UK techno 8 (août 2022)

Definite Party Material

Brighton-based producer @Tamlinspeaks brings his Bitter Fruit EP to Scuffed Recordings, showing his broad approach to production across four varied tracks.

Although the EP is Tamlin’s debut on Scuffed under this alias, he has previously appeared as part of the duo Heritage, whose releases have included some of the most defining tracks on the label. In comparison to the high-energy breaks and bass-led production of Heritage, the Tamlin alias shows a more introspective sound - spanning melodic electronics, broken techno, hybrid dancehall, and soaring breakbeats.

Opener ‘Bitter Fruit’ - focussed around a hypnotic marimba melody - was debuted by label owners Wager and Ian DPM on Rinse FM back in 2020 and has been the subject of countless track ID requests since.

Next up is ‘Diazemax’, which comes across like a sequel to some of Heritage’s earlier work such as ‘What U Wearing’ - all at once heavy, percussive, and floatingly melodic, while third track ‘Flutter in Blue’ slows the tempo to 100bpm for a weighty, dancehall-influenced roller.

To close out the EP, Tamlin recruits fellow Brighton producer Parry on ‘Rush’, the most intricately-produced track of the release - with reflective pads swirling around winding percussion.

Buy:
https://scuffedrecs.bandcamp.com/album/bitter-fruit-ep

Tamlin - Bitter Fruit EP (Previews)

https://soundcloud.com/discjockey-gerard
https://soundcloud.com/sketchylines-rec

Buy:
https://sketchylinesrecords.bandcamp.com/album/blink-e-p-kincaid-remix-skl007

PREMIERE: DJ Gerard - Platform [Sketchy Lines]

Product Toss joins the NHS for 'Plug Gulp,' a 4-track walk through the springy, sonically-gouged production style that the Newcastle-based artist has offered to the electronica world over the past few years. Disparate in BPM, structure, and inspiration, drawing idiosyncratically from Dubstep, UK Bass, and UK Funky, the vibe is profoundly dynamic and versatile in its engineering. Occupied with mid-frequency hums and inflections, bouncing against tight, syncopated percussion made seemingly from hollowed-out origins.

The journey across the collection follows the progression of mood and atmosphere akin to leftfield club music nightlife, with the artist drawing inspiration from their own experiences across many moments found only after dark. A desire to capture the evolution of such tracks' natural habitat is what informed Product Toss throughout their conception, and the 4 tracks nestle comfortably into this space - functional, DJ-ready tracks destined to influence movement.

'Bile' enters with a swung force characterized by pushing sub pulses, sparse drum patterings, and dripping, fluttery notes, both organic and inorganic in nature. Sensuous and dubby, the piece maintains a healthy homeostasis, shifting subtly with a droning layer of low-end that feels wholly reminiscent of Master Chief's shield recharging. Perhaps appropriate given the track is a weapon.

@ptoss
@nostro-hood-system

Buy:
https://nostrohoodsystem.bandcamp.com/album/plug-gulp

Plug Gulp

PREMIERE: Product Toss - Bile [Nostro Hood System]

Out 26th July.

@theotheorist

Buy:
https://theotheorist.bandcamp.com/

PREMIERE: Theorist - Tall Order

Faux Poly welcomes more newcomers to the label this summer, this time with a heady collaboration between Vancouver’s underground mainstay Max Ulis and Bristol-based Nina (aka 1/2 of DE-TÜ), featuring a bonus track with Adam 2.

Their EP Mythra was born out of opportunistic collaboration in Vancouver, while Nina was in town for a show. 

Finishing off the EP is the stellar dubstep curveball Testify, a collaboration between Max & Adam 2 using the unique Soma Enner synth alongside vocals from Nina.

@maxulis
@adamtwo
@nina_wav
@fauxpoly

Buy:
https://fauxpoly.bandcamp.com/album/mythra-ep

Mythra EP [FP010]

PREMIERE: Max Ulis & Adam 2 ft. Nina - Testify [Faux Poly]

Hassan Abou Alam is next to step up to the unconventional Nerve Collect label with six tracks of futuristic club-ready chaos. The finely crafted EP arrives in August and comes on 12" vinyl and via all digital platforms.

