Matt Cutler aka former instrumental hip-hop-man-gone-house Lone will release his fifth album via Belgium’s techno/electronica imprint R&S Records on May 7.

‘Galaxy Garden’ sees the UK producer “unearth new corners to the wunderkind, whilst maintaining his signature sound and cinematic overtones”, which we imagine means taking his keen ear for melody and his past attention to detail of past releases like the superb ‘Ecstasy & Friends’ and focussing that into his current Detroit/hardcore template.

You can preview the artwork and full tracklist below, as well as stream his superb lead single ‘Crystal Caverns 1991′, which comes backed with new track ‘Vulcan Mill Acid’, and will be released on March 26.

Lone – ‘Galaxy Garden’ Tracklist:
01. ‘New Colour’
02. ‘Animal Pattern’
03. ‘Out Run’s Splash Wave
04. ‘As A Child’
05. ‘Cthulhu’
06. ‘Lying in the Reeds’
07. ‘Dragon Blue Eyes’
08. ‘Crystal Caverns 1991′
09. ‘Raindance’
10. ‘Dream Girl/Sky Surfer’
11. ‘Earth’s Lungs’
12. ‘Spirals’

Having first talked to the Rinse FM star about this mix well over a year ago, it’s a joy to to see it finally surface, just in time for Eglo Records third birthday at fabric on Thursday 8 March. Having asked the man to put together something a little different, he’s come correct with over 90 minutes of influences; from GZA to Goldie, Marvin Gaye to Massive Attack, it’s a trip through a real music fans background, and is joy to listen to.

Alexander Nut and Floating Points mark the 3rd birthday of their Eglo label with a super special midweek event featuring birthday guest Dez Andres (Slum Village/Mahogani Music). Floating Points premieres his brand new live show alongside performances from the Eglo Live Band featuring Fatima, Shuanise and Olivier DaySoul, Arp 101 (live) and DJ sets from Funkineven and Mr. Nut himself. You can purchase tickets direct from fabric, and the rest we’ll leave up to the man himself…

“It’s basically a mix of music that I was listening to as a child and throughout my teenage years. Simple stuff… I could do about 10 volumes of these. Curtis Mayfield and Hendrix were the first musicians I ever became obsessed with, I was probably around 9/10. By the time i hit my teens hip-hop took over, I remember on my 13th birthday going up town after school and buying Gang Starr’s ‘Hard To Earn’. That cassette is still my most holy possession. Sade and Marvin Gaye was stuff my mom used to listen to that I picked up… It ends with some of the first ‘dance’ music records that I got into. It’s like one of those tapes you’d make for a girl at school.”

Stream below, or just click on the player to download.

Tracklist:
01. A Tribe called Quest – Excursions
02. Gang starr – Brainstorm
03. GZA – Investigative Reports
04. Redman – Can’t Wait
05. Nas – N.Y State Of Mind
06. Mobb Deep – Temperatures Rising
07. Group Home – 2 Thousand
08. D’Angelo – The Line
09. Massive Attack – Five Man Army
10. Roots Manuva – Baptism
11. Digable Planets – Dog It
12. Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Cuttin Heads
13. Curtis Mayfield – Doo Doo Wop Is Strong In Here
14. Marvin Gaye – Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holla)
15. Jimi Hendrix – Manic Depression
16. Outkast – Humble Mumble
17. Prince – Hot Thing
18. Zapp & Roger – So Ruff, So Tuff
19. Sade – Nothing Can Come Between Us
20. 4 Hero – Escape That
30. 4 Hero – Universal Love (Goldie Remix)
31. Goldie – Kemistry
32. 808 State – Pacific
33. Future Sound Of London – Papau New Guinea

~ h00dumentary (beastonleash.biz/gothenburg/berlin)
~ THE13 (new 16bit project)
~ South London Ordnance
~ Musa kusa + Kishti (LuckyPDF)
~ Doctor Jeep
~ Todd Hart
~ Milli (Late Lunch)
~ Josh West
~ Willuminati (Super Super)
~ Shaun Bass (Destroy Culture /)
~ Sick Bwoy (Long X DJ / Destroy Culture)
~ DJ Bump n’ Grind
~ Vital Team

✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇

+ Room Two : The CLF’s Exhibition of Sound Presents:

~ Nicky Blackmarket (5 Hour Set)

✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇✇

—- ==== ++++ PLUS++++ ==== —-

╰☆╮╰☆╮Live video installation, Live Dancers, Real Live.╰☆╮╰☆╮
╰☆╮╰☆╮More rooms and acts to be announced ╰☆╮╰☆╮

LOOKS LIKE: http://vimeo.com/36676389

SOUNDS LIKE: http://soundcloud.com/drjeep/hyperbounce-mix

AND

http://www.mixcloud.com/JoshWest/party-all-nite-mix-for-hyper-bounce/

~ £5 OTD before 12, more after.
~ 10pm – 5am

hyperbounce.jpg (12 KB)

New UK bass duo Kodiak are set to see their debut release picked up by Glasgow’s current powerhouse label Numbers, backed with two high profile remixes from Night Slugs man Girl Unitand Honest Jon’s idiosyncratic producer Actress.

‘Spreo Superbu’ has been doing the rounds for well over a year now, and with the remixes turning the original widescreen stepping electronica into full blooded booty bass workouts (Girl Unit) and broken pop deviations (Actress) it’s no surprise.

You can stream both the original and the Actress remix below, along with Remote Location and Mike Tuckers “kaleidoscopic responsive landscapes” below, and keep an eye out for the full release on March 5.

Soltek land at The CAMP Basement in London this Friday (24th February) with a quality line-up of bass and electronics. As they explain “Soltek is a club night in London that provides an antidote to the over-priced, generic parties that we’re all tiring of. At our events you can expect music with a strong emphasis on both quality and diversity that spreads across many flourishing genres.”

Heading up the the bill is Tighten Up boss and DirtyBird Records affiliate, the man behind 2011’s massive single “Falsehood”, A1 Bassline. Joining him will be arguably one of electronic music’s most innovative and flourishing labels, Hotflush Recordings’ very own Arkist.

Check out A1 Bassline’s ‘Why Do You’ from the recent Dirtybird Records compilation, ‘Hatched‘. For more information and tickets head here.

One of the premier UK talents to emerge over the past 5 years, Actress aka Darren Cunningham is set to release his third album this April.

Following two highly acclaimed albums – 2008′s ‘Hazyville’ and 2010′s ‘Splazsh’ – the London producer will return to honest Jon’s with his third artist long player, entitled ‘R.I.P.’, taking in 15 tracks of his idiosyncratic bass mutations, following 2 outstanding remixes for the labels ‘Shangaan Shake’ project.

News was first heard about the new album with some teasing tweets from the man himself, revealing sketches for the artwork, as well as images of the mastered CD’s, complete with tracklisting. As yet there’s no official release date, though the album is already listed on the Honest Jon’s site.

*The full release will be available on Monday April 20, via the Honest Jon’s site, and you can preview the full tracklist and artwork below.

Actress – ‘R.I.P.’ Tracklist:
01. R.I.P.
02. Ascending
03. Holy Water
04. Marble Plexus
05. Uriel’s Black Harp
06. Jardin
07. Serpent
08. Shadow From Tartarus
09. Tree Of Knowledge
10. Raven
11. Glint
12. Caves Of Paradise
13. The Lord’s Graffiti
14. IWAAD
15. N.E.W.

Heading up the bill is the man like Untold. As a producer and also as the co-founder of Hemlock Recordings, he has constantly pushed the sound of bass music into new territory, putting out forward-thinking music from the likes of Ramadanman, Cosmin TRG, James Blake & recent signing Guy Andrews, with the latter also performing on the night.

Another man who knows a thing or two about underground dance music is Scratcha DVA, or DVA, as he now operates. The chirpy Rinse FM breakfast show host will be showcasing his technicolour variety of funky, 2-step and grime, expect to hear some exclusive cuts from ‘Pretty Ugly’, his forthcoming album on Hyperdub. Be sure to check our very recent feature with the man himself here.

