more than one foot in the dub techno sound: the bass is contained, and there are as good as no traces of the slowed down d'n'b of some of his Revolver releases. But what Martyn does here is very well executed, and he ends up with a coherent and well done dub techno album that, for once, doesn't sound like a dated Basic Channel one. Probably something that will stay a while.

BAR 9 - So Good / Dancin With The Devil - 12" (Dark Circles) Could it be that Bar 9 grew up a soul? This new Dark Circles 12" by the Brujeria of dubstep features a lot more melodies, slow moments and gentle vocal snippets. The whole thing stays a relatively metronomic and massive dubstep record, but, compared to Bar 9's previous output, this is less reserved to the tough guys out there, and should bring a more diverse crowd on the dancefloor.

KRUMBLE - The Real Life - 12" (Jungle Therapy) Krumble comes back to the Jungle Therapy label, on which he has been dispatching his pure drum'n'bass material (reserving his breakcore stuff for Peace Off and the likes). Very energetic, well produced and fun, this two tracker is quite the infectious d'n'b that could pack the dancefloor at high speed. Not the most original record ever, but a really solid one for drum'n'bass heads.

THROTTLER - Against The Machines / Down Ya Throat - 12" (Cyba Drum) Really banging and percussive new d'n'b two tracker by Throttler on the new Cyba Drum label. There's no real trace of gabber or straight kick drums here, but the beats are really heavy, the hooks work perfectly, and the whole thing has a very clear, dynamic and yet dark sound. A very recommended piece of wax for drum'n'bass fans.

SEARCH & DESTROY - Blue Mantra / Daybreak - 12" (Destructive Recordings) Well done new 12" for the british dubstep duo Search & Destroy, who have released in the past on such labels as Hotflush and Storming. Both tracks are quite slow and contained, revolving on long echoed melodies (and ethereal vocal samples on one side). Bassy but loungy, this is more a record to trip to than one to rave to, but is very well executed for this genre.

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THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION - Doomjazz Future Corpses! - CD (Ad Noiseam) The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation is the new free-form, drone metal / jazz atler-ego of The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, the band formed by Jason Kohnen (aka Bong-Ra) and Giedon Kiers. A recording of the ensemble's best live session, "Doomjazz Future Corpses!" focuses on mesmerizing, doom-ridden drones and melodies, combined with the jazzy grooves and melodies of the cello and saxophones. An highly suffocating journey through the deep realms of murky drone jazz / metal, heavy and unfettered.

DäLEK - Gutter Tactics - CD (Ipecac) Excellent new album by Dälek, who clearly can not disappoint. Following the vocal-oriented "Abandoned Language", the duo goes back to heavier and more organic noises (in the vein of "Absence") with this very intense "Gutter Tactics". Heavy hip hop with massive beats, walls of noise, and the odd guitar here and there: the Dälek recipe doesn't change much (but varies in its results), while the band is heard here at the top of their form. Mandatory.

HORSEPOWER PRODUCTIONS - Damn It / Kingstep - 12" (Tempa) Very cool new record by Horsepower Production, the underrated act that was actually the first to have a release on Skream's now well known Tempa. If one side is very dub influenced, but full of samples and some hip hop sensibility, the whole thing very well mixed together, the other side is a super infectious mid-eastern sounding dubstep number, whose melody goes straight to the feet. Recommended.

SCUBA - A Mutual Antipathy - 2x12" (Hotflush Recordings) Nice debut for Scuba, a british producer with quite a lot of records up his sleeve, most of them released on his own Hotflush Recordings label. Less dark than what one could think from its title, "A Mutual Antipathy" is a relatively flowing, aerial and slightly techno-leaning dubstep album with a very strong electronica feeling. Almost totally devoid of dub referrences and with only a nod here and there to garage, this album should seduce an audience coming from the more relaxed, less club-oriented side of electronic things, even though a few tracks will for sure find their way to the dancefloor.

STENCHMAN - 2muchket! - 12" (True Tiger Recordings) Another of these super active dubstep producers that keep on putting out record after record at an alarming pace, Stenchman is also of the tough kind. The three tracks on this wobbly, slow and massive 12" should clearly appeal to everybody who enjoy the output of such label as Distance's Chestplate, Rottun or Senseless. Nice, massive tracks with a strong dancefloor appeal.

MARTYN - Great Lengths - 3x12" (3024) So here it is finally. Martyn's certainly one of the most talked about electronic producer of the moment, and we finally get to listen to his long awaited "Great Lengths" first full length album. One he might be known as a dubstep and garage artist, this album has more than one foot in the dub techno sound: the bass is contained, and there are as good as no traces of the slowed down d'n'b of some of his Revolver releases. But what Martyn does here is very well executed, and he ends up with a coherent and well done dub techno album that, for once, doesn't sound like a dated Basic Channel one. Probably something that will stay a while.

BAR 9 - Distant Roots - 12" (Dark Circles) If my first impression of Bar 9's material with his recent record on Audiofreaks had given me the feeling that this guy was all about über-massive, merciless heavy dubstep, this three tracker on the ill-named Dark Circles label proves me wrong. A bit faster, a whole lot more dub a and less "in your face", this record shows a lot more subtelty and sense for the roots of dubstep than I thought it would. Maybe less of a mean dancefloor filler, but something which is definitely more accessible

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VENETIAN SNARES - Filth - CD (Planet Mu) There might be some traces of "Detrimentalist"'s acid and rave appeal here and there, but "Filth", Venetian Snares's new high-profile album goes back more to the "Winter In The Belly Of A Snake" or (more recently) "Cavalcade Of Glee" in the way that, as analog as it might be, we're speaking super lush, classical over-broken breakcore here. The tracks are surprisingly varied for Snares (some being dancefloor-oriented, some more funky, and some just plain fiendish). Maybe not as fresh as its predecessor, but obviously more ambitious and somewhat mor enjoyable.

JAMIE VEX'D - In System Travel - 12" (Planet Mu) First release by Jamie Vex'd since Vex'd, the duo, pretty much disbanded. In comparison with the thundering noises and basses of Vex'd previous output, this "In System Travel" is a much more downtempo and calm affair, even though the tracks (most of all on the B side) can get pretty menacing and heavy. But if this is not as tough and dirty as one might have expected, the music has definitely gained in originality and freshness (it takes a lot of imagination to see this as dubstep). Nice, and let's see what comes after this.

KING CANNIBAL - Virgo / Murder Us - 12" (Ninja Tune) King Cannibal had made a splash with his very hard début 12" on Ninja Tune, which was, as far as I know, the hardest dubstep to be released on such a high profile label, this following 12" sees this producer moves away from the noise and huge beats, and clothe himself as a producer for the french hip-hop vocals of Face A Face and the berlin local heroes of Jahcoozi. Both tracks are still heavy (but clear), very electro-minded, and quite infectious. And while it doesn't really sound like anything King Cannibal had done so far, it's quite a success, and something which Kevin Martins might want to study.

STARKEY - Starkbass - CD (Lo Dubs) Not a new album, but a very strong DJ mix by everybody's favorite american dubstep producer. Very low flying, bassy and massive, "Starkbass" poses as a strong opponent to the current techno-infused kind of dubstep. On the contrary, Starkey adds to a selection of already heavy hitters (Cardopusher, Stenchman, Dusk & Blackdown...) some hip hop and basslines tracks, ending in something catchy, quite hard and working well to check out some new names. Recommended.

TAZ BUCKFASTER - Inside Job / Kingston Bridge - 12" (Rwina Records) Second 12" from the much underrated Taz Buckfaster, following a well received one on Ramp Recordings. The main track is a gritty and relatively hard one, with an infectious distorted bassline and a metronomic rhythm. The B side, a lot more dub influenced, calms things down and offers something to chill out to once the A-side dancing is over. A strong record that can work pretty well.

16 BIT / AFTERDARK - Texaco / Hit The Deck - 12" (Veri Lo Records) First thing: that's the pinkest record I have ever seen, pressed onto translucent electric pink marble vinyl, "Hello Kitty" effect guaranteed. On the A side, 16 Bit demonstrate again that they are one of the hottest dubstep act of the moment, with a hard and syncopated track that manages to integrate both very heavy beats and some nice, subtle melodies. Afterdark side is also very syncopated, but less massive and somewhat reminiscent of some recent Si Begg production (which means: tasty). Nice one.

RUSKO - Babylon vol. 2 - 2x12" (Sub Soldiers) A killing. The follow-up to Rusko's 2007 first "Babylon", this new double EP is of the huge, massive and metronomic dubstep kind. The basslines are devastating, the wobble is all in the red, and with the exception of one dub track, the whole thing sounds menacing, very heavy and extremely driving. There's no question that this is going to pack each and every dancefloor where it is played.

CASPA - The Takeover / Marmite - 12" (Sub Soldiers / Fabric) Grime 12" by wobble-master Caspa for this collaborative record between his regular Sub Soliders home and the higher profile Fabric label. Beat-wise, we're speaking quite percussive and very bassy dubstep, coming together with prominent grime / hip hop vocals by Fat Man D, making the whole thing a bit more accessible and easier to bridge with other genres. Well done.

MARTYN - Great Lengths - 3x12" (3024) So here it is finally. Martyn's certainly one of the most talked about electronic producer of the moment, and we finally get to listen to his long awaited "Great Lengths" first full length album. One he might be known as a dubstep and garage artist, this album has more than one foot in the dub techno sound: the bass is contained, and there are as good as no traces of the slowed down d'n'b of some of his Revolver releases. But what Martyn does here is very well executed, and he ends up with a coherent and well done dub techno album that, for once, doesn't sound like a dated Basic Channel one. Probably something that will stay a while.

MARTYN - Velvet / Twenty Four - 12" (3024) Re-issue of what has already become a classic. "Velvet / Twenty Four", released back in 2007 on Martyn's 3024 label, is one of the prettiest (and best known) record by this producer that manages to mix up-beat, rather "sunny" dub techno with a dubstep sensibility. Sounding like a lighter, dubbier version of his compatriot 2562, Martyn's track on this very nice two tracker have been played over and over again, which is fully deserved,

JOKER - Do It / Psychedelic Runway - 12" (Kapsize) Very cool new 12" by Joker, mixing some delicious 8 bit sound, and a very, very light disco touch with his typical combination of dubstep tempo and hip hop sensibilities. Had this record been released on Hyperdub (which would have made sense), it would probably have been one of the best release of this label in a few months. Fun, very zeitgeisty and well done

VARIOUS PRODUCTION & GEORGIA'S HORSE - As It Stops Raining - 12" (Fire Records) As far as I am concerned, Various Production have had a flawless path so far, and this "As It Stops Raining" is no exception. Taking further the idea of pairing accessible, semi-spoken words vocals which was the core of their recent "The Invisible Lodger" album (and of several of their remixes), this beautiful 12" features a slightly beatier and very lush remix of Georgia's Horse on the A side, and the less electronic original on the flip. It is unlikely that you will rave to this, but this is another excellent release from the duo.

FRACTIONAL - Still Life? - 12" (The Centrifuge) Interesting new 12" by Fractional, and the first vinyl release for the Centrifuge label, who had so far had digital releases only. Less dark, drum'n'bass and generally speaking less dancefloor oriented than 2008's "Come Mierda", this "Still Life?" shows this belgian act trying himself (and succeeeding) at intricate, mid-tempo IDM-ish electronica. Clear sounding, enriched with very nice catchy melody and a strong production, and not too complex, this is definitely a keeper for Fractional, all surprising at is might be.

FRACTIONAL - Laous - 10" (Angstrecords) Dating back from only 2006, this debut 10" by Fractional easily positioned this producer as one for hard and noisy breakcore. While they feature some long and interesting melodies, the tracks revolves around concrete-sounding beats, distorted breaks and staccato rhythms (damn, that B2 tracks, which sounds a bt like a grittier Xanopticon, is devastating). Very energetic, efficient and merciless.

MANDELBROT - Evolution - CD (Audiophob) Solid third CD album for Mandelbrot, one of the less well known side-projects of Synapscape and The Rorschach Garden. Atmospheric, dark and soundscape-oriented, but not as noisy and gritty as, let's say, Templegarden's, "Evolution" is a surprisngly clear collection of long semi-accoustic drones and experimentation. Relatively modest and low-key, but well done and not falling into the usual clichés of the genre, it is an album to be noticed.

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MAD EP - When I'm Six - 12" (Ad Noiseam) Debut solo release of this incredibly talented musician, mixing breaks, electronica, abstract hip hop and general madness in writing a beautiful and nostalgic music with a very deep and intelligent edge. Featuring remixes by Jason Forrest (Donna Summer), End, Mothboy and Chaonaut and vocals by Equivalant, "When I'm 6" paves the way to recognition for this stunning project.

GENETIC SELECTION - World Of Tomorrow - CD (Ant Zen) For his third album, the Ant Zen-based project Genetic Selection lets all his influence flow freely, and deliver an album that mixes basically everything you could expect: a lot of power-noise, quite a heavy dose of trance synth lines, EBM rhythms (including the corresponding vocals on one track), and even a orchestral drum'n'bass piece (obviously extremely influenced by Detritus). In the end, this "World of tomorrow" is a pot-pourri of the things one might expect to hear in dim-lit, industrial gothic club, and I guess that it therefore delivers the goods.

