New arrivals:

IKONIKA - Smuck - 12" (Planet Mu) Ikonika's third release, and her first for Planet Mu, takes basically the same ingredients as the previous ones for Hyperdub (a relatively up tempo combination of dubstep and 8bit tones), cleans it up a bit, and is this time around a bit more playful and joyful. Not as gritty as some Hyperdub material, not as pop as some of the most recent Planet Mu release, a catchy little thing that goes well with the Zeitgeist and the rest of Ikonika's output.

DARKSTAR - Aidy's Girl Is A Computer - 12" (Hyperdub) This new two tracker by Darkstar could somewhat be used to explain what Hyperdub seems to be about at the moment. Both sides are bassy and full of chip tones, one is rather dubstep with a slightly pop, catchy feeling, while the other goes towards house. The whole thing sounds very reduced, gritty and retro, and still contained and definitely on to the current hype. Well done, but highly zeitgeisty.

QUARTA330 / L.V. - Hyperdub 5.3 - 12" (Hyperdub) Third volume of Hyperdub's fifth anniversary series, this time with the label regular Quarta330 and LV. Quarta delivers the goods again, with his ultra-reduced noisy beats, 8 bit sounds and chipmunk funkiness. As usual, very surprising at first, but growing on its listener pretty fast. LV's vocal based track is a lot poppier and closer to Hyperdub's current evolution. Another nice record to celebrate a label which has become essential.

PORT-ROYAL - Dying In Time - CD (n5md) An interesting release for N5md for, as far as I can hear, the italian band Port-Royal are a rock band gone electronic, and not the other way around (the usual path taken by acts on Mike Cadoo's label). Extremely lush, drenched in echo and reverb, the instrumental tracks of "Dying In Time" are of the semi-native, nostalgic kind and get their originality from the prominant old-school (almost new-wave / synth pop) use of electronic beats and bits, which can get quite heavy handed at some point. An unexpected combination of thick shoegazing and early 90's electronics.

AEROSOL - Airborne - CD (n5md) Almost a decade after his first record on Active Suspension and his participation to the Limp album on Morr, Denmark's Aerosol finally gets the chance from N5md to have a full length album of its own. Shoegazing but rather extrovert, delicate but clear in its intent and means, Aerosol fits very well with the kind of slick electronica-supported post-rock that N5md is championning: melodic, nostalgic, slightly glitchy but accessible. It's all well done, clearly reminds of what Morr or CCO used to be about, and works well on rainy morning train rides.

KING CANNIBAL - Let The Night Roar - CD (Ninja Tune) Finally there, here comes King Cannibal's first full length release. With this CD reprising the tracks from his previous three 12" on Ninja Tune and adding several new tracks, this UK producer will hopefully reach the non-vinyl buying audience. And we definitely hope so over here, as King Cannibal's infectious mixture of heavy handed drum'n'bass and bass-rich proto-dubstep is something to hear and to enjoy. Definitely one of the best signings on Ninja Tune for a long while, and a very recommended release.

SP:MC - Taiko Dub / Bad Dreams - 12" (Tempa) I really liked SP:MC's previous record on Tempa last year, and well, this one is a repeat experience. This british producer, without being totally outside the boundaries of classic dubstep, comes up with such a clean sound and an acute beat that his combination of old downtempo elements sounds natural in his dubstep. One side is pretty much a club mammoth, while the other is a much lighter (in sound, not in mood) home listening one. Excellent material from what might be my favorite signing on Tempa.

SILKIE - City Limits vol. 1 - 3x12" (Deep Medi Musik) Interesting and charming full length album for London's Silkie (and the first release on this format by Mala's Deep Medi label). Dubstep in its sonorities, slightly techno leaning (think Scuba & co) in its drums, electronica in its atmospheres and a little bit jazzy from times to times, this album ends up sounding surprisingly seductive and melodic. Going beyond what one could have expected from a dubstep artist, varied and nicely flowing, this "City Limits" sound like an area best thread by fans of precise, well done and still fresh IDM-ish sounds. Nice one.

EXCISION & THE SUBDIVISION - Hypothermic - 12" (Paradise Lost) The Subdivision's previous record, already on the goth-named Paradise Lost label was already of the relatively dark and slowish kind. Things get a bit heavier and harder this time around though, as he pairs up with Canada's Excision for a really nice three tracker (one of the tracks being a remix by somebody else we quite like around here, Komonazmuk). More dubstep in their structures than the usual Excision output, but very dynamic, clean sounding and catchy, the whole thing also sounds better cut that your average dubstep 12", and is all throughout a very strong piece of wax.

DJ HIDDEN / I:GOR - The Memento Mori EP - 2x12" (Sustained Records) The third release on UK's Sustained Record is another heavyweight: DJ Hidden and I:Gor share the state for two tracks each. DJ Hidden opens the ball with the excellent "Earth Cry" track, which is guaranteed to fill up every dancefloor in any condition and at any time (this track is worth purchasing the record alone), and keeps the bar very high with "Ten Direction Ambush"). I:Gor, then, is having a rather d'nb day as well, even though he can't help but including some breakcore and hardcore elements into his two very percussive tracks. Another very recommended record from a label having so far a flawless catalog.

V/A - Kod.Ex - 2xCD (Kod.ex / Brume Records) Nice intiative from Kod.Ex, a french collective all about industrial music and shows, who have gathered here new material from 26 of their friends and acquaintances. The french scene gets the lion share, of course, with acts such as Mlada Fronta (presenting a track from an allegedly forthcoming album), Tzolkin / Flint Glass, Dither or the whole Noxious Art fest. Ad Noiseam is represented with new tracks by Cdatakill and Detritus, and we also get some treats from the likes of Imminent, Roger Rotor or Empusae, among others. All in all a fine, varied and charming double CD of industrial tunes, and a solid compilation.

OYAARSS - A La Holeage - 12" (Abstractions) I guess the sun doesn't shine much in the latvian studio of the young Oyaars, for this debut 12" is not exactly your happy house dubstep. Very slow, extremely industrial sounding, featuring a few orchestral snippets and definitely not aiming at the dancefloor (unless as the opening band for some doom act), "A La Holeage" is among the grittiest and heaviest dubstep I have heard, to the point where this genre's name might not really apply anymore. On the B side, Cloaks, who are also not known for the cleanliness or speed of their material, deliver a slightly friendlier and more accessible remix, but the whole thing stays pitch black and very rigid. Well yes, I quite like this, and definitely recommend it.

CLOUDS - Spat - 12" (Channel Zero) Very well done first release on Clouds's own label, Channel Zero. Taking a very dub atmospheres and some good beats from dubstep, and mixing it with a little bit of this whole current wonky beat trend, Clouds come up here with a very nicely flowing, slightly smokey and at the same time up-to-date record. I'd have to congratulate these guys for coming up with something which is timewise right on the money and at the same time very musical and pleasant to listen to.

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EXCISION - Wasted - 12" (Rag & Bone) Excellent new two-tracker by Excision, cheating on his Rottun Records label for this 12" on Rag & Bone. Massive, mid-tempo and evil, this "Wasted" is 100% broken and mean-spirited dubstep for everybody who like their sets dark and oppressive. If names such as Broken Note, King Cannibal or Innasekt ring a bell for you, I'd strongly recommend you to check this new Excision record.

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.

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.

I:GOR - Obak / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - 12" (Sustained Records) Very rough and hard dark drum'n'bass record from I:Gor on the young (but already rising) british label Sustained. Very different from the all out hardcore of his release for Strike, I:Gor delivers here a plate of relatively classic d'n'b structures served with very percussive, dark and gritty sounds. It is all very well done and I could bet that this is going to be a very successful record.

THE TEKNOIST / THROTTLER - Theres Nothing Here For You / I Don't Dance - 12" (Sustained Records) Banging first release on Sustained Records. The Teknoist shatters all ears and genres on the A side with his perfect mixture of broken d'n'b and hardcore (as always, at the same time very aggressive and detailled) while Greece's Throttler matches up with a dark and gritty hard d'n'b number on the B side. A hell of a way to state Sustained's intent.

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:

IMMINENT - Cask Strength - limited CD box (Ant Zen) Imminent (then Starvation) was with Noisex the act that made Ant Zen what it is and, without a proper release since 1999's "Nord", there must have been quite a lot of pressure on Olivier Moreau to come up with something up to par with his first two albums. In this sense, yes, "Cask Strength" beams its listener ten years in the past: splendid exaggeratedly lush packaging from Ant Zen (in a sort of engraved wooden cigar box), and an album full of very crisp straight overdriven beats. The beginning of the album might be an update for Imminent (more broken, more melodic, and generally more Axiome-sounding), but past the third track, be ready for a wall to wall return to "Tentack" and "Dislocation". I honestly don't know what the younger among the Ant Zen fans will think of this, but this will bring back nice memories to everybody from the old school.

GENEVIéVE PASQUIER - Le Cabaret Moi - limited cd box (Ant Zen) Luxury package again from Ant Zen for Geneviève Pasquier's second album, coming in an oversized calendar-like photo book with some postcards. Hard to describe, but if you are after some old school industrial beats and a new wave kind of voice (including the mandatory cover of "Warm Leatherette"), the whole thing coming from a german fan of Dita Von Teese, this should be spot on. Success guaranteed in post-goth clubs.

100BLUMEN - Down With The System, Long Live The System! - CD (Ant Zen) 100blumen's latest yearly album for Ant Zen takes things where they had been left with the previous CD, and delivers a new salvo of straight rhythmic noise that will make some party like it's 2000. The tracks range from the bleak and atonal club fodder to more laid-back and melodic ones (still crushed under big hollow kick drums, don't worry). Nothing extremely new under the sun, but a competent album for this scene.

GJöLL - Sum Of Transformations - CD (Ant Zen) Gjöll's third record see the icelandic duo calms things down a bit and leave most of the noise away. As ambient-ish as its predecessor, this new album is more of the old school drone / dark ambient kind (think early CMI acts such as Morthound or Archon Satani) than a scraping noise thing such as what one could have expected. Pretty well done, enriched, as usual, with some spoken word in icelandic, and probably a treat for the fans.

DEFRAG - Lament Element - CD (Hymen) Interesting and long awaited second album for NYC's Defrag(mentation), who back at the beginning of the decade had participated to the rise of the hard and dark US breakcore sound. Genres, bands and labels have come and gone ever since, but this "Lament Element" still carries a distinctive oppressive, heavy broken sound. Somewhat reminiscent in its sonorities (and vocal samples) of early Venetian Snares, but cleaner and updated (check the dubstep hooks) this album is a particularely competent one, if not at times contained. Fans of dark IDM and non-nonsense breakcore should appreciate this a lot.

IMMINENT - Cask Strength - 12" (Hymen) Another proof that the release of Imminent's new album is a major thing for this Ant Zen, it gets a vinyl version, and Hymen goes back to vinyl, years after having seemingly given up on this format. Five tracks get picked up from the CD, ending up in an LP clocking at around half an hour, and featuring some of the hardest and most club friendly material from the album. Vinyl fans, you have been heard, Imminent's new vintage is available to you as well.

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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.

STAGGA - Face Gets Splat - 12" (Rag & Bone) If Stagga's first 12" for Rag & Bone was more of a the broken dubstep kind, its follower, while staying bassy, heavy and mid-tempo, gives more space to hip hop beats and short raps by guest vocalists on two of its three tracks. Still very low flying, infectious, resolutely dark, but a bit more human and less "just dubstep" than before, a nice sophomore effort from a guy who seems to be a on a roll at the moment.

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.

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.