To complete the bill they pull in the rugged house of Altered Natives, the aforementioned Hemlock artist, Guy Andrews, and the wicked resonance of Well Rounded’s newcomer, Leon Vynehall. For more information and tickets head here.

In case anyone hadn’t noticed, the folk over at Dummy Mag have quietly been releasing interesting bits of UK bass and electronica over the past year, with download only releases coming from Cadenza, Tezeo, Runner and remix work from Om Unit’s Philip D. Kick project.

Next up is a vinyl release from Brighton’s 2-step touched electronic man Lorca, who spent the best part of last year making a name for himself with releases on upcoming labels like Left_Blank, Moments and W.M.I.D. His next release comes on the magazine-come-labels imprint, and is an emotive piece of skipping electronica entitled ‘Can’t See Higher’, backed with a rolling house/bass cut ‘Missed Me’.

You can grab high quality FLAC’s now from here, and stand by for the full vinyl release on March 19. Stream the tracks in full below.

This split single for Hemlock sees Walder continuing with his line of rough and tough house bangers last spotted on the ‘Real Talk’ single for Numbers a couple of months ago. It’s A-side, ‘Scruff Box’, is hard as hell, going straight for the jugular with blasts of distorted sawtooth bass and clinical beats. Characteristically mangled percussive breaks allow Walder to flex his skills, keeping the needles firmly in the red throughout, before the track
disappears, leaving behind only a cloud of brick dust and a couple of ruined bass bins.

‘Get Yourself Together’ creeps its way in over insistent kicks and eerie tones, before unleashing a similar ferocity to that of its flipside. A whispered vocal sporadically repeats the track’s title, something that’s easier-said-than-done with the levels of insanity the bass drop brings to proceedings. It’s a menacing beast of a track, one that shows Walder’s way with both hard-hitting beats and command of mood and ambience. Combined with ‘Scruff Box’s aural assault, Hemlock are definitely on to a winner here…

Tom Quickfall

‘Scruff Box’ / ‘Get Yourself Together’ is available now via Hemlock Recordings.

That’s not to mention the indelible dent the mans productions as Scratcha DVA have made on the scene. With his debut album ‘Pretty Ugly’ set to drop in March, DVA builds on his successful grime career (as simply Scratcha) and continues his increasingly unhinged experiments in UK funky, bass music, house and more, with a pop sensibility, keen ear for melody and sparkling vocal contributions from upcoming soul vocalists like Eglo Records own Fatima, South African star Zaki Ibrahim, electronic funk man Viktor Duplaix and more.

Over two plates of full English, and accompanied by a Friday morning jungle soundtrack drifting from the cafes battered radio (incidentally, the same Friday of his final breakfast show on Rinse), we chatted about jungle, critics, his time spent in grime, love for South Africa and feelings on heading up the new Hyperdub show on the station.

Recalling a set DVA had played for Hyponik in Brixton back in 2009, Scratcha notes how his own approach to DJing has changed in the intervening years; “now I’m comfortable playing ninety per cent of my own tunes in a rave – I do not give a shit – where as before I’d play one of my tunes, twenty of Roska’s, twenty of Lil Silva’s, now I’m fully comfortable and people get it – I think.”

So does he think it took people a while to get around to his new styles? “I’ve always just done this thing, I’ve always just made music, it’s always been a little bit on the stranger side – that’s what people tell me – I don’t think it is but it ends up being that way. I’ve never thought ‘ah man I need to drop that off and sound like this’” – which is as close as we get to examining just what it is that makes Scratcha DVA’s music stand out from the crowd. And that’s the beauty of it – it’s just Scratcha. This is a man who turns up to the shoot with three pairs of next level sunglasses, and takes note of the shots the photographer’s taking – not out of vanity, but out of a strong will to be different. Which is exactly what dance music needs. There’s enough underground warriors out there, but someone who’s willing to push things slightly to the left – not only in their approach to melody, or how they may build a beat, but also in the way it’s presented – that’s something different.

