January: 7 bass & club music releases you need to hear this month

Michelangel0 'Big Impressions' (TAR)

TAR, the LA label run by Paul Preston (aka PBDY of Brainfeeder fame), is currently proving itself to be a launchpad for cutting-edge producers using sound and noise in outlandish ways, such as British wunderkind Kai Whiston and Japanese producer RYKT. It’s a good fit, then, for the debut EP from this Boston-based neo-classical producer. The five-track record glitters loudly from start to finish with sincere, unparalleled energy, each song carving out a physical space for itself with large swathes of blown-out maximalism. There are tightly compositional takes on jungle and d’n’b rhythms (‘La Lumiere’ and ‘La Nuit / Drm Solo Plz / I Am Not Afraid Of The Dark’), and more meditative, overtly classical reflections too; ‘Sex’ is an existential r’n’b anthem, while ‘Autumn Falls…’ evokes images of sunlit rafters in an old church. A masterclass in grandiose rhapsody.

9/10

Bok Bok x Sweyn J feat Flirta D 'Unlimited' (Night Slugs)

The collab between label boss Bok Bok, BBC AZN Network DJ Sweyn Jupiter and MC Flirta D is the highlight of Night Slugs’ third ‘Allstars’ compilation. Meaty kicks and a lush e-piano melody glide the track along, as Flirta D’s bars infuse the instrumental with a jaunty energy. The entire record is more pop-driven than previous iterations but it’s a good choice for this crew, allowing for a streamlined exercise in smooth, polished sounds.

8/10

RP Boo 'The Ultimate' (Planet Mu)

Chicago footwork producer RP Boo is best known for being a stalwart of the city’s dance music scene as well as a genre innovator – he flips the conventional rhythms and bass patterns in such a way that his songs wrap neatly around themselves. The effect is tautly controlled, frenetic energy, and this new release finds Boo expanding on those same themes. Opener ‘The Ultimate’ builds gradually with an angular synth riff and suspenseful hand claps that circle around a drop that comes, eventually, but not necessarily in the way you’d expect. ‘The King’, meanwhile, works pulsating bass around claustrophobic clicks and a vocal sample from the 1994 crime film Fresh which asks “are you ready to be the king?”; paired with the track’s ominous instrumentals, it seems more like an aggressive challenge than an invitation. This is his third full-length out on Mike Paradinas’ Planet Mu imprint, and it’s good to see that a producer who was initially unwilling to make music his full-time job has found a supportive platform through which to grow his legacy.

8/10

Various 'Harmony From A Dominant Hue' (Body Promise)

Amelia Jenner and Doug Wright have been hosting their radio show, Body Promise, on Sydney’s FBi Click station for over two years. It’s an homage to underground club sounds from all over the world, and they’ve had vibrant guest mixes from artists such as YancityGurl, Mina, Lil Tantrum and Morten HD. It follows, then, that the duo’s first release as a label is an impressive compilation of original sounds featuring Jikuroux, rapper Kimchi Princi and Chunyin (who makes experimental pop under the moniker Rainbow Chan), as well as friends from around the globe including Mexico’s Mya Gomez (in a collab with Felix Idle) and Portugal’s Elite Athlete.

The record manages to masterfully blend together 15 expressive tracks of house, techno and experimental club music. As the comp’s title suggests, what unites the songs is a feeling – each cut hones in on a dark and anticipatory vibe, capturing that moment when you’re walking down the stairs to the basement venue and can hear thin strands of bass and melody seeping through the walls. Highlights include DJ Plead’s ‘Levant Motors’, which features gauzy chords and sparse percussion; spooky, rolling techno from Elisabeth Dixon; and ‘To Be Possessed’, a roiling, crashing banger by Marcus Whale under the alias Marcus (Not Singing).

9/10

Deadboy 'Columns' (Ten Thousand Yen)

Deadboy, aka Montreal-via-London producer Allen Wooten, has always been drawn to shiny motifs. Whether he’s working through luscious, large-scale pieces or within the constraints of tighter rhythms, all of his tunes successfully manage to incubate a bright, soaring mood and stretch it over the duration of the song. His most recent productions, both individually and with fellow London producer Murlo as DBM, have been particularly bouncy and upbeat, replete with wubs and fast-paced takes on UK bass music. This new EP finds Deadboy setting his cheerful melodies against light-hearted house breaks: effervescent synth lines weave themselves around staunch bass patterns, making these tracks the ones you want to hear deep in the dance in the early hours of the morning. ‘Glass Lake’ is the track that best shows the scope of Deadboy’s capable crossovers: with fizzy snares, bongo runs and sleek, coursing melodies, it’s clear that he’s able to translate a universal sentiment into various genres.

8/10

Ballo 'Me – Also Me' (Classical Trax)

The underground bass music coming out of Norway right now is an impressive mix of chilly melodies, bubbly drum lines and big-room rhythms. Trondheim’s Rytmeklubben (the crew composed of Henrik The Artist, DJ Karaoke, Hi Tom and Torjus) are said to be the group that put Norway on the map with this genre, and Classical Trax have become the latest to get behind the sound with an EP from another Trondheim artist, Ballo. ‘Me – Also Me’ is defined by its cavernous beats and frosty aura; the snares drip like stalactites. Ballo also runs a night in Trondheim called Tropenatt that spotlights the music of warmer climates, and that meeting of hot and cold comes through nicely.

7/10

Eaves 'Verloren' (PTP)

LA producer Eaves kicked off New York experimental label PTP’s digital release series back in December 2015 with ‘Gorilla’, and now he’s back on the newly rebranded label again with his first full-length album. While ‘Gorilla’ was comprised of movements and drawn-out variations on themes, ‘Verloren’ is instead ever-changing and always moving. Industrial clangs and string-influenced synths permeate the LP, creating immense and visceral soundscapes. Sometimes mournful, sometimes punishing, constantly explosive and pounding, the sounds wander purposefully, while shrill, hostile vocal samples disorient the listener like a twisted funhouse maze. With all the samples of glass breaking and people screaming used in the darker annals of club music today, it can be rather challenging to use overly abrasive motifs in a manner that isn’t overwrought – but Eaves is certainly more than capable of pulling it off.

9/10