Tag Archives: Footwork

Chimpo – Out An Bad EP [Exit Records]

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Exit Records continue to push the experimental sounds on the edges of 170BPM territory with a brand new EP from Manchester MC/producer Chimpo. Restless Leg Syndrome kicks the EP off with rapid fire footwork infused beats and vocal snippets, paired up with a cheeky rave stabs and hefty sub hits – bouncin’ stuff. Haymaker heads for darker and slightly less frantic territory with warm bass growls and a half-time rhythm, while title track Out An Bad sees the man providing vocals in his usual playful style over a tasty beat which owes some of its stylings to the LA Bass scene.

The EP also finds space for two collaborations with Diffrent alumni Fixate, both of which play with a fusion of dub, soca, trap and hip-hop to pretty stomping effect. Overall fans of the “slowfast” 170 style currently gaining traction in the scene will definitely enjoy this EP; check out the clips below and grab it on vinyl and digital from your favourite store now.

Rockwell – INeedU / 1_2_3_4 [Shogun Audio]

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Rockwell returns to Shogun Audio with a fresh single that is sure to prove as divisive as it is innovative. Indeed the comments on the various social feeds are already polarising between love and hate! A side INeedU knocks down the door with a four-four backbeat, a melodic set of hooks and vocals and a slightly hyperactive array of FX and sonic details – it’s difficult to take it all in at first listen. You can hear the influences of disco, techno, D&B, footwork and who knows what else being smashed together here; D&B purists are sure to loathe it, and in a way that only makes it more brilliant.

Over on the flip the imaginatively titled 1_2_3_4 continues where previous Rockwell banger Detroit left off, combining influences from Techno and Ghettotech with Rockwell’s ludicrously tight engineering and that D&B energy we all know and love. Punchy sub bass and rapidfire beats should have any party bou-b-b-b-bou-bou-bouncin’, though once again the purists will likely be unimpressed. Haters gonna hate; make up your own mind from the clips below and watch out for the release dropping on digital from July 20th and vinyl from August 4th.

Fracture – Loving Touch EP [Exit Records]

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The ever enjoyable beats of Charlie Fracture touch down on dBridge’s Exit Records imprint, continuing his leftfield explorations of the 170 sound. Title track Loving Touch (which absolutely went off when I heard dBridge drop it at Glastonbury last weekend) blends old school D&B bass, footwork drum patterns and the irresistible vocal hook from a Chicago house classic. Apparently it was conceived in a dream; we’re not sure if that’s entirely true, but it’s a cracking track and no mistake.

Elsewhere on the EP we’re treated to a stripped-back drum workout on Werk It, twisted, bouncing dub vibrations with more than a hint of jungle on Overload and cheeky Sam Binga collab which keeps the syncopations rapid and the subs massive to close out the EP. As usual Exit are the ones to watch when it comes to pushing the envelope; check out the beats below and grab this one on vinyl or digital now.

Hyroglifics – Binary Vol. 1 [Critical Music]

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Critical Music present their latest sub-imprint in the form of Binary – a digital only label that will seek to put out the freshest new music by embracing the speed and agility of the digital medium. The first release comes from Hyroglifics, who turns in three tracks at the cutting edge of the 170 sound.

Bay City Ballers Club melts down influences from Footwork, Jungle, Ragga, Dub and Hip-hop into a crazy bubble of drum syncopations and bass weight which is sure to resonate with fans of the latest beats from Sam Binga and Alix Perez. Killamanaman continues the trend as the sounds of LA Bass and Trap collide with the 170 template, massive synth lines giving the tune its character. Finally My Own rounds things out with a slightly more chilled out slice of Hip-Hop-esque beats with soft vocal cut ups and twinkling synths a plenty.

Check out the clips below and head to Beatport or Surus to grab this now, with full release following from June 16th.

Alix Perez – U EP [Exit Records]

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EXIT50 sleeve front

The release of Alix Perez’s second album for Shogun last year came as a disappointment to me – it felt like he’d been lured into the mainstream by the appeal of fame and fortune, with many of the tracks sounding completely unlike the style he’d been carving for himself in the D&B scene. News of an EP for Exit buoyed my hopes that he still had interesting tunes in him, and the results more than confirm that suspicion.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny8ACqYlZh8]

The influence of other electronica pervades the tracks on the EP, with trap, footwork and LA bass all playing into the sound, but thankfully the tracks make the influences their own rather than just copycatting new styles. U kicks things off with a breakneck take on the trap/footwork drum pattern and a smattering of cut up vocals, while Stray collab Sludge drops the tempo in favour of a gigantic, stalking, EPROM-style bassline; serious head-nod business.

