Parisian label [re]sources returns with the third edition of its "Club Hexagon" series dedicated to showcase the current French club / bass scene. Gathering several in-house artists such as Dehousy and Blâme, the compilation features some established French producers like Flore, rRoxymore and Ténèbre but also some newcomers, confirming [re]sources' key role in the development of the club music landscape in France.

Qant & Yaxx - Kepler

The south-west raised, London dwelling artist Eyeza is one of the new figures in the UK’s fast rising underground bass-driven techno scene, both through his hard-hitting productions and as curator and label-head of newly founded Basilica. 

Eyeza comes to London label ‘More Cowbell’ with heavy hitting percussion and pitched vocal chops for his label debut with the track ‘Riddim Testa’. The track aims to blur the borders between the post-dubstep era reminiscent of the 2013 Bristol landscape, with a more newly founded spin on Berlin’s techno scene. The track is coming out as part of the label’s newly founded 'Extended’ series exclusively through Bandcamp, as a fifth edition to their catalogue. 

Release date: 14.07.2021 (Free Download)

Free Download

MC Extended: Eyeza - Riddim Testa

I Own Your Energy

Batu - I Own Your Energy

Embodying the mutant nature of club music in the modern age, Cocktail Party Effect comes bowling into Sneaker Social Club with a taut, wiry sound which joins dots and melts barriers at will. 

The brainchild of Charlie Baldwin, who previously recorded as Kasket, Cocktail Party Effect has been forged over the past six years through heavy bursts of sound design anchored by soundsystem dynamics veering between 140 and 160 tempo zones. From 2020’s self-titled LP on Tectonic to drops on Osiris, Cold, Transfigured Time and more, Baldwin’s deftly avoided allegiance to any specific scene and instead deployed shock-inducing gear for DJs with fortitude to test on their crowds. 

On SNKRX010 the commitment to physicality is prevalent across all four tracks, veering from the deadly broken beat barbs and artful fills of ‘Racka’ to the splintered breakbeat rushes and stop-start aggravation of ‘C.A.T.C.R’. ‘Grims8’ is perhaps the purest manifestation of the Cocktail Party sound though, all monochrome rigour with the contrast turned way up, powered by steely, gleaming rhythmic impulses and writhing with dense layers of sonic matter. Watch out for the glutinous bass snarl of ‘58bethe7’ though, which slams in sideways with an unabashed rave instinct crushed through a post-modern production lens. 

Baldwin may be operating on his own terms, but on this 12” he demonstrates versatility to match his originality, resulting in four inventive dance destroyers tooled to bridge between styles, sets and scenes.

Cocktail Party Effect - C_A_T_C_R

Cocktail Party Effect - Grims8

The next release on Livity Sound’s Reverse label comes from Dayzero, a Japanese producer immersed in the deeper end of the dubstep spectrum. His appearance continues a long-term connection between underground music scenes in Bristol and Tokyo, previously crystalised in much-missed Naoki E-Jima’s Disc Shop Zero and the BS0 project. 

Dayzero’s approach on Daruma EP is steeped in the heads-down immersion of dubstep. Spring reverb splashes through ‘Ten’ and the title track’s sparse construction gets embellished by roots-minded FX processing, which nods to his 2020 release on esteemed US dub label ZamZam Sounds. With an unusual and varied palette applied to his stripped back productions, Dayzero captures the moody intensity and open-eared attitude of the early dubstep scene while leaning in on his own unique style.

Daruma

Dayzero - Daruma

Coming correct with a strain of UK informed club music shot through a US prism, Patrick Brian makes his first appearance on Sneaker Social Club with six beats that show how much space for exploration there still is within the Hardcore continuum.

Transmitting out of LA and bringing some undeniable West Coast influence to his productions, Brian breaks a momentary hiatus after a knockout run of singles on Plastician’s Terrorhythm label circa 2014-15 and occasional stealth drops on the likes of White Peach.

From the covert creep of ‘Flooring It’ to the tense pressure of ‘Cry-Baby’, the square wave bass flex of ‘Giant’ to string-stab drama of ‘Ill Wishes’, Brian’s sound is razor-sharp and loaded with detail. Crucially, the productions are agile and weighted and certified by DJ Oblig who’s caned them regularly on his Rinse FM shows.

Sounding distinct from the OG London sound while still nailing the fundamentals, Brian’s generous drop for Sneaker Social is a must for anyone devoted to the progression of Grime and Drill.

Patrick Brian - Big Trouble

Rising up from the murky depths with a bassweight pressure that proves dubstep isn’t dead, Alan Johnson manifest in the form of four mutant species on Sneaker Social Club.

Tom Neilan and Gareth Kirby have been knocking around for a hot minute, slipping out some crisp steppy variations on the on-point Mindset label circa 2012, while as Alan Johnson they first joined forces for a 12” on Blank Mind the year after. Their appearances have been scattered since, but the work in the lab has continued apace, as was keenly demonstrated on a four-track drop for the Art-E-Fax label in 2020 – something of a sleeper hit for those with their ear in the bassbins.

On their first step out for Sneaker, Neilan and Kirby make a bold opening statement with ‘Stillness’. Reaching for an eternal poem by Count Ossie as a guiding voice, we’re thrown into a hall of mirrors where the dead space is as potent as the looming bass. Picking their stripped down sound kit wisely, Alan Johnson craft a minimal sound wrecker of seismic magnitude. Get this on a rig and all your questions will be answered.

Elsewhere, we’re treated to the seasick synth shanty ‘Compactor’, a dance stopper with audacity hardwired into its composition. The swerves come thick and fast, but executed with an understated poise. Over on the B, ‘Pleasure Principle’ hits with a freakish impact, all bruising pressure cross-contaminated with analogue mangling. ‘Duppy Sea’ completes the set with another surprise swerve towards a Johnson twist on dubwise abstraction. At this point it’s clear the pair have a sound – gritty, roughed up but still crystal clear in its execution, and they can turn it to a lot of different disciplines. Here’s four such demonstrations of their devilish intent – now where can we find more?

Alan Johnson - Stillness

Kosmisch Nummer Tweee

Tommy The Cat, e-freq, DJ Haus - Kosmisch Nummer Tweee

http://honestjons.com/shop/label/Berceuse_Heroique

BH041 Ossia - Tumult (Lurka Remix)

Taken from the Termina EP  //  Out May 17th on R&S Records 
smarturl.it/termina  //  @r-srecords

Cocktail Party Effect - C_A_T_C_R

Sneaker Social Club

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