Hassan Abou Alam has established himself as one of Egypt's most innovative underground musicians over the last 10+ years. His music is a meeting of disparate worlds - organic and synthetic designs, digital and analogue tools, the traditional and the futuristic, and it has come on the likes of YUKU, Rhythm Section, Banoffee Pies and Casa Voyager. His versatile sound pulls apart existing genres and reconstructs them as something entirely new.

Opener '3asabi' is a stylish sonic assault with thumping rhythms and trippy oscillations that will get any dance floor bouncing. It's fun yet functional, serious yet seductive.

Hassan Abou Alam's blurring of the lines between the real and the imagined is second to none on this EP. It's a sub-heavy mix of the human voice, machine-made sounds and inventive rhythms that make for something new, weird and wonderful. 

@hassan-abou-alam
@nerve-collect

Buy:
https://hassanaboualam.bandcamp.com/album/mesh-mafhoom

NC007

PREMIERE: Hassan Abou Alam - 3asabi [Nerve Collect]

Vancouver’s Destrata returns to Scuffed Recordings with three new tracks on his Keepsake EP, backed by a remix from SUCHI.

Originally appearing on London-based label Scuffed in 2023 with his Mutationist EP, Destrata picked up support from the likes of Leon Vynehall, rRoxymore, and Anz among others. Having also released with a ‘who’s who’ of electronic labels in his short career including 3024, SPE:C, and Of Paradise, Destrata was also named an artist to watch in 2024 by Mixmag.

Now returning with his Keepsake EP, Destrata describes his latest work as being altogether more melodic than his previous releases, while keeping drum work front and centre - or as he puts it, “My bass music friends think I make techno & my techno friends think I make bass music.”

Destrata’s melodically-focussed outlook is obvious from the outset, with lofty synths and vocal chops contrasting warping bass and skippy percussion across the EP’s three tracks.

@destratavan
@scuffedrecs

Buy:
scuffed.lnk.to/Keepsake-EP

PREMIERE: Destrata - Keepsake [Scuffed]

First Second Label drop their first 12' of the year from sub-tech stalwart and Woozy resident Sputnik One. Four tracks scaling intense percussive workouts and low end mutations. Early support from the likes of Ben UFO, re:ni, Peach & more.

Releases August 29, 2020

All tracks made in Dublin by Jim Richard
Artwork by Bentley Allison
Design by DC FSLMan

Kerosene EP

BUY NOW

FSL010 - Sputnik One - Kerosene (Clips)

Ripped from Mary Anne Hobbs' show on BBC 6 Music 06/11/20:
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000p2m2

Forthcoming on Control Freak Recordings [WLFRK001] 04/12/20.

Kicking off our new white label series is Brighton-via-Bristol producer @Syzuk. Drawing on a diverse range of touchpoints from across the spectrum of UK club music, this trio of dancefloor destroyers encompass precision-engineered soundsystem techno, mutant 2-step and West Country bass.

Wrapping things up, Pressure Dome founder @Yushh returns to Control Freak with her own flip of title track Bunzunkunzun, bringing down the BPM for a menacing rework that’s punctuated by her signature wonky rhythms.

Strictly limited vinyl release for these essential DJ weapons - get them while they’re hot!

Syz - Circulate (Mary Anne Hobbs BBC 6 Music Radio Rip)

Rose Bonica - Disengage

RENT003: Another one from the (fairly recent) archives... Tight bass driven technoid steppas thing with a dash of swung UKG flavour >>>

Big weight on this one - soundsystem killer :)

134bpm

Buy on Bandcamp

From Ere Til Eternity [RENT003]

for the headzzz 🥴

platform curated by Ian DPM 🥷

dpmsounduk@gmail.com

PREMIERE: DJ Gerard - Platform [Sketchy Lines]

definite party material