The footwork influence comes full circle on Make It Worth as the original pioneers of the style Rashad & Spinn get in for a collab. The heavy sub and frantic syncopations oft associated with the genre are present, but with a level of polish which only D&B producers seem able to achieve. The vocal hook ices the cake nicely; no doubt this will be huge both in and out of the 170 scene. Last up the appropriately named Gully Halves strips things back for another minimalistic sub-fuelled slice of electronica that simply oozes with the swagger of the LA bass scene.

Watch out for this one dropping on vinyl and digital from April 7th – preorders are available from Surus now.

Stray – Matchsticks EP [Exit Records]

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Following on from his excellent Ginseng Smash 12″ for Critical, Stray once again revisits the footwork-influenced side of 170 on his latest EP for Exit. Prof Popper feels like Ginseng at 5am…the same syncopated riddims and cut up vocals are present but the overall vibe of the track is much more laid back, with smooth pads allowing the track to float along on a mellow plane. Dropping Bombs provides the antithesis, amping up the drums for a totally bouncing raved up belter.

Bounce That sees Stray teaming up with Fracture for a tune that’s one part half-step and one part old skool Jungle with a hint of ghetto-tech thrown in for good measure. Eerie keys and a drum line that sounds like 4×4 garage on steroids prevail on the duo’s evolution of the sound Fracture pioneered on Get Busy. Last but not least the titular Matchsticks takes things back to a more mellow place, bringing a skanking LA hip-hop vibe to the mix; this could just as easily have been written by Flying Lotus, and it sounds fantastic for it.

As usual Exit and Stray are at the cutting edge of all things 170. Check out the beats bellow and watch out for the EP dropping October 28th.

Sam Binga – AYO [Modulations]

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Critical sister-label Modulations continues it’s fine tradition of putting out the less conventional end of the 170BPM sphere with it’s latest release from Bristol’s Sam Binga. AYO kicks things off with an MC-led halfstepper featuring the vocal talents of Redders over a distinctly trap-influenced beat that brings to mind Fracture’s half-time explorations in terms of drum structure, but moves off into synthier territory for the lead and bassline. The influence of EPROM and the glitchy LA hip-hop sound shines through here to give the tune real character, not to mention a healthy swagger.

Freezy keeps things bouncy and half-time but ups the syncopation, drawing on classic jungle breaks and some ghetto-tech/footwork style vocal cuts for an effortless blend of slow and fast. a hypnotic lead line and some tasty old-skool rave stabs fade in and out of the mix for extra sizzle. Lastly for the digital buyers 8 Barr ups the glitchyness with a tune that’s sure to have crowds raising a gun finger or two for the deadly subs.

Check out the tunes below and watch out for the release from October 7th on vinyl and digital.

Mutated Forms – Eighty Six EP [Pilot]

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Estonian trio Mutated Forms live up to their name with a truly wonky take on the 170 sound. From the frenetic footwork/grime crossover of Tension (featuring Manchester MCs Virus Syndicate) through the mutant rave/trap/drumstep beats of Swamp and out into the hip-hop influence of Blop, these beats should challenge listeners and DJs alike.

Have a listen to the clips and watch out for the release dropping via Pilot Records from September 23rd.

Om Unit – Sleepwalkers [Metalheadz]

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Om Unit’s conquest of the 170BPM spectrum continues with a stunning EP for none other than the mighty Metalheadz! Blending Jungle and Footwork with influences from Dubstep and Hip-Hop to great effect, the “not quite D&B” style of previous releases is only getting better.

The Hand kicks things off nicely with a super beat; the backbone is a half-time kick/snare routine but every conceivable space has been filled in with frantic hat and snare syncopation to create a fantastic duality between the relatively slow speed of most aspects of the tune and the breakneck drum fills.

Grey Skies Over Chicago amps things up a notch with a huge, angular drum line battering down the door to a background of ominous, futuristic synths soaked in reverb and oozing character. Finally Sleepwalkers nods the head to 90s techstep with a skittering beat and stabbing bassline that could well have been written by Photek back in the day. Serious business.

Check out the beats below and grab yourself a copy on vinyl or digital now!

Dawn Day Night – Re-Animations EP [Astrophonica]

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Dawn Day Night (still unidentified but widely presumed to be Fracture working under an alias) drops his second EP for Astrophonica, bringing us four tracks of weird and wonderful electronica spanning tempos, styles and influences.

Re-Animation of Scottie kicks things off deep and dubby, keeping the tempo half-time and rolling out with mountains of sub and crisp percussion. Hold That Leg Up proceeds to change things up, immediately heading for pretty silly ghetto-tech territory. It’s definitely the most booty-shakin’ tune on the record, but it feels shallow compared to the rest of the material on show.

Mister Meanie makes exceptionally good use of old funk/soul sampling layered over hyper-syncopated footwork riddims, creating serious groove. Finally Higher Plains heads back to deep territory, with more dub-infused vibes; all echo, reverb and bass. Check out the beats below and grab your copy on vinyl or digital now!