Son Raw is DJ-friendly.
I’m always trying to keep these wrap-ups to five releases or fewer, but the past month has proven absolutely monstrous: not only am I over the line on instrumentals, but I’m going to have to resurrect the separate vocal grime wrap up as well. On the plus side, that’s less hours spent on branded content and more on music I love. On the other, if the blurbs are slight, it’s that we have heaps to get through.
Amy Becker– Remix EP
Amy Becker is up there with names like Oneman and Mumdance in terms of DJs who can synthesize the disparate styles of music that I’m interested in into one satisfying set. Her Fact mix is an excellent place to get familiar. Now, she’s curated a one off EP of A-list remixes, and the results reflect this DJ and dancer-friendly sensibility. The big chune is YGG’s version of Sir Spyro’s take time, an absolutely blistering vocal, but Logos flipping UK Funky legend Apple’s De Siegalizer is just as vital. Throw in DVA boosting Kamixlo to higher tempos and Deamonds flipping DJ Haus on a more broken flex and you have an all-purpose collection for the smarter club DJs. Limited wax so buy early.
Loom – Burnt Glass
Loom’s European Heartache EP refined the Gobstopper veteran’s melodic, often weightless style, but it wasn’t always easy to play in the club. Burnt Glass for Sound Peligrino corrects this by going all-in on dancefloor ready tools, and it’s a major breakthrough. Merging Loom’s eski-influence leads to menacing drum patterns, the title track lures you into a false sense of security, dropping with intensity. “Acid Rain” and “Hardest this Year” are even sparser, and I could see particularly adventurous house and techno DJs latching onto them as well. Throw in a couple of remixes (Lloyd SB for the win!) and you’ve got his most essential release yet. A great new direction
LLOYD SB – Boida Flare
Speaking of Lloyd SB, this is a guy I don’t know much about but whose tunes have been popping up in Boxed related mixes and releases for a second now, all despite him never dropping a proper debut. Boida Flare corrects that with a hefty seven tracks, all of which land at the intersection of club and grime. That’s perilous territory: I get sent way too many releases that end up sounding like club in grime’s clothing, diminishing both genres’ energy. No such issue here with Lloyd merging grime’s speed and textures to club’s most percussive end to great results. Crucially, everything here is DJ-friendly, from the opening grimy numbers, to a highspeed collaboration with Wallwork.
DJ Q – “Sonic”
DJ Q is a legend: Google is your friend here, go read up on him and I’ll wait. Nevertheless, Sonic sounds like absolutely nothing in his catalogue and how could it? The whole track is made out of practically nothing but samples from Sonic the Hedgehog. It’s one of those so obviously brilliant ideas that it’s a wonder that no one else had done it first. A fantastic spiritual sequel to D Double E and Swerve’s “Street Fighter Riddim” that’s certain to become an MC favorite for the foreseeable future.
Finn – “Finn’s Theme II”
Finn is super-sharp on the decks and production, so what would otherwise be a couple of bandcamp loosies gets extra consideration in this case. “Finn’s Theme II” is the rare sequel that works, sounding like the forest level of your favorite 90s JRPG. Frankly, it’s not grime or club or much anything—it’s just great. “Full Stop,” meanwhile harkens back to DJ Rashad’s best chops, only flipped for slower tempos. Or maybe it’s like an MF Doom beat footworked? Just listen.
Bushido – Grandmaster Cash
From the missed-it-when-it-dropped file: Scottish producer Bushido’s official debut on Astral Black, which explores a couple of different styles that all land squarely within my interests. “Palm Trees” and “Jersey” are sparse and clubby—good tunes for good systems, while “Cherry Blossoms” is a strong addition to the sort of sino-grime you might find in a Slackk or JT the Goon set. My favorite though? “Just Us” with its bashment vibes, rude gyal vocals and pan flutes, all of which are perfect for the summer. What this one lacks in direction, it makes up for in variety and versatility.
Syer B/Terror Danjah/P-Jam
Finally, a couple of veteran producers dropped some essential compilations of previously vaulted material this month. Syer B’s might be my personal favorite given how little of his production has seen the light of day and how untold his story is—if you like your grime dark and menacing this one’s definitely for you, particularly given that it includes some of Syer’s previously unavailable vocal cuts. Real heads know wassap. If that isn’t enough for you, Terror Danjah just dropped his second (!!!) Lost Mini Discs collection and P-Jam dropped an essential best-of as well. Bandcamp will devour our paychecks.
Catch you next week for the vocal wrap up featuring AJ Tracey, Jammz, Prez T and more.
