ALWAYS EVERYTHING

THE YEAR AHEAD IN BASS

this is a piece i did for epigram, out this week:

The most exciting prospect for this year has to be the transformation of Dress 2 Sweat, Wireblock and Stuff Records into Numbers, a new label to partner with its Glaswegian clubnight namesake. Over the years all three have done their utmost to break now established beatmakers Rustie and Hudson Mohawke as well as release all manner of righteous club uber bangers- a quick glance over their discographies should give some idea of the quality to be expected of this new incarnation. Forthcoming releases should encompass all kinds of rainbow tinged, off kilter hip hop and future dubstep, but the most anticipated 12” is the magnificient If You Want Me by the hotly tipped Deadboy. Combining the synthetic colour of Joy Orbison with the lonely garage heart break isolated by Burial, Deadboy’s productions have heaps of soul as well as devastating dancefloor potential.

A trend looking to continue into 2010 is Nottingham’s unlikely new status as a home for forward thinking dance producers. Two labels in particular will continue to smash it into 2010; Berkane Sol and WIgflex. Loosely involving releases by the same group of Nottingham producers (as well as some further flung), both labels have an anything goes approach to 140bpm, whether its Hizatron’s amazing acid house and minimal excursions or Geiom’s increasingly more unclassifiable nexus point between uk garage, funky, and dubstep. Forthcoming releases from other hot tips Brackles & Shortstuff (former Nottingham residents with their own brilliant label, Blunted Robots) place the labels right at the forefront of the bass music zeitgeist right now.

Throughout 09 Brainmath remained a mysterious proposition, bubbling in the background throwing out a series of incredibly high quality 12”s, some under pseudonyms and mostly one sided. Its still unknown who helms the label (my money’s on the man behind Brainmath 01 and 02; the ever elusive Zomby), but what’s certain is that 2010 should yield a similar quality-over-quantity approach. Forthcoming releases are announced for RnB-cum-jazz-cum-G-Funk wonderkid James Blake following his dancefloor destroying remix of Untold’s “Stop What You’re Doing” as well as huge tip for 2010 sbtrkt whose excellent productions have been reaching as far flung ears as fidget don Sinden and experimental post-punk band These New Puritans.

Excitingly, the collective output of these labels and producers is only the tip of the iceburg; underground UK electronic music looks set to continue its inexorable march onwards well into the forseeable future.

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this is shortstuff’s newest mix, part of xlr8r’s excellent podcast series. pretty much embodies everything i love about uk bass music at the moment: brilliantly rhythmic and impossible to place in any particular scene. tons of bass weight, but full of groove. toning down the aggression but not overtly (and cheesily) feminine. futuristic, but dancefloor ready. it all exists at the nexus point of everything good in dance music- how else could dizzee and steve poindexter slide in so perfectly? exciting

http://www.xlr8r.com/podcast/2010/01/shortstuff

01 Joey Beltram “Upper” (Novamute)
02 Scratcha DVA “Natty” (Hyperdub)
03 Martin Kemp “Wot U Got”
04 Shortstuff “Swine Time” (Ramp)
05 Hem feat. Terrible Shock “On a Mission (Shortstuff Remix)”
06 TRG “Tribal Flex”
07 Deadboy “If U Want Me (Brackles & Shortstuff Remix)”
08 Brackles “6am El Gordos” (Brainmath)
09 Shortstuff “Galaxy” (Ramp)
10 Steve Poindexter “Work That Muthafucker” (Musique)
11 Mosca “Square One (Roska Remix)” (Night Slugs)
12 Brackles & Shortstuff “Roots & Berries”
13 Doc Daneeka “Drums in the Deep” (Fabric)
14 Shortstuff & Hyetal “Crayola”
15 Bok Bok feat. Bubbz “Citizens Dub” (Blunted Robots)
16 Dizzee Rascal “Live O” (XL)
17 Untold “Bad Girls” (Fabric)
18 Geiom “Spiral Weave”
19 Lauren Pritchard “Stuck (Guido Remix)”