THIS MORN' OMINA - Momentum Of Singular Clarity - CD (Ant Zen) If Mika Goedrijk had updated his game with his recent "Pellicules" CD, it is more of a step back to the roots that he is taking with this "Momentum Of Singular Clarity", as the five tracks on this mid-priced CD are of the blatant EBM and rhythmic noise kind. It's all aimed at the dancefloor, the beats are all where one would expect them to be, and the addition of shouted vocals to most of the tracks should make sure that this goes well with gothic DJs.

ENDUSER - The End - CD (Sublight) Four new tracks by Enduser and four remixes by Submerged, Panacea, Richard Devine and Datach'i. Enduser comes back with more chopped breaks., sweeping bass, instant catchiness and enough efficiency to make your grandfather go wild on the dancefloor. The remixes add more insanity and energy to the original track, and here is a nice way to end the year (pun intended). Unmissable.

ENDUSER / EDGEY / SUBSEKTOR - 2% - cd (Reduced Phat) Extremely nice debut for the new US label Reduced Phat, pairing here the great Enduser with fellow break beat and drum''bass afficionados Edgey and Subsektor (remember the Robot Haus track on the "Subsnow 02-02" compilation?). 2 new tracks by each, and 2 remixes of each by the other two: from very welll done breaks to infectious d'n'b, from noise to nice samples, here comes a slim, efficient and worthy CD. Very recommended.

EDGEY / DEPTH ERROR - The Abuse Technique - cd (Hive Records) Very strong split CD between New York's Edgey, sounding more drum'n'bass than ever and UK's Depth Error, who clearly liked Aphex Twin's "Come To Daddy"'s era. Energetic, very dancefloor-friendly, distorted (but not too much) and efficient, "The Abuse Technique" sees Edgey delivering some of his best material so far on CD, and introduces Depth Error in a very favorable manner. May you be a fan of rhythmic noise, drum'n'bass or breakcore, this CD is something for you, and is an uncommonly good and solid one. Recommended.

TALVEKOIDIK - Silent Reflections - CD (Brume Records) Interesting first album by this solo project of one of the two members of the Hands rhythmic noise act Sket. Void of 4/4 distorted rhyhtm and not aimed at the dancefloor, "Silent Reflections" is a bombastic orchestral projects, in which the well flowing strings and horns are mixed with subdued breakbeats and electronica clicks. Somewhat of a beefed-up version of Flint Glass (who is releasing this album on his Brume label), Talvekoidik manages to combine strong melodies and pathos-ridden track without falling in the cheese. Definitely something to be noticed.

EBOLA - Subsonic Armpit Mutilation - 12" (Noizetek) Second 12" for UK's Ebola, but the first one solo, and a first release as well for the young Noizetekk label. While Ebola's recent "Cannibal Penis Ballet" CD album was touching a bit of everything, the "Subsonic Armpit Mutliation" (is Ebola using the same titling-software as Otto Von Schirach?) is a much more compact and hard-hitting piece of vinyl. Banging, heavy, dirty and shameless, here comes what fans of early Peace Off material need to be fed. The UK breakcore scene keeps on getting darker and grittier, and this 12" is a good example of it. Hard, catchy, and taking no prisoner.

SPYWEIRDOS - Loftcase - 12" (Creative Space) Coming out almost at the same time as his "Wetsound Orchestra" double CD, "Loftcase ep" is another great release for the remarkable newcomer that is Spyweirdos. While his album was a marvel of clicks, cuts and atmospheres, the four tracks of "Loftcase" have gained his thickness and weight. Very reminiscent of Gridlock at time, intelligently produced and always beautiful, this 12" showcases Spyweirdos's talent with somewhat more accessible and direct material. Congratulations.

STAGGA - Sick As Sin - 12" (Rag & Bone) Quite a varied 21st release for Rag & Bone. While the title track of this Stagga 12" is of the hard and quite merciless dubstep kind (which will go well with the previous Rag & Bone release by Excision, for example), the B side is a lot dubbier, more uplifiting and light. Still, that A side is really infectious and the whole thing works very well. Not so surprising coming from this very underrated label.

ENDUSER - The End - 12" (Mirex / Sublight) Four new tracks by Enduser and four remixes by Submerged, Panacea, Richard Devine and Datach'i. Enduser comes back with more chopped breaks., sweeping bass, instant catchiness and enough efficiency to make your grandfather go wild on the dancefloor. The remixes add more insanity and energy to the original track, and here is a nice way to end the year (pun intended). Unmissable.

HECQ - Steeltongued - 2xCD (Hymen) Even though it might follow the same formula as "0000" (a double CD featuring an album and a profusion of remixes), Hecq's sixth album is a huge leap forward for this german producer. Gaining from his experience as a sound designer and leaving behind both the über-clinical glitch and the Lustmord-ian low soundscapes, "Steeltongued" manages to gain both in complexity and in emotion. Add to this 12 great remixes (including three by Ad Noiseam favorites Spyweirdos, Mothboy and Raoul Sinier), and you get an extremely recommended album that might stay as Hecq's true coming of age. Congratulations.

TONIKOM - The Sniper's Veil - CD (Hymen) Second album for Tonikom. The bleak electronic of her first album are enriched here with a lot of long melodies and pads, making of this "Sniper's veil" a much more accessible and friendly experience (if you forget about the artwork). Flowing somewhere between darkish electronica and contained rhythmic noise, this is an album which should appearl first and foremost to the noise and industrial scene, who will have no difficulty finding its mark here.

AKM - Mmi ep - CD (Index Records) Quite a ride for the first CD on the french Index label (following several more breakcore-oriented 12"). A mixture of experimental micro noises, fast-paced breaks and short sliced samples, "Mmi" is something which should appeal to both fans of Richard Devine and Otto Von Schirach on the one side (as it has the fast edit, schyzophrenic weight of both) and of laid-back experimental electronica on the other side (for its very complex, abstract side). More accessible than you might expect and pretty interesting.

CAUSTIC - Booze Up And Riot - CD (Crunchpod) Second album for Caustic, a one-man project which has already been causing a stir in the american industrial scene for quite some time. Very tongue-in-cheek but very raw, noisy, dancefloor-oriented but far away from the darker-than-dark usual clich?f this scene, Caustic's music is a good and raw concentrate of rhythmic noise beats with enough absurd samples and pointless aggressivity to put everybody on the dancefloor and still have people smile and laugh. In a way, "Booze uo and riot" is what Noisex might wish he was doing now, and his past fans should think twice before passing up on Caustic.

ENDIF - Meta - CD (Crunchpod) First full length CD for Endif, a young american rhythmic noise act (an avid remixer), who deliver here a surprisingly well produced debut, on which a dancefloor-oriented, gritty rhyhtmic noise gets infused with some well found breaks, some voices here and there and good atmosphere changes. While not a revolution in the genre, here's something which should appeal to any fan of club-taylored "power noise", and is quite a remarkable debut.

AZ-ROTATOR / KENJI SIRATORI - Braincore - CDR (Hypermodern) The insane breaks meet the insane spoken words. "Braincore" is the fruit of the collaboration of IDM / breaks wizard-extraordinaire AZ-Rotator and the japanese weird-cyberpunk autor Kenji Siratori, who meshes their talent over the course of 5 tracks. On the music side, it's all super crystal-clear, very well produced breaks, heavy basses and hi-fi soundscapes, resulting in very futuristic and highly crafted tracks. On the spoken words side, I don't speak a word of Japanese, and have no idea what this is all about. A UFO in the land of IDM and electronica, which deserves a lot of consideration for how well the tracks are produced.

ROTATOR - Help Me Keep Up Destruktion - 12" (Broklyn Beats) New pounding 12" by the relentless Rotator, this time on Broklyn Beats and not Peace Off. With this one, this artist, known for unleashing extremely heavy and dancefloor-friendly hardcore beats, mixes a lot more influences in his sound, coming out with something more musical, more varied in its textures and structures, but just as merciless as the recent "Dissident Sound Maniak". Very well produced, fresh sounding, nobody behind the deck can go wrong with Rotator, ever.

EDGEY - Flawed - CD (Hands) If breakcore was brining more albums like "Flawed", it would definitely not be in its current state of deliquescence. While Edgey's first full length CD was still a quite straight, pounding all-guns-blazing attack, "Flawed" is an equally oppressive but more thought of and varied album. Void of any influence from the current breakcore scene (not a trace of mash-up or rave in here), this CD still manages to integrates very well harsh, broken beats with d'n'b patterns and a very rhythmic-noise sense of grittiness. The whole thing is extremely well done, and results in an enthusiasm-raising, exemplary album.

V/A - Polymorphik II / III - 12" (Puzzling Records) Very good second volume of the Polymorphik compilation trilogy, this time presenting new tracks by Mad E.P., Cdatakill, Exillon, LFO Demon, Somatic Responses, Kirdec (aka C-drik aka Crno Klank), Dev Null, Kaebin Yield, A.L.F, and Shore. Honestly, I shouldn't have to say more, this is a strong line-up, and everybody delivers strong tracks. Recommended.

ISTARI LASTERFAHRER - Breakcore, The Death Of A Genre - 12" (Artcore) No idea if this is an eulogy, a wish or just a catchy title to get people's attention, but Istari Lasterfahrer's "Breakcore" records on Poland's young Artcore label seems to be all but dead. Neither the raggacore he used to be known for nor super harsh cut up breaks as some might expect, but rather a well produced, hard-hitting broken IDM with some drum'n'bass tonalities, these 7 tracks work really quite well, and the gold-silkscreened cover they come in is also quite something. A good, strong record.

CLARK - Turning Dragon - CD (Warp) Excellent new album by (Chris) Clark, who has the good idea with "Turning Dragon" of leaving behind his most Aphex Twin and Squarepusher-esque influence, and unleash his by far hardest album so far. Still complex and very well produced, but not afraid at all to display some rusty muscles, this dragon belong to the same class of heavy monsters as Speedy J's "A Shocking Hobby" or Richard Devine "Cautella". An excellent album.

TIM EXILE - Listening Tree - 2x12" + CD (Warp / Planet Mu) No, I'm not sure I totally follow either. For his third album, the newly relocated to Berlin Tim Exile jumps from Planet Mu to Warp and walks a sort of Jamie Lidell path. Gone is the drum'n'bass of his first album, gone are the hardcore lo-fi experimentations of his second, what we get here is an overproduced IDM almost constantly dominated by some Depeche Mode-esque vocals. There's still a bit of d'n'b and some audio trickery thrown in the lot, but while Tim Exile might be in for some originality here, he's definitely blurring the tracks.

V/A - Redvolume catalogue part one - CD (Redvolume) Excellent initiative from Redvolume, who has compiled 13 tracks taken from their 12" (most in their original version, some in new mixes), and therefore enable the CD audience to get an idea of what this swedish dubstep label is about. With excellent tracks by Innasekt, Markomen, Tes La Rok, L-Wiz and others, this compilation ranges from the super heavy and dark to the more dub influenced and accessible, and will hopefully bring some recognition to this so far underrated label.

2562 - Techno Dread / Enforcers - 12" (Tectonic) More strongly minimal influenced dubstep from the great 2562. Following his two "channels" records, this british producers gives more room to the german techno sound in his tracks, and comes up with quite a straight, if not uncommonly bassy and slightly heavy minimal 12". A very welcome change from the sometimes too formulaic mould of dubstep, and something which somewhat defies the category this artist originally came out from.

UNKNOWN ARTIST - Boyz / Terrorize - 12" (Dub & Run) I don't know who's responsible for this new record on Dub & Run, but the recipe is still the same: the A side is a dubstep mash-up / remix, this time of M.I.A.'s über hit "Boyz", who ends up being bassed-up, slowed down and turned wobbly. The B side is, at far as I can tell, an original track, and combines a catchy melody with a rather aggressive and heavy bassline. My preferrence would go to this second track, but there's no denying that the vocals on the flipside should guarantee some instant recognition.

THE WIDDLER - Sensi Samurai EP - 12" (Studio Rockers) Excellent heavy dubstep 12" by The Widdler, and act about which I do not know anything at all. The main track is a low-flying, massive and very efficient dubstep number, which stands out from the rest of this category as it is written in a more varied and "clever" way as other super tough dubstep. The two tracks on the B side are equally well produced, but a bit less "in your face". Anyway, this "Sensi Samurai" shouldn't have any problems at all getting DJ play, as the A side is a "not to be missed" one.

SUBSCAPE - Slow Moe / Artificial Dreamer - 12" (Pitch Black) Heavy and bassy record from Sub Scape, as usual. The A side is a rather sci-fi sounding, menacing but highly melodic dubstep piece, while "Articial Dreamer", harder and meaner, relies on huge rolling basslines to pack up the dancefloor. The whole thing revolves around a relatively classic dubstep structures, but has enough potential and strength to send the kids raving.

