August: 10 dubstep and grime releases you need to hear this month

Compton White 'Compton White EP' (Sweetboy Records)

Pieced together by a complex narrative that taps into Compton White’s upbringing, drawing from his experiences growing up within a Romany family, this EP really took us by surprise. Rooting itself in the grey area between beat-tape hip hop and spaced-out, deconstructed grime styles (check the booming trap lean on ‘Hounslow’), it rides firmly on its own wave. Although personal in feel, tracks like ‘Van’ pack enough punch to be functional in the club while finer details like those used on ‘Intro’, a skit referencing pirate radio and crackly, in-car recordings, provide plenty of original character. The gleaming ‘Track 2’ is probably our pick, but every track tells its own part of White’s story. Immerse yourself – and then drift away to the hazy euphoria of final track ‘Mainland’.

9/10