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

Gundam 'Too Late' (Goon Club Allstars)

It’s been a long time coming, but Gundam’s debut for London’s Goon Club Allstars offers up all the chopped and screwed, 8-bar grime-meets-r’n’b goodness you could ever have wished for. ‘Too Late’ is the flipside of his double single and arguably shades it from frenetic A-side ‘Intimate’, patching together blissed-out sweetboy melodies and sparkly FX that make you dream of faraway Caribbean islands and piña coladas with some serious club verve and swagger. This one’s been well worth the wait.

8/10

Bisweed 'The Baby EP' (Gourmet Beats)

More classy, refined dub workouts from Joe Nice’s Gourmet Beats imprint, with Bisweed delivering the goods this time. From the booming sub, delicate melody lines and trippy, space-age FX on opener ‘Baby’, it’s immediately a lovely listen, but it’s the cool, mellow, summertime flow of ‘Sunshine’ that really got us in a zone we couldn’t (and didn’t want to) escape from. Final cut ‘Fay’ also feels like a classic – think Mala’s ‘Alicia’ in places – but the three tracks together really do gel. Perfect to blare out of your speakers in the park on a summer afternoon.

8/10

JL Sanders & Trends 'The Undertaker (Remixes)' (Reloadz)

Out on Score Five’s vinyl-only Reloadz label, JL Sanders & Trends’ 2014 club monster has been given a re-up by four of grime’s hardest producers: Impey, Hi5Ghost, P-Jam & Darkness. P Jam goes all ‘Arizona Skyz’ on his flip with screeching car tyres and frenzied drum patterns, while Hi5Ghost channels spacial dread, giving the track’s individual elements the room to hit that bit harder. Impey strips things back further, cutting the atmosphere to let those menacing bass sounds do their worst, before Darkness twists and contorts on his blaring, space-age edit.

7/10

Inkke 'Secret Palace EP' (Lucky Me)

‘Secret Palace’ is arguably Inkke’s most expansive record yet: now backed by LuckyMe, his music reaches new levels here. From the twinkling melodies and giddy feel to opener ‘New Day Theme’ to the playful, club bounce of Memphis-inspired tracks like ‘Chores’ and ’Simmer’ (the latter of which bangs that bit harder), Inkke’s sound feels mature but, more importantly, his own. Even the glitchy, frenetic pace of ‘Sorry’, which tugs at his exploratory side as a producer, feels well embedded within the broader context of the EP.

8/10

Lington Vendetta In Space EP' (White Peach Records)

Lington is an accomplished beatmaker, and his third outing on White Peach is a testament to how far he’s taken his sound in a relatively short space of time. From the moody, icy melodies and killer low-end stabs on opener ‘Informa’ to growling, square wave medley ‘Grand Line’, it just feels more polished than his previous EPs. The title track showcases a surprising dubstep lean, before things go fully horror-score on the nightmarish ‘Falcon 2’. Strictly for club use only, but it’s a belter.

7/10

Dread D & Jammz '10 Missed Calls' (Local Action)

Dread D has been churning out plenty of fire since returning to the grime fold with his ‘Siege’ EP last year and on ’10 Missed Calls’, MC-of-the-moment Jammz proves the perfect foil. A slight excursion from the Sublow sound he helped pioneer, it finds Dread D working specifically around the MC: there’s more space, devastating force and regular breakdowns, all of which give Jammz the room to exercise his flow to its maximum. It’s a banger, and a carefully conceived one at that.

8/10

Copout 'Forces EP' (Purple Tape Pedigree)

Copout has been a name to watch for a while now, particularly after his EP for ever on-point UK label Liminal Sounds, so his debut for Geng’s PTP deserves plenty of shine. The sharp, icy glisten of opener ‘Helix’ kicks off on an anxious, arresting note, before a cleansing, synth-heavy wave makes way for more sinister beats on ‘Stressed’. Things go even colder and more gothic on standout track ‘Fallen’, but although the narrative may be gloomy, there’s still room for less frosty club rhythms on sign-off ‘Enough’. Not always an easy listen, but a stunning EP.

9/10

Forever 'Coarse EP' (Grade 10)

A master of atmosphere, Forever’s debut EP for Grade 10 explores just how far he can push things. The gorgeous, shimmering feel to opener ‘Coarse’ is at odds with the track title, but its gritty, gravelly chug of a beat keeps things just about earthly, before the low-slung bounce of cosmic second track ‘Invaders’ heads for out of space. Mr G also chimes in with a killer, peak-time reboot of ‘Invaders’ which is well worth checking too. Tip!

8/10

Spooky 'Fiesta/Cherry' (Oil Gang)

Spooky returns to Oil Gang for the first time since his ‘Cooly Joyride’ EP back in 2013 with some typically hard-as-nails material. A-side ‘Fiesta’ is all scorching, carnival-flavoured heat that quickly breaks out into a relentless bass-artillery barrage before, on the flip, ‘Cherry’ chops up classic bashment flavours with 808 bass and Rodigan-esque carnival horns. Sound of the summer!

8/10