And something different is what Scratcha DVA has in excess, as is evident on his fronting of the new Hyperdub show – essentially an outlet for the more leftfield sounds on Rinse FM. Though this doesn’t come without it’s annoyances; “I’m doing the Hyperdub show now, I like to talk alot, playing Burial tunes and all that. It gets ripped, put on Youtube – then you get a major amount of comments on there like ‘why is he making jokes on a Burial tune – this is wrong’! I mean – what are you talking about?? So I can only make a joke on a Wiley tune, but I can’t on a Burial tune?! It’s pathetic”. And then comes the key to Scratcha’s success – “but y’know, I’ll just do what I do.“

“[On the album] I just went in, I didn’t care about tempo, time signature, key, I didn’t even think about vocals, I just made, and it organically got done, and that’s why I’m happy with it”. In the deeply sycophantic world of dance music, where bloggers, other producers, forum haters and a world of people willing to smother their half-baked opinion’s across someone else’s creativity, just making and ignoring the constant assault of media, opinion, pressure and anything else that may sway your creativity pays dividends.

The twin themes of just doing and in that itself, being different, run throughout the album, and also into current forays into a live show, where again striving to produce something as colourful and outgoing as the music results in taking in performers, dancers and more; “I don’t want it to just be some ‘look at me – some Apple Mac screen – look at me I’m a scientist’ type thing, it has to be a show, so I’m gonna be involving the artists on my album, as they’re artists who like to be up in the thing [show]”.

Scratcha DVA – ‘Where I Belong’ (video by Dean Blunt)

Though Scratcha’s former incarnation as a grime producer carried the same motif’s, DVA is happy to point out that the original influence for his marrying of sounds came from one of grime’s original pioneers, and now fellow Hyperdub album artist Terror Danjah; “Collaborating mad sounds, and harder sounds, with nice vocals [came about from] hanging around with Terror [Danjah] as I’ve always been into r’n’b, but hanging round [him] was when I first realised you could actually collaborate the two, as I think he was the first person actually doing something like that.”

Currently turning ears are the township sounds of South Africa, a country Scratcha’s has already visited twice (once just to get in the studio with guest vocalist Zaki Ibrahim), and more recently, to play a set of dates over the new year with Kode9 and LV: “It was amazing. It’s like a big trance festival, and it was the first year that they had something else, so they had dubstep there, and all electronic bits and bobs, some people doing live sets, then we come along playing what we play, and they loved it – it was sick.”

Though when we talk about finding new tracks from SA artists like DJ Clock and bow-tied township duo The Ruffest, the lack of distribution and industry within the township scene proves frustrating, with “the maddest thing [being] – you go out there and they’re playing Night Slugs – it’s so annoying! The DJ’s are playing Night Slugs, French Fries, Hyperdub and it’s like ‘actually I come here to hear your shit’. It’s weird.”

What ‘Pretty Ugly’ has as an artist album, amongst the glitched-out house beats, rolling UK funky basslines, grimey synths and morphing, surprising melodies is a boatload of soul. And soul is something DVA is pretty emphatic about. “Yeah I’ve worked with Wiley, all these MC’s, but at the end of the day [banging table to accentuate each word] I. like. Soulful. Music. And that’s that. There was no way I was going to make an album without having some soul on it – it wasn’t going to be any other way.”

Tracks like ‘33rd Degree’, ‘Fire Fly’, a third version of the Fatima showcase ‘Just Vybe’ and Mark Pritchard DJ staple ‘Where I Belong’ are drenched in a hi-tech, futuristic soul language, where snapping drums and disorientating synths meet with r’n’b attitude and smoothed out emotive vocals. Which boils down to a full representation of the artist – exactly what a debut album should be – and one of the strongest debut long players from the dancefloor focussed UK bass scene of recent times.

Interview: Louis Cook
Photography: Jimmy Mould

’Pretty Ugly’ will be released via Hyperdub on March 19. You can catch Scratcha DVA at the ‘Pretty Ugly’ album launch on Friday March 16 at fabric, London.