Skudge - Pressure Drop

Swedish duo Skudge are pretty much on fire at this point. Having first reared their heads in 2009 with an EP, Skudge have since put out fourteen more releases, and along the way established a record label of the same name. With an apparent affinity for analogue equipment, Skudge assemble four to the floor journeys that change slowly and subtly. Repetition is the order of the day, as Skudge take heavy cues from techno and minimal house sensibilities. For fresh ears, their 2011 album 'Phantom' is a great place to start, featuring the club smashing 'Pressure Drop,' and the staggered synths of 'Surplus' to name only two tracks.

Cluekid - Grim

Blending the sounds of old school jungle with the 140 bpm rhythms of dubstep is Cluekid, producer and purveyor of the Bullfrog Beats imprint. Clue's production work features smooth and prominent sub-bass in every track as well as steady but restrained beats, sometimes accompanied by atmospheric synths. The resulting sound is a throwback to early dubstep with heavy jungle influence, most easily heard in tracks such as Ninety Three, which as the name suggests, sounds like it could very well be a long lost track from the early nineties.

Absolutely not to be missed is 'Caan Eat Mi Out,' a remix that in my mind encapsulates everything dubstep should be, making use of heavy reggae vibes and an unstoppable rolling bass line.

Digital Mystikz - Horrid Henry

This past Saturday I had the amazing privilege of attending a show featuring Mala, one half of the the most venerable act in dubstep, Digital Mystikz, and head of the Deep Medi label. 'Horrid Henry' represents Digital Mystikz at their most volatile; other mainstays of their catalogue include the grimey, rolling bass of 'Haunted', and the hypnotizing 'Alicia'.

If you ever get a chance to see the Mystikz or just Mala or Coki, I can't recommend going for it highly enough. The sheer emphasis on pure sub-bass means that it needs to be heard on a large scale sound system to be truly appreciated; I felt like I had finally heard their tracks for the first time that night despite having listened to them many times before.

Calibre and High Contrast - Mr. Majestic

Sleek drum and bass roller from veterans Calibre and High Contrast. Strong reggae vibes on this one, complete with a fantastic horn sample. I happened across this tune while listening to a mix by the ever prolific Marcus Intalex, which is for download here. Intalex's ear for chilled out drum and bass never disappoints; his vibes are perfect for summer listening.

Tripping Bass Mix #1

Fresh heat from yours truly, featuring some tracks I've been digging heavily at the moment. It's for download, so get at it. Look out for Randomer's 'Brunk' getting mixed in with Santigold around 4:30. Also, Pearson Sound's 'Untitled' always brings the house down. Always.

Tracklist:
SBTRKT - Laika 
Blawan - Iddy 
Santigold - Look at These Hoes 
Randomer - Brunk 
El-B - Digital 
Falty DL - My Friends Will Always Say 
Ramadanman - Work Them 
Pearson Sound - Untitled

Alix Perez - Contradictions

When it comes to drum and bass, Alix Perez doesn't fool around. Repping the Shogun Audio label, Perez has repeatedly demonstrated a keen understanding of his genre and a consistent ability to construct innovative tracks. 'Contradictions' features a sublimely-crafted bass line intertwining gracefully with a nostalgic piano progression; in unison, they produce a chill vibe like no other. When I throw this track on, everything else falls into the background.

The Phantom's Revenge - Death By Chillwave

The Phantom's Revenge deftly serves up fresh French house that people can't seem to get enough of. I love this guy's sampling; his infectious track Charlie features soundbites from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia that just make the song, making it hard to know whether you should dance or laugh out loud.

Objekt - Cactus

Straight out of Berlin comes TJ Hertz, known as Objekt. I first came across Objekt's work in the form of a wildly inventive remix of SBTRKT's Wildfire that absolutely killed while retaining almost nothing but vocals from the original tune. Since then, Objekt has released his tracks Cactus and Porcupine on the always on-point Hessle Audio imprint.

What strikes me most immediately about Objekt's style is his marriage of techno and dubstep aesthetics, an increasingly prevalent practice it seems. Old school 808 drum hits reverberate alongside sub-heavy wobbles to create a sort of mash-up through time. This guy has got chops for days.

Boddika - Soul What

When he's not busy looking like he could be a henchman in a James Bond film, Alex Green, aka Boddika, is putting out some ferocious, percussion-driven tracks that tend to rock a minimalist feel. Soul What, released on Loefah's well-established Swamp 81 label is an excellent showcase of Boddi's impeccable knack for beat-making with a simplistic approach; the rhythm is propulsive yet uncrowded. And, needless to say, the synth breakdown at 0:58 is just mental. I'm hooked.