The friendship between Al Cisneros (Sleep/Om) and Kevin Martin (The Bug/King Midas Sound) begun when King Midas Sound supported OM at the Scala in London in 2012. Subsequently the duo quickly realised via passionately animated conversations, that they shared a serous addiction to reggae 7", and in particular, a mutually insatiable appetite for roots and the deepest dub versions being consistently transmitted from Jamaica...This resulted in Cisneros, then inviting Martin to specifically drop hardcore dub sessions as support to Sleep in Berlin, and on tour with OM. It was during the European Om tour in 2019, that Cisneros offered to record an ep for The Bug's fledgling PRESSURE label.

And now 'Rosin' is the fulfilment of that promise. Al's side of the single, showcases the low end specialist extending the bassbin pounding methodologies of those incredible b-line masters who first inspired him to relentlessly explore the infinitely resonant worlds of bass and space. So 'Rosin Immersion' and it's subsequent dub 'Dabby You', echo 'Flabba Holt's classic work with the Roots Radics or Robbie Shakespeare 's tremendous output for Channel One with The Revolutionaries...These devastating mixes extend the hallowed roots tradition that Cisneros worships, and gleefully opts for an even lower, slower, grind .... It's another fantastic example of Al's parallel dub world, that he has been tirelessly promoting with his incredible Sinai label releases for the past few years, as he simultaneously continues to reshape Metal with Sleep and zoned 'out' rock with Om too. On the flipside, Martin took up Al's invitation to remix his original song, but Kevin here opts for radical mutation instead of homage. What may have begun as a single remix, ends as two militantly distinct future dubs aimed straight at the body and dome...Echoing Kevin's recent collaborations with Will Bevan aka Burial, for their collaborative Flame series, as previously released on PRESSURE, this pair of thundering tracks reflect The Bug at his most immersive and psychedelic. 'Fathoms' and '50 hz' revel in their otherness, and the sonic sorcery of his Brussels based sound lab. The twin rhythms are undoubtedly inspired by the spirit of The Bug's production heroes Scientist, King Tubby or Adrian Sherwood, but are set adrift in a futuristic sci-fi format for ambient heads and sound system disciples alike to get fully lost in.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A rather 'trad' sounding dub excursion from Al Cisneros here, which contrasts nicely with the more avant/noize based approach to dub and dancehall favoured by The Bug.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Al Cisneros – Rosin Immersion
A2. Al Cisneros - Dabby You
B1. The Bug – Fathoms
B2. The Bug - 50hz

Planet Mu Recording artist, Gobstopper label boss, and Boxed club night founder Mr.Mitch provides the third release of 2019 for Pressure. This strictly limited, blue and yellow splattered vinyl platter is futurist dancehall at its most exhilaratingly demented. Random synth patterns, chaotic bleep emissions and all round oscillating madness ensures this furiously fresh track, flows freakily, like a bogle frenzied droid transmitting from Kingston, Jamaica, year 2049. Kevin Martin aka The Bug, nagged Mitch into submission, to release this acid-ragga (new genre alert..?! - ed) killer, after the label CEO, heard "Not Modular" standing out clearly from Mitch’s gobsmacking one hour "Techno Dancehall Mix" at the end of 2018.

And as a tribute to South East London don dada Mitch, The Bug himself decided to slice, splice and dice "Not Modular" into two additional atomised remixes. The Bug’s ‘Straight’ remix, is sub aquatic bashment, pulsating deeply from the bottom of the ocean, buried in a blizzard of white noise and disembodied, hypnotic chimes, with panic sirens set to stun. Whilst the ‘Raw remix’ is no less disorientating and funky, sounding like Lenky’s classic ‘Diwali’ riddim rewritten by an 808 clap addict, with hips set to full rotation. Conclusively alien and ridiculously infectious. 

TRACK LISTING

A1 Not Moduar 
B1 Not Modular (The Bug 'Straight' Remix)
B2 Not Modulare (The Bug ‘Raw’ Remix) 

PRESSURE presents the limited edition red vinyl of Miss Red 'Dagga / One Shot Killer', produced by Kevin Martin aka The Bug, limited to 500 copies worldwide and hand stamped with her K.O. logo.
Miss Red’s fierce flow rides roughshod over warped bashment anthems and showcases her ability to adapt to different flavours. The Bug’s riddims are a masterclass in restraint, retaining his trademark heaviness but taking a step back from the atmospheric ambience of his recent work with Burial and Earth. Instead this is an example of the dexterity with which Martin can deploy a minimal arrangement, taking a bassline, beat, FX and vocal
and sharpening those elements for maximum dancefloor devastation.
In 2015 Miss Red dropped her first solo mixtape, Murder, with The Bug’s riddims supplemented with contributions from other producers such as Mark Pritchard, Mumdance and Andy Stott. Subsequent singles on her own Red label and the in-house imprint of iconic London record shop Sounds Of The Universe have sold out straight away, and she has received acclaim for her collaborations with Warp Records artist Gaika.

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: Ahead of her "K.O." double LP Miss Red drops the boisterous bashment thump of "Dagga" (essential for heating up the dance, backed with "One Shot Killer" a deeper darker track with trademark sonics from The Bug.