Hotflush get off to a strong start in 2012 as they welcome Belgian newcomer Locked Groove to the fold. The title track is the pick for me, but all three tracks are the work of a promising new producer showcasing a deft amalgamation of deeper house, techno and garage influences. The EP is out on vinyl and digital on 16th Jan.
New one by George Fitzgerald on the trustworthy Hotflush imprint – and maybe his best work to date; Techno, Garage and House are the genres that spring to mind trying to describe the music in words. ‘Feel Like’ is our favourite cut from an overall immaculate EP! This is available to buy as of December 5th.
Scuba goes euphoric, watch your back Tiesto! Out now on Hotflush.
I think I’ve found my jam for the Summer.
Paul Rose producing under the SCB alias. Out now on AUS records.
Roska – Error Code / Abrupt [HF028] by Hotflush
HF028 – Roska
Release date: May 30, 2011
A. Error Code
AA. Abrupt
Hotflush presents the full label debut of UK funky figurehead Roska, following his appearance on the recent BACK AND 4TH compilation and seminal remix of Untold’s Just For You in 2009. This release brings together two cuts that emphasize a healthy evolution of the Roska style that has made such an impact on bass music in the last couple of years. Retaining the customary hard-hitting percussion and raw syncopated rhythms, a slightly futuristic twinge moves us into more unfamiliar territory, with the energetic synth arpeggiation of Error Code backed by the spacier, dubbed-out Abrupt.
HF026 – Sepalcure – Fleur EP by Hotflush
Following on from my last post concerning the US, I though it would be poignant to mention Sepalcure. Hands down my favourite producer stateside, Sepalcure, hailing from NYC, are just about to release their latest EP ‘Fleur‘, on Hotflush, on the 31st January. As if there weren’t enough genres to get confused by (some of you will know I am baffles by the rubbish that is conjured up by journalist or bloggers) Sepalcure have labelled themselves as ‘Lovestep‘ on their Soundcloud, nice.
Sepalcure – Love Pressure EP [HF025] by Hotflush
There is also an official promo to go with this, as seems to be the norm these days (hit us up for this is you’re reading and in need), which is beautifully shot, super slow-mo, abstract piece which seamlessly fits with the EP. Check it out below.
Sepalcure — Fleur EP (Official Promo) from sougwen on Vimeo.
Surefire Sound 003 – Distal / HxdB / Mayhem by Surefire PR
This one is on the more techy side of things but a pretty exciting EP none the less! Alex from Surefire sent this over with a little info on these guys. If you don’t know these names, Surefire Sound’s third release features three up-and-coming producers from two points on the map: Distal and Mayhem hailing from Atlanta, Georgia and HxdB from Vancouver, Canada.
Leading off the release is Michael Rathbun a.k.a. Distal, a producer in the next wave of bass music producers and founding member of Atlanta Dubstep, a collective that has been introducing dubstep’s top artists to the southeast United States since 2007. Through their events and newly founded label Embassy Recordings, Distal has established his own dynamic that integrates dubstep with Chicago’s juke sounds, and has started to make quite an impression on the global scene with a release on Soul Jazz’s Future Bass compilation, as well as Amsterdam’s Tube 10 Recordings, among others.
Collaborating on the A side is Severine Erickson, a.k.a. HxdB (short for Hexadecibel). Channeling his creative energies from his own pocket of North America, HxdB has been a hardworking DJ, producer, and promoter of the more sophisticated angles of bass music. With several 12” releases to his name on labels such as Mindset and Echodub, and plenty more coming in the new year, he is ready to make his mark on this release alongside Distal with “Typewriter Tune”. Its’ potent assault of shuffling beats and funk-infused pitch-warped synths was so well-received by their DJ mates that they amped up the energy into a VIP version with support from the likes of Bok Bok (Night Slugs, London), Ben UFO (Hessle Audio), Appleblim (Skull Disco), Dave Q (Dub War, NYC), XI (Orca) and Sepalcure (Hotflush).
Working with Distal on the flipside is Anthony Rotella a.k.a. Mayhem, a long-time stalwart of the Atlanta scene coming from the drum & bass arena. Mayhem has had recent dubstep releases on San Francisco’s Argon Records and Amsterdam’s Subway Recordings. On “Frozen Barnacles”, they deliver a high-energy, yet heady half-stepper with warm filtered synths and dub-wise horns.
In my opinion ‘Typewriter Tune VIP‘ is the standout here and worth the purchase for this track alone! Solid stuff stuff from an ever emerging and evolving US scene. Last year there were a lot of releases stateside but I think they are beginning to find a sound and draw influences from the music which is so big out there already. Juke (Footwork) was a prime example of this last year and I’m sure the limitless talent in the US will get stronger by the year. London, and the UK in general, is still leading the way, just don’t be surprised to see the rest of the world catch up in a big way, very soon.
Its hard to ignore the Red Bull Music Academy this year as it invades London. From live shows, to daily newspapers, to seminars the RBMA is involved in so many things these surrounding months. But its not all about the Academy that takes place each year – over on their website, they record and post hundreds of live sets from around the world.
Mount Kimbie, easily one of my favourite acts of last year, played a live show at Manchester’s Deaf Institute and RBMA were there to capture it. 60 minutes of leftfield electronic music that breaks the definitions of any genre I could think to place it in. Essential.
