EP Review: Ital Tek – Gonga

The chameleon of the jungle, Ital Tek, changes colour once again as he turns his hand to carving his own EP of footwork-influenced beats. Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you Gonga. Title track ‘Gonga’ opens the EP. Those shattered footwork-style drums set the pace, rising and falling from one to the next, and create a […]
In keeping with its string of synth-pop releases throughout 2011, Planet Mu presents Keep Shelly In Athens. Unfortunately, there isn’t much information I can give you about the duo. My research produced few answers, but I can confirm that there are two of them, the singer, Sarah, is a very pretty lady and together they […]

EP Review: Keep Shelly In Athens – Campus Martius

EP: MOUNT FABRIC – THREADS

Mount Fabric are a Manchester-based band whose lyrics walk a fine line between profound and ridiculous – “The flickering embers of a sleeping fire/The shivers descending down a grid of wires/The master pretending like he has not heard/The tectonic bending of his island world.” Admittedly, these words do at least avoid the usual clichés and […]
This latest release from the splendid Fruits de Mer record label is a six track EP that is a kitsch retro fest. Six theme tunes, three each from the halcyon days of the BBC and ITV when summer holidays meant badly dubbed and almost impossible to follow TV shows from the colonies, and SUPERMARIONATION meant […]

EP: Fruits de Mer Records – Do Not Adjust Your Set

EP Review: City Reign – Numbers For Street Names

Numbers For Street Names, the second EP from the Manchester based foursome, reeks of nostalgic alternative rock, familiar with the likes of Oasis, Nine Black Alps and Joy Division – all great bands to emerge from the depths of the northern city. The record oozes light anthemic rock with complex layerings of rustic vocals, fiery […]
It’s always nice to see an email come through from Hyperdub, even more so when it contains the debut EP from a hometowner. On this latest release, Sam Walton brings us four interesting and original tracks, pulling influences from House, UK Funky and grime whilst keeping the energy levels high. ‘Aggy’ starts proceedings. Hard kicks […]

EP Review: Walton – Walton EP

EP Review: DJ Shadow – I Gotta Rokk

DJ Shadow is perhaps the ultimate postmodern expression of the potential within electronic dance music.  His 1996 debut album “Entroducing” was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the first to be composed purely of samples.  Forget the Halle orchestra – all Josh Davis needs to make music is an Akai sampler, a dark mood, and […]
The extravagantly named ‘Kelly Price w8 gain vol.II’ EP comes from Hype Williams. In all honesty I’ve never heard of him before, but I trust Hyperdub’s taste explicitly and opened my ears to some very new sounds indeed. Hazed out ‘Rise Up’ starts up the A side, Inga Copeland (one of the two) lays down soft […]

EP: HYPE WILLIAMS – KELLY PRICE W8 GAIN VOL.II

EP REVIEW: DOK – West Coast

No stranger to the wax, DOK’s first EP outing on Hyperdub sees him team up with long time partner and some say evil twin (or is that eviler twin?) Terror Danjah for this filthy, funk fuelled slice of east coast, west coast grime goodness.   ‘West Coast’ is a hard hitting, grimey, filthy, low-riding roller. […]
This, the latest outing on Planet Mu, sees Vezelay (aka Matthieu Le Berre) make his label debut with this six track EP of electro pop dream dust. The EP opens with ‘Sedative’, where arpeggios and a simple but effective, kick and snare combination lead the way for distant vocals to float upon. ‘Demure’ follows on […]

EP REVIEW: VEZELAY – LYRE