ENDUSER - Form Without Function - CD (Hymen) A hard one from Enduser. On this new album, Lynn Standafer puts the beats and the noise on the foreground, letting his mixture of drum'n'bass and breakcore lean more towards the breaks than the bass. Kicking in very hard from the first track, "Forms without function" also contains a couple of tracks with vocals, as well as the participation of such artists as DJ Hidden, Submerged and Somatic Responses. A heavy, (of course) very well produced dancefloor-oriented album by one of the most essential and talented producer of the moment. Mandatory.

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.

EXCISION & DZ - Yin Yang - 12" (EX7) Evil looking and varied sounding first release for EX7, a new label created by Canada's Excision (taking a wild guess, I'd say that this might be the vinyl pendant to his previous netlabel). On the first side, his track with DZ is a very sci-fi sounding, futuristic kind of bassy broken track, a nice and club-efficient thing which is pretty up-tempo, with some remnants of d'n'b and electro. Things are a bit more classic, but not more light-hearted, with a heavy and rather melodic dubstep number by Excision alone on the flip side. All in all very polished and clean but dark and heavy, and therefore quite another quality Excision product.

Now available as digital download:

New arrivals:

STAGGA - Face Gets Splat - 12" (Rag & Bone) If Stagga's first 12" for Rag & Bone was more of a the broken dubstep kind, its follower, while staying bassy, heavy and mid-tempo, gives more space to hip hop beats and short raps by guest vocalists on two of its three tracks. Still very low flying, infectious, resolutely dark, but a bit more human and less "just dubstep" than before, a nice sophomore effort from a guy who seems to be a on a roll at the moment.

V/A - Frequencies Of The Mind - CD (Mindtrick / Redrum Recordz) Extremely nice compilation CD from the good people over at Mindtrick. Featuring new material by such underrated Ad Noiseam favorites as Charly Linch, The Eerier Child (with two particularely nice tracks) or Atiq as well as some new stuff by Broken Note (!) and regular Bong-Ra collaborator Deformer, this semi breakcore, semi dark dubstep 11-track compilation is the kind of thing that warms your heart when you begin to think that breakcore has gone the way of the dodo. Welcome, well done and recommended.

EMALKAY - When I Look At You / A.G.S. - 12" (Dub Police) Emalkay's second effort for Dub Police is a lot less of "though guy" category than its predecessor. With a pretty thick but classic side (of the kind you can drop whenever and still get people dancing) and another one much more soulful, Tes La Rok-esque (incl the female vocal samples) and club oriented, this is a single that might not catter to the same people as Emalkay's debut, but which still should have no problem appealing to the Dub Police fans.

BAR 9 - Extort / Smoke Stack - 12" (Z Audio) The formula is known, but it still works: two heavy tracks of insidious "evil" from the prolific masked avenger of dubstep. "Extort" is a classic Bar 9 killer, with its long gritty basslines, its short dub samples and all its weight on the drums. On the B side, "Smoke Stack", while also not something particularely aetheral, sees Bar 9 goes a bit more towards Distance in the way he actually builds atmospheres to support his bass, which ends up being potentially the best Bar 9 track I have heard so far. Nice one.

DISTANCE - Twilight / V (Pinch remix) - 12" (Chestplate) Distance's new 12" for his own Chestplate label is both very classic and a surprise. Its main track, "Twilight", is pure Distance-goodness, meaning a heavy, extremely efficient dark dubstep number, which doesn't reinvent anything, but just works great from start to finish. On the B side, Pinch's remix of "V" is quite un-Distance-like, though, with its gritty undertones but its much dubbier sound and less percussive drums. Classic but deadly on the one side, more subtle and fresher on the other, and quite a catch for any dubstep DJ.

MRK1 - X-Tatik / Moving Toad - 12" (Contagious Recordings) Interesting new 12" by the prolifici Mark One on his on label. While we've grown used to getting from him heavy wobble monster putting all the bass on 11, this new two tracker surprises by its subtility and moderation. While one track is a relatively classic dubstep number, it keeps things quite low-key, dark and contained (and benefits from it), the other one is very dancehall-influenced and a lot dubbier than what Mark One has been delivering recently. In the end, a strong record from a solid producer, but also one where he shows that he's more than a one trick pony.

TENCHU - Motivational Poster / Used To Be - 12" (Dub:iouz) Nice, if classic, first dubstep record for this austrian musician better known for his drum'n'bass productions. The title track is a muscular and slightly up-tempo dubstep number with a little bit of wobble and a good melody. The B side is calmer, most of all the closing very atmospheric and clear Scuba remix (considerably calmer than these guys' own productions). A good dubstep record on the dark-ish side of the genre, without falling into exaggeration.

MORDANT MUSIC - Symptoms - 10" (Mordant Music) Nice and very relaxed new 10" by Mordant Music, who appear here under a quite accessible side. Gone (or relegated to the background) are he most experimental and dubstep aspects of their past collaborations with Shackleton: what we get here are two deep, aerial and relatively contained tracks of dub-techno with some charming electronica pads thrown into the mix. Quite Orphx-esque on the one side, and while not totally new, very pleasant.

RSD - Good Energy - 12" (Punch Drunk) Another excellent two tracker from RSD, who comes up this time with something a bit less techno-ish than before, and a bit more old school dub / trip hoppy (this is where we remember the younger among you that RSD is one of the member of Smith & Mighty). The two dubstep tracks on this record are still of the rather heavy kind, but also have a relaxed (dub) atmosphere which makes them both quite accessible and pleasant. Very nice one.

BD1982 - Shotta Pon De Corner - 12" (Seclusiasis) Debut record for the Seclusiasis regular and Starkey supported BD1982. Less dancefloor-only than some of his label mates, he delivers here a record in which the hip hop influenced dubstep and bassline that has become typical of his label is mixed with a bit more change and a bit more subtlety. It still fits well between a Starkey track and a Dev79 one, but at least one on this record reminded me of Machinegirl, which was very appreciated.

EXCISION & DZ - Yin Yang - 12" (EX7) Evil looking and varied sounding first release for EX7, a new label created by Canada's Excision (taking a wild guess, I'd say that this might be the vinyl pendant to his previous netlabel). On the first side, his track with DZ is a very sci-fi sounding, futuristic kind of bassy broken track, a nice and club-efficient thing which is pretty up-tempo, with some remnants of d'n'b and electro. Things are a bit more classic, but not more light-hearted, with a heavy and rather melodic dubstep number by Excision alone on the flip side. All in all very polished and clean but dark and heavy, and therefore quite another quality Excision product.

AARDVARCK - Bloom 3 - 12" (Bloom) Third volume of Aardvarck's "Bloom" series, in which this dutch veteran trades his house and techno clothes for some dubbier and dubstep-er ones, while still keeping things fun and experimental. It's all pretty gritty in here, with tracks including elements ranging from an Otto Von Schirach-like voice to little melodies or very square waveform, but stays very dancefloor-compatible, driven and well done (and thus reminding of a less tricky and complex Si Begg). A little bit of a UFO, but one coming from an experienced producer, making of this a future very sought-after item.

FEVER RAY - Seven - 12" (Rabid Records) Remix single for one of the main track off Fever Ray's very remarked debut album. The remixers are all high profile, but come from very varied horizons, resulting in an interesting but not particularely coherent pot-pourri: the techno A side kicks off with all rave apparel in the spotlight with the Crookers remix, and gets a lot more minimal-with-some-oomf with Ostgut's Marcel Dettmann). The B side is where it is at, though, starting with an excellent remix by Martyn (who is respectful enough to keep the vocals) and a fun old-school lo-fi disco one by Sub Pop's CSS. Obviously mostly for people who enjoyed Fever Ray's debut, but Martyn afficionados might want to hunt his remix as well.

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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.

NEIL LANDSTRUMM - Bambaataa Eats His Breakfast - 2x12" (Planet Mu) Neil Landstrumm has been putting out excellent material recently, among others more or less one full length album per year on Planet Mu. This new "Bambaataa Eats His Breakfast", while just as crazy and all over the place as the previous, sees this veteran's sound get more coherent and more playful at the same time: while there's still the occasional salvo of dubstep basses or electro beats from here to there, this album is clearly under the sign of the 8 bit melody. High energy, exhilirating and very tasty, but a tad less bassy and heavy than "Lord For £39", for example. And still, very recommended over here.

BURNKANE - You Know - 12" (Planet Mu) Dubstep debut for Burnkane, the new name of (if I got it right) a formerly more IDM-oriented producer. The whole thing is melodic, has some nice basses and enough electronica trickery to appease the fans of little details and changes, but still bows to the r'n'b-ization of the genre with the inclusion of (partly vocoded) hip hop vocals on the one side. In the end, a very polished, accessible and, most of all, zeitgeisty release.

SUBEENA - Solidify - 12" (Planet Mu) I'm going to take a wild guess here and assume that the kind of mainstream r'n'b being thrown on the A side of this 12" (or on some other so called post-dubstep 12" on Hyperdub lately) is not only a blatant attempt at getting more licensing deals. With the benefit of the doubt, the MTV-compatible rhymes by Om'Mas Keith (remember the Harmonic313 12" on Hyperdub? Same guy) might bring some flavor to Subeena's pretty melodic and low-key downtempo electronica, but I still wonder in which situation this might really get played out. Either I am missing something, or this is best not taken totally seriously.

BRACKLES - Rawkus - 12" (Planet Mu) Second 12" for Brackles on Planet Mu. This one goes pretty much in the same direction as its predecessor, in a slightly lusher and wonkier way. It all fits very well this hard-to-describe style to be found on most of the new Mu single: somewhat dubstep, but lighter, somewhat garage, but cleaner, somewhat bassline, but more contained. Anyway, interesting, well done, and efficient DJ tool.

DETEST - Hi-8 Adventures - 12" (Peace Off) Last time I had checked the german hardcore producer Detest, he was spitting out records on Strike Records, and here he is, popping back up with a high energy and more broken piece of wax for Peace Off. Still very gabber-y by breakcore standards (a bit in the way of some Teknoist or Rotator track), the whole thing is super intense, very pounding, and quite dark. Add to this an A track filled with Ministry samples, and you get something which I like quite a lot. Good, very good hard stuff.

AZ-ROTATOR - Shuffle Mode Irregularities - 3" CDR (Disco.R.Dance) Excellent and tightly packed little 3" from AZ-Rotator, coming this time by way of the London-based Disco.R.Dance label. The spanish wizard was in great form when he wrote this new CD, these "irregularities" reaching an uncommon level of enthusiasm and musical competence. Very detailed, musically relevant (with a lot of acid and chiptunes thrown into the mostly IDM mix), the whole thing really sounds fun and is quite a wild ride on the high-fi side of broken electronica. Recommended.

J.K. - I.S.C. - 12" (Rephlex) Very cool EP by the newcomer Jodey Kendrick, who comes up with a kind of downtempo-ish, relaxed acid that feels at the same time spacious and playful. The sonorities and beats are strongly old-school, but the seven (!) tracks of this record definitely have a kind of tricky IDM vibe to them, which makes it feel even more at home on Rephlex. A necessary check for acid fans and people into experimental but fun stuff.

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.

V/A - Who Broke My Beats? - 12" (Mindtrick) Following the nice "State of Mind", Holland's Mindtrick label comes back with another compilation, and ask this time who broke that beat. The culprits seem to be long time Bong-Ra collaborator Deformer, Mindtrick regular Atiq, and three new acts about whom I don't know much. Ranging from banging breakcore, a little tad of d'n'b, some hip hop and a really good 8-bit based track, here is a very well balanced and well produced compilation which quite stands out. Recommended.