Now available as digital download:

New arrivals:

L'OMBRE - Letting Go At The Steering Wheel - CD (Ant Zen) Six years after his latest real album, L'Ombre comes back with a third one and demonstrates once again that he is among the most open-minded and varied artists on Ant Zen. While the downtempo beats of "Simulations 1.0" might have been relegated to the background, this album is full of nice and catchy instrumental hip hop tracks, and is not afraid of dropping some disco or house melodies from times to times. Fear not, though, the whole thing is still very low-key and gritty, but it definitely has enough elements to satisfy people into several genres.

THIS MORN' OMINA - Momentum Of Singular Clarity - CD (Ant Zen) If Mika Goedrijk had updated his game with his recent "Pellicules" CD, it is more of a step back to the roots that he is taking with this "Momentum Of Singular Clarity", as the five tracks on this mid-priced CD are of the blatant EBM and rhythmic noise kind. It's all aimed at the dancefloor, the beats are all where one would expect them to be, and the addition of shouted vocals to most of the tracks should make sure that this goes well with gothic DJs.

VENETIAN SNARES - Filth - 2x12" (Planet Mu) There might be some traces of "Detrimentalist"'s acid and rave appeal here and there, but "Filth", Venetian Snares's new high-profile album goes back more to the "Winter In The Belly Of A Snake" or (more recently) "Cavalcade Of Glee" in the way that, as analog as it might be, we're speaking super lush, classical over-broken breakcore here. The tracks are surprisingly varied for Snares (some being dancefloor-oriented, some more funky, and some just plain fiendish). Maybe not as fresh as its predecessor, but obviously more ambitious and somewhat mor enjoyable.

PANACEA / GRIDLOCK - Split - 12" (Component Records) Back in stock: first 12" from Component Records. Features the very good "When Panacea Strikes" track by Panacea on the one side, and Gridlock's "Bang out your dead", probably their heaviest piece ever. A treat for both fans of good d'n'b and DJs.

HECQ - Steeltongued - 2xCD (Hymen) Even though it might follow the same formula as "0000" (a double CD featuring an album and a profusion of remixes), Hecq's sixth album is a huge leap forward for this german producer. Gaining from his experience as a sound designer and leaving behind both the ?-clinical glitch and the Lustmord-ian low soundscapes, "Steeltongued" manages to gain both in complexity and in emotion. Add to this 12 great remixes (including three by Ad Noiseam favorites Spyweirdos, Mothboy and Raoul Sinier), and you get an extremely recommended album that might stay as Hecq's true coming of age. Congratulations.

HECATE - Brew Hideous - 12" (Hymen) Evil! Hecate's music has never been about fairies and Hello Kitties, but "Brew Hideous" is the definitive coming out for the metal fan, esoteric worshipper that Hecate is. Mixing guitar riffs and angry screams with her staccato beats and breaks, Hecate comes up on this album with something which reminds of her Raquel de Grimstone side-project, and also makes her a place in the rank of the breakcore artist taking a shot at the whole metal influence. Still similar to most of her output, but with added guitars and "evilness", and also featuring Navicon Torture Technologies on two tracks, "Brew Hideous" is the breakcore album that you can show to your black metal friends. Efficient, mean and blacker than black.

THE OTHERS - Monster Mash / Bazooka - 12" (Dub Police) Damn, these Others are good. And they fit perfectly on Dub Police with this super heavy, slightly ravy dubstep 12". The A side is served with an up-tempo killer bassline, and the B side, a bit slower, is a massive track of exactly the kind of beats and bass that people need in this genre. Very recommended.

MRK1 - Magnetic Device / Revolution 909 - 12" (Earwax) Another strong record from MRK 1, this time sensibly less wobble-heavy than usual. Still, "Magnetic Device" is a particularely hard and catchy track, of the "tough-guy dubstep" kind. The B side is calmer and more low-key, but is equally well recorded and pleasant.

HOODZ - Bad Mind / Clash - 12" (Lo Dubs) Very dub minded new record on Lo Dub. We're still speaking of dubstep here, the bass are humonguous and the lempo is kept quite down, but the melodies, the amount of echoes and, most of all, the vocal samples used by the Hoodz duo will first appeal to all of you pot-smoking, dread-wearing dub fans out there (how many times have I written the word "dub" in this paragraph already?). A solid record with some potential.

BAR 9 - Strung Out / Amalgamation - 12" (Audio Freaks) One has to give it to Bar 9: while the material on his (now numerous) 12" might not be up for an subtelity award, they are the best thing that can happen to a dubstep DJ. With their classic structures, their mammoth beats and their huge basslines (of the kind that makes Distance's sound anemic), tracks such as "Strung Out" are more than guaranteed to make people go wild on the dancefloor. You might not listen to this too often at home, but dropping a record like this one will definitely bring some smiles and cheers.

MIKE LENNON - When Science Fails - 12" (Z Audio) Released back in 2007 (which is to say, a very long time ago by dubstep standards), this 12" by Mike Lennon was also the first release ever on Z Audio. Some copies are back in stock from the vault, to show how this label, while already into heavy and wobbly tracks, was releasing here something quite up-tempo and syncopated. Quite clear, well produced, at the confluent of garage and the more recent super heavy, tough-guy dubstep.

JAKES - The Jakes Project Vol. 2 - 12" (Hench Recordings) Satisfation guaranteed for this new Jakes 12" on Hench. The A side is a heavy pounding dubstep piece, with very metallic beats and whose use of guitar snippets reminds me of Math Head's "Stab City". It gets a lot wobblier on the B side, where the very heavy, in-your-face basslines makes up for the overuse of "Full Metal Jacket" samples. A loud and massive record for everybody who like their dubstep this way.

F1 & KROMESTAR - Hard Grade / Pass Da Spliff - 12" (Dubstar) "Pass the spliff" couldn't be a more adequate title. This new record by F1 and Kromestar, while still dubstep, is directly oriented at the dubbiest and most roots-oriented fans out there. The whole thing is drenched in reverb, the vocals couldn't be any more obvious, and while the whole sonorities are still quite heavy, this is much stronger in the "dub" than the "step".

CLOUDS - Protecting Hands - 12" (Deep Medi Musik) Both Clouds and Deep Medi keep on blurring their paths with this new 12". While the first's latest release on Argon was more of an up-tempo, pretty but club-oriented release and the later has been providing us with very heavy material lately, "Protecting Hands" is a beautiful and obviously home-listening oriented dubstep record, which is a lot closer to Various Production's material than anything else. With modest beats, a little bit of guitars and female vocals on one side, this new 12" by Clouds is a very charming one, and people who do not need their vinyl only for the club should take notice.

DJ MAXXIMUS - Neo - 12" (MG77) Interesting new 12" by DJ Maxximus, aka one of the veterans of the dubstep and grime scene in Berlin. Quite low-key, aerial and accoustic sounding, this "Neo" should find its place either at home or at the beginning of these current dubstep-meets-techno sets (all the more the Shackleton remix on the B side) rather than in wobble-heavy ones. Well done and unexpected.

UNKNOWN ARTIST - Boyz / Terrorize - 12" (Dub & Run) I don't know who's responsible for this new record on Dub & Run, but the recipe is still the same: the A side is a dubstep mash-up / remix, this time of M.I.A.'s ? hit "Boyz", who ends up being bassed-up, slowed down and turned wobbly. The B side is, at far as I can tell, an original track, and combines a catchy melody with a rather aggressive and heavy bassline. My preferrence would go to this second track, but there's no denying that the vocals on the flipside should guarantee some instant recognition.

DON GOLIATH - Bassfest Series Vol.2 - 12" (Dubstep Division) Interestingly varied new 4 tracker by this Berlin-based dubstep duo. While some of the tracks are quite echoed and dub-minded, some of the tracks also integrates some nicely infectious 8bit melodies, reminding a bit of what Hyperdub have been doing recently. The beats, though not particulery hard, work well and there's enough wobble for everybody on this record. While this might not be the dubstep record that will get the most attention this year, it's a nice one that should not be overlooked.

DISRUPT / MAHANEE / PHOKUS - Police EP - 12" (Police In Helicopter) An interesting "scene" made of bands mixing ragga, dubstep and dub and revolving around the currently quite successful Disrupt has appeared in Germany in the last year, and gives birth here to this new 12" on Police on Helicopter. While obviously a dub record, this "Police EP" is considerably more electronic and heavier than most records of the genre, and obviously taps in the dubstep sound for its beats and basslines. Well done, and potentially a treat for fans of such labels as Shockout.

BLACK SUN EMPIRE - Hyper Sun / Cold Crysis - 12" (Shadows Of The Empire) The well known dutch drum'n'bass crew Black Sun Empire leaves its usual genre behind for a first release on their new Shadows Of The Empire label, and present here a relatively classic but dark and quite hard hitting dubstep 12". The dub elements are almost absent from this record, which ends up having the grit and dirtyness of Black Sun Empire's usual d'n'b output, but much slower and full of heavy basslines. An efficient record that should work very well with d'n'b heads in search of something a bit more up to date.

THE WIDDLER - Sensi Samurai EP - 12" (Studio Rockers) Excellent heavy dubstep 12" by The Widdler, and act about which I do not know anything at all. The main track is a low-flying, massive and very efficient dubstep number, which stands out from the rest of this category as it is written in a more varied and "clever" way as other super tough dubstep. The two tracks on the B side are equally well produced, but a bit less "in your face". Anyway, this "Sensi Samurai" shouldn't have any problems at all getting DJ play, as the A side is a "not to be missed" one.

SUBSCAPE - Slow Moe / Artificial Dreamer - 12" (Pitch Black) Heavy and bassy record from Sub Scape, as usual. The A side is a rather sci-fi sounding, menacing but highly melodic dubstep piece, while "Articial Dreamer", harder and meaner, relies on huge rolling basslines to pack up the dancefloor. The whole thing revolves around a relatively classic dubstep structures, but has enough potential and strength to send the kids raving.

Back in stock:

BONG-RA - Full Metal Racket - CD (Ad Noiseam) Featuring all the tracks from the "Grindkrusher" and "Sick Sick Sick" records, re-recorded and remastered, "Full Metal Racket" is Bong-Ra's unmatchable homage to his grindcore and hardcore heroes. A fast, high-energy album of twisted breaks, breaks and merciless riffs, it finally presents the 10 gems of these two records to all fans of this superlative-heavy, towering producer. Zombie-claws lacerated subwoofers ahead.

THE TEKNOIST & EUSTACHIAN - Pillaged & Plundered - 12" (Ad Noiseam) Coming just in time for their tour throughout Europe, "Pillaged & Plundered" is a clear statement of what the crowds should expect. On the one side, The Teknoist throws in two new tracks of the excellent and tasty breed of breakcore, gabber and metal which has made of him one of Europe's most sought after producer of the genre. On their side, Eustachian opens wide the gates of Hell, mashing up grindcore, breakcore and noise with a brutality and ingenuity rarely seen so far. Watch out, these guys are after you sanity.

DäLEK - Streets All Amped - 12" (Ad Noiseam) Dälek offer with "Streets All Amped" a new record of their original mixture of massive noise, heavy beats, intelligent vocals and detailed turntablism. Never short of talent, this act has now approached its sound from a new angle, placing the vocals more in the background than ever before since their "Necro Negro Nekros" album, and adding more details to their colossal wall of sound. "Streets All Amped" is a new display of virtuosity in an awe-inspiring discography, a record of sheer brilliance.

SUNKEN FOAL - Fallen Arches - 2x12" (Planet Mu) Beautiful first album by Sunken Foal, the new project by one of the two members of Ambulance, an act which had released a a couple of things on Planet Mu in the past. A mixture of very laid-back, downtempo, highly melodic electronica and gentle accoustic sounds (with vocals on a few tracks), "Sunken Arches" is a contained but magnificent album, that treads softly and nicely. Recommended.

DARQWAN - M/a..ximum Reespek / Ghost Not Memory - 12" (Planet Mu) A Planet Mu release for Darqwan (aka DQ1), in the middle of his records on Texture and Tectonic. The main track mixes a strong dub, smokey room atmospheres with sci-fi sounds, resulting in something quite original, while the B side is a very nice, spacious bass heavy down tempo one with some clever placed vocal snippets. Very efficient for any dubstep DJ that wants to cool things down a bit.

OTTO VON SCHIRACH - Oozing Bass Spasm - 2x12" (Cock Rock Disco / Hymen) For his new album, Otto Von Schirach simplifies a lot his music, cranks up the bass, and delivers a mixture of down tempo IDM, grimey rhytms and as insane as ever vocals and atmospheres. The man still likes to rap / speak about zombies, sex and guts, but does it in a more booty, direct and less brainy way. The whole thing has quite a few fun covers (you didn't hear it from me), and should appeal to both fans of crazy electronics and Skinny Puppy groupies alike. Oh oh oh.

CARDOPUSHER - I Need Someone I Can Imitate - 12" (Wood Records) And in this case, this someone is Cardopusher himself. For his second 12" this year, everybody's favorite Venezuelan producers comes back with a new salvo of banging mash-up tracks, in which he combines in infectious, extremely efficient style of breakcore with more pop samples one could think possible. Of course, it's still pretty harsh and shattered, but Cardopushers shows again that he's the man to count on to be able to produce make hard hitting breaks still sound human and very booty-shaking. A deadly DJ tool.

