Mssingno – Fones EP
Loosely categorised as a mixture of R&B and grime Mssingno’s productions are as unique as they are spectacular. His debut EP released on grime imprint Goon Club Allstars was incredibly well received by those involved in the scene, shown by how sought after the 12 inch vinyl copies are with one currently available of discogs for £150 (it’s good but let’s not get silly). His second EP lives up to the hype, in keeping with the same style as the first involving pitched up R&B vocals, atmospheric synths, and stomping rhythms. The first track ‘Dead’ and last track ‘Scope’ use the same vocal sample but to such a different effect you wouldn’t notice until a few listens of the EP. This is where Mssingno’s talents lie, in expertly picking a vocal sample for his tunes to elevate them into something unique and effective. I’ve been rinsing this one every day since it was released and still can’t get enough.
OH91 – Skanks EP
With his previous EP released on Manchester’s very own Trapped Audio label I was highly anticipating what was to come on the Bristolian’s next record. The EP lives up to its name and is definitely one for the skankers with the first two tracks very dub oriented and fully infectious. The title track ‘Skanks’ involves tones often found in grime and dub instrumentals and is initially very reminiscent of ‘Morgue’ by Wiley. The final track ‘OJ Simpson’ is a trap tune, deviating from the style of the previous two tracks, involving a three tone melody that rides over the top of the percussion. These tracks are definitely suited for the club and no doubt he will be playing these in his set at the Selectism night at South alongside grime selector Sir Spyro on 3rd March.
Terror Danjah – Mars/ Mike Gully
Terror Danjah has been a grime heavyweight for a while now and reaffirms his status with these two tracks released on his label Hardrive which hasn’t seen any releases for a while. The first, ‘Mars’, is an eerie creeper of a tune with samples of both evil sounding and distorted laughter making it feel as if it belongs on the soundtrack to a horror movie. ‘Mike Gully’ provides us with more of a classic grime feel with shuffling snares and a sub low bassline showing he still has the knack of perfecting a bass driven instrumental.
Asa & Sorrow – Knights of Ren EP
Asa & Sorrow’s heavy bass oriented grime productions follow on from their last EP with sliding synth and bouncing bass patterns. This, along with rising string riffs such as those used on ‘Barbaric’, create a menacing and powerful sound that will make you want to mash up your house. With a guest spot for MC Trim on the final track and a remix of the title track by Bandulu records’ Lemz & Hi5Ghost also featuring on the EP, this encaptulates that hard grime sound often spun by the likes of Kahn & Neek. This EP builds on what was such a success on their Legendary EP and will no doubt cement their names in the scene this year.
Lamont – Missed Calls EP
Released on Keysound recordings known for their more minimal productions around 130bpm, these tracks may be considered much more of a quiet taste and relatively experimental with a number of strange samples incorporated in the tracks. Even the first track ‘Death Slide’ featuring Grim Sickers involves lazy bars, but it’s in the dark sounding ‘In the Field’ featuring Nico Lindsey that the production levels of Lamont suit an MC with the vocal track filling in the spaces left by the spacious instrumental. Get on this if you are into the more unnerving, dark side of the urban sound.