DISTANCE - V / Present Day - 12" (Chestplate) Big sweeping basses and heavy metronomic beats for the A side of this 3th instalment of Distance's 12" on Chestplate, and an uncommonly melodic (yep, with piano) and downkey B-side for the B side. Probably the most balanced Chestplate release so far, which shows quite a few surprises from Distance but keep the quality unsurprisingly high.

MRK1 - Feel Loved / Frank - 12" (Contagious Recordings) Another sure hit by Mark One on his Contagious label. "Feel Loved" builds nicely and features a bit more melodies than usual, but still rely on a heavy beat and bass, MRK1-style. On the B side, "Frank" is a longer than usual number, and quite the heavy hitter, with a classic but deadly efficient bassline. MRK1 doesn't reinvent the wheel here, but he decidedly masters his craft.

VARIOUS PRODUCTION & VIRGIN PASSAGES - I Want You To Sleep - 7" (Fire Records) Following the similar experiments with Georgia's Horse and The Silt, Various Production come here with a third remix record for another band on Fire Record. This time, the original version of Virgin Passages's "I Want You To Sleep" is a low-fi, cute and poetic thing that reminds strongly of what Constellation was doing ten years ago (think a stripped down A Silver Mont Zion). Various Prod's remix polishes the sound and complexifies the song, turning it into a rather tricky but beautiful and charming thing. And another Various Prod record which I have to recommend.

LOESS - Burrows - CD (Nonresponse) A compilation of new tracks, remixes and rare tracks, "Burrows" will however have to make do as a new Loess album, since we hadn't heard anything from this NYC duo since their 2006 "Wind And Water". Quite varied, with material ranging from straight up calm electronica to Pole-lique dub material, "Burrows" is from start to finish a laid back, aerial and very clear CD. Mesmerizing, deep and definitely asking for more output from this underrated act.

PROEM - Till There's No Breath - CD (Nonresponse) I was genuinely surprised by this new Proem album, even though I should have been tipped off by the dark and organic cover art. Two years after his latest effort for Nmd, this musician breaks totally with his IDM past and comes up with a completely ambient and beatless full length album. The atmospheres, while not dark in the industrial sense are somber and meditative, there was definitely some deep thoughts and matters going through Proem's mind when he wrote this. The album is still overall clean, drony and deep, but is clearly aimed at a purely atmospheric setting. Interesting.

SHACKLETON - Three Eps - CD (Perlon) I am not sure how such a thing as a Shackleton CD on Perlon (yes, this Perlon) can happen, and will just put the blame on the oh-so-inane-but-oh-so-hyped current bloodsucking of the german techno scenes and the UK dubstep ones, who can't stop but leech on each other. Anyway, it's neither dubstep nor techno that mr Shackleton offers us here, but a very home-listening oriented slowish work, very melodic, very heavy in pseudo accoustic drums (preset alert!) and, generally speaking, a very repetitive and mesmerizing atmospheres. Not bad, but not quite something to write home about.

New arrivals:

BURNKANE - You Know - 12" (Planet Mu) Dubstep debut for Burnkane, the new name of (if I got it right) a formerly more IDM-oriented producer. The whole thing is melodic, has some nice basses and enough electronica trickery to appease the fans of little details and changes, but still bows to the r'n'b-ization of the genre with the inclusion of (partly vocoded) hip hop vocals on the one side. In the end, a very polished, accessible and, most of all, zeitgeisty release.

SUBEENA - Solidify - 12" (Planet Mu) I'm going to take a wild guess here and assume that the kind of mainstream r'n'b being thrown on the A side of this 12" (or on some other so called post-dubstep 12" on Hyperdub lately) is not only a blatant attempt at getting more licensing deals. With the benefit of the doubt, the MTV-compatible rhymes by Om'Mas Keith (remember the Harmonic313 12" on Hyperdub? Same guy) might bring some flavor to Subeena's pretty melodic and low-key downtempo electronica, but I still wonder in which situation this might really get played out. Either I am missing something, or this is best not taken totally seriously.

BRACKLES - Rawkus - 12" (Planet Mu) Second 12" for Brackles on Planet Mu. This one goes pretty much in the same direction as its predecessor, in a slightly lusher and wonkier way. It all fits very well this hard-to-describe style to be found on most of the new Mu single: somewhat dubstep, but lighter, somewhat garage, but cleaner, somewhat bassline, but more contained. Anyway, interesting, well done, and efficient DJ tool.

VARIOUS PRODUCTION & VIRGIN PASSAGES - I Want You To Sleep - 7" (Fire Records) Following the similar experiments with Georgia's Horse and The Silt, Various Production come here with a third remix record for another band on Fire Record. This time, the original version of Virgin Passages's "I Want You To Sleep" is a low-fi, cute and poetic thing that reminds strongly of what Constellation was doing ten years ago (think a stripped down A Silver Mont Zion). Various Prod's remix polishes the sound and complexifies the song, turning it into a rather tricky but beautiful and charming thing. And another Various Prod record which I have to recommend.

SHACKLETON - Three Eps - CD (Perlon) I am not sure how such a thing as a Shackleton CD on Perlon (yes, this Perlon) can happen, and will just put the blame on the oh-so-inane-but-oh-so-hyped current bloodsucking of the german techno scenes and the UK dubstep ones, who can't stop but leech on each other. Anyway, it's neither dubstep nor techno that mr Shackleton offers us here, but a very home-listening oriented slowish work, very melodic, very heavy in pseudo accoustic drums (preset alert!) and, generally speaking, a very repetitive and mesmerizing atmospheres. Not bad, but not quite something to write home about.

Back in stock:

NEIL LANDSTRUMM - Bambaataa Eats His Breakfast - 2x12" (Planet Mu) Neil Landstrumm has been putting out excellent material recently, among others more or less one full length album per year on Planet Mu. This new "Bambaataa Eats His Breakfast", while just as crazy and all over the place as the previous, sees this veteran's sound get more coherent and more playful at the same time: while there's still the occasional salvo of dubstep basses or electro beats from here to there, this album is clearly under the sign of the 8 bit melody. High energy, exhilirating and very tasty, but a tad less bassy and heavy than "Lord For £39", for example. And still, very recommended over here.

DEV/NULL - Lazer Thrash - CD (Cock Rock Disco) Finally. After having been announced a million times, Dev/Null's first full length album is out. Following his records on Sprengstoff and Tigerbeat6's Violent Turd, a lot of remixes, compilation appearances and excellent shows, this much underrated american breakcore musician unleahses his beats over 12 new tracks which fit somewhere between Duran Duran Duran's energy and dancefloor appeal and Jason Forrest's fun and tongue-in-cheek sampling. A great "party" album, well produced, efficient, and not to be missed by anybody interested in breakcore.

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.

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.

New arrivals:

LUSTMORD - Beyond - CD (Vaultworks) Following "The Dark Places Of The Earth", "Beyond" is the second limited edition sequel to "Others". And just like its predecessor, it sees Lustmord digging deep into its sounds and atmospheres to go back to his "Where The Black Stars Hang" days. Again, gone are the gritty bits and guitars of "Others", as Brian Williams focuses here on what he does best: huge, monumental, pitch black spacial sounds that just need to be listened to as loud as possible. Lustmord is a monument in itself, and, unsurprisingly, I can not recommend this album enough. Mandatory.

RIOTEER - Gabberism And The Subcultural Behavior Pattern Trap - 12" (Ketacore) For his new record, Rioteer leaves most of the distortion behind and takes the piss a the hardcore scene of his native Holland. It's all mashed up, sampled, mocked and brought to the max with this record full of big heavy straight beats, super catchy melodies and plenty of (seemingly tongue-in-cheek) samples. I guess it tastes better if you understand Dutch or have grown a gabber kid but even if you're not, this is quite the hilarious and exhilirating record. Gabba far eva!

SPHERICAL DISRUPTED - Quasar - CD (Audiophob) Interesting new album for the long-running (and always low-key) german act Spherical Disrupted. While the CD title might evoke some Lustmord-ian soundscapes, things are both gritter and beatier on "Qasar" for, even if the album starts up with some distorted soundscapes and drones, it evolves rapidly into a more mid-tempo industrial affair, served with crunchy beats and dark atmospheres. Still, the whole thing doesn't fall into the usual clichés of the scene, and the remixes by Xabec and Empusae add to the already wide spectrum of the whole thing. Pretty nice.

ALARMEN - Next - CD (Audiophob) Third album for Alarmen, a.k.a. the project of one of the founders of the Audiophob label. Pretty much in the line of his past releases, and coming in an interistingly folded digipack, "Next" taps into the industrial scene for its darkish mood and its spherical beats (think Vromb), but manages to integrate some lighter passages and more subtle sonorities. In the end, while still quite a rusty affair, "Next" might show the way to very interesting developments for Alarmen. Recommended.

Back in stock:

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.

ENDUSER & SUBMERGED - Appropriate and Deface - 12" (Ad Noiseam) On the tail of Enduser?s successful releases on Ad Noiseam, and introducing Submerged to the label, ?Appropriate and deface? is a meeting of these two icons of the hard drum?n?bass scene, bringing a new face to a massive sound, new clothes to an energetic genre. Enduser is on everybody?s lips for his efficient combination of d?n?b and breaks and Submerged is known for unleashing monstrous basses through his Ohm Resistance label, the two had never worked together; it had to be corrected, here comes their encounter. Hide the subwoofers.

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.

BAR 9 - Shut Ya Mouth / Rapture - 12" (Audio Freaks) New Audio Freaks two-tracker for Bar 9. Not a big surprise, but this producer keeps on doing what he's doing best: big and bigger wobbly bassline entertwined with big, metronomic beats, resulting in some classically-structured but menacing, dark and extremely dancefloor-efficient dubstep tracks. Yes, the whole thing is a bit over the top, but I stil guarantee that you can put a club in motion pretty easily with Bar 9's material.

New arrivals:

MARY-ANNE HOBBS - Wild Angels - CD (Planet Mu) Third compilation for the BBC's Mary-Anne Hobbs, basically following the same recipe as the previous one. This radio host here presents a selection of new electronic acts, about half of which are coming from Planet Mu, and pretty much all of them from the UK or the US. And as with the previous two volumes, the emphasis is on current-day UK dancefloor trends (wonky beat's the savor of the day), with some more adventurous tracks going towards more home-listening material (such as a very surprising track by Harmonic313's Mark Pirtchard). And as last time, the cover is downright hideous. All in all, a good selection, even though I could use a bit edgier material. Good taste, but if this is shows current tastes in the UK, it's time for beats there to gain some weight.

MARY-ANNE HOBBS - Wild Angels - 2x12" (Planet Mu) Third compilation for the BBC's Mary-Anne Hobbs, basically following the same recipe as the previous one. This radio host here presents a selection of new electronic acts, about half of which are coming from Planet Mu, and pretty much all of them from the UK or the US. And as with the previous two volumes, the emphasis is on current-day UK dancefloor trends (wonky beat's the savor of the day), with some more adventurous tracks going towards more home-listening material (such as a very surprising track by Harmonic313's Mark Pirtchard). And as last time, the cover is downright hideous. All in all, a good selection, even though I could use a bit edgier material. Good taste, but if this is shows current tastes in the UK, it's time for beats there to gain some weight.

TERROR DANJAH - Industry Standard Part 4 - 12" (Planet Mu) Interesting release for Planet Mu, who hires here a seemingly important figure of the London grime scene for a four trackers which somewhat sounds a lot friendler and gentler than most Mu release. The A side, most of all, is quite chilled out and pretty. One has to flip the record to get a nice garagy electro track and a much rustier and heavier dubstep one. The whole thing is instrumental, is probably thought as a foundation for some grime vocals, and is pretty well done, but quite obviously catering to a niche sound.

