Rest In Peace Martin Dawson

Usually when one appoints the phrase "needs no introduction" it can be seen as a cliché or entirely inaccurate. However, for one Martin Dawson a.k.a King Roc, the term has never seemed so fitting for one individual, as does it brings me great sadness to accept that the pioneering figure in deep house and techno has sadly passed away. His death was reported after facing ten days in hospital as a result of an aneurysm.

Dawson was an English producer and DJ based in Berlin, who made a name for himself as part of the Two Armadillos with Giles Smith. Dawson's style was something special,unlike anyone else and will be truly missed.  Through countless works and memorable collaborations with the likes of Andre Crom and Jay Shepherd, Dawson has left this world with an incredibly influential and important back catalogue. 

Below, I have complied a brief selection of his best works. If you have yet to discover him, I urge you to right this minute, you will not be disappointed.

  

-Samuel Hughes

Handbook - Delicate Wings (Terry Callier Tribute)

Collaborator with the likes of Massive Attack and Beth Orton, Jazz singer-songwriter Terry Callier unfortunately passed away on October 27 2012.  Up there with the likes of Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler, Callier was a huge influence to many.

Here, we see York's finest Handbook, a.k.a Jake Brown pay fitting tribute to the man himself with 'Delicate Wings'.  This tune is essentially a play on Callier's haunting 'Butterflly'.  Handbook takes his iconic voice and pitches the vocals up.  This works perfectly over Brown's simple yet crisp drums, the swirling arp hook, the subtle piano riff and the melancholic string pattern.

Certainly as of late, Handbook has certified himself as one of the key-players in the underground instrumental Hip-Hop scene and this track is a prime example of this accolade.  Rest In Peace Terry Callier.

- Samuel Hughes

Maxxi Soundsystem - Stella's Way (Huxley Remix)

Here we see the man responsible for creating, in my opinion, one of the most incredible tracks of recent years. I am of course talking about Michael Dodman a.k.a Huxley and his track 'Box Clever'.  The credentials that he displayed in said tune established him as one of the top producers of the moment and the skills that earned him this are on full display in his outstanding remix of Futureboogie advocate Maxxi Soundsystem's 'Stella's Way'. This track is forthcoming on Maceo Plex's label, Ellum Audio.

Huxley takes this track to an entirely new level, making it obviously different in comparison to the original. The sampled female voice is euphoric, whilst the lead bass-line is incredibly dark and moody. As a result of this, Huxley creates a beautiful juxtaposition of these elements. In the bridge, we welcome ambient synth sounds, swaying from ear to ear and consequentially fitting perfectly with that vocal sample.

However, I cannot explain how much I love that bass line! The descending deep riff is  catchy and just sits in unison with everything else. Huxley's reputation as one of the best is by no means in jeopardy.

For all you vinyl heads, this is out now. For those wanting a digital copy, you will have to wait until the 5th November.

-Samuel Hughes

Kry Wolf & Claude VonStroke - Turbosteppa

Dirtybird mastermind Claude VonStroke and up and coming boys in the UK Bass scene Kry Wolf have teamed up to release 'Turbosteppa'. Forthcoming on Dirtybird Records, 14th November.

The song builds fantastically. The bridge preceding the first drop features a sharp hi-end synth stab every two bars, the anticipation is exemplified by the solid hi-hat hits and clicks stuttering underneath. In addition to this is the repetitive sample luring in the background, progressively crescendoing to the drop.

Once the song fully hits, we are greeted with an incredibly bass heavy sound, not too different to the forthcoming French Fries release on the same label. You can feel the bass rumbling throughout your body and on the root note of each bar we welcome the large rumble that creates the aforementioned. Rhythmically accessible, yet not conventional, this track is quintessentially Dirtybird, the weird FX sounds, bleep and all together strange sounds lurking in the shadows make this tune instantly associable with Dirtybird.

The artwork is pretty intense too...

- Samuel Hughes

Rumah - Vex

As part of the 'Church' imprint, Sean Hughes a.k.a Rumah has released 'Vex' as a free download. He claims that he has only been "producing seriously" for eight months (as reported by Clash Magazine) and if this is indeed true, the results are startling. For such little experience in the industry, Rumah produces a sound that is both mature and infectious.

Vex is a prime example of Rumah's style, 4/4 techno focussed on sharp synth stabs,a nostalgic Detroit-esque bass line, ambient noises and a bass drum that hits harder than a Jehovah's Witness knocking at your door (no offence). The build-up to the first drop focusses in on  strange samples panning from ear to ear, however the sounds that he creates here are not subtle, the extreme filtering of these samples make you lose yourself completely in what you are listening to, to point where you are not sure whether to dance, or to wig out all over the dance floor.

The lead bass line is fantastic, it fits wonderfully over the simplistic, yet effective drum pattern and over the alternating synth stabs. Combine this with the reversed cymbals and eerie stutters and you have a tune that will work as well as it would on the dance floor  as it would sound tracking a drive up the M1 at 3 in the morning.

Essentially, Rumah shows a tremendous amount of promise. By listening to his music, it is relatively easy to calculate his influences, although, and unlike some,  he couples this with his own sound resulting in some brilliant productions that are both an ode to  producers that have influenced him and an illustration of his own creative flare.
I'm sure we will be hearing a lot more of Rumah in the future.

- Samuel Hughes

George FitzGerald - Needs You

Prominent Hot Flush Recordings member George FitzGerald is snatched up by Hypercolour recordings for his latest 12" release. This change is most obvious, as we see FitzGerald diversify himself to another level, fusing together garage and house to ultimately create two intricate sets of music quite different to his previous releases.

'Needs You' builds in a progressive manner, the male voice hiding behind the repetitive, yet melodiously pleasing bass line ultimately climaxing into something beautiful which  merit of an exceptional level can immediately be found. The bouncing bass and the low-end kick drum coexist wonderfully and the addition of the underlying synths only but add to this rush of sonic euphoria. You will- without a shadow of doubt- be hearing this one soon.

The B-side to this release is titled 'Every Inch' and continues in the same vein as the A-side. FitzGerald demonstrates his love for sweeping and subtle harmonies again in this tune as they gently sway from ear to ear. The gentle claps throughout are a pleasing addition,  especially when added to the multiple melodic patterns that weave in and out of your sub-conscience on top of a restrained garage beat equalling in a much more relaxed production in comparison to the A side.

Swiss producer Deetron shows us his talents on his remix of 'Every Inch'. The filtered drums preceding the drop keep the listener anxious for what is in store. Deetron provides us with an array of psychedelic sounds, maintaining his focus on the Acid bass and tremolo synth patterns throughout.  The driving force of this song however comes from the subtle additions that only transpire after multiple listens; consisting the blissed out twinkles and deep bass grooves that keep things fresh and new throughout.

This bad boy will see a release on the 19th Novemeber.

George FitzGerald - Needs You (clip)

-Samuel Hughes

BrockBerrigan - Welcome to the Family

With the genre classified as 'good vibes' one can more or less presume the feel to this tune. Supposedly created in ode to his brother tieing the knot, BrockBerrigan comes out on top with 'Welcome To The Family'.

The drums are perfect, crisp but packing a lot of weight. The strings are beautiful and work perfectly with that lead brass line.  After several inspections, there is a lot going on here, featuring a shift in the main melodic part mid-way; as well as the introduction of an acoustic guitar and a sampled bass line, consequentially making everything fit together wonderfully.

Drift off into un-reality with this one...

   - Samuel Hughes