Easily one of the biggest tracks of the year. But what do you say to doing a little VIP and taking out the vocals?

End of Line

French II & Bastian Benjamin - Hive

2023 has been a great year for Bradley Hutchings aka Guava. Alongside many successful dance singles and remixes, his self-released debut album ‘Out Of Nowhere’ is a gorgeous blend of indie electronica that steps away from his typical club focussed productions. 2024, however, sees Guava move back towards the dancefloor with his latest EP Afterglow, which drops on Faux Poly on March 8th. Since rooting himself in Berlin, Guava has drawn inspiration from across the different facets of the city, something that is strongly reflected in this release.

The opening track ‘Angel’ is a dark trip, born out of experiments with reverb and guitar harmonics influenced by UK Bass and Dubstep, an ethereal techno track described by the artist as “guitar music for Berghain”. Next up is ‘140 Drums’, an essential DJ club tool, a chopped stuttering break and hoover bass roll through a restrained but surprisingly heavy hitting finale to the EP. 

‘F641’ accelerates with continuously pitching synth stabs and a rumbling low end. Inspired by F1, the track hits hard and never stops ramping up. Finally the title track ‘Afterglow’ brings a lightness and warmth to the release, delicately catchy and rooted with a bouncy house beat, the sound of Berlin in Guava’s productions is unmistakably clear. 

Words from Guava:
"Putting together this EP has been a joy for me. All of the tracks are little bookmarks for the past year. I live in Berlin, and it has had an immersive effect on my music. From the grey and cold winters, trudging down a windy street in Warschauer Straße, to the hot summer in Neukolln, where the air is thick and warm, and dance music echoes off the city buildings

@guavanoise

Afterglow

Guava - Afterglow

The cave was pitch black, inside there was little sound but for the occasional drip of water which would send a ripple through the pond below. Looking down from up above, they wondered what lay in the murky depths of the quarry. What surprises might be but round the corner? What creatures? What comforts? What tricks? What treats?

That’s when there was a deep rumble from the ground below. It bellowed up through the cave like some loud drum before enveloping their eardrums with a might thud.

Then they flew forth, bats and bats and bats and bats.

Will Hofbauer steps forth for an EP on Will Saul’s longstanding record label Aus. This is a record built of playful bouncey house grooves, oddball sounds and fun. It’s destined to work a treat in the clubs with a silly sense of purpose and a tongue n’ cheek approach to the dance.

PREMIERE: Will Hofbauer - Ah! Bats! [Aus]

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

LWS debuts on can you feel the sun. We hear nature being carved like a pumpkin. We hear the exhalation in an easy breath, the inhalation through a morning mist. We hear it’s time to eat and the table is heaving with grapes and custards. We thank the DJs who have been playing this to the moon and the stars and the dancers wide awake.

Palloon EP

Steady On

Free Download

Bad Bunny ft J Balvin - Como un Bebé [Mariano Ramirez Edit]

420Million — a global bassline is broken.
Each drop in this track echoes both the rhythm of sound
and the rhythm of life we’ve strayed from.

If nutrition is survival, how can we realign the rhythm?
If nutrition is survival, how do we find our way back?
Our bassline forgotten… we lost track.

Access to healthy food — prices soar.
Education lacking — everything out the door.
The rhythm we needed comes down to the core,
but together we can rise once again and we can restore.

Across the world, the foods we eat have changed.
Additives, colorings, preservatives — made to preserve food,
but not always to preserve life.
Over time, true nourishment slipped from priority.
The cost has been great.

Yet there is hope.
A movement is rising —
calling us back to health,
to wellness,
to the essentials of life.

Voices everywhere are asking for better,
seeking knowledge,
choosing compassion —
for themselves,
for their families.

This track is my prayer.
My offering of support for that shift.
Because more of us want this change than may be seen.
Because our survival depends on it.

420 million voices — let’s change the bassline.
It’s time.
Sustain health.
Sustain existence.

“The condition affecting nearly 420 million people globally is diabetes (WHO, 2023)—a staggering rise from approximately 100 million in 1980. Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases related to blood sugar production and usage by the body. Commonly called Type 2 diabetes, this disease occurs when the body cannot properly use insulin or produce enough of it. Once referred to as ‘adult-onset,’ it now increasingly affects young people, pushing medical organizations to drop the label.”

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” — 3 John 1:2

https://youtu.be/GDPSlD4A_L0

420Million

touch

The fourth release is a big one for Holding Hands as they branch out into brand new territory with their 6irst new signing on the label.
 
Breaka usually runs in very different circles, producing footwork, juke and DnB from his home in Leeds. These are the first tunes of his at a slower tempo to be released but you can certainly hear those influences loud and clear in these certi6ied UK 125-130bpm bangers.

@breakaleeds

Puffer Jackets

B1. Breaka - Puffer Jackets

London label, Control Freak have made quite the impact since their first release last year. Welcoming Keplrr alongside debuts from Guava and label-head Customer Service so far, they pride themselves on a love for intricate sounds on wax. Seeding techno sensibilities with UK bass twists.

With yet another label debut on the way, this time we see Syz landing with solo EP 'Bunzunkunzun'. A trio of complex dancefloor rippers, it's an all-rounder with shades of brightness pitted alongside thick skanked up textures. 

The title track is the bounciest of the three. Showcasing Syz's clear aptitude for freaki rhythms, it's destined for show-stopping dancefloor moments. Heads down, hips twist, jaws swings. We can't wait to hear this fired up on a system to the masses.

Read more: https://hyponik.com/features/first-listen-syz-bunzunkunzun-control-freak-recordings/

@syzuk
@controlfreakrecordings

Bunzunkunzun

Syz - 'Bunzunkunzun' (Control Freak Recordings)

Out now: Wladimir M. - Evil / Planet E (Skee Mask Remix) - Delsin Records (dsr-eevo004)


Vinyl: https://www.delsinrecords.com/release/6825/wladimir-m/evil-planet-e-skee-mask-remix
Digital: https://wladimirm.bandcamp.com/album/evil-planet-e-skee-mask-remix

Evil / Planet E

Planet E (Skee Mask Remix)

Buy @ Delsin Shop

Ransom Note is an online music, arts and culture magazine. We provide a home for readers and writers with boundless enthusiasm, esoteric knowledge, fierce opinions and impeccable taste.

With our core team immersed in all aspects of dance music, we publish news, articles, and interviews covering the greatest in innovative, underground culture from across the globe. We offer regular, exclusive music and mixtapes from our favourite artists, and publish features shining a light on everything from the freshest new artists to the untold tales from rave history.

Alongside this we offer musings on film, books, life, and art, generating some context and controversy as an antidote to the reheated PR that clogs up the internet. Our office is fuelled by Tunnock’s Bars, cat memes, hangovers and a ridiculous, never ending love for our culture.

We're always interested in getting new writers on board – feel free to get in touch if you’ve got a story to tell.

With love until the grave.

PREMIERE: Will Hofbauer - Ah! Bats! [Aus]

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