Moving towards faster BPMs and with some fresh faces in tow Cong Burn's fourth 12" is as forward focused as ever, dropping imperative new technoid vibrations for the new school.

A1 sees St Petersburg's Flaty follow up his Gost Zvuk 2xLP with some twisted electro on "Clearences" (sic). Buzzing synths and kinetic beats immediately grab your attention as this beast creeps in from out the recesses.

Lack strips things back to a skeletal beat; metallic perc hits and detuned hats laying the framework for some cerebrum biting synthwork which comes in thru the latter half of the track.

Chekov imparts a high degree of tension and drama on "First Thought" which pairs mechanized squeals with eerie pad sequences and robotic rhythms.

Closing things out, Martin Stromstedt aka Martinou keeps us on the tips of our toes with the tentative skip of "Guide Pattern", not knowing whether or not a massive drops coming keeps the level of intrigue and excitement riding high right till the end of this teasing track.

Expert stuff from this emergent Manc firm - most recommended!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Yes lads! ANOTHER sterling addition to our cutting edge music scene, Cong Burn can now be legitimately celebrated with four killer releases to date. Check!

Baptisma is 55 years old, lives in Nagoya and runs an art space and concert venue called Spacio Rita. He has never before released any music. In the hot and humid Japanese summer of 2016 YPY and I played a show at Sapcio Rita, Shintaro was DJing and Baptisma played a short show, too. It was impulsive and driving while somewhat earthy and dark, buzzing with dense energy like a jungle yet spacious like the hall of the mountain king.

Baptisma's powerful sound creates strange places - as inviting as shady.
I was captivated. Baptisma liked the idea of a release and we embarked on that long journey that finally led to DISK16. Along the trip we proudly welcomed Hodge from Bristol as a stowaway. His unexpected remix well rounding this square project. Finally Maria Mendes from Lisboa served as our beacon, providing a simple and beautiful jacket for this neat release!' - Florian Meyer / Don’t DJ.

Yea man. More tripped out shamanic bizniz for your next gong bath / mushroom session; very big in Todmorden right now! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: One of those rare instances when the music's as good as the story! Forian Meyer on an inspired A&R tip here, bringing into focus the majestic sounds of Baptisma!

Omena is Finnish for apple. It's also a record label set up by Tobias Lidstrom aka Tooli, a DJ who also co-runs Local Talk Records and One Offs. For the label's second outing they bring us the simple, effective and downright deadly delights of Mella Dee. The producer serves up the perfect sountrack built for basements, dimmed lights and late nights. Mella Dee's solo sound has evolved from a true passion for all things garage, a dedication to hip hop, combined with a love for house music which was heavily influenced by the darkness of UK funky and dubstep.
Title track 'Estate' slams heavyweight beats four to the floor while swinging the drums for a UKG attack. Hefty! As you'd hope from a track called 'Warehouse', we get retro rave touches over more of those solid house beats. Things don't let up on the EP closer 'Cut 'Em Off' as the snare rattles and the acid bass throb is so large you'll itching to spin the track on a mega soundsystem.

Fast-rising Swedish producer DJ Different steps up to the Lobster main label plate with a five-track whopper of a rave EP that skirts its way from the Orion Nebula to the very edges of the Oort Cloud. That is a quite a distance, folks. I love space and science so I know they are pretty far apart.

Blazing a trail of genres whilst keeping firmly in the orbit of a mood-thick, bass-heavy and rhythmic sound & programming palette; Different brings to the fore fuzzing interstellar ambient, Ilian Tape-esque heaving non-4/4 techno, skittering London jungle, RNB-infused washes of synth and breaks, and soulful, slow-lulling electro. Gosh... can you digest all that? It covers a pretty varied number of genres with tons of gusto!

STAFF COMMENTS

Sil says: A flashback to 90s rave aesthetics is guaranteed with this record. It has a certain reverb feel to it that easily makes it big room fodder. In a good way that is. Standout choice for me is the ambient one on B2. Beautiful! Now the question everyone wanted to ask... Is DJq Different that different to the rest of us? Buy this and you will find out!

Yet another fresh salvo of drum and bass missiles from the Tempo crew and their impenetrable HQ in the Netherlands.... take cover as "RunDos" signals the start of the onslaught through liquid beats, hoover subs and gentle piano licks. "Night Ride" fires off some brutal breakbeats through a haze of rastaman vox and distorted pads before deploying a buzzing 90s-styled bassline (think Aphrodite or Micky Finn).

Side B track, "The Duke" is a glitchy, more computerized track, playful and quirky and with touches of Ceefax / Ed DMX acid-fuelled fun. "Tanaka" concludes with an eerie James Bond sample giving way to a space-age roller destined for maximum impact. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Bin rinsing these (as the kids say) on promo. Rigid gliders from the Tempo camp that do the damage on the stacks.

More absolutely breathtaking drum and bass from Frodo's, Dutch-based Tempo imprint. Four tracks of sublime d'n'b pressure - from the skitty, explosive, Loleatta Holloway-sampling brilliance of opener "U Got Me" to the Reese-powered emotional roller "Loved Up". B-side's rude boy slayer "No Hype" fires on pneumatic pistons and reversed hi-octane samples while "Feel Good" concludes with an epic rush of endorphins as an anthemic chord progression is bolstered with sawtooth bass and euphoric vocal cries. Too good! Get those orders in quick!

New EP from a young Manchester based clubnight-turned-record label. Index have been knocking around the city for a couple of years, even booking our very own Kickin' Pigeon to play one of their parties! Now branching into the world of vinyl, they enlist modernist technician Vase who drops four effortlessly sublime pieces of oceanic ambient-techno.

Riding the crest of a small wake that gently sways across the surface of an otherwise calm sea, the four tracks undulated naturally and organically, reflecting the Sun's rays through crystalline motifs and mini-melodies. It's unrushed and meditative throughout, but there's a couple of moments that the more meticulous and thoughtful DJs will find use for out in the field I'm sure.

It's a really accomplished, sympathetic and beautiful listen - a really impressive debut team Index! Label to watch....