Casting a self-reflexive lens over his roots via the medium of crushing, future-rushing soundsystem sonics, Low End Activist returns to Sneaker Social Club with a full-length of monumental proportions.

When the Low End Activism 12” ignited on Sneaker in 2019, it paid tribute to the Blackbird Leys estate in Oxford, UK, where LEA originates from. In the shadow of social inequality and strengthened by the unity of the multi-ethnic community, Blackbird Leys still imposes a powerful influence on LEA’s work, even as he’s stepped out onto Seagrave for last year’s Game Theory album and notched up the first couple of releases on his own self-titled label.

On this new album, Hostile Utopia sums up the conflicting emotions attached to memories of home – how it’s possible to feel nostalgic for the griminess of urban and suburban Britain, its ordinary tales of bitterness and frustration, but also its intrinsic passion and solidarity. At a time when social division is actively engineered by Machiavellian forces, real conviviality at street level feels like an impossible dream.

LEA communicates these tensions through a style which is becoming his signature – dynamic bass torsion and chiseled, fractalised rhythms slugging around the 130 mark. It’s moody like a UK-themed record ought to be, but it’s not morose. There’s fierceness in every snap and rumble, as the legacies of hardcore, jungle, dubstep and grime pour into the casing prior to the gunpowder lighting.

On previous LEA releases, the MC roll call has pointed to some of the most vital voices touching the mic in the present day. Flowdan, Sikka Rymes and Trim all had something different to impart over the riddims, and now Hostile Utopia expands on that with the most extensive show of lyrical strength yet. Mez lights up the woozy, abstract grime swerve of ‘Mercenary’ in a musical style. Emz brings a ruthlessly sharp verbal steez to ‘GetGet’, Killa P gets busy toasting over ‘DFRNT STYLE’ and ‘Superhighway’ carries the dexterous hip-hop flow of Cadence Weapon.

In between those standout tracks, LEA expresses just as much in the production. Tracks brimming with stories to impart, laden with symbols masquerading as samples and draped in aural garb that firmly places Hostile Utopia in a place, a mood, that could only belong to the UK. It’s a hybrid sound just like the society it sprang from, and therein lies its power.

Low End Activist ft.  Emz - Get Get

From the ashes of revered drum & bass project Ulterior Motive rises the phoenix of Settle Down, the new solo moniker for Greg Hepworth. He takes things back to where it all began, channeling the rude spirit of early jungle for his debut single on E-Beamz.

What is Real, a collaboration with FD, is the classic combo of jittery breaks and warm, rumbling sub bass. Throw in some dub sirens and sweet female vocal cuts and you have a tried and tested recipe for some dancefloor delight - horns crew!

'Sub Bias' is a more sinister affair with the reverbed snare rolls blending with a deep, drone bassline and menacing, gutteral stabs.

Settle Down & FD - What Is Real

Philip D Kick
Orbit
Astrophonica

New single from the forthcoming 8 track EP, 'Off World Tales', out on 24th February.

Available to pre-order here: bit.ly/APHA028

@omunit
--
We asked Om Unit for some more info.. here's what we know.

"Phil called me up in the early Spring telling me a load of tall tales about apparently having been abducted by aliens. I didn't really know what to believe because the stories were all pretty weird tbh and I can't really go into it here but I'll just say he's soundtracked some of what happened in the form of a set of DJ tools for Astrophonica' This is going to be the third and final Philip D Kick release for Astrophonica to complete a trilogy. What the future holds who knows!"

Philip D Kick - Orbit

Year 2000 Problem has come through with four varied cuts for Lost City Archives. RNB inspired Jungle with a piece of heavyweight 140 breaks on the b2 to finish off the EP in a Lost City bonus beat style & fashion.

Year 2000 Problem - Vampire [LCA08]

Geomancy / Relevant Parties [UBC011]
'A two track jungle EP exploring inspirations from earlier, nostalgic rave music.'

OUT 20/12/24 on Bandcamp for streaming/download
© Unwell Music

Unwell - Relevant Parties

Pre-save: https://share.amuse.io/track/pulsify-charge-1

Pre-save

Colliyah - Charge (Out 28/08)

tatatum

Label co-owner Moakz returns to Codename: RCRDS with Lunatic Age EP, featuring a select of uniquely styled dancefloor bangers which have been featuring heavily in his sets over the past few months, complemented by three storming remixes from some of the most talented artists currently at work in the scene.

The EP opens with the prophetic title track ‘Lunatic Age’, a hybrid of atmospheric synths, electrostep and jungle with a warning message which feels unnervingly prescient in light of current world events. ‘A Dark Future’ flips 4x4 beats into a deep atmospheric direction as its vocals muse on the dystopian influences of the roots of jungle and techno, before Mineral contributes his stunningly brutal rework of the same track, flipping intelligently between introspective moments and tearout drops.

The 2nd half of the release brings the well titled ‘Calm Before The Storm’, with hypnotic synth lines and rolling drums building things towards a crescendo before the track locks firmly into the groove with a rumbling bass that continually pushes things forward. Code Of Silence provides his signature tearing amen drum work to his rework of ‘Lunatic Age’, bringing the hardcore elements to the fore and adding an extra vocal for good measure. Last up is man of the moment Neekeetone’s vibrant remix of ‘Back To The Earth’, where warped basses and trademark precision break choppage escalate the original to fresh new heights.

Links:
https://codenamercrds.bandcamp.com/album/lunatic-age-ep
https://cygnusmusic.link/mjyp9po

Buy Now

Moakz - Lunatic Age (Code Of Silence Remix)

Our next release is out 31/08/2018 in the form of a various artists free compilation. The release features music from across the bass spectrum, ranging from UK Techno to Dubstep and Jungle. Heritage start things off with a rolling tribal influenced 130 heater, leading the way for the likes of Hypho, 9TRANE, Jubley and Movement to set the pace, before Earthnut and Kono release that 140 pressure. Finally Harrta and Findingthings round things off with an acid influenced Jungle banger.

@hyphoofficial
@9-trane
@jubleyy
@movementbtn
@earth_nut
@kono0
@hartta

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Free Download

Hartta & Findingthings - Solstice

1. DieMantle - The Papers [The Juice EP Part 2]

BUY https://bit.ly/AIR001FSB

And just like that, out of thin air… out now on Bandcamp with streams and stores to follow, on Astrophonica

Fracture & Sam Binga
AIR001: On Right Now / Chessington

An impulse response, a reaction to a sudden strong an unreflective urge or desire to act.