PORTLAND - Cargynes - 7" (n5md) Very nice clear 7" from this newcomer on N5md (Gridlock's label). One the one side, flowing electronica in the vein of Proem and, on the other side, echoed electronic melodies and beats with a slightly dark edge. Very charming and well done.

AMBOSS - Prosperity Slave - 12" (No Room For Talent) Another floor-packer, subwoofer-grinder 12" from Amboss. Following shortly his record for Praxis's Sub/version label, this "Prosperity Slave" is a bit more broken and violent, and a bit less drum'n'bass, for a result just as deadly. There has really been quite a lot of progress for this german producer in the recent time, which is demonstrated again on this very nice looking orange marble picture disc. Not only a collector, but a record that DJ shouldn't miss.

V/A - The Limpet - 12" (Couchblip!) High profile line-up for this compilation on the australian Couchblip! label: the great Boxcutter opens the ball with a slow-ish, quite jazzy number, to be followed by two tracks by our Funckarma favorites, quite massive, "Dubstoned"-style. Finally, Hermutt Lobby (whose first 12" was a very nice surprise) closes the door with a playful, bleepy and dynamic electronica piece. Quite balanced and definitely something to get at least for the Funckarma tracks.

KRUMBLE - Return Of the Amen Spamer - 12" (Peace Off) The discobreaker (or is it the amen spamer) is back, and flies the color of broken, raggacorized drum'n'bass high with new two tracker, on which the fast, staccato drum'n'bass rhythms get shattered and improved à la Peace Off sauce, while vocal samples (and not the ones you have heard a million times in raggacore already) add some taste to the recipe. Watch out, this thing is dangerously infectious, and no DJ can afford to pass on this record.

LE JAD - Painful Epic - 12" (Peace Off) Peace Off's press release for this début by France's Le Jad is full of superlative, and one has to admit that they're quite right. A super energetic mixture of breakcore, a tad of guitars and a bit of electro, "Painful Epic" is a very catchy, driven and very efficient record which, even though it still bears the mark of a first effort, shows quite a display of talent. A very nice discovery from a band I look forward to hearing more from. Recommended.

DOORMOUSE - I Love Kraftwerk - 12" (Addict Records) Yes! Mr Doormouse's fifth volume of his "I love music" series shows his love (if not faithfullness) to everybody's favorite old school robots, and re-interprets your favorite Kraftwerk tunes all along four tracks and three locked grooves. Ever wanted to drop "Tour de France" in a gabber set? Ever wished to put some 'Werk in your breaks? Follow the man, here's all you ever needed to bridge the bpm-fest and the old school vibes. Very tasty, and therefore very necessary.

DOORMOUSE - I Love Everything - 12" (Addict Records) Sixth and final record of Doormouse's "I love Music". And this times, the man pays homage to "it all", and acurately offers two of his best and most played tracks of the recent years. They might be a bit less "themed" than the ones on the previous five volumes, but fans and clugoers will go crazy to this "War in Wisconsin" and the great "Helloween on Wheels". Musician rarely complete series of releases, and all the less when it is as ambitious as this one, but Doormouse pulled it off. Congratulations to him and, to the other: it's time to "love Doormouse".

ÜBERGANG - Fear Leader - 12" (Low Res) Finally! Five years after his last record, Christoph De Babalon comes back, this time with the debut release of his much talked about Übergang project, which lives up to all the expectations that one could have. Somewhat breakcore-ish, but combining a lot of outside elements (from guitars to noise to drum'n'bass to massive basses), "Fear Leader" is almost a genre in itself. Intense, relatively dancefloor friendly and very well produced, here's a 12" which is guaranteed to make a splash. Strongly recommended.

SIGNALFORM & TACHIKOMA - Understanding Media - CD (Lovethechaos) I really have no clue who Signalform and Tachikoma are, but this collaboration, which also serves as a debut CD for both act, is quite a tour de force. A surprisingly well produced and subtle electronic album which might remind of the golden days of U-Cover or of some Hymen releases, "Understanding Media" (no, there are no Noam Chomsky sample in it) is an intelligently crafted album which avoids the downfalls of most debuts, and should be taken quite seriously by fans of the genre.

KING CANNIBAL - Aragami Style - 12" (Ninja Tune) Excellent two tracker by King Cannibal, a young UK act who is making a lot of waves at the moment (with this release on Ninja Tune, as well as others on Combat and Rag & Bone) with his infectious and dark mixture of super heavy dubstep and broken drum'n'bass. Reminding of a more contained version of what Broken Note are doing, this is clearly dubstep-oriented material for the breakcore floors. Very recommended.

THE OTHERS / L-WIZ / DUBWOOFA - License To Thrill part 5 - 12" (Dub Police) A pretty A side and an ugly B side for this 5th "License To Thrill". The Others come up with a surprisingly light, flowing and uptempo tune which fit well with L-Wiz's more syncopated but still highly melodic track. On the other side, Dubwoofa enters the ring as the sumo of the evening, with a strong, heavy and no-frill dubstep dancefloor-filler. Quite a varied volume, whose B side should definitely get some DJ play.

SKREAM - Loefah Remixes - 12" (Tempa) Two excellent remixes of tracks originally written by Skream done by DMW'z Loefah. With one very hi-fi, wobbly and massive number and an another rich in oriental melodies, this two new version add more substance and sound to the already very efficient pieces by Skream. Heavy, very well produced, well cut, and very easy to DJ.

BAR 9 - Malicious Tactics / Midnight - 12" (Audio Freaks) Massive. Bar 9's new record for his Audio Freaks home doesn't care about subtilety or finesse and goes straight the juggernaut bass and monstrous beats. Very Distance-esque, broken and loud, this is 100% taylored for the dubstep dancefloors, and the darkest at that. Straightforward, but monstrous.

BAR 9 - Murda Sound (VIP Mix) - 12" (Z Audio) First volume of two remix records on Zaudio for the currently prolific Bar 9. Pretty much in the vein of his material for Audio Freaks, the A side is a über-massive, loud and evil hard dubstep track with enough bass to devastate any dubstep floor (and the adjacent rooms). The B side present more balanced and slightly faster remixes by Eskmo and Mike Lennon (John's dubstep grandson?). Anyway, that VIP mix should prove quite efficient. If Bar 9 goes on like this, he will definitely get a spot up there among the tough guys of dubstep.

MRK 1 - Dubelek / Borderline - 12" (Contagious Recordings) Excellent new two tracker from Mark One, with a super heavy sweeping wobble track on the one side, pretty much in the style that has become typical to this producer, and a very catchy Bollywood-laced one on the other. Efficient as always, quite accessible and really well produced. Extremely efficient DJ tool and really a strong dubstep plate.

FLYING LOTUS & DECLAIME - Whole Wide World - 12" (Ramp Recordings) New five track EP by Flying Lotus, arguably the most talked about hip hop producer of the moment, this time pairing up with Declaime for a release on the usually more dubstep-minded Ramp. Up to par with his recent "Los Angeles" album as far as electronic trickery and the care of details go, this EP however has a more direct and vocal-oriented approach. Declaime's flow fits well with Flying Lotus's uncommon beats, and while it might remind of Mf Doom at times, it all ends up being very coherent. The current legions of Flying Lotus fans should approve.

DJ TECHNORCH - Boss On Parade Remixes - CD (Murder Channel / 999 Recordings) The world might not need it, the cover might hurt your eyes, but a new salvo of DJ Technorch's japanese trancecore is not something you say no to (for the ones of you who have sleeping through class, "trancecore" is the name given in Japan to breakcore-influenced, mashed-up fast gabber). Technorch's "Boss On Parade" gets the remix treatment in the hand of Cardopusher, FFF, Donna Summer, Soundbites and a few others, and we get some new bouncy tunes to rave to stupidly. Super energizing, as anybody would expect.

DISHARMONY - Collapse - CD (Monopol Records) Before turning more electronica and calmer down, the Disharmony duo had a strong foot in post-EBM industrial kind of stuff, as demonstrated on this 2006's "Collapse". Definitely darker and more vocal-based than their recent "Cloned", this album is full of straight, distorted beats, low-key but aggressive voices, and is clearly geared at the rhythmic noise scene and its dim-lit dancefloors.

Now available as digital download:

New arrivals:

SOMATIC RESPONSES - Reformation - CD (Ad Noiseam) Somatic Responses come back to Ad Noiseam with an album in which they re-invent their sound and finally put on record their taste for fresh and warmer sounds. Bridging their talented production with dubstep and rethinking their music, the Healy brothers have slowed things down, added more weight to their tracks, and are ready to out-bass pretty much everybody else. Reformation, renewal and re-establishment indeed!

REMANO ESZILDN - R-Tracks - 12" (Planet Mu) Weird but pleasant debut LP by this british artist about whom I do not know anything at all. While possibily riding the wave of retro-rave and 8-bit love currently led by such people as Harmonic313, Remano Eszildn's "R-Tracks" is a nicely flowing, quite harmless but uplifting collection of tracks made of IDM beats, 8-bit melody and plenty of geeky love. Nicely done, let's see where this all goes to.

STAGGA - Sick As Sin - 12" (Rag & Bone) Quite a varied 21st release for Rag & Bone. While the title track of this Stagga 12" is of the hard and quite merciless dubstep kind (which will go well with the previous Rag & Bone release by Excision, for example), the B side is a lot dubbier, more uplifiting and light. Still, that A side is really infectious and the whole thing works very well. Not so surprising coming from this very underrated label.

CARK - Growls Garden - 12" (Warp) While it starts off with a pretty low-key vocal-based track, "Growl Garden" can be pretty much seen as a follow-up to "Turning Dragon". Chris Clark still goes on full electro-meets-distortion on these 6 tracks, and decidedly focus on the dancefloor with his heavy handed basses and pads. The man has considerably progressed since the IDM trickery of his early day, and such a record should have no difficulty getting DJ plays. Highly infectious and efficient.

CARK - Growls Garden - CD (Warp) While it starts off with a pretty low-key vocal-based track, "Growl Garden" can be pretty much seen as a follow-up to "Turning Dragon". Chris Clark still goes on full electro-meets-distortion on these 6 tracks, and decidedly focus on the dancefloor with his heavy handed basses and pads. The man has considerably progressed since the IDM trickery of his early day, and such a record should have no difficulty getting DJ plays. Highly infectious and efficient.

TIM EXILE - Listening Tree - CD (Warp / Planet Mu) No, I'm not sure I totally follow either. For his third album, the newly relocated to Berlin Tim Exile jumps from Planet Mu to Warp and walks a sort of Jamie Lidell path. Gone is the drum'n'bass of his first album, gone are the hardcore lo-fi experimentations of his second, what we get here is an overproduced IDM almost constantly dominated by some Depeche Mode-esque vocals. There's still a bit of d'n'b and some audio trickery thrown in the lot, but while Tim Exile might be in for some originality here, he's definitely blurring the tracks.

TIM EXILE - Listening Tree - 2x12" + CD (Warp / Planet Mu) No, I'm not sure I totally follow either. For his third album, the newly relocated to Berlin Tim Exile jumps from Planet Mu to Warp and walks a sort of Jamie Lidell path. Gone is the drum'n'bass of his first album, gone are the hardcore lo-fi experimentations of his second, what we get here is an overproduced IDM almost constantly dominated by some Depeche Mode-esque vocals. There's still a bit of d'n'b and some audio trickery thrown in the lot, but while Tim Exile might be in for some originality here, he's definitely blurring the tracks.

TIM EXILE - Family Galaxy - 12" (Warp / Planet Mu) Single for Tim Exile's "Listening Tree" album, featuring the Depeche Mode goes hi-fi goes very up-beat title track and a much more old school Tim Exile one on the flip side. Again, the production is flawless, this is full of good ideas, but the end product is not totally my thing. A good thought through product, though.

MOBTHROW - Mutant Dubstep Vol. 3 - CD (Spectraliquid) Third volume of Spectraliquid's Mutant Dubstep series, and the first to come from a newcomer artist (and a local at that, Mobthrow being one of the managers of this Athens-based label). This one goes all over the place but does it with style. If the opening track is a catchy mixture of jazz and downtempo, some of the following tracks are very hard broken dubstep, and we even find a pretty cover of Future Sound of London (sounding much better than the original, thank God) and an infectious, gritty Mad EP remix. Well done, and a debut by an act to watch.

SKREAM / BENGA - Trapped In A Dark Bubble / Technocal - 12" (Tectonic) Interesting split record between two of dubstep's biggest names. While Skream's track is an uncommonly down-tempo, calm and long one, Benga's side features his typical beats and drive (think of "Night"), but with higher sonorities and a funky techno feeling put more in the foreground than the basses. Still, the production is top notch and this record is worth checking out for anybody into these two acts.

MARTYN / 2562 - Yet / Kontrol - 12" (Tectonic) And here comes a record that really makes sense: Martyn and 2562, both dutch and at the forefront of the current meeting point of dubstep and techno get together for a split 12" on Pinch's Tectonic, 2562's first label. Both were in a good day here, with 2562 delivering a rather down tempo but very well produced track (in my opiion one of his best since the "Aerial" album). On the other side, Martyn is (as expected) a tad more techno, but still quite clear, bassy and well done. A strong record on a strong label.

