The Bug

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

Death By Dub

12” vinyl and digital out on the 30th of September 2022 across your favourite stores

Purchase directly: dnorecords.bandcamp.com/

DNO011 - Kercha - Witness EP

A1 - Disarray
A2 - Witness
B1 - Conjugate
B2 - Long Way
DIGITAL BONUS - New World

Written, produced & mixed by K. Nosikov aka @thekercha
Mastered via 1/2 inch tape by Lewis at Stardelta

Limited edition of 500 copies

Witness EP

DNO011 - A1 - Kercha - Disarray

Nuvola

Deleter

Mastered by Bob Macc
Artwork by Cami Jungle
Limited edition of 40. A3 art print, printed on 300gsm smooth cotton with white border.

AMG002 Ila Brugal & Jon1st - Bolla [Forthcoming Amygdala 28/02/25]

Sex Life

Sex Life (feat. Riko Dan)

New album 'Fire', releasing 27 August on Ninja Tune: thebug.lnk.to/fireSo

Void / Function

Function (feat. Manga)

Void (feat. Liz Harris)

Save Me / Fuck A Bitch

At War With Time (feat. Spaceape)

Fuck a Bitch (feat. Death Grips)

Infected EP

Skeng (Autechre Remix) [feat. Killa P & Flowdan]

Save Me (feat. Gonjasufi)

Buy: found.ee/Bunker12

Special Request is the project that sees him continuing to defy expectation with a new EP on Houndstooth. ’Stairfoot Lane Bunker’ encapsulates this approach with 5 bold new excursions into the outer limits followed by this remix from Minor Science (known for his previous releases on Whities and The Trilogy Tapes).

Out - 07th April on 12" / digital and streaming platforms.

The eagle-eyed will notice 5 of these tracks appear on FABRICLIVE 91. This EP is issued as an addendum.

Stairfoot Lane Bunker

Stairfoot Lane Bunker (Minor Science Remix)

Special Request - Stairfoot Lane Bunker  ------------------(Minor Science Remix)

https://soundcloud.com/simon-off

Sad but true: We're living in times where neoliberal fascists are on the rise and batshit crazy nationalists want to make their country "great again". And although not every politician is a liar and there is still hope left I am very happy that more and more artists (like Sun People) raise their voice and define their position. Because there can only be one answer: Fight dem back! 

On the name giving A-side of his Through These Eyes release Sun People uses an iconic vocal sample, adds a gut-wrenching '95 style bassline and tops it all off with some of the finest razor sharp percussions in the genre to deliver one of the most stomping tunes you'll hear this summer.

Pre-order the 12" on Bandcamp here: https://throughtheseeyesrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tte003-sun-people-fight-dem-back-nu-gun

Release Date: 19.06.2017
Catalogue No: TTE003
Format: 12” W/lbl (Handstamped)

Sun People - Fight Dem Back

Rinse:22 - Uh / Ok

The album 'Fire', released 27 August on Ninja Tune: https://thebug.lnk.to/fireSo

Skeng (Autechre Remix) [feat. Killa P & Flowdan]

The Bug

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