V/A - Hyperdub 5.4 - 12" (Hyperdub) Two tracks only on the 4th volume of Hyperdub's fifth birthday series (which somehow came out before the 3rd). Martyn delivers a very efficient, clear, aerial and of course very dub techno oriented number, which could have fit on his "Great Lengths" album. On the flip side, LD's piece is also pretty good, surprisingly ravy and dancefloor oriented. Maybe the less experimental of the series so far, and the one with the most club potential, in my opinion.

V/A - Hyperdub 5.1 - 12" (Hyperdub) First volume of four EP commemorating the fifth birthday of Kode9's Hyperdub label (which has released a lot of good stuff but is probably best known for being the home of Burial). This one features new material by Kode9 (with The Spaceape), Flying Lotus and, in my opinion, the best surprise of the lot, the complete newcomer Black Chow. All in all, Hyperdub shows both its weird, experimental side and a bit of its housy one with this first volume, and does it relatively well. Anyway, who's to pass on new tracks by Flying Lotus and Kode9 at the moment?

V/A - Hyperdub 5.2 - 12" (Hyperdub) The second volume of Hyperdub's fifth birthday series gathers new material by Joker (with Ginz), Zomby and Samiyam. This time around, things stay instrumental and focus on the 8 bit, playful and detailled kind of wonky dubstep that Hyperdub has been exploring with these guys' previous records. The tracks are rather strong (my hat to Samiyam for his), and this all works well to display this side of Hyperdub's diversity.

V/A - Dura Matters - CD (Zod Records) Insane breaks, 8 bit sounds and complex but beautiful IDM are collapsing together on this solid compilation from Zod Records. Features Emotional Joystick, Curtis Chip, Gridlock, Otto Von Schirach, Exillon, Binray, Soplerfo, Com.a and others. A good one.

AZ-ROTATOR - Shuffle Mode Irregularities - 3" CDR (Disco.R.Dance) Excellent and tightly packed little 3" from AZ-Rotator, coming this time by way of the London-based Disco.R.Dance label. The spanish wizard was in great form when he wrote this new CD, these "irregularities" reaching an uncommon level of enthusiasm and musical competence. Very detailed, musically relevant (with a lot of acid and chiptunes thrown into the mostly IDM mix), the whole thing really sounds fun and is quite a wild ride on the high-fi side of broken electronica. Recommended.

NEIL LANDSTRUMM & EBOLA / SUGAR EXPERIMENT STATION - Acid House James May - 12" (Combat Recordings) Combat confirms its place in my heart as one of the most reliable UK labels of the moment with this Neil Landstrumm-heavy 12". The man pairs up with Peace Off / Wrong / Sublight Ebola on the one side, delivering some very low flying, dirty, gritty and heavy mid-tempo proto-breaks, and with Tobias Schmidt under the Sugar Experiment Station for a side of more varied, slightly IDM-ishy but still very bassy and at times rave-oriented tracks. Somewhat a record of Neil Landstrumm's most muscular beats and bass, here's an affair which sounds both massive and fun, hard but varied at the same time. Very recommended.

MENSAH - Sahara - 12" (Lo Dubs) Wow, very nice one. While Lodubs have been releasing a lot of "different" dubstep records recently, this debut 12" by Mensah goes back to the most massive side of the genre. The beats might be quite repetitive, but the whole thing is really nicely produced. Without falling into exaggeration, both tracks are taylored for the dancefloor and should please anybody who wants its dubstep gigantic, slow and efficient. Recommended.

ROB SPARX - Trooper - 2xCD (Z Audio) Following a plethora of single 12", here comes, finally, the first full length album by Rob Sparx, which follows the apparently trendy formula of a CD album coming with a second made of previous vinyl-only tracks (I'm looking at you, Distance and Bar9). While ranked among the most regarded dubstep producers in the UK, Rob Sparx delivers here something which is definitely darker and a lot more low key than expected. Besides some remixes on the second CD, this "Trooper" is more of a slow, stripped, quasi Cyrus-like trip, and one of melodic, dub and not so heavy dubstep. Pretty moody, and the DJ can still grab the floor-packers on the second disc.

ZOMBY - One Foot Ahead Of The Other - 2x12" (Ramp Recordings) Remarkable second album for Zomby, coming back to Ramp Recordings after his infedilities with Hyperdub. The nine tracks of this double 12" are clearer than ever, and manage to combine playful (and omnipresent) chiptune sounds with dubstep structures and some slight techno beats towards the end of the album. Not hard at all, but far from being one-sided or shallow, "One Foot Ahead Of The Other" is accurately named, as it takes a lot of elements from the current post-dubstep evolution but manages to come out with something very coherent. Recommended.

SKREAM - Just Being Me / Murdera - 12" (Southside Dubstars) Now we're talking. For his new two tracker on Southside Dubstars, Skream comes back to what he knows and does best: very melodic, anthemic syncopated dubstep with long dub melodies and metronomic beats. I don't know whether these tracks were written prior to Skream's recent techno and d'n'b endeavours, but they definitely sound a lot closer to his debuts, something I am not going to complain about. Compact, efficient, classic, and recommended.

VARIOUS PRODUCTION & THE SILT - How Can You Stand? - 7" (Fire Records) Various Production go one step further in their trip towards less beats and more rock: while this new 7" is, at first sight, a pure Various product (from the format to the product), it actually leaves most of the stage to the newcomer The Silt (no idea who these guys are). The A side is a track co-written by both bands, a sort of sweet but twisted indie ballad à la sauce Various (which, in my opinion, means that it is an awesome tune). The B side from The Silt only, and is a bit less tricky and full of effect, but still fits well with the general mood of Various's world. Charming.

INTERLOPE - Chip Jockey - 12" (Expressillon) Very cool new four tracker by France's Interlope, and probably their most release to date. The A side features two strong dancefloor-oriented, classically structured d'n'b tracks, with Interlope's trademark dry and percussive sound. The flip side sees thing change a lot, though, with a lot of breaks making an appearance, some guitar samples on the last tracks, and generally speaking, some additional energy and anger that makes the whole thing step out of the regular drum'n'bass boundaries. Nice one.

ANTIHIFI - Electric Lazy - 12" (Dub Technic) Excellent (blood red vinyl) four tracker from Antihifi (about whom I do not know anything, sadly), with which Dub Technics was rebooted in late 2008. Broadly speaking dubstep, but with little dub sounds and a lot of downtempo, Spectre / Techno Animal-like beats and gritty dark bits thrown in the mix. The whole thing is really heavy, dust-filled but still manages to sound fresh and efficient. With such a record and the following Niveau Zero one, Expressillon's Dub Technics seem to be on a roll with some very strong material at the moment.

V/A - Safe Me Up! - 12" (Coin Operated) Super high energy and extremely dancefloor-friendly new four tracker from Coin Operated. The A side opens with an excellent bassline track by the late and missed Bracket (think of Kid606's latest album, but in a more compact way), followed by an equally flooring number by Rag & Bone's Warlock. The B side is a bit straighter and a bit more fidgety, with tracks by the newcomers Spaceface and K.Gol. All in all something to make people jump around, and this A side could get some serious play very quickly. Recommended.

V/A - Brass Monkeys - 12" (Coin Operated) Another very heavy bass-line four tracker compilation on Coin Operated. Besides the very ravy Kanji Kinetic and Bracket, the newcomers of this record are Squire Of Gothos and Grimjaw, and all four deliver relatively fast, fidet-leaning, seriously mashed-up high energy heavy material. It's all quite in the red, fun to dance or wake up to, and goes down extremely well on the dancefloor. DJ, take notice.

V/A - Da Peng - 12" (Coin Operated) 2008 released compilation from Coin Operated, following the label's guideline: 4 tracks of infectious, dancefloor-oriented heavy bass. This one is probably the most varied and the hardest I have heard from the label so far: from Dress 2 Sweat's L-Vis's mashed up bassline and Kanji Kinetic uncommonly fast rhythms to the B side d'n'b and hardcore leaning numbers, expect some very hard-hitting, yet fun, material here. Think Donna Summer, Kid606 and Sickboy. Yeepee!

CENSOR - Empire Holds Down Remixes - 12" (Handsome Devil Recordings) A year and a half after his debut CD, Censor comes back with a much more DJ-oriented and d'n'b follow-up in the form of this remix 12", on which two of his tracks get remixed by Panacea (for a quite fast-paced bassy d'n'b tune) and DJ Hidden (quite syncopated and melodic). Considerably more club-friendly than the CD, this 12" might very well be the record that puts Censor and his infectious d'n'b on the right track. Very nice.

EKELON - Evidence - 10" (Tube 10 Recordings) Cool solid white 10" by Greece's Ekelon, following his debut on Creative Space. His material has gained in weight, and while staying in this very techno-leaning side of dubstep, has become a bit more oppressive and bass-heavy. The whole things still flow really nicely and stays quite aerial, but there's clearly a bit more grittiness and pressure than on similar releases on (let's say) 7even or Hotflush. Interesting and well done, something to check for people who intend on going further than the regular dubstep boundaries.

D1 / RUSKO - Dubstep Warz / Get Your Cock Out - 12" (Dub Files) Long-awaited release on vinyl of a very heavy, pulsating and ill-named track from D1 on the one side, considerably darker and heavier than some of his more recent material. The flip-side is left to Rusko's gritty wobble, for a track which is surprisingly (for him) devoid of any sample, but still features the same driven bass-lines as his usual output. A good start for this new Dub Files label.

SKREAM - Burning Up / Memories Of 3rd Base - 12" (Digital Soundboy) First, what's the deal with UK dusteps labels spitting out hideous covers these days? Then, "Burning Up" is quite a shocker for Skream, as the man tries to emulate some late era Panacea, jumpy happy drum'n'bass. It doesn't really fit his past, and it shows. The B side is where the good stuff is, though, with a much more Skream-esque gritty and mechanical dubstep number that goes down very nicely and restored my confidence.

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.

WISP - Honor Beats - CD (Sublight) Second album for Wisp already. While we're still in Aphex Twin-influenced, fast IDM territory here, "Honor Beats" is somewhat harder and "lushier" than "Nrthndr", if the melodies are still a main element of Wisp's track, they are now used only as a support for the slightly more club-oriented beats and tones. More uplifting and "sunny" than its predecessor, this albums displays a minor change of direction, and while Wisp's skill at chopping beats and laying IDM patterns is confirmed, this album shows that he might one day escape the shadow of its predecessors. Nice one.

BONG-RA - Soldaat Van Oranje - CD (Sublight) You might blame it on the upcoming football world cup, but Bong-Ra is going all pratriotic on this new album, on which he pays (dis-)homage to the Netherlands, and does it by lining up a collection of very hard, almost gabber tracks mixed with some vocals and rapping in dutch. No rave here, no ragga vocals, and no guitars, this orange soldier is one of dry, staccato beats and occasional voice snippets. A hard, relentless and still fun album from one of today's most essential acts.

SERVANTS OF THE APOCALYPTIC GOAT RAVE - s/t - CD (Sublight) When there is no room space in hell, the beats will walk the earth, brought by the two horsemen of the apocalypse that are Bong-Ra and Sickboy. Gathering 6 long tracks of Hammer Horror-filled hardcore beats, these two idolators of the pagan kickdrum serve a blood-filled gabber album for all your dark orgies. Those of you who haven't been baptized to the goat rave yet should imagine a less broken, beefed up version of Rotator where the ragga samples would have been replaced by vintage horror ones. Add Duran Duran Duran joining in on two tracks, and you get the devilish brew. Christopher Lee commands you to get this, and so do I.