GIANT - Rocker - 12" (Dub Police) Second record for the russian dubstep crew Giant, this time on Dub Police. The title track, on the A side, fits perfectly with the rest of this label's roster, as it is a heavy and massive down-tempo dubstep tune, relatively classic in structure but highly efficient. The B side is a lot calmer, revolving around very clear, almost accoustic sounding drums. A modest but strong release.

16 BIT - Twice - 12" (- / Tangram) While they aren't as prolific as some other dubstep producers, the 16bit duo are definitely on to something. And most of all, the diversity of their productions is a very welcome element. While we've seen them being mercilessly heavy ("In The Death Car") or sweating on the dancefloor ("Flat Beat"), this semi white label presents three tracks that go straight next to the Various Production releases, in the sense that they here mix some heavy basses with a predominantly accoustic, soft and gentle instrumentation and (female) vocal-based song structure. Very soft but beautiful and delightful.

16 PAD NOISE TERRORIST / TLIC / CYPERKID - Flop 3 - 12" (Flob Beat Disc) 16 Pad Noise Terrorist, a young d'n'b / breakcore act from Leipzig, gets the lion share on this 12", with an A side focusing on a combination of his beats (very d'n'b on the main track, more industrial on the following remix) and a very Drumcorps-esque, hardcore metal voice. Efficient, but your neighboors won't like this one. The B side is a bit more experimental, with noisy and syncopated tracks by Tlic and Cyperkid. The whole thing is well cut, quite loud, and rather original.

16 BIT & MR OIZO - Flat Beat / Classical - 12" (Dub & Run) I'm not totally sure of the status of Mr Oizo's involvement on this record (and even less considering that Dub & Run are almost specialized in putting out uncredited mash ups and remixes), but it's interesting to get on the A side of this record a slightly dubstep-ized and updated version of the french electro overlord by the dubstep wizkids 16 Bit (staying very, very housy here). The B side, a new track by 16 Bit, is a totally different and much more laid back, a slow dubstep piece with classical choir samples, but should prove efficient, albeit in totally different environment. And yet another good record from 16 Bit, yet in another style.

16 BIT - PCP / President Of Europe - 12" (Urban Essentials) Fifth record that we stock from 16 Bit, and sixth success. "PCP" is a wobbly, gritty and hard hitting dubstep track with very nice bassline and the usual "badman" sample, and should go down very well on the dancefloor. "President Of Europe", on the flipside, is considerably calmer and more melodic, even though it is not without a few heavy basses and drops. Very good.

Back in stock:

RA - Wxfdswxc2 - CD+DVDR (Sublight) Coming more or less at the same time as Ra's "Ultrafood" record with Mad EP, the second album of this very interesting french act expands considerably the scope of his talent displayed on his previous "Raoul loves you", and sees Ra dwelving deeper into his melodic-but-weird, cut-up-but-accessible, catchy-but-original take of electronic hip hop, giving birth to an infectious, tasty and remarkable album. Adds to this that the CD comes together with a superb DVD containing several high-quality, weird but excellently produced videos, and you get the best release on Sublight so far, in my opinion. Don't pass on this one.

SARANTIS - Nitroglycerine / Half Dead - 12" (Terminal Dusk) Excellent new banging record from Sarantis, with a heavy and massive wobbly instrumental dubstep piece on the one side and a vocal-based, hip-hop oriented one on the other side. Just as he had done with his early collaboration with Warrior Queen, Sarantis demonstrates that he is one of the best dubstep producers when it comes to mixing vocals with his big sweeping basses. Recommended.

THE BUG - Skeng - 12" (Hyperdub) While The Bug had started out quite harder and faster, the dubstep scene has considered Kevin Martin' ragga / hip hop project as a forerunner of its sound for some time. It's therefore a natural evolution to see this new record by The Bug come out on Hyperdub, the label known for having released such dubstep's milestones as Burial and Kode9's full lengths. "Skeng" is The Bug taking a shot at dubstep, slower, grittier, and doing it pretty well. Add to this a remix by Kode9, and you get a two tracker with a huge dancefloor-potential.

ATARIX - The Age Of Gemini - CD (Acidsamovar) With the russian breakcore scene currently exploding, Atarix comes back with his first album in three years, following a hectic early-2000 release schedule. A bit of everything has been used in the making of this "Age of Gemini", and one gets some dark d'n'b, a dose of raggacore, some big heavy beats and a spoon of dubstep on this resolutely dark, distorted and generally speaking fast album. Maybe not the most original breakcore album out there, but still well done and a sign of the current dynamism of the russian scene.

MIRRA - Never Knows Best - 12" (Acidsamovar) Very nice first vinyl release on Russia's Acid Samavor label. For his (or her) debut, Mirra present a quite crisp and clear blend of fast drum'n'bass combined with efficient, catchy melodies as well as a few breakcore and IDM elements. Quite unassuming, charming and surprisingly well produced (which seems to become the rule on IDM productions from Russia), "Never knows best" is a pretty solid first record which should find it spot in both adventurous hard d'n'b and breakcore record crates.

KARSTEN PFLUM - Fuck Music, Easy - 12" (Bohnerwachs Tonträger) Not translating into sound the motto of its title, this 12" by Karsten Pflum presents a four very musical pieces, which float somewhere between melodic electronica, dub-sound (and dubstep on one track) and ambient-ish IDM. Fitting quite well with the rest of the Bohnerwachs Tontraeger catalog, this might actually remind of Unit and Escape Now!, with whom Karsten Pflum share the same slightly clubby clear sounds. A very pleasant home-listening record.

V/A - Emerging Organisms Vol.2 - 2xCD (Tympanik Audio) A follow-up to "Emerging Organisms", which was Tympanik's very first release, this new double CD compilation is in part a label one, gathering new material by bands now signed to Tympanik (Subheim, Stendeck, Tapage and others) and a nod to older names of the scene (with DJ Hidden, Keef Baker, Architect or the surprising return of Dryft and Mlada Fronta). The whole thing is constantly rather calm, electronica-oriented with a touch of industrial sounds, and should make up for pretty nice late night car rides. Another good statement from Tympanik.

LIKHAN - Redlight / Quiet Riot - 12" (7even) Fitting very well with the rest of the 7even roster, Likhan comes up with a new two tracker in which, a bit like his labelmate F, he mixes the sonorities of dubstep with very echoed dub techno structures. The whole thing might be a bit less uplifing than F's record, but sounds a bit clearer and wide, potentially closer to dubstep fans' tastest than to nostalgic of the Basic Channel era. Well produced and coming from one of the main label of this technoish dubstep genre.

FUNCKARMA - Dubstoned vol. 1 - 12" (Highpoint Lowlife) Never resting, the Funcken brothers start with this record a series of massive and very low flying dubstep-oriented record, in which their taste for ample basses can be satisfied a plenty. This first volume is a hi-fi sounding, very wobbly, clear and gigantic five tracker, which sometimes combine the constant weight of Funckarma's more electronica oriented release and the menacing undertones of dubstep. Damn, I wish all records of the genre had this quality.

BAR 9 - Triple Drop - 12" (-) Semi white label, self released three tracker form Bar 9, a.k.a the muscle man of the current dubstep scene. This record sees this producer go back to his heavy handed bass lines and mid-tempo beats, and are definitely of the hard and merciless dubstep kind. The structures are still classic (we're not speaking Broken Note here), but the man is pushing the enveloppe of how heavy he can make his material sound, and the whole thing ends up being quite tasty and very, very heavy.

THE OUTSIDE AGENCY - Surreal / Chaos Theory - 12" (Genosha One Seven Five) To kick off Genosha One Seven Five, a sublabel of Genosha Recordings focused on everything at the meeting point of d'n'b and hardcore, DJ Hidden and Eye-D present a high quality, loud and pummeling new two tracker by the always jaw dropping The Outside Agency. Things are pretty dark this time around, and the legions of twitching dancers will be in for a pretty deep trip with this one. Still, the production is absolutely flawless, the sounds and ideas are fresh; The Outside Agency demonstrates yet again that you can listen to hardcore without insulting your brain.

Now available as digital download:

New arrivals:

EKELON - Techrische - 12" (Creative Space) Very nice début 12" by Greece's Ekelon, following him having a track being picked by Mary Anne Hobbs for one of her compilations. The three tracks and Sully remix on thisi 12" remind a bit of what Headhunter or some people on 7even are doing, mainly laying down dubstep structures but choosing quite aerial, slightly techno-ish beats and pads instead of relying only on heavy handed basses. The whole thing is pretty gentle, nicely flowing and could definitely get some play.

PARSON / FRAGILE - Into The Night / Night Of The Hunter - 12" (Creative Space) Heavy on the one side, more flowing and modest on the other one: Creative Space present here a split between Parson (for the heavy bass and syncopated rhythms) and Fragile (for the details and melodies), packaged in a nice retro sci-fi cover. The production and cut are very good, and the material should have no difficulty getting DJ play. Quality stuff, as usual from Creative Space.

MATKA - The Killers Playground - 12" (Creative Space) Years after his participation to the Belio compilation on Hymen, Spain's Matka gets a proper release in the form of this 5 track, full artwork 12" on Creative Space. Quite clearly dubstep on several tracks,. but going beyond this with a dark, vocal-based collaboration with End and a more atmospheric closing piece, this "Killers Playground" is definitely a dark, heavy and massive affair that should go down well with anybody who enjoy slow beats and heavy basses.

CARK - Growls Garden - 12" (Warp) While it starts off with a pretty low-key vocal-based track, "Growl Garden" can be pretty much seen as a follow-up to "Turning Dragon". Chris Clark still goes on full electro-meets-distortion on these 6 tracks, and decidedly focus on the dancefloor with his heavy handed basses and pads. The man has considerably progressed since the IDM trickery of his early day, and such a record should have no difficulty getting DJ plays. Highly infectious and efficient.

CARK - Growls Garden - CD (Warp) While it starts off with a pretty low-key vocal-based track, "Growl Garden" can be pretty much seen as a follow-up to "Turning Dragon". Chris Clark still goes on full electro-meets-distortion on these 6 tracks, and decidedly focus on the dancefloor with his heavy handed basses and pads. The man has considerably progressed since the IDM trickery of his early day, and such a record should have no difficulty getting DJ plays. Highly infectious and efficient.

KROMESTAR - My Sound - CD (Dubstar) Full length dubstep CD are a rare thing, which is partly why this album by Kromestar is very welcome. This british producer has been extremely productive recently, spitting out an avalanche of records and collaboration on vinyl. Here finally comes his album, which is surprisingly coherent and straight. Focusing on dark, stripped down but still very dub tracks, "My Sound" is quite a concentrate of classic dubstep and an accurate snaptshot of what Kromestar does best, which will hopefully help him reach new audiences.

RESO & I.D - Shifty - 12" (Smokin' Sessions) Solid collaboration from Reso and ID, who go all over the place with this dubstep goes garage goes wobble three tracker. Things are definitely not as dark as they might have been, and we're speaking dancefloor material here. The sound is pretty warm, loud and ever changing, and while this might be a difficult record to pigeonhole, it shouldn't be passed on, as there's some seriously booty shaking material here.

16 PAD NOISE TERRORIST / TLIC / CYPERKID - Flop 3 - 12" (Flob Beat Disc) 16 Pad Noise Terrorist, a young d'n'b / breakcore act from Leipzig, gets the lion share on this 12", with an A side focusing on a combination of his beats (very d'n'b on the main track, more industrial on the following remix) and a very Drumcorps-esque, hardcore metal voice. Efficient, but your neighboors won't like this one. The B side is a bit more experimental, with noisy and syncopated tracks by Tlic and Cyperkid. The whole thing is well cut, quite loud, and rather original.

Back in stock:

- - t-shirt (Ad Noiseam) New label shirts, displaying the label logo and the "The Devil Lies Below 100 Hz" slogan, on the front.

APHASIA - Oxymoron - 12" (Bruits De Fond) Mean, loud and distorted new record by Aphasia, a pretty established name of the french hardcore scene and regular Manu Le Malin collaborator. Definitely dark, very pounding and not devoid of some angry screaming from time to time, "Oxymoron" is definitely more something for the dimmest lit squat parties and the harshest sets than for ravey, mash-up breakcore fans. Still, however hard and merciless it might be, there's quite some variety and talent in this, and here's a record which shouldn't have much problems finding its audience.

AMBOSS - Prosperity Slave - 12" (No Room For Talent) Another floor-packer, subwoofer-grinder 12" from Amboss. Following shortly his record for Praxis's Sub/version label, this "Prosperity Slave" is a bit more broken and violent, and a bit less drum'n'bass, for a result just as deadly. There has really been quite a lot of progress for this german producer in the recent time, which is demonstrated again on this very nice looking orange marble picture disc. Not only a collector, but a record that DJ shouldn't miss.

