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ALBUM OF THE MONTH
Subwave
Subwave (Metalheadz)
It’s no secret that in a d’n’b Cold War, the smart money would be on the Soviets. Russia is rampant right now, and spearheading the revolution is the remarkable Gleb Soloviev, whose marriage of ice-cold minimal sonics and colourful musical touches has seen ‘Headz, Hospital and the very biggest hitters squabbling for his signature. Among this fearsome clutch of widescreen, brooding, stepping masterpieces – pinioned throughout by epic modulated bass nodes and warping mid-range menace – there are sunny surprises to be found. ‘Aeeeh’ syncs African tribal refrains with modern bass to perfection, while the experimental electro-disco fanfare of ‘Bring Me Down’ and the trance arias of ‘Senses’ bring sheer joy. Consider the red button fully pressed.
4/5
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TUNE OF THE MONTH
Interface
Desperate Measures (Shogun Audio)
After Interface lit up dancefloors with one-note bassline monster ‘Get Low’ a couple of years back, a barrage of hits seemed a certainty. Here’s one of them. Proving that militant bangers can be infectious without being cheesy, and brutal without being ear-bleeding, this will have them bopping ’til summer. The low-end quakes recall the bass-shimmies of Mickey Finn’s ‘Bad Ass’, while the break patterns offer a punchier version of Chase and Status’s ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. Expect to hear Andy C rinse ‘Bodyrock’ over the top, and to dance your dinkie off.
4/5
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Matrix & Chords
Hypnotize (Metro)
Label relaunch and back-cat splurge alert! Reacting to the bellowing clamour from online forums to release the Metro crown jewels, the 15-year-old label is back with a bang – led by this intriguing new team-up between Metro boss Matrix and former BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist Chords. A luminously melodic roller painted with sparkly electro varnish, those elongated synth washes and loping drums will delight Hospital and Viper fans alike. Keep an eye out for that digital catalogue too (and then fill yer boots).
3/5
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Dabs
Subsidiary (Dispatch)
Canny Dispatch boss Ant TC1’s rather tidy catalogue of tough industrial funkiness may just have hit new heights. Italian youngster Dabs is a future star cut from the same crunchy cloth as Break and Survival, and is well worth a full solo EP. This springy, percussive, industrial dancefloor gem is a magnetic standout. Deliciously crafted staccato drums hop nimbly from foot to foot, never crowding the space and allowing a raft of clever mentasms and mid-range nibbles to play percussive havoc. We’re mighty impressed.
4/5

Nuage & THRN
Don’t Exist (Anile remix) (Translation Recordings)
Fans of Spectrasoul and all things deep and beautiful should get busy with Washington DC’s Translation Recordings, who’ve served up an absolute pearler here. Coming as part of a delectable EP of remixes and collabs from St Petersburg-based Nuage, this track piles wave upon wave of warm low-end goodness beneath a stunning weave of radiant vocal whispers, reverbed strings and widescreen industrial nudges. The clever vinyl-hiss effects add a touch of magic and make UK-born, Portugal-based Anile most certainly one to watch. 
4/5

Krakota & Judda
Sooty (Integral)
New boys K&J had already made a splash at the sharper end of planet d’n’b with an instant release on Critical’s Modulations label, but this gloriously titled super-stepper is going to secure legions of admirers. A thunderous undulating bass glitch powers the track along, with echoes of classic Full Cycle in the mix along with a host of clever percussive itches. The tune morphs continually, too, stripping back the drums and then slinging in a scything electrified synth on the second drop. Militant, magical, must-have music.
4/5
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Skepta
Hold On (Fred V and Grafix remix) (3Beat)
New Hospital signings Fred V and Grafix are happy bunnies right now, scoring some prominent remix love from ‘King of Grime’ Skepta and drenching his crisp flow in so many super-melodic synths he sounds a bit like an aggy circus announcer. If you like your d’n’b at breakneck pace and stuffed with cartwheeling melody lines, electric guitars and hum-along Danny Byrd jingles, this is for you. Radio 1 will have a field day. 
2/5
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Xtrah
Cyrax (Symmetry)
It’s not often a Break release on his own Symmetry label gets upstaged by a B-side, but we’re sure he won’t mind, seeing as young Londoner Yasin Elgohary is quite the protégé. The wonderful shuffling drum fills and rattlesnake percussion on this sinewy roller are almost classic Break, softening the tough snares into a funky patchwork that will have the bossman grinning and the rest of us skanking. The final ingredient, a divebombing phalanx of unceasing synth gristle, completes the cultured carnage. Killer. 
4/5
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Connecta & DNK
Troublemakers (Sappo remix) (Advisory)
Manchester don Sappo’s Advisory waggon keeps on rollin’, quite literally, with the ‘Rollers EP’ series – in which he sensibly allows himself to ride upfront and deliver a what-it-says-on-the-tin slice of squawking, honking jump-up crunchage. Fans of DJ Hazard will dig the wide-load snares and messy percussion, while that womping, wobbling synth-line will give jump-up DJs the perfect tool for a bashy blend.
3/5

Cyantific
Infinity (Ram)
Ram have come with another monster EP that’s graced, somewhat refreshingly, by some less familiar artists, although it’s Hospital knight Cyantific who leads the charge with this electro-fired stealth-groove (more evidence of a discernible convergence between the Ram and Hospital sounds, anyone?). Sonically, the track falls pleasantly between a gear-grinding Camo & Krooked tear-up and a low-slung S.P.Y. brooder, and there’s much to admire, notably the subtle blendings of synth layers and the clever mixture of dreamy vibes with uptempo menace. We like.
3/5
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