THE FLASHBULB - Flexing Habitual - CD (Sublight) A slightly extended version of the 12" of the same name released a few months ago on Suburban Trash, this "Flexing Habitual" CD sees the Flashbulg make a 180 degree turn from his very accoustic and relatively calm "Reunion". This time, we're in for a roller coaster of breakcorish rhythms, sharp, club-friendly beats, and even the typical Flashbulb melodies get a slight mash-up treatment. Energetic, well done (as always) and still recognizable as a Flashbulb album, "Flexing Habitual" is a strong breakcore album by somebody from whom we might not have expected this anymore.

VENETIAN SNARES - Detrimentalist - CD (Planet Mu) Venetian Snares cuvée Spring 2008 is a fast paced, rave-oriented, somewhat vintage one with a strong post jungle dancefloor aftertaste. Leaving behind all the cellos (save for the "Miss Balaton" track included on the CD version) and trading the noise for twisted rave synth and a renewed interest for voices, Aaron Funk delivers his happiest album in some time, and has the good idea of not overdoing the aggressive aspect this time around. Somewhat of a lighter "Winter In The Belly Of A Snake", "Detrimentalist" is probably not what "Rossz..."-fans will expect, but quite an IDM-goes-jungle tour de force. Exhilarating.

NEIL LANDSTRUMM - Bambaataa Eats His Breakfast - CD (Planet Mu) Neil Landstrumm has been putting out excellent material recently, among others more or less one full length album per year on Planet Mu. This new "Bambaataa Eats His Breakfast", while just as crazy and all over the place as the previous, sees this veteran's sound get more coherent and more playful at the same time: while there's still the occasional salvo of dubstep basses or electro beats from here to there, this album is clearly under the sign of the 8 bit melody. High energy, exhilirating and very tasty, but a tad less bassy and heavy than "Lord For £39", for example. And still, very recommended over here.

DINO FELIPE - Album Titles Ideas - 12" (Rolax Records) Nice full length album from Dino Felipe, known for his several albums on Schematic. Considerably more accessible than his recent album with Nick Fort?"Eke Out"), but still very abstract, complex and mind-twisting, "Album Titles Ideas" is a nice record somewhere between the usual Schematic insanity and a more laid back, slightly Warp-ish electronica. Not something to dance to, but a nice complex record for home listening. Well done, and more thoughtful than the cover might lead you to believe.

DOORMOUSE & ABELCAIN - Ghosts - 12" (Addict Records) Doormouse and Abelcain have been playing together for some time, and finally present a vinyl together. Doormouse offers a surprising and very good slightly oriental-leaning track with a good club appeal but without much noise, while Abelcain presents remixes of both Doormouse's track and of his own classic "Faust" piece, of course adding more breaks, changes, and grittiness. The whole thing is very well produced and cut, and is just as tasty as the rest of the Addict catalog.

LUSINE - A Certain Distance - CD (Ghostly) While Lusine's first full length album since 2007's "Podgelism" might not differ so much from what we have grown used to expect from Jeff McIlwain, there's definitely an interesting combination going on here. Most of this album is of the most down-tempo and relaxed sort, in which the most techno elements of Lusine are relegated to the atmospheres and hypnotic side but, on the other hand, the three vocal-based track also featured here put the tech house elements blatantly back on the spotlight, and somewhat force a pop element into this "Certain Distance". That's quite a variation between the pieces, but still a generally charming album.

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".

BOOM BLASTER - Boom Blaster - 12" (Rephlex) Very interesting and, for Rephlex, "sane" release with this début by Finland's Aleksi Perälä under the Boom Blaster moniker. Things are a bit all over the place, with some heavy basses and an almost dubstep number on the A side, but a much more experimental technoish on the flip. It all stays quite minimal and downtempo from start to finish, giving to this record a very sparse and (again, for Rephlex) serious side. It's all well done, though, and there's no reason that people looking for some open-minded material should pass on it.

J.K. - I.S.C. - 12" (Rephlex) Very cool EP by the newcomer Jodey Kendrick, who comes up with a kind of downtempo-ish, relaxed acid that feels at the same time spacious and playful. The sonorities and beats are strongly old-school, but the seven (!) tracks of this record definitely have a kind of tricky IDM vibe to them, which makes it feel even more at home on Rephlex. A necessary check for acid fans and people into experimental but fun stuff.

DMX KREW - Wave Funk Volume 1 - 12" (Rephlex) Very cool new 12" by the veteran DMX Krew which comes here with his first release for Rephlex since 2005. As usual, what we get here is an highly infection kind of electro, quite old school but always playful and inventive, with some nice acid sounds thrown into the mix. The man also has the good idea of managing to pack 8 tracks on this 12", making it all worth the wait. A new brick in a massive discography, fans will appreciate.

V/A - Tectonic Plates volume 2 - 2xCD (Tectonic) Follow-up to 2006's remarked first Tectonic double CD compilation, following the same guidelines: the first CD is a label compilation, presenting 12 tracks which had so far been available on vinyl only, and the second is a long DJ mix by Pinch (Tectonic's founder). With excellent material by Flying Lotus, Joker, Skream and the like, the 1st CD shows how most of these acts have shed their former dubstep clothes and integrated a strong influence from Berlin's dub techno sound. The DJ mix itself, full of unreleased tracks, has a bit more weight and bass. All in all an excellent snapshot of what this leading dubstep label is heading to.

SCORN - Super Mantis Remixes - 12" (Combat Recordings) An excellent sequel to a brillant record (yes, blame my fandom). Elemental and Threnody, both known for their already not-so-happy dubstep, get to remix the master of them all here and give a new treatment to the "Super Mantis" track. While keeping Mick Harris's obliterating basses, both artist direct the track toward more classic dubstep, and add some effects and elements which contrasts with the more stripped down aspect of the original. The whole thing works very well with Scorn's material, and this is another record that each and every bass afficinado has to get.

POINT B - Cinder Cones And Animal Bones - 12" (Combat Recordings) Really nice three track compilation from Combat Recordings, featuring a Milanese remix of a Cursor Miner track, a track co-written by Scanone, Blackmass Plastics and the aforementionned Cursor Miner, and one by Ekaros (about whom I do not know anything at all). Dark and dubstep as could be expected from Combat, this "Vengeful Ghosts" is far from being formulaic, and often borders on the late 90's illbient / downtempo sound. A perfect bridge between two genres, which somehow also explains how somebody like Scorn released a 12" on Combat. Recommended.

BLACKMASS PLASTICS - Quarantine Zone - 12" (Bowwow) Pretty varied record by Blackmass Plastics, who has considerably evolved since its dark d'n'b roots (still present here) to a more balanced mixture of gritty dubstep and electro. The whole thing is still industrial-heavy and pretty oppressive, but quite nice and up to par with the various remix work done by this artist for releases on Combat Recordings. Bleak, slightly distorted and quite massive.

ROB SPARX - Independent Life - 12" (Dubting) Another good remix 12" from Rob Sparx. His highly vocal based "Independent Life" track gets re-worked this time around by TRG, for a much stripped down but still very "song-oriented" version and El B, who ads some well found sweeping basses and heavy drops. This B side is really quite worth a mention, and should definitely appeal to anybody who like the Distance / Skream-esque side of dusbtep (or, of course, the rest of Rob Sparx's discography).

ROB SPARX - The Prayer (Remixes) - 12" (Dubting) Its cover might be begging to be forgotten, but its music will probably not be. A slightly technoid, slow moving and very catchy dubstep tune, Rob Sparx's "The Prayer" appears here in its original version as well as remixed by Planet Mu's Distance and Tectonic's Cyrus, who both provide their own arrangement of this piece's heavy bass, slightly oriental female singing and headnodding appeal. A very good DJ tool, as the track will probably be quite remarked.

New arrivals:

SKEETER VS RETRIGGER - Paranoia / Cynicisim - 12" (Noizetek) Cool split between two underrated veterans of the breakcore scene. On the one side, Skeeter presents some hard hitting, yet relatively warm and accessible mash-ups (is it some James Bond song used on the last track?) which should have absolutely no problem getting DJ play. Retrigger, on the flip side, starts things in a ver y dark manner, before speeding things up, throwing a good dose of broken beats and ending up with some very high energy, raw material. A strong record which comes as a bowl of fresh air for the scene. Recommended.

EMOTIONAL JOYSTICK - Bellicose Pacific - CD (Zod Records) Back in stock! Long awaited first album by Emotional Joystick. 12 tracks (including a few from the previous vinyls) mixing C64 sounds, crazy breakcore and a huge composition talent. Emotional Joystick is probably the closest thing to Tarmvred's new material, and I can't recommend this CD enough. Very, very good.

EMOTIONAL JOYSTICK - Ep1 - 12" (Zod Records) Back in stock! Very charming mix of breackcore, C64 sounds, naive melodies and nice atmospheres. Original and very pleasant, Emotion Joystick is going here in a new and very rich direction. Recommended.

CURTIS CHIP - Eating Paste - 12" (Zod Records) Back in stock! Very good album of chopped up 8 bits sounds, break beats, tongue in cheek atmospheres. Fans of Emotional Joystick, Tarmvred, Squarepusher and Otto Von Schirach will go crazy about this one. Extremely recommended.

BRODIE GUY / DOORMOUSE - Split - 12" (Zod Records) Back in stock! Crunchy breakbeats, d'n'b and breakcore in a well balanced meeting between these two acts. Doormouse is energetic and distorted, Brodie Guy is slower, noisier but more groovy; both are pretty good and seducive.

V/A - Zod 07 - 12" (Zod Records) Compilation featuring new tracks by Gridlock, Seven Dials, Pressboard, Dartanjal and Casino vs Japan. Glitchy, groovy, dark and innovative. Gridlock are great, as usual, and the other bands turn out to be very intresting newcomers.

LADYSCRAPER - Untitled - 7" (Hirntrust Grind Media) Cool little pure white 7" from Ladyscraper. It's not too hard to see why these tracks went to Hirntrust and not to Deathchant, as this ex Wrong Music producer mixes here his ultra distorted breakcore with more metal screams and 8 bit sounds that with straight hardcore beats. As usual with both Hirntrust and Ladyscraper, your great grandmother will just love this 7", but super tough guys in black hoodies will enjoy it even more.

MIXOMATOSIS - Untitled - 7" (Hirntrust Grind Media) All right, sorry for my lack of culture, but this is the first time that I listen to Mixomatosis, even though this Spanish band has allegedly been active for fifteen years now. Anyway, focusing on the four tracks of this blood red 7": we get here something which is somewhat perfectly at home on Hirntrust (meaning super hard heavily electronic-fied grindcore) and which stays however relatively slow, heavy and darker than usual. Low-fi but interesting, and somewhat reminding of what Hecate is doing these days.

BOOM BLASTER - Boom Blaster - 12" (Rephlex) Very interesting and, for Rephlex, "sane" release with this d?t by Finland's Aleksi Per? under the Boom Blaster moniker. Things are a bit all over the place, with some heavy basses and an almost dubstep number on the A side, but a much more experimental technoish on the flip. It all stays quite minimal and downtempo from start to finish, giving to this record a very sparse and (again, for Rephlex) serious side. It's all well done, though, and there's no reason that people looking for some open-minded material should pass on it.

