Playlist#21

Taken from the forthcoming EP, 'Zissou' - out 3rd December

https://k-lone.bandcamp.com/album/zissou

K-LONE - 'Deluxe' (WSDM020)

Dubrunner continues to shape out a vital, modernist slant on the soundsystem tradition with this second drop on his label Menace. In keeping with the approach set out on 2023’s Ruthless EP, his firm foundation of steppas, dub and digi is a springboard for explorations of broader club styles, taking in elements of breakbeat hardcore, techno and plenty more besides.

Fallen Tree builds on the promise of his debut with four further meditations. Lead single ‘Shangdao’s Revenge’ is a monolithic, moody half-stepper electrified with dub techno chord shimmers and elastic breakbeats, and spaced out with deep wells of atmospheric processing.

‘Fallen Tree’ locks into a tight 4/4 march driven by detailed percussion, with a classic steppas bassline, off-beat chord chops and distant melodica touches paying tribute to hugely influential UK steppas pioneers Alpha & Omega and their apocalyptic cut ‘Ground Is Shaking Dub’. The presence of log drums remind you Dubrunner is bringing his own fusions to the table, drawing on the amapiano explosion as fuel for this hybridised fire.

‘Overruled’ strikes a more forthright, political tone, as Dubrunner foregrounds his values in a fierce statement against the oppressive systems of state control, capitalism and racism. The vocal samples come from Sankara Future Dub Resurgence, whose focus is on Africa’s defiance of its colonial history. The taut, high-definition construction around the message takes its cues from the explosive sonics heard at Darwin’s bassweight REEF sessions in Berlin.

The breakstep lead-in on ‘Pressure’ tells you to prepare for a drum-focused workout, and that’s precisely the approach Dubrunner takes as he chops up the percussion and maintains a light-footed impact in contrast to the broad, cinematic heft of the other tracks on the EP. It’s a potent demonstration of the versatility in the Dubrunner sound, while still maintaining that grounded sense of soundsystem meditation which courses through everything he turns out.

Tracklist: 
A1 Dubrunner - Shangdao’s Revenge
A2 Dubrunner - Fallen Tree
B1 Dubrunner - Overruled
B2 Dubrunner - Pressure

Mastered by Subvert Central
Artwork designed by Alex Kubis

Dubrunner - Fallen Tree

Buy full EP: https://localaction.lnk.to/rushing-1621

Local Action is very proud to present Rushing 1621, the first EP from a transatlantic meeting of minds and styles from two of our favourite artists: Om Unit and James Bangura. 

Based in Bristol, Om Unit is a titan of UK soundsystem music, pulling footwork, hip-hop, jungle, bass, techno, breaks and more into wild new shapes across an illustrious 15-year plus career.

DC’s James Bangura meanwhile has emerged as one of the most exciting artists on America’s east coast, releasing solo heat on labels like Incienso and !K7 and regularly touring the world as part of the Black Rave Culture collective, drawing from regional club styles across the States. 

The EP’s title Rushing 1621 is a reference to both artists’ area codes, so UK-meets-US synergy is the name of the game here (and if you know Local Action, you probably already know that this sort of thing is our catnip). Garage, house, breaks and even moments that recall early ‘00s proto-dubstep and dub-techno are all present, but really, it’s both artists’ immaculate drums and flawless production that drives this thing. Some records just feel unimpeachable, and this is one.

Tracklist:
01. Ruffneck
02. The Page
03. Sapporo Drums
04. Angles

Buy full EP

Ruffneck

Phasmid - Primordial

Keepsake EP

@phasmidmusic
https://phasmidmusic.bandcamp.com/album/hadal-zone-ep

In 2020, Phasmid released his debut single ‘Shunned’ on Gimme A Break’s We Are Viable compilation, raising funds to support Leeds-based MAP Charity. Five years on, the eclectic DJ and producer has announced that his debut physical EP will be released via GAB on March 7th 2025.

Having cut his teeth in the UK Garage and Breaks scene, Phasmid took an extended leave from the DJ circuit to refine his sound and production techniques. Hadal Zone is the culmination of Phasmid’s various musical explorations to date, showcasing the producer’s signature clean-cut and bass-led take on breakbeat, electro and trance fusion.

On the A-side, the title track kickstarts the EP with a clinical electro breakbeat workout. While rooted in the production style of contemporaries such as Aloka and Client 03, Phasmid pays homage to the UK dance lineage, sampling Baraka’s 1995 Jungle single ‘I’ll Be There’. ‘Fractal’ and ‘Onyx’ push the project forward with two experiments in percussive UK bass, with a four-by-four surprise in the latter. The B-side opens with the devious Cyberpunk-inspired ‘Neuralware’, which combines ruthless subs with colliding synth intermissions. Cited as one of Phasmid’s earliest inspirations, Kessler delivers a breathtaking remix of ‘Hadal Zone’, complete with flanged breaks and a devastating bassline.

Hadal Zone

GAB004 - Phasmid - Hadal Zone EP [Clips]

We are back with our first release of 2025 and in comes in the form of a powerhouse 10-track compilation, packed full of heavyweight breaks designed to set the dance floor on fire.

BUY NOW

Hunter Starkings - Finger Guns

babylon.bat

Super Flame In Destiny

Released in 1993 on No U-Turn Records, Ed Rush's Bludclot Artattack.

Ed Rush - Bludclot Artattack (1993)

DJ Misjah & DJ Tim - Access (Justin Bourne & Dynamic Intervention Remix) .wmv

Primed for summer dance floors, the latest offering from Loods & Mall Grab, finally getting an official release, is the ecstatic disco-house track "Love Is Real." The fan favorite is a melange of cheery horns, thumping kicks and reimagined chopped vocal samples. It's about feeling, and a good one at that.

Love Is Real

Buy + Stream

Loods & Mall Grab - Love Is Real - Extended Mix

PT/3.2

Happa - Clouds (Sax)

.@stonestaro returns for his third release on Scuffed. The Digital Vintage EP is an exploration of breaks, resulting in three rave-ready rollers in Taro's signature style.

Out 28th February: 
scuffedrecs.bandcamp.com/album/digital-vintage-ep

Stones Taro - To Rave

Dj Misjah & Dj Tim - Access (Justin Bourne & Dynamic Intervention Remix)

Lurka returns to Timedance, hot off the heels of his recent collaboration record with Batu on Fringe White. The four-track Rhythm Hi-Tek EP sees him in deadly form, showcasing his signature hi-def pressure.

Artwork by Lou Buche

Rhythm Hi-Tek

Lurka - Minds Eye Tript

‘20 SONGS TO END 2020’ - a collection of unreleased and unfinished tunes dating back to 2014. OUT NOW via Bandcamp - https://happahappa.bandcamp.com/album/20-songs-to-end-2020-unreleased-and-unfinished

mgmt: tom.cater@me.com

bookings: naomi@earth-agency.com

Happa - Clouds (Sax)

Happa.

Recent comments

Ro'Bin Anders

Polofayot

༺𝕾𝖕𝖊𝖊𝖉 𝕲𝖔𝖓𝖟𝖆𝖑𝖊𝖘༻

Capucine Plassoux

Related tracks