March: 9 dubstep & grime releases you need to hear this month

Utah? 'Nitrogen' EP (Symbols)

One of our favourite emerging producers for a while now, Utah? is back (finally!) on Kastle’s Symbols imprint with a gorgeous new record. At seven tracks long, ‘Nitrogen’ might feel like more of a mini-album, but it draws on the sounds and loosely scientific themes he explored on 2015 EP ‘Oxygen’, only this time with a more refined and detailed touch. From the cinematic gloss of opener ‘Refraction’ to the bright, squeaky melodies and booming kicks on tracks such as ‘250ml’, it again operates on the fringes of instrumental grime, deploying flashes without ever feeling boxed in. Utah?’s handle on emotion also plays a starring role too, moving between gradual ascendancy (‘Jackal’, ‘250ml’) and more mournful inclination (‘Formula’, ‘Catalyst’) with real maturity.

8/10