J.K. - I.S.C. - 12" (Rephlex) Very cool EP by the newcomer Jodey Kendrick, who comes up with a kind of downtempo-ish, relaxed acid that feels at the same time spacious and playful. The sonorities and beats are strongly old-school, but the seven (!) tracks of this record definitely have a kind of tricky IDM vibe to them, which makes it feel even more at home on Rephlex. A necessary check for acid fans and people into experimental but fun stuff.

DMX KREW - Wave Funk Volume 1 - 12" (Rephlex) Very cool new 12" by the veteran DMX Krew which comes here with his first release for Rephlex since 2005. As usual, what we get here is an highly infection kind of electro, quite old school but always playful and inventive, with some nice acid sounds thrown into the mix. The man also has the good idea of managing to pack 8 tracks on this 12", making it all worth the wait. A new brick in a massive discography, fans will appreciate.

DATA - Doors Of Perception / Leaves - 12" (Tempa) Very laid back record for this debut by Data on Tempa. Considering how many acts bear this name, I'm not sure wether we deal here with a total newcomer or somebody else, but let's say that these very dubby, clean and echoed tracks pay a strong hommage to the whole Chain Reaction / Basic Channel thing, in a more subdued and contained way. It makes sense for Tempa to release this kind of material, somehow, and we'll see whether this record is a start of something strong, or just a nice one-off.

GIANT - Drumstick / Swoosh - 12" (Hench Recordings) While some snippets on the A side might make some believe that things have turned for the more pop side with this new Giant 12", just wait for the raw, heavy bassline to make your opinion. What we get here is a massive, wobbly and structurally classic but efficient dubstep two tracker. There's not much added to the sauce, but it all works pretty well (most of all on the B side, in my opinion), and people looking for no-frill, dancefloor-efficient dubstep shouldnt have to look any further.

NOAH D - Killing Time - 12" (Basshead) A record bound to get a lot of play: the new single by US's young but currently very prolific Noah D presents two versions of his at first very The Bug-esque sounding "Killing Time" dancehall number. On the A side, things are quite dubstep-y indeed, and fit very well with whatever Kevin Martins track you intend on mixing it with. The remix on the B side is a faster, drum'n'bass affair which keeps things simple enough to catter to a wide array of DJs. Well done (most of all the A side, in my opinion), and solid turntable fodder.

JAKES / CHIMPO - Justice / Pump Action - 12" (Sin City Recordings) From Bristol to Manchester and back with this split 12" between the two young and prolific producers that are Hakes and Chimpo. Both sides are full of wobble, relatively low and, surprise, contain a little bit of wonkiness as far as the beats are concerned (most of all on Jakes's side). It's Chimpo who takes the cake, though, with a quite menacing and syncopated track which is insolent enough to start with some kind of rave keys. All in all, nice, modern dubstep on the slow side.

V/A - Beats for Bassbins and Braincells - CD (Ideation Records) Really nice 17 track CD compilation from Ideation records, presenting a strong selection of material from young IDM, electronica and breakcore acts (mostly, but not only, from the UK). The latter genre is a bit less represented than the others, and the whole thing stays quite mid-tempo, but the averagy quality is really high, and the tracks by the likes of Charlie Linch, Jonny3snares, Garethe Clarke or Vex Kiddy are little gems. Warp and Planet Mu are not doing this kind of sound anymore, most of the new stuff gets released on netlabels, and this compilation is therefore very welcome. Recommended.

JONNY3SNARES - Yes, No, Maybe - 12" (Ideation Records) You've got to have some guts to have the word "Snares" in your name and write breakcore. Still, this UK producer, who has nothing to do with the other "Snares", comes back with a first 12" since his 2007 debut, and delivers three very pleasant and relatively laid back tracks of breakcorish IDM. It's all relatively melodic and detailled, reminding a bit of what The Flashbulb used to do. Slightly brainy, still club-compatible, and with a bit of Squarepusher bits here and there. Nice one.

Back in stock:

DJ FLOORCLEARER - Malicious - 12" (Noizetek) Long are the days of brainless mash-up as part of the Wrong Music crew for DJ Floorclearer, who keeps on getting darker and darker with each reelase. Pretty much like his Wrong colleague Ebola, Floorclearer has jumped the gun and presents here an EP consisting pretty much of two hard and fast breakcore tunes and two very heavy, equally dark and massive dubstep ones. The production value has also improved, and this sounds a lot quite a coming an age from DJ Floorclearer. A strong record, and in my opinion the best so far from this artist.

GRIDLOCK - Trace - 12" (Zod Records) 2001 had the CD, here comes the 12" edition of Gridlock's "Trace". This vinyl version of contains a remix by Somatic Responses, a new track and a remix of an album track by Gridlock. An unmissable extended version of this great album.

HIMURO - Mild Fantasy Violence - 12" (Zod Records) Third album already for this japanese act fitting particulary well on Zod Records. Somewhere at the crossroad between the ?ber digital trickery of the Schematic beat meddling camp and a much more laid back, slightly dubby approach, "Mild Fantasy Violence" is more mild than violent, and presents the unlikely marriage of flowing, spatial electronica and extremely detailled frequency twitching. Interesting and very well done.

EXILLON - EP 01 - 12" (Zod Records) Back in stock! Very cool debut 12" from this IDM / breakcore act mixing his breaks with delicate melodies, 8 bits sounds and a great sense for composition. Somewhere between Emotional Joystick, Curtis Chip and a less noisy version of Tarmvred.

Pre-orders are now taken for:

THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE - Here Be Dragons - 2x12" + CD (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Thu 15 October, 2009 For their second full length album, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble set their sails towards uncharted territories and unveiled a new symbiosis of warm electronica and dusky yet clear acoustic instrumentation. Familiar yet unsettling, varied yet coherent, dark yet warm, the highly detailled maps of "Here Be Dragons" form TKDE's most personal and crafted release, a mesmerising combination of traditional and modern sounds, and a highly rewarding album.

WILT - Cemetery Road / Dead Electroniks - 2xCD (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Thu 15 October, 2009 A double CD celebrating Wilt's tenth anniversary, "Cemetery Road / Dead Electroniks" contains a new full length album by these veterans and central figures of the American's dark experimental scene and a homage CD, in which eleven remixers (from well known acts to newcomers) pay their tribute to the depth and innovation that paved Wilt's way so far. From a deep and touching combination of drones and acoustic sounds to a noisy and demanding new take at the past, Wilt's new opus is both a foundation stone and a beautiful festive statue.

THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE - Here Be Dragons - CD (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Thu 15 October, 2009 For their second full length album, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble set their sails towards uncharted territories and unveiled a new symbiosis of warm electronica and dusky yet clear acoustic instrumentation. Familiar yet unsettling, varied yet coherent, dark yet warm, the highly detailled maps of "Here Be Dragons" form TKDE's most personal and crafted release, a mesmerising combination of traditional and modern sounds, and a highly rewarding album.

BROKEN NOTE - Terminal Static - CD (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Thu 15 October, 2009 The long wait is finally over. After two very remarked single 12" on Ad Noiseam, Broken Note unleash their first full length release, in the form of a CD featuring their past vinyl-only discography, plus a couple of tracks that had never been released on either formats and remixes by Hecq and Enduser.

DETRITUS - Things Gone Wrong - CD (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Thu 15 October, 2009 Detritus's fourth full length album is both a general update of what could be hinted at with the previous three and this act's opening to new territory. Very detailed, and combining both ferocious drum'n'bass moments with delicate and touching melodies, "Things Gone Wrong" caresses, kicks and impresses as Detritus's most crafted. A treat for the fan, and an excellent snapshot of what this act is about for the newcomers.

WILT - Cemetery Road / Dead Electroniks - mp3 (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Thu 15 October, 2009 A double CD celebrating Wilt's tenth anniversary, "Cemetery Road / Dead Electroniks" contains a new full length album by these veterans and central figures of the American's dark experimental scene and a homage CD, in which eleven remixers (from well known acts to newcomers) pay their tribute to the depth and innovation that paved Wilt's way so far. From a deep and touching combination of drones and acoustic sounds to a noisy and demanding new take at the past, Wilt's new opus is both a foundation stone and a beautiful festive statue.

DETRITUS - Things Gone Wrong - mp3 (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Thu 15 October, 2009 Detritus's fourth full length album is both a general update of what could be hinted at with the previous three and this act's opening to new territory. Very detailed, and combining both ferocious drum'n'bass moments with delicate and touching melodies, "Things Gone Wrong" caresses, kicks and impresses as Detritus's most crafted. A treat for the fan, and an excellent snapshot of what this act is about for the newcomers.

BROKEN NOTE - Terminal Static - mp3 (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Thu 15 October, 2009 The long wait is finally over. After two very remarked single 12" on Ad Noiseam, Broken Note unleash their first full length release, in the form of a CD featuring their past vinyl-only discography, plus a couple of tracks that had never been released on either formats and remixes by Hecq and Enduser.

THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE - Here Be Dragons - mp3 (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Thu 15 October, 2009 For their second full length album, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble set their sails towards uncharted territories and unveiled a new symbiosis of warm electronica and dusky yet clear acoustic instrumentation. Familiar yet unsettling, varied yet coherent, dark yet warm, the highly detailled maps of "Here Be Dragons" form TKDE's most personal and crafted release, a mesmerising combination of traditional and modern sounds, and a highly rewarding album.

New arrivals:

LINGOUF - Ange Et Gruikk - CD (Ant Zen) The late release of an album recorded three years ago (therefore prior to Lingouf's first release on Ant Zen), this "Ange et Gruikk" is also quite a different business. Gone are the hardcore and club-oriented elements, replaced on this CD by a much more downtempo approach. Spherical beats and soundtrack-like long melodies get the lion share, resulting in a rather dense, cinematic album. Hard to describe, but quite easy to enjoy, and with some extra charm coming from the uncommon and tongue-in-cheek artwork.

AHNST ANDERS - Many Ways - CD (Ant Zen) Solid sequent for Ahnst Anders, jumping the gun from the Maschinenfest's Pflichtkauf label to Ant Zen, but keeping things as chilled out, bleak and spacious as they were on his "Dialog" debut. While this is obviously industrial matter, all oppressing and dark, the album progresses track by track towards more air and lighter material, incorporating some (still heavy) hypnotizing beats. As cold as the cover might lead you to believe, but quite well executed.

END - The Dangerous Class - CD (Hymen) It will have taken 5 years for Charlies Peirce to come up with a follow up to his "Sounds Of Disaster". Half a decade and a couple of remix CD later, End's still as fun and tasty as ever, though. "The Dangerous Class" takes things where they had been left with the few original tracks on "The Sick Generation", and confirms End's love for Ennio Morricone, old 50's surf songs, breaks and general fun. Very anthemic, retro, good spirited and sounding somewhat like a meeting of Snog and a ADD-less Jason Forrest, this all comes out as a strong and quite explosive album.

ACCESS TO ARASAKA - Oppidan - CD (Spectraliquid / Tympanik Audio) Very rich and lush first album for the american newcomer Access to Arasaka, who unites Spectraliquid and Tympanik Audio for a collaborative release. Mostly active in the dark but clear waters of post-Gridlockian industrial electronica, this musician however dares to throw in a bit more breaks than usual, or underlines its bass from times to times, providing a more up-to-date sound to some of his tracks. The whole thing is well done, keeps mostly free of clichés, and is something that should be checked out. Let's see where this guy goes next.

THE OTHERS - King Pin / Splinter In My Soul - 12" (Dub Police) Two-faced villain from The Others. While "King Pin" is of a massive, mean spirited heavyweight, things gets easier for Daredevil on the B side, with a far loungier and chilled out flip. But yes, it's the A side that matters here, and all fans of classic but floor-packing, subwoofer-torturing mammoth dubstep shouldn't hesitate to get or play this.