DURAN DURAN DURAN - Blowjob Breaks - 12" (Peace Off) Duran Duran Duran is bringing sexyback. Or something. This guy has been playing all over the world almost non-stop for a few years, and it shows: the four tracks of this "Blowjob breaks" are exactly what people (you included) want to hear when dancing on a breakcore floor. This works with insolent ease and effect. Once breakcore will have been buried, this is one of the records that people will dig up to remember the good old days. To sum up: if you're a DJ, not having this is a crime. If you're not, you still need this. Understood?

FILARIA - Bruce Lee Perry - 12" (Suburban Trah) For his second record, Belfast's Filaria slows things down a lot and throws most of his jungly IDM out of the window, to focus on a much more dubstep direction (who could have guessed?), and deliver something which is still quite complex but dub, quite bassy but not too heavy. Neither really Bruce Lee nor Lee Perry, but a sort of warmish humane IDM with a heavy foot on the echo pedal, and something which turns out to be quite enjoyable.

V/A - Emerging Organisms Vol.2 - 2xCD (Tympanik Audio) A follow-up to "Emerging Organisms", which was Tympanik's very first release, this new double CD compilation is in part a label one, gathering new material by bands now signed to Tympanik (Subheim, Stendeck, Tapage and others) and a nod to older names of the scene (with DJ Hidden, Keef Baker, Architect or the surprising return of Dryft and Mlada Fronta). The whole thing is constantly rather calm, electronica-oriented with a touch of industrial sounds, and should make up for pretty nice late night car rides. Another good statement from Tympanik.

BAR 9 - Murda Sound Remixes - 12" (Z Audio) Bar 9's "Murda Sound" track gets yet another remix treatment, this time with Riscotheque focusing on the über massive, heavy and menacing bass lines aspect of this track, while Cluekid balances things a bit more, adding some little vocal snippets and calming this monster of a track a little bit. Another good one in the fast rising Bar 9 discography.

CHRISTOPH DE BABALON - Scylla & Charybdis - 12" (CFET) Finally! It will have taken no less than 11 years for Christoph De Babalon to come up with somehing which might be thought as a follow-up album to his steller "If you're into it, I'm out of it", and this with only two very long and deep tracks. With Hanayo behind the mic, "Charybdis" is a psychotic head trip, detailled, up-tempo and ever changing. On the flip side, the harsher and yet darker "Scylla" has a more pounding and gritty beat, reminding of a cleaner produced, more epic version of some Hecate material. Yes, only two long tracks (but hey, you get a poster with the record), but a very impressive record.

New arrivals:

SARANTIS - Nitroglycerine / Half Dead - 12" (Terminal Dusk) Excellent new banging record from Sarantis, with a heavy and massive wobbly instrumental dubstep piece on the one side and a vocal-based, hip-hop oriented one on the other side. Just as he had done with his early collaboration with Warrior Queen, Sarantis demonstrates that he is one of the best dubstep producers when it comes to mixing vocals with his big sweeping basses. Recommended.

KODE9 - Black Sun / 2 Far Gone - 12" (Hyperdub) It's been clear since a few release than Kode9 was moving away from his figure of high priest of dubstep to other, wider territories. And he seems to have finally reached them with this hybrid new record, that combines a sort of very clean garage rhythms, nice long 8 bit melodies (his love for these sonorities is blatant on the recent Hyperdub releases) and a semi loungy, weird feeling. Some might call it dubstep, but Kode9 is definitel up to something here.

MONSTER X - Satan Iz Love - 12" (Peace Off) After the zombies assault comes a loving Satan. For his second 12" on Peace Off, Monster X speed things up a notch. Gone are the traces of dubstep that could be heard in his previous record, replaced by some mutant electro rhythms served enriched with hardcore, Rotator-esque heavy beats and plenty of breaks and samples. The whole 12" is very efficient, and confirms all the good things one could think of Monster X. Nice one.

LUSTMORD - The Dark Places Of The Earth - CD (Vaultworks) New and limited edition CD by Lustmord, who, compared to the recent "Other" and "Metavoid", goes back to his über atmospheric roots and purely soundscapish tracks. No guitars or epic build ups at all this time, but a come back to the very deep and bassy long ambiances of "The places where the dark stars hang" or "Heresy" (minus the voices). As usual, the production is flawless, the tracks are amazingly profound, and this is extremely recommended.

TRILL BASS - Trillitary Mind - 12" (Ruff) Solid heavy dubstep two-tracker from Trillbass, who had in the past released on Excision's Rottun label. The one side is pure heavy, no-barrel-hold massive dubstep, while the second one is a lot more human, dub, echoed and vocal-based (so quite a bit softer than most Ruff releases). A very easy record to play in a DJ set, and something which should not disappoint anybody who has been following this Peace Off's sublabel.

VARIOUS PRODUCTION - Versus 1 - 12" (Various Productions) First volume of the two vinyl pendants to Various Production's "Versus" remix CD. This first vinyl present the remix they did for Foals as well as a new one (not included on the CD) for Adele. Being official remixes of relatively "mainstream" tracks, this record has a very accessible edge, even though Various Prod did a great job at integrating their intricate beats and crystal clear production to the source material. And as usual, it just confirms me as a big fan of these musicians.

VARIOUS PRODUCTION - Versus 2 - 12" (Various Productions) Second volume of Various Production's "Versus" records, presenting this time two remixes of Various Prod's tracks by other artists. On the A side, Rustie delivers a rather contained, mid-tempo and calm tracks which contrasts strongly with his own tracks. The other remix, signed by Actress, sounds a bit like a glitched-up version of Mothboy's hip hop track, and has a very nice balance of vocals, bass and clicks. Just like the first volume, this is not the most representative of Various Prod's records, but still a very nice one.

TRG / KONTEXT - They Know / Plumes - 12" (Immerse) Full on dub-techno meets dubstep, Bristol-goes-Berlin style with this split betwen TRG and Kontext. Interestingly, both TRG had to calm down his dubstep and infuses it with techno structures for his material to sound this way, while Kontext's more minimal material gets beefed up a bit on this record. Both sides are very well produced, and deserve to get some recognition by everybody who enjoys the current output of Applepips, the late Skull Disco and the likes.

LIKHAN - Redlight / Quiet Riot - 12" (7even) Fitting very well with the rest of the 7even roster, Likhan comes up with a new two tracker in which, a bit like his labelmate F, he mixes the sonorities of dubstep with very echoed dub techno structures. The whole thing might be a bit less uplifing than F's record, but sounds a bit clearer and wide, potentially closer to dubstep fans' tastest than to nostalgic of the Basic Channel era. Well produced and coming from one of the main label of this technoish dubstep genre.

BAR 9 - Murda Sound Remixes - 12" (Z Audio) Bar 9's "Murda Sound" track gets yet another remix treatment, this time with Riscotheque focusing on the über massive, heavy and menacing bass lines aspect of this track, while Cluekid balances things a bit more, adding some little vocal snippets and calming this monster of a track a little bit. Another good one in the fast rising Bar 9 discography.

ID - Akusative / Flay - 12" (Cool And Deadly) Varied 12" for ID on Cool & Deadly, with a quite percussive but balanced A side that goes straight to the feet and should work well on the dancefloor, and a slightly more techno-oriented, faster B side that however features deep, catchy basses (and somewhat screams a lot like some of Mothboy works). Well done, efficient and original.

SUB SCAPE - Dreadlock / Low Heights - 12" (Subway) Maybe not as massive as his debut on Dub Police, this new record by Sub Scape for Subway is still of the very heavy dubstep kind. One of the track picks things where they had been left, and is full of slow-moving, heavy wobbly bass and very metronomic rhythms, while the other side is more melodic and a bit less dark. By dubstep standards, Sub Scape doesn't seem to be the most prolific guy around the block, but his productions have yet to disappoint. A very nice one.

FLYING LOTUS & DECLAIME - Whole Wide World - 12" (Ramp Recordings) New five track EP by Flying Lotus, arguably the most talked about hip hop producer of the moment, this time pairing up with Declaime for a release on the usually more dubstep-minded Ramp. Up to par with his recent "Los Angeles" album as far as electronic trickery and the care of details go, this EP however has a more direct and vocal-oriented approach. Declaime's flow fits well with Flying Lotus's uncommon beats, and while it might remind of Mf Doom at times, it all ends up being very coherent. The current legions of Flying Lotus fans should approve.

M.I.A. - Paper Planes Remixes - 12" (-) While I am not totally certain that the world needs yet new remixes of "Paper Planes", I also know for sure that the two drum'n'bass versions (unsigned and obviously wishing to stay under the radar) could work pretty well on d'n'b floors. One side a bit ravier, the other one heavier, both more or less retaining the original track's structure and keeping all the vocals. Anthemic, of course.

THE OUTSIDE AGENCY - Surreal / Chaos Theory - 12" (Genosha One Seven Five) To kick off Genosha One Seven Five, a sublabel of Genosha Recordings focused on everything at the meeting point of d'n'b and hardcore, DJ Hidden and Eye-D present a high quality, loud and pummeling new two tracker by the always jaw dropping The Outside Agency. Things are pretty dark this time around, and the legions of twitching dancers will be in for a pretty deep trip with this one. Still, the production is absolutely flawless, the sounds and ideas are fresh; The Outside Agency demonstrates yet again that you can listen to hardcore without insulting your brain.

SHITMAT / LADYSCRAPER - Grungecore Vol. 1 - 12" (Fukdup records) Yes, where were you in 92? The US-based Fukdup label intends on paying homage to (or pillaging the legacy of) Nirvana and the whole grunge thing with this flanel-packaged lo-fi 7" presenting hard mash ups of Nirvana material by the always irreverent Shitmat and Ladyscraper. And if one can't say that the result is unexpected, it's still quite exhilirating and fun. Ah, the good old days.

KROMESTAR / DROID - 6 Points - 12" (Dark Circles) Kromestar is definitely on a roll at the moment, and delivery on his side of this split record a pretty solid, wobbly dubstep full of dark overtones, which reminds me of some Random Trio material. On the other side, Droid's tracks, while fitting well on the record, are definitely more dub and down-tempo, with the odd reggae melody thrown in from times to times. A solid record for people who want their dubstep very "roots" inspired.

Back in stock:

WISP - Nrthndr - CD (Sublight) Nice debut album for this american IDM artist, which combines flowing electronica, downkey melodies, a bit of orchestral samples and a bit of breaks to achieve something which sounds like a slightly more complicated version of Proem or Lusine, or a more down to earth version of The Flashbulb. Quite accessible, pleasant and very melodious, here is something which could for example well have fit on n5md. A competent and pretty album.

BELIO #20 - Revolution - Magazine (Belio) May it be with a molotov cocktail, a spray can or a with the pen, Belio invites you to the streets with their 20th issue. More than 120 pages of graphic design, graffiti, photography and articles in spanish and english for the new issue of this well known spanish magazine.

BELIO #24 - Trip - Magazine (Belio) Whatever place or feeling you crave to visit, Belio takes you on the trip of your life with their 24th issue. Featuring the usual (and usually impressive) 100+ pages of graffiti, drawing and digital illustrations, plus articles about Terry Gilliam (Monty Python, Brazil...), Chris Woods (known for his work for Douglas Coupland and Snog) and others. A really nice issue of a really nice magazine.

BELIO #18 - Mystic - Magazine (Belio) Very good issue of Belio magazine, this time focused on religion, faith and mysticism. The works submitted were of a high quality for this issue, and this well known Spanish magazine can be very happy about this one. As always, here come more than 120 pages of graphic designs and articles, both in Spanish and English.

BELIO #21 - Trash - Magazine (Belio) Belio digs into your trash with their 21st issue, and tell you to make art of out it. Recycle or just litter, this spanish magazine is all about trash and garbage, all around more than 100 pages of graphic designs and articles (in spanish and english). As nice as expected, and who needs an introduction to Belio now?

BELIO #22 - Freak Show - Magazine (Belio) Come in, everybody, and stare at all the freaks gathered by Belio magazine for this new issue. May they be a two headed baby, a ape-man or a plain misfit, all of them are in the "Freak Show" issue of Belio. As usual, here are more than 100 page of top quality graphic design, with articles in english and spanish.

BELIO #23 - USA - Magazine (Belio) Not born in the USA, but still designing / drawing / graff-ing and writing about it. For its 23rd issue, Belio magazines put the spotlight on uncle Sam's country, and offers, as usual, more than 100 pages of graphic design and artwork, as well as several articles in spanish and english. The wild west, the american dream, youth culture, George Bush, Disney, imperialsim, Elvis, they are all in this issue, which might be one of the most "lively" and to the point one I've seen from Belio in some time.

V/A - Statement Of Intent - CD (Noizetek) Actually coming after two remarked 12" (a split between Davros and Fanny and a record by Ebola), this "Statement of Intent" from the young UK-based Noizetek label intends at showcasing what we can expect from these angry people in a near future. What we get here is a rare case of collusion between hard, super-edited breakcore (Ebola, Davros...), industrial-strength rhythmic noise (Hypnoskull) and brutal metal-meets-breakcore (Eustachian, Maruosa, Leech Woman, this genre needs a name). Definitely not for the weak of heart, but well chosen and well done. Welcome to this new label, and good luck.