RUSTIE - Bad Science - 12" (Wireblock) Things are getting very interesting in Rustieland, as this 5 track EP sees this producer (maybe one of the most talked about newcomers of last year) give up the dancefloor and deliver a very down-tempo, sci-fi sounding mixture of IDM trickery, dubstep atmospheres and instrumental hip hop beats. It's all very smokey but clear, intelligent and obviously the fruit of a rich musical culture. Not always very club friendly, but deeper than most.

Back in stock:

ELECTROMECA - Brutal Funk - 12" (Death$ucker) Late, but worth the wait. After three years of silence, France's Electromeca comes up with a very cut up, well produced and still deliciously noisy four tracker of hard breaks and mid-tempo rhythms. Brainier, funkier and not as over the top as most of his Peace Off counterparts' output, "Brutal Funk" is quite a delicious record, which combines well the playful breaks of IDM with the energy of breakcore. A strong record.

PASSENGER OF SHIT - s/t - 7" (Hirntrust Grind Media) Austria's Hirntrust is once again proving that they love to deliver sweet lullaby to fall asleep to with this (two sided!) pink 7" by the australian Passenger Of Shit, who basically throws up über exaggerated growl vocals on top of a hardcore beat itself on top of a lofi wall of noise. We might still not reach the level of insanity of Maruosa (another Hirntrust regular), but this should help cleanse either your speakers or the dancefloor.

CARDOPUSHER / SUKH KNIGHT / MATT U - Around The World Volume 2 - 12" (True Tiger Recordings) Second volume of True Tiger's international dubstep compilations, this time with UK's resident Sukh Knight, Hungary's Matt U and the always great (and Ad Noiseam familiar) Cardopusher from Venezuela. The four tracks presented here are of quite heavy on the drums, syncopated and definitely cold by dubstep standard. The B side, with Matt U and Cardopusher is quite the killer one, both artists delivering excellent tracks (and somehow superior to their previous encounter on Redvolume). Recommended.

RUSKO - Cockney Thug - 12" (Sub Soldiers) Nice, very nice one. Rusko (and his unseparated siamese brother Caspa) delivers here something which might not revolutionize dubstep, but will throw masses of people onto the dancefloor. Über-wobbly, syncopated, with just enough cockney sounding samples to confirm that this all comes from London, "Cockney Thug" is up there with 16 Bit's "In The Death Car" as a DJ-mandatory track. Exhilirating.

Now available as digital download:

Repressed and available again

THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE - Mutations EP - CD (Ad Noiseam) A bridge between their first album on Planet Mu and the forthcoming second one on Ad Noiseam, the "Mutations EP" is The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble's coming of age. Profound and organic but dark and impressive, it is a perfect rendition of the ensemble's live shows and the proof that there is still something fresh to be done at the meeting point of post-rock, jazz and drones. A deeply emotional and original trip.

Pre-orders are now taken for:

RAOUL SINIER - Tremens Industry - CD+DVD (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Thu 15 October, 2009 Raoul Sinier's fourth full length album sees this Paris-based multi-talented artist repeat the tour de force that was his 2007's "Wxfdswxc2": the thirteen tracks of "Tremens Industry" come packaged together with more than two hours of videos and documentaries. Not only a logical continuation of his discography or an accurate way to get acquainted to his art, "Tremens Industry" is Raoul Sinier's definitive and most important release to date.

RAOUL SINIER - Tremens Industry - mp3 (Ad Noiseam) In stock on Thu 15 October, 2009 Raoul Sinier's fourth full length album sees this Paris-based multi-talented artist repeat the tour de force that was his 2007's "Wxfdswxc2": the thirteen tracks of "Tremens Industry" come packaged together with more than two hours of videos and documentaries. Not only a logical continuation of his discography or an accurate way to get acquainted to his art, "Tremens Industry" is Raoul Sinier's definitive and most important release to date.

New arrivals:

SHITMAT - One Foot In The Rave - CD (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 - CD (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.

FLYING LOTUS - L.A. EP 3 X 3 - 12" (Warp) Beautiful final volume of Flying Lotus post-album's EP trilogy. The remixers are quite all over the place this time, ranging from known names (Take, Breakage) to younger acts, but the whole record sounds delicioulsy coherent. While Flying Lotus's ultra-updated IDM-ish hip hop is still to be heard from times to times, the whole thing is particularey chilled and ambient, Potentially nothing for the dancefloor, but a nonetheless very charming, masterfully produced and unmissable record.

JACK SPARROW - The Chase - 12" (Tectonic) Very surprising 12" by Jack Sparrow for Pinch's Tectonic. While this pirate's previous effort (on Senseless and Contagious) were of the massive, wobbly king, the two tracks on this single embrace fully the techno-ish, bassy but up-tempo kind of dubstep spearheaded by the like of Scuba, Benga or the 7even label. It's all a lot lighter in frequencies, but has become more hypnotizing and should fit as well on the dancefloor (but not the same room as Jack Sparrow's previous record). Not the evolution I would have expected, let's see where the galleon sails next.

GOTH-TRAD - Dark Path - 12" (Deep Medi Musik) Interesting, accessible and catchy new 12" by Goth Trad. While this japanese artists's previous releases were of the very massive and demanding kind, this one is clearly taylored for the more regular dubstep dancefloor. "Dark Path" is a relatively Skream-esque track, classic and efficient, while "Saturn", on the B side, speeds things up a notch and features some very well found clear percussions and a bit more funk. Well done.

SILKIE - City Limits vol. 1 - CD (Deep Medi Musik) Interesting and charming full length CD for London's Silkie (and the first release on this format by Mala's Deep Medi label). Dubstep in its sonorities, slightly techno leaning (think Scuba & co) in its drums, electronica in its atmospheres and a little bit jazzy from times to times, this album ends up sounding surprisingly seductive and melodic. Going beyond what one could have expected from a dubstep artist, varied and nicely flowing, this "City Limits" sound like an area best thread by fans of precise, well done and still fresh IDM-ish sounds. Nice one.

TES LA ROK - What's That Device? - 12" (Soul:lion dubs) Interesting new two record from Finland's Tes La Rok, who somewhat goes back to the very heavy and quite menacing dubstep of his debut. Even though both tracks (and most of all the B side) features some of the more pop elements this guy had used in his latest records, the core of the tracks are dry, percussive and wobble-heavy club fillers. Nice to see Tes La Rok go back to what he does best.

Back in stock:

V/A - White Lines vol. 3 - 12" (Aentitainment) The third volume in this compilation series from the german Aentitainment label sees things slow down a bit, stay diverse, and somewhat tops the previous editions. More dubstep, less breakcore: Larvae opens the dance with their most d'n'b oriented track since "Empire", and are followed by two ferocious broken dubstep tracks by Mobthrow and Ebola. Add to this a very strong breakcore-ish number by Igorrr (not to be mistaken with I:Gor, they are two distinct act) and some mash-up by Hello Jpg, and you get a well cut, well selected compilation containing several pearls. Recommended.

VILE ENGINEZ - Overthrow / Undermine - 12" (Sub/version) Following his dark breakcore debut on Zhark, Vile Enginez presents here a d'n'b / jungle 12" on Praxis's Sub/version sublabel. More accessible, dancefloor-friendly and somehow still gloomy and hard, this new record shows another side of this nice act's music, and allows him to try himself at some warmer sounds. Well done.

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.

SP:MC - Trust Nobody / Failure - 12" (Tempa) Watch out, ultra heavy one. Now, I know that this record is guaranteed to be pigeonholed as dubstep by everybody, but SP MC's new two tracker is so massive and so slow that it could easily be an updated version of some Wordsound record, or fit with some Scorn tracks in a DJ set. Downtempo to the almost extreme, with low frequencies loud enough to torture your needle, this is a very tasty, but definitely "different" record for Tempa (even though it keeps the production quality very high). Very, very nice.

S.Y.N.K.R.O. - Closer - 12" (-) Self released three tracker by Manchester's Synkro, who delivery here again a rather two-steppy, up-beat dubstep record full of long vocal melodies and dry, precise beats. It all works very well, is rather accessible, and I could swear that the B1 track is trying to emulate Burial's "Archangel" hit. Another nice 12" from a new but prolific producer.

KRUMBLE - Born Bad - 12" (In Vitro) Very, very nice new 4 tracker by Krumble, who does a back flip here: while his most recent output had been very d'n'b oriented, "Born bad" is a much slower (but just as hard) dubstep release, full of heavy bass, heavy syncopated beats and just enough breaks and details to make everybody happy. There's definitely more than a trace of Krumble's breakcore and d'n'b affinity in this, but here's a record that dubstep heads should check out, both to spin it and to widen their horizon. Recommended.

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.

New arrivals:

LUKE VIBERT - We Hear You - 3x12" (Planet Mu) Very cool (and beautfully designed) new triple LP by Luke Vibert. A bit all over the place, this "We Hear You" can be broadly described as something between his dancefloor-oriented, acid last releases on Planet Mu and the more hip hop and electronica Japanese releases of the "Rhythm" series. It's all relatively mid tempo, features a lot of playful sounds and rather accessible tones, but doesn't hesitate to throw a big bass or an über-catchy melody. Charming and very well executed.

V/A - White Lines vol. 3 - 12" (Aentitainment) The third volume in this compilation series from the german Aentitainment label sees things slow down a bit, stay diverse, and somewhat tops the previous editions. More dubstep, less breakcore: Larvae opens the dance with their most d'n'b oriented track since "Empire", and are followed by two ferocious broken dubstep tracks by Mobthrow and Ebola. Add to this a very strong breakcore-ish number by Igorrr (not to be mistaken with I:Gor, they are two distinct act) and some mash-up by Hello Jpg, and you get a well cut, well selected compilation containing several pearls. Recommended.

HECATE - Ascension Chamber - 2x12" (Zhark International / Praxis) The long awaited second full length album by Hecate. This main character of breakcore and dark rhythmic noise comes back with a far more varied album than anything she has done before. Letting the hectic of her Raquel de Grimstone project behind, she offers here a very compact, well produced and catchy second album, full of dark beats, glooy atmospheres, weird frequencies and danceable rhythms.

HECATE - Seven Veils Of Silence - 12" + 7" (Zhark International) Vinyl version of the CD of the same name. 7 tracks spread on a 12" and a 7". "Seven veils of silence" is by far Hecate's most interesting and best produced album, showcasing a strong progress in her compositions skills. Now that there is a way version, even the purist can't say no. And the artwork looks very nice, spread out on a big 12" sleeve. Recommended.

NEUROSIS ORCHESTRA - Noir Desire - 12" (Sprengstoff) A duo featuring Berlin's LFO Demon, Neurosis Orchestra present here their first record, on this producer's own Sprengstoff label. While this record will invariably be labelled dubstep, it certainly doesn't sound like your typical London fodder. Taking things where LFO Demon had left them with his excellent "Genocide Memoria" album, this three tracker is somewhat of a menacing and dark down tempo affair. Glitchy at times, obviously bass-heavy and dubby on the side, it's also quite well produced, clear and catchy. Recommended.

KING CANNIBAL - So... Embrace The Minimum - 12" (Ninja Tune) Third single for King Cannibal on Ninja Tune, and a third success. This last appetizer to this artist's coming début album blurs the path a bit more, though; staring with a very deep, down tempo track on the rather calm A side, it gets a lot more furious with the flip side's "Dirt", an excellent, broken and massive piece featuring Daddy Freddy. At the cross-road between dubstep, drum'n'bass and breaks, King Cannibal is obviously one of the best newcomers of the recent times. And as such, this record is, again, very recommended. Respect.

SCORN - Gravel Bed - 12" (Combat Recordings) Third single for Scorn on Combat recording. "Gravel Bed" is a percussion-rich, slow-moving and extremely dry piece which sounds definitely closer to "Stealth" than to Scorn's previous material, but includes more drums, resulting in a somewhat more complex (and still unmistakingly excellent) sound. The remix by the late Bracket on the flip side is equally heavy, if not a tad glitchier and dubbier. A new Scorn record is always a reason to rejoice over here: as usual, do not pass on this.

EL RAKKAS - Seas Of Disease / I & I - 12" (Lo Dubs) Lo Dubs delivers unother uncommon kind of dubstep with this record by the austrian duo El Rakkas. While many of the genre's basic elements are there (a very echoed sound, metronomic beats, heavy low frequencies), the overall sound is obviously influenced by the whole Basic Channel / Chain Reaction thing, and "Seas Of Disease" ends up being an hybrid somewhere between downtempo beats and a dub techno. Clearer and more precise than Scuba, this is however the kind of comparison that one might have in mind here. Charming and well done.

BAR 9 - Shut Ya Mouth / Rapture - 12" (Audio Freaks) New Audio Freaks two-tracker for Bar 9. Not a big surprise, but this producer keeps on doing what he's doing best: big and bigger wobbly bassline entertwined with big, metronomic beats, resulting in some classically-structured but menacing, dark and extremely dancefloor-efficient dubstep tracks. Yes, the whole thing is a bit over the top, but I stil guarantee that you can put a club in motion pretty easily with Bar 9's material.

CHIMPO - Lock Off VIP - 12" (Contagious Recordings) Classic but efficient: Chimpo's new two tracker for his Contagious home base follows broadly the path led by Mark One on his label: mid-tempo, anthemic and very wobbly dubstep with a good party vibe and a lot of weight. This new VIP version of "Lock Off" even speeds things up a notch, and ends up being quite a catchy little number.

CASPA & RUSKO - Louder VIP / Power Shower - 12" (Sub Soldiers) The pair is at it again. On the A side, Caspa shows up with a VIP version of his "Louder", a slow crawling, slightly anthemic dubstep number with traces of d'n'b beats in its first half. The flip-side is where it's at on this 12", though, with an excellent collaboration between this guy and Rusko. Wobbly but super gritty, massive and devastating, this B side deserves a lot of praise, and even more play. Recommended.

EXCISION / REDLINE / ENDOPHYTE / PURE PHASE - Square / Marauder / Rising Up Like Fuck You Towers - 12" (Cymbstep) Dark and dry hybrid release on which Excision and co push the boundaries of dubstep and take quite a big step towards breakcore. With the exception of the closing Pure Phase track (which is a classic, if massive and menacing dubstep number), the two track written by Excision with Redline and Endophyte are so "undub" and dark that they actually remind me of a slower version of some early Zhark Intl material. Definitely something for people who intend on dropping a slower-but-just-as-dark track in a breakcorish set.

Back in stock:

THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE - Mutations EP - CD (Ad Noiseam) A bridge between their first album on Planet Mu and the forthcoming second one on Ad Noiseam, the "Mutations EP" is The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble's coming of age. Profound and organic but dark and impressive, it is a perfect rendition of the ensemble's live shows and the proof that there is still something fresh to be done at the meeting point of post-rock, jazz and drones. A deeply emotional and original trip.

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.

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.

FANNY - The Great American Fear Meter - 12" (Girlcum Records) First record on Fanny's own new label Girlcum, "The Gream American Fear Meter" sees this "other" Winnipeg-based breakcore producer present three of his best tracks (and incidentally best, in my opinion) so far. Still very broken, tongue in cheek and raw, Fanny's material has gained in efficiency what it has lost in noise, providing tracks which are now closer to his liveset than on his past release. A good debut for the label, from an unmissable musician.

5XPI - 15,70796327 EP - 12" (Restroom Records) Interesting new project by Inapt, the founder and manager of Restroom Records. Leaving behind the hard breaks and noise, 5xpi is a resolutely calmer, downtempo electronica records, which mixes soft strings, mid-tempo beats and classical choirs samples, resulting in something which sounds quite close to Beefcake, Katoo, Mnemonic and the like. Obviously something to listen to at home or in your favorite chil out room, this impossibly named record is quite the sweet little treat, and a nice experiment.

VENETIAN SNARES - Salt - 12" (Zhark International) Re-pressed and available again! Four tracks of fast, violent and furious breakcore by the rising star of the genre, slowly getting recognized even in the industrial scene. Fucked up rhythms, percussive beats, ever changing tracks, here is a 12" that will show new directions to many.

ABELCAIN - Pantheon Of Fiends - 2x12" (Zhark International) Here comes the (very) long awaited first full length by Abelcain, which meets all the expectations that one might have had. Dark, broken, fast and not so noisy breakcore with deep basses, very well produced hi-fi sounds. Embracing a retro horror film aesthetics, Abelcain unleashes here 9 very good tracks that should not only appeal to Dracula, but also to anybody into really solid breakcore. Strongly recommended.

HECATE - The Magick Of Female Ejaculation - 2x12" (Zhark International / Praxis) Back in stock, the absolute classic and definitive debut album by Hecate, who catapulted her to the breakcore spotlight in 2001. Wicked, varied, lo-fi and driving, this album was one of the angular stones of the breakcore sound back then, and is clearly one of the full lengths that any decent discography of the genre must contain.

VILE ENGINEZ - Overthrow / Undermine - 12" (Sub/version) Following his dark breakcore debut on Zhark, Vile Enginez presents here a d'n'b / jungle 12" on Praxis's Sub/version sublabel. More accessible, dancefloor-friendly and somehow still gloomy and hard, this new record shows another side of this nice act's music, and allows him to try himself at some warmer sounds. Well done.

DISKORE - Up There / Virulence - 12" (Void) While most of the breakcore scene has been quickly shifting to lighter and clubbier mash-up or dubstep-influenced tunes in the recent times, it's interesting to see that some acts still carry on the distorted, dark and gritty sound that was the genre's core a few years ago. The american act Diskore (known for his implication in Los Angeles's Darkmatter Soundsystem) is one of them, and this first solo record of his, sounding somewhere between early Cdatakill, Somatic Responses, Undacova and the whole rhythmic noise genre, is a welcome and well done occasion to go back to this raw, stacatto sound that bridge scenes and used to be what people understood by "breakcore".

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.

MINION - Bored in the USA - 12" (Darkmatter Soundsystem) Really nice new (but long-awaited) 12" by Minion, one of the best known of the current US-based breakcore producer. With one raw, dark, and quite broken track and another one split between a more d'n'b and a more dubstep-y tracks, Minion demonstrates here that he is not only about hard, rough breakcore, even though he can definitely rival with Somatic Responses and part of the Praxis catalog when it comes to sudden, dark and menacing breaks. Tasty.

TIM EXILE / THE DISCIPLE GRIN - The Fifth Paper - 12" (Noodles Recordings) Released on Si Begg's Noodles label, this split 12" shows a side of Tim Exile's music which I didn't know before. While this musician usually stands for hard and upbeat drum'n'bass or IDM, both his side of this record and the one by The Disciple Grin showcase relatively up-tempo but highly melodic and relatively calm electronica. Broken but still gentle, smooth and easy on the tunes, here's a very enjoyable and very well produced record that might not fill your need for more Exile's metallic drum'n'bass, but is still a really nice thing to listen to.

KING CANNIBAL - Badman Near Dark - 12" (Combat Recordings) Coming out more or less at the same time as his 12" for Rag & Bone and prior to an alleged release on Ninja Tune, this debut by UK's King Cannibal on Combat presents an extremely massive and heavy dubstep A side, of the kind that is absolutely guaranteed to get heavy DJ play and, on the B side, a faster, more d'n'b oriented remix by Combat labelmate Stormfield and another one by the great Komonazmuk, colder, drier and slower. All in all a very strong and "powerful" record".

SCORN - Super Mantis Remixes - 12" (Combat Recordings) An excellent sequel to a brillant record (yes, blame my fandom). Elemental and Threnody, both known for their already not-so-happy dubstep, get to remix the master of them all here and give a new treatment to the "Super Mantis" track. While keeping Mick Harris's obliterating basses, both artist direct the track toward more classic dubstep, and add some effects and elements which contrasts with the more stripped down aspect of the original. The whole thing works very well with Scorn's material, and this is another record that each and every bass afficinado has to get.

EIGHT FROZEN MODULES - Deleated Chemistry - 12" (In Vitro) It had been three years since Ken Gibson hadn't released anything under the 8FM moniker, which makes this new seven (!) tracker on In Vitro even more welcome. His style hasn't changed much: part playful, part hard broken IDM which sounds like an avalanche of breaks, effects and melodies. On the other hand, the production has been improved, the sound is very clear, and the whole thing seems more controlled than ever before. To cut a long story short: everything everybody was hoping for.

HIMURO - Abcd - 12" (In Vitro) Following the excellent and criminally underrated (because of a Japan-only release) "Welcome Myself" CD, Himuro finally gets a chance to show the huge step forward he has done since his Zod release on this new "Abcd" 12". Warm, lush, jazzy at times, Himuro's syncopated, melodic and friendly electronica is definitely a thing of its own and belongs to some of the best material of the genre at the moment. Very recommended.

V/A - Puzzling vs In Vitro - 12" (In Vitro / Puzzling Records) Split release between Belgium's Puzzling Records and France's In Vitro, each one presenting three tracks by artists of its own country. The Belgian side is very IDM and VST-heavy, fast and fun, with a strong Etschaberry track. On the other side od the border, the frenchies bring on some acid (with Subjex), heavy hitters (with Krumble) and 8bit mash-up with (TEP). All in all a fun, well done and interested encounter. So, what will it be? Belgian waffles or french cheese?

FANNY - I can't believe you were a musician, you got no soul baby - 2x12" (Widerstand) Wait, Widerstand's back? I don't know what the plans are for this veteran austrian label, but here comes quite unannounced a new double 12" by Fanny. As usual with him, it's pretty much anything goes, as long as it's distorted and raunchy: from industrial beats to fast breakcore, noise or experimental changes: Fanny's fans shouldn't have any problem believing he is a musician, and has a soul.

CARDOPUSHER - Bad Face / Lonesome Town - 12" (Off Road Recordings) Again and again. Cardopusher should stop right now, or I will ask him to bear his babies. Following his excellent 12" on Lo Dubs, here comes another equally impressive two tracker of his particular blend of anthemic, warm and massive dubstep. More humand than most, clearer than a lot and definitely original, Cardopusher's recent production is definitely among the best material I am listening to at the moment, and I can only recommend it as such. All right, get this, everybody, as the final appetizer before Cardopusher's 2x12" on Ad Noiseam.

ORPHX - Division EP - 12" (Sonic Groove) 7 Years. It will have taken 7 years for Orphx's music to be back on vinyl. Adam X's Sonic Groove label has come with the good idea of offering a new chance to the Canadian duo to present their material to the wax fans, something for which I am very grateful. And this is quite the power package: we get two tracks from Orphx (a new one and one previously released on the "2005 Hands" compilation) and remixes by no less than Chain Reaction's "Substance" (sounding deliciously dub and minimal) and Surgeon (beefier and more industrial-minded, as could be expected). A very, very good idea.