LUSTMORD - Other - CD (Hydra Head) Yes, it's finally here. Considering that "Rising" was a live album and "Juggernaut" an introductory EP, "Other" is the first album by Lustmord since 2004's "Carbon Core". Benefiting from his recent collaboration with The Melvins and Tool, Lustmord adds for good some distant guitars (played for parts by Aaron Turner of Isis) to his otherwise massive and encompassing atmospheres, and comes up with one of his strongest album to date. I'm quite a fan of Lustmord, and can not recommend "Other" enough.

V/A - Materia Fria - CD (Crunchpod / Sistinas) A compilation co-released by the two US label Crunch Pod and Sistinas, the "industrial records"-style looking "Materia Fria" compilation present together quite a few acts which have been making a name for themselves in the american industrial scene (Cat, Manufactura, Caustic, Endif) as well as a selection of newcomers trying their teeth at basically everything between gritty EBM and rhythmic noise. In the end, this is a pretty varied CD, with many different genres and production levels, and a good way to check what's going on with this scene in the US.

PEEKAY TAYLOH - Centrifugal - CD (Poeta Negra) A few years after his debut, Peekay Tayloh comes back with a second album, again on the greek Poeta Negra label. A subtle combination of downtempo, relaxed broken beats, a bit of complex electronica, long drones and a little dose of jazz, "Centrifugal" fits well with the label's aesthetics, with its complex instrumentation being somewhat geared towards active listener, but still containing enough melodies and beats to stand out from purely ambient material. Well thought, very well done, here is something to check for anybody into better known electronic labels such as N5md or the late Merck.

PRIDON - New Steine - CD (Low Impedance) Very nice second CD for this greek electronic musician whose music ranges somewhere between the warm and human tones of american IDM (think Lusine ICL) and a slightly more techno and dub approach (think Scape), ending in a well produced, very enjoyable album where flowing electronica get enriched with a bit of funk. A good production and artwork by Belio top this all, making of "New Steine" a very pleasant and quite addictive listen. Recommended.

LUSTMORD - Rising 06.06.06 - CD (Vaultworks) Lustmord presented his first concert after 25 years on the 6th of June 2006 in Los Angeles, as an soundtrack to the first ever public mass of the Church Of Satan (excuse the context), and here's a recording of the whole thing. Needless to say that Lustmord is definitely the most important, essential and talented artist in dark ambient ever, and that this combination of old, reworked material and of new composition is something that shouldn't be missed by anybody. Extremely high-quality deep ambient by the master of the genre. Indispensable.

NIKKA - Isotopos - CD (Lovethechaos) Nice debut album for this female musician based in Barcelona, who present with "Isotopos" a gently flowing electronica full-length. Probably somewhat influenced by such acts as Gridlock or Displacer, this "Isotopos" still remains quite an industrial weight, but integrates well enough the syncopated drums and the melancholic melodies to accomodate fans of more regular IDM. Well done, and well presented in a metal box in the vein of what Parametric have been using.

V/A - Disco.R.Dance - 2xCD (Disco.R.Dance) Packed to the core double CD compilation gathering bands having played at the long-running Disco.r.dance nights in London and their friends. Eclectic and open minded, these two discs, just like these events, range from dancefloor-friendly breakbeat, IDM, a bit of pop and a bit of hip-hop, with everything in between. Featuring Mothboy, AZ-Rotator, Ra, Ddamage, Carthage, Bedouin Ascent, Satanicpornocultshop and a lot of others, here's a perfect way to take the pulse of the London scene (and you know good stuff always come from there).

SYNKRO - Dr Tuesday - CD (Pseudo Media) Second album by Synkro, following his debut on Sublight. Less breakcore oriented and Fanny-influenced than its predecessor, "Dr Tuesday" is more of a subdued broken electronica album, with its pretty synthetic melodies, enriched with sudden breaks and a high dose of steady, heavy rhythms. Definitely not the same, obsessive and suffocating mood as the first CD, but a lot more human and accessible. A nice album, and something to check out.

16 BIT - In The Death Car EP - 12" (Boka Records) Now that's an excellent one. Following his 10" on Destpub, 16 Bit comes up with a pretty devastating three tracker for UK's Boka Records. Two of the tracks are build around very abrasive and percussive basslines, providing the relatively classic dubstep structure with a very "mean" and hard edge. On the other side, the title track revolves around a long movie sample (which I can not place right now, sadly) supported by heavy beats and a nice bass line. A good, very good record.

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SOMATIC RESPONSES - Reformation - mp3 (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Fri 10 April, 2009 Somatic Responses come back to Ad Noiseam with an album in which they re-invent their sound and finally put on record their taste for fresh and warmer sounds. Bridging their talented production with dubstep and rethinking their music, the Healy brothers have slowed things down, added more weight to their tracks, and are ready to out-bass pretty much everybody else. Reformation, renewal and re-establishment indeed!

SOMATIC RESPONSES - Reformation - CD (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Fri 10 April, 2009 Somatic Responses come back to Ad Noiseam with an album in which they re-invent their sound and finally put on record their taste for fresh and warmer sounds. Bridging their talented production with dubstep and rethinking their music, the Healy brothers have slowed things down, added more weight to their tracks, and are ready to out-bass pretty much everybody else. Reformation, renewal and re-establishment indeed!

LARVAE - Videos - DVD (-) In stock on Mon 06 April, 2009

New arrivals:

DARQWAN - M/a..ximum Reespek / Ghost Not Memory - 12" (Planet Mu) A Planet Mu release for Darqwan (aka DQ1), in the middle of his records on Texture and Tectonic. The main track mixes a strong dub, smokey room atmospheres with sci-fi sounds, resulting in something quite original, while the B side is a very nice, spacious bass heavy down tempo one with some clever placed vocal snippets. Very efficient for any dubstep DJ that wants to cool things down a bit.

JOKER / 2000F & J KAMATA - Digidesign / You Don't Know What Love Is - 12" (Hyperdub) While Joker's A side keeps on with what we have learned to expect from Hyperdub recently, mainly a relatively down-tempo and melodic mixture of bassy dubstep and 8 bit goodness (and this considerably more than with Joker's regular output), the B side is a weird dance / 8 bit madness which is both catchy and a bit over the top. Kode9 has been taking Hyperdub in plenty of troubled water, and let's see where his current soul-ish vocals and lo-fi 8 bit will really go.

ESA - The Sea & The Silence - CD (Tympanik Audio) Third album for ESA, this time on Tympanik Audio. This project's sound, while still very raw and partially club-oriented, has become a bit more melodic at times. There's still a few nods to darker and more soundscapes oriented material, but this "The Sea & The Silence" reminds me a lot of Prometheus Burning's output in the way accessible melodies and female vocals are mixed with the harsh beats and male screams. Not very original, but sure to make a killing in its specific niche.

BROKEN FABIOLA - Severed - CD (Tympanik Audio) Three years after his debut on his own Auricle Media label, Manufactura's Broken Fabiola projects returns with a second full length album of his relatively low-key, home-listening industrial rhythm. The whole thing leans strongly towards EBM and late 90's industrial, and while it doesn't always have the distorted beats that would send people dancing on the dancefloor, all the other elements of dark, menacing and very classic industrial are there. No problem to find a niche here.

ZENTRIERT INS ANTLITZ - ...No - CD (Tympanik Audio) A german trio who used to release on the more EBM-minded Cop Intl label, Zentriert ins Antlitz present here an album 100% taylored to the dark industrial / goth crowd. Pretty much down-tempo and featuring all the subdued trance elements of EBM mixed with ambientish passages and dark undertones, it is not devoid of dancefloor moments, but is more something that would be directed at the after party or the car ride home. Adequate for the scene, and featuring plenty of remixes and re-version on the CD-Rom part of the disc.

SYNTONICS - Material - 12" (Lo Dubs) Now that's something I hadn't heard so far. This record features two remixes done by Bombaman of tracks originally written by Syntonics (and guess what, I have no information about either of the two), and are a weird but uplifting mixture of super massive dubstep basses, vocal mash-up and oomph-heavy techno beats. Past the surprise effect, this actually works a lot better than my description make it sound, and is quite a fresh take at dubstep. Another confirmation that Lo Dubs don't release standard material.

SASQUATCH - Hangman / Slayer - 12" (Senseless Records) Another side of awesome B-siding with Sasquatch's first solo 12", following two splits with Sarantis. "Hangman" is a very cool, rather up-tempo and electro-minded dubstep track, but the crown goes to the broken and infectious "Slayer", which goes all breakstep while staying clear and heavy. The whole thing's definitely hard, lean and mean, but stays accessible to dubstep fans all throughout. Another very strong record from Senseless.

BAR 9 - Murda Sound (VIP Mix) - 12" (Z Audio) First volume of two remix records on Zaudio for the currently prolific Bar 9. Pretty much in the vein of his material for Audio Freaks, the A side is a über-massive, loud and evil hard dubstep track with enough bass to devastate any dubstep floor (and the adjacent rooms). The B side present more balanced and slightly faster remixes by Eskmo and Mike Lennon (John's dubstep grandson?). Anyway, that VIP mix should prove quite efficient. If Bar 9 goes on like this, he will definitely get a spot up there among the tough guys of dubstep.

TES LA ROK - Bwwooy / Dub Ting - 12" (Noppa) Nice new Tes La Rok record for Noppa. The A side is a long, dry and quite percussive classic dubstep number, while the B one introduces at the same time ragga snippets and some more dancefloor elements reminding of Tes La Rok's recent 12" on Dub Police. While this one might push the enveloppe a bit less than its predecessor, it's pretty obvious than Tes La Rok is straying away from his previously classic dubstep sound, and is venturing into new territories.

KROMESTAR - Vintage - 12" (Southside Dubstars) Interesting new Kromestar 12", coming a little before his awaited debut full length. While still very dub and ragga influenced at times, the tracks on "Vintage" have a resolute downtempo feeling, the beats are quite modest and the melodies more accessible than usual. All in all a quite charming and easy-on-the-ear record from a producer who usually delivers much heavier material.

ENDUSER - Manoeuvre Remixes - 12" (Soothsayer Recordings) Finally! After years of waiting, DJ Hidden's remix of Enduser's excellent "Manoeuvre" tune gets released on vinyl. Free of the dancehall sample of the original, it is more of a very detaileld DJ Hidden-esque track, using Enduser's powerful breaks and beats as extra flavor. The B side is a less crazy but heavier d'n'b-ish remix by Skeksis, who rounds things up pretty well. There just doesn't seem to be any reason to pass on this.

GUIDO - Orchestral Lab / Way U Make Me Feel - 12" (Punch Drunk) I have no idea who Guido are except that, judging from Punch Drunk's policy, she / he / they are probably based in Bristol. This debut 12" is a nice syncopated and pretty low-key dubstep two tracker, with strong anthemic distant vocal samples. The sound is dubby, but more in an illbient, downbest kind of way than in a realy dub one, and the whole thing sounds relatively loungy and calm. Nice one.

THROTTLER - No Destiny / Overbrewed - 12" (Amalgam Recordings) Throttler opens the doors for the new Amalgam imprint, delivering a very solid energetic two tracker of dark and raw drum'n'bass. A lot more classical than his usual hardcore and breakcore-laced productions, this record is straight out banging d'n'b with few melodies and a dry, relentless sound. A strong record to mix with, for example, some of the earliest Panacea tracks.

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ENDUSER - Calling The Vultures - CD (Sublight) New album by Enduser. Following "Run War", "Calling the vultures" takes a similar approach, but mixes the tracks with vocals (Enduser pairing up this time on three tunes with Mad E.P. / Mad/EQ's MC Equivalant) with some harder drum'n'bass tracks toward the end of the album. Quite varied, extremely well produced and showcasing once again Lynn Standafer's insolent talent, "Calling the vulture" is a new brick in Enduser's growing and extremely solid discography. Very recommended.

SUMONE - Oblivion - 2x12" (Planet Mu) Interesting 2x12" from Sumone on Planet Mu. While this producer had delivered some high energy d'n'b on Sprengstoff or Alphacut, he comes here with a considerably much stripped down version of his art. Oscillating between almost loungy and very melodic downtempo number and dubstep infused drum'n'bass, "Oblivion" is quite a dry and straightforward release, which doesn't have the lush multilayering of most Planet Mu releases. Well done, interesting and uncommon.

OTTO VON SCHIRACH - Oozing Bass Spasm - 2x12" (Cock Rock Disco / Hymen) For his new album, Otto Von Schirach simplifies a lot his music, cranks up the bass, and delivers a mixture of down tempo IDM, grimey rhytms and as insane as ever vocals and atmospheres. The man still likes to rap / speak about zombies, sex and guts, but does it in a more booty, direct and less brainy way. The whole thing has quite a few fun covers (you didn't hear it from me), and should appeal to both fans of crazy electronics and Skinny Puppy groupies alike. Oh oh oh.

MARCHING DYNAMICS - The Workers Party Of Haiti - CD (Hymen) Very interesting second album by Marching Dynamics. While the industrial-leaning IDM of the previous "Nailsleeper" is still to be heard as the underlying foundation of some of the tracks, this musician is not afraid to inject quite a bit of dubstep into his material, as well as some electronica or syncopated downtempo. The result it still abrasive, but works well and stays coherent. An original and well produced album which brings some fresh sound to the genre.

TOTAKEKE - Forgotten On The Other Side Of The Tracks - CD (Tympanik Audio) While it had taken four years to Frank Mokros (a.k.a Synth Etik / Totakeke) to come up with a second albun, here's the third, less than a year after "Elekatota". Much harder and at times reminding of his Synth Etik material, "Forgotten On The Other Side Of The Tracks" is maybe his less electronica-oriented album, and a CD in which the beats gets muscled-up, while melodies stay quite in the foreground. Add to this remixes by Terrorfakt and Lucidstatic, and you get an album which should get a fair share of DJ play on industrial dancefloors.

16 BIT - Put Ya Dirt Inside / Ford Fiesta - 10" (Destpub) Nice and original record for Destpub's fourth release. The London-based 16 Bit crew deliver on the one side a quite percussive, hi-fi sounding and pretty changing dubstep number, very rich in sounds and tonalities. On the other side, some jazzy and latin referrences are added to a slightly straighter track, giving the whole thing an edge rarely reached in dubstep. Nice one.

New arrivals:

CARDOPUSHER - Unity Means Power - 2x12" (Ad Noiseam) Cardopusher's long awaited second album is to be taken literally. Uniting a heavy but fresh blend of dubstep with exhilarating breakcore and mash up, Cardopusher delivers a passionate and highly efficient album as only this incomparable musician could deliver. Original, hot, anthemic, and masterfully executed. "Unity Means Power" is a coming of age and a perfect example of Cardopusher's current display of insolent talent. Dancefloors unite!

SYNAPSCAPE - Again - CD (Ant Zen) And again and again. A year and a half after "Now", the Synapscape duo is at it again, and presents an 9th full length CD that just takes thing excactly where they had been left. Quite on the gritty side, "Again" is Synapscape as everybody has learned to know them: mid-tempo rhythmic noise industrial beats, saturated shouts and all the bleakness necessary to fill up goth dancefloors. No surprise here, but it's not really what was expected.

MIKA GOEDRIJK - Pellicules - CD (Ant Zen) First album under his real name for the musician better known as This Morn' Omina. A much more introspect and less dancefloor oriented work, "Pellicules" is a considerable step forward, out of the tribal / trance and dark ambient waters of TMO, and towards a more flowing, nice and modest kind of electronica. The whole thing is still quite dark and has strong industrial undertones, but it is still, in my opinion, a deeper and less straightforward effort than what TMO is or was about.

SOLAR SKELETONS - Necroethyl - 12" (Bruits De Fond) While the two french producers Ripit and Tzii might be better known for their fast and hard breakcore and hardcore productions, their common project under the Solar Skeletons moniker is of a totally different kind. A weird mixture of distorted jazz instrumentations, tongue-in-cheek semi spoken vocals and weirdo cabaret-from-beyond-the-grave atmospheres, "Necroethyl" is obviously more something to listen to at home (preferably late and not sober) than to play in the club. Interesting and fun.

KEEF BAKER - Pen Fifteen - 2xCD (Hymen) The p4nt135 are wet, as Keef Baker's new Pen15 has arrived. And what a huge thing: a lush, long and agile creation, this musician's new output ranges from the sensitive and loving (with a flirty first CD full of downtempo and accoustic-ridden tracks quite close to "Pure Language") to the raging hard and throbbing (on a hard and industrial second CD, with the usual 80's referrences). A lot to handle, a lot to cherish, Keef Baker's third album is a big Pen15, but easier to swallow as one would think.

EMALKAY - Explicit / Heroics - 12" (Dub Police) Dub Police does it again, and delivers another of their massive, heavy hitting dubstep 2 tracks, this time from Birmingham Emalkay. While originality might not be the main thing on this record, the highly percussive A side and more melodic B one are pure dancefloor material, and quite on the tough and muscular side of dubstep. Hassle-free DJ material.

KROMESTAR & F-ONE - Mo Fire / Tek-Nik - 12" (-) Kromestar's collaboration with F-One (or F1, depending on the label) sounds somewhat closer to the later, even though it retains the dubiest elements of the first. Not as percussive or mean as some of the most recent Kromestar release, but gaining in accessibility and dub-appeal, this semi-white label should work well as a bridge between dub and dubstep sets and as enough wobble to get those feet to move.

BOXCUTTER & KINNEGO FLUX - A Familiar Sound - 12" (Kinnego Flux) Boxcutter pairs up with fellow irishman Kinnego Flux (last seen remixing Mothboy and Horchata for the Acroplane netlabel) for a charming mid-tempo electronica / dubstep vocal-based track that might remind slightly of a more aerial version of some Various Prod material. The instrumental B side ends up sounding more like a straight flowing electronica tune. Clearly not as dubstep as Boxcutter's early material, but a very pleasant semi-loungy electronica record.

ELEMENTAL - Piston - 12" (Runtime Records) Varied three tracker by Elemental on his Runtime label. The main track is of the heavy, wobbly dubstep category, and well taylored for the dancefloor. The B side goes more in the dubstep-meets-techno direction, quite melodic and flowing, but clearly not as heavy. Nicely done, and encompassing several branches of the genre.

KROMESTAR - Alien - 12" (Southside Recordings) Repetitive but highly efficient, the main track on this new Kromestar record shows why this producer is gaining momentum and a nice spot in the dubstep spotlight at the moment, with his very dry beats and hi-fi melody. The two tracks on the B side go a bit more in the dubby and garage direction, reminding at times of some early Skream production. Nice one.

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THE TEKNOIST & EUSTACHIAN - Pillaged & Plundered - 12" (Ad Noiseam) Coming just in time for their tour throughout Europe, "Pillaged & Plundered" is a clear statement of what the crowds should expect. On the one side, The Teknoist throws in two new tracks of the excellent and tasty breed of breakcore, gabber and metal which has made of him one of Europe's most sought after producer of the genre. On their side, Eustachian opens wide the gates of Hell, mashing up grindcore, breakcore and noise with a brutality and ingenuity rarely seen so far. Watch out, these guys are after you sanity.

SUMONE - Sprengstoff 15 - 12" (Sprengstoff) Heavy but melodic nice new drum'n'bass record by Sumone, who has obviously left at home the raggacore of his previous 12" on Sprengstoff this time around. Jungly and up-paced on the one side, darker and slightly more DJ Hidden-esque on the other one, here's a well produced and efficient d'n'b DJ record, which delivers the goods as expected.

THYE & SUPPLY MODULE - Listen To The Rude Boy While The Ultra Zombie Comes To Waste - 12" (Zero71 Recordings) Split records between Thye and Supply Module, two acts which I hear here for the first time, but who seems to have been gravitating around the Zero71 label since its debut. On the first side of this transparent green 12", Thye deliver old school extremely distorted and hard raggacore, reminiscent of Zombieflesheater's "Powerviolent Dancehall". The other side is in the hands of Supply Module, with very fast staccato hardcore beats, relatively straight and very hard hitting, with a lot of samples, distortion and heavy beats. A hard hitter for people into gabber-leaning, distorted breaks.

V/A - State Of Mind - 12" (Mindtrick) Nice debut for this young dutch label, who presents a pretty energetic and coherent d'n'b / jungle 12". On the one side, Aaron Spectre and FFF deliver two very efficient dancefloor-filler (ravey as ever for FFF) that will get everybody on the dancefloor. On the B side, things get a bit faster and more broken with Enk and Atiq, but the focus isn't lost. In the end, a solid four tracker drum'n'bass'breaks 12" which delivers everything one could expect from it.

VARIOUS PRODUCTIONS - Chief EP - 12" (Various Productions) Three new tracks by the great Various Productions, whose 2006 album "The World Is Gone" has greatly impressed me. No vocals or accoustic instruments this time, but very well produced, cleverly written downtempo, slightly grime-y tracks which should appeal to both dubstep fans and people into less club-oriented, prettier headnodding material. Efficient, catchy and highly seducive.

SPEAKERWRATH - Broke / Mindjack VIP - 12" (Hardline Rekordingz) Nicely done and pretty dark hard d'n'b record on Hardline Rekordingz, a label usually known for straigher, more hardcore sound. This is, as far as I know, the only release by Speakerwrath, who present here on the one side a rather brooding and melodic drum'n'bass piece and, on the other one, a more breakcore-leaning, cut up and faster tune. Exactly the kind of material you need to bridge tracks by Limewax and Enduser.

MEDIUM - Born In Pain / Disgusted Face - 12" (Hardline Rekordingz) Another banging hard drum'n'bass record from Hardline Rekordingz, this time from a young act called Medium (who previous had had two net releases on Combat). In the vein of some Enduser or DJ Hidden tracks, the two tracks of this record keep a relatively straight drum'n'bass structure, but are definitely one notch harder than usual, using a lot of distorted beats and bass lines. Very efficient and sure to get quite some DJ play.

NUMEK - Ghost ST - 12" (Destroy This System) The only thing I had heard so far by Numek was on a rather melodic d'n'b track on his Killing Sheep split with DJ Hidden. Things have changed for this hungarian producer, who delivers here a relentless mixture of heavy drum'n'bass and hardcore. Much in the vein of what such a label as Hardline Rekordingz has been showcasing, this "Ghost ST" somewhat still retains the d'n'b structure, but goes up a lot of notches in sonic agressivity and energy. Hard stuff.

V/A - Miscellaneous Ways Of Improvement - 12" (Neurotic Waste) I am not totally sure what the difference between Zero71 and its Neurotic Waste sublabel is supposed to be, as this could have been a Z71 catalog number, in my opinion. Anyway, on the menu of these "Ways of improvement" are five tracks of this weird and powerful mixture of d'n'b, breakcore and hardcore that seems to be flourishing in the Netherlands at the moment. Torsion and Illusionconsumer (aka Supply Module) are on this, as well as the newcomers (for me) Mez and Fiend. Ranging from scorchingly hard and pounding to a bit more electronica-leaning, but always quite energetic and efficient.

L-WIZ / RUF - Cowboy Universal / Rudebwoy Riddim - 12" (Redvolume) Fourth release already on the swedish Redvolume label, featuring one track each by the (also swedish) L-Wiz (known for his releases on Dub Police) and Ruf. While the first track is rather on the accessible, vocals-oriented side, the other is a strangely hypnotic and surprisingly fast (for dubstep standards) heavyweight, which keeps the sound pretty clear but has quite a good headnodding effect. Well cut and well presented as well.

MARKOMEN / SUSHEELA RAMAN - Unitasker / Love Lies - 12" (Redvolume) More half dubstep / half something else 12" on Redvolume. The heavy dubstep is delivered this time by a new act called Markonen, whose clear sound, sweeping bass and cut up vocals remind me of a less distorted Milanese. On the other side, Susheela Raman provides a much calmer, trip-hop oriented and (almost jazzy) vocal-based side which should somewhat fit along Various Productions's tracks. A varied, nice and somewhat fresh sounding record.

INNASEKT / TES LA ROK - Archetype / No Need 2 Be Nasty - 12" (Redvolume) For their second release every, Redvolume got a quite heavy (but far from being as distorted as his release on Sprengstoff) track from Innasekt, heavy and efficient, and a really nice one by Finland's Tes La Rok (a guy who managed to release no less than 10 records last years), a bit slower, a bit more hypnotic, but equally bassy. All in all, a very efficient, coherent and "clean" sounding dubstep record that should strongly appeal to DJ and fans of the genre.

V/A - NGM Compilation - 12" (Antistatik) 4 track compilation released by Antistatik (a label-compilation oriented sublabel of NGM) to present acts having played at events organized by the NGM agency (everybody's following so far), and focusing on the Dutch breakcore / hardcore scene which has been heavily showcased by such a label as Zero71 (Torsion, Ram, Supply Module and Mez). The sound of the moment is a very bassy combination of gabber and breaks with a few ragga samples thrown in the mix. The production this time is definitely quite good, and the tracks are sure to work very well. Another proof that something is happening over there at the moment.

L-WIZ - Centurion / Girl From Codeine City - 12" (Dub Police) Very hypnotic two tracker by L-Wiz, a regular of the Dub Police label, also seen here recently for his 12" on Sweden's Red Volume. Clear, very dub sounding and accessible, the two tracks on this latest release on Dub Police should satisfy dubstep heads who are more into long instrumental tracks (for example people working with MCs) than those into hard, gritty headbangers. Still, a well produced, efficient and dj-play-guaranteed piece of wax.

SCORN - Super Mantis Part 1 - 12" (Combat Recordings) Excellent new 12" by Mick Harris, delivering for the first time a short 12" on the british dubstep / dark d'n'b label Combat Recordings. Slightly faster than "Stealth", "Super Mantis" is a mid-tempo, heavy but still club-compatible track as only Scorn is able to offer them. Add to this a B side remix by Blackmass Plastics, and you get a mandatory record not only for fans of Scorn, but also for anybody who like their beats and bass ultra massive and brillantly produced.

Now available as digital download: