Continuing in a series of self-released tracks that has so far included the relentless ‘Calm Your Hype’ and ethereal ‘Revolt’, Visionist has just dropped a new four-track EP via his Bandcamp. The ‘Crying Angels EP’ features three remixes along with new original track ‘Your Eyes Were Green’ and sees the producer exploring the sinister emotive qualities of his synthesised vocal samples.

Taking on grime classics ‘Functions On The Low’, ‘Champion VIP’ and ‘Bazooka’, Visionist lends their iconic melodies a uniquely ominous and otherworldly quality, building choirs of disembodied chants that move from poignant to maniacal. Original track ‘Your Eyes Were Green’ finishes the EP in very much the same vein, adding unstable percussive kinks and dread pulses to the swell of lost souls.

Visionist has an EP due to drop on the Berlin-based Leisure System label in the coming months, so make sure you keep an eye out for that.

Following a two-year hiatus from making music, Mumdance has returned revitalised of late. Having overhauled his studio and stepped out of his usual working processes, a string of potent productions over the last couple of months, including standout collaborations with Logos for Keysound and Tectonic, have hinted at a fresh outlook. Now he has dropped the ‘Twists and Turns’ mixtape documenting a wealth of the new material he has been hidden away diligently crafting over that period.

The mixtape features thirteen original productions and collaborations that run the gamut of sounds from expansive ambience to claustrophobic grime mutations. From the beautiful, rousing opener ‘Demographics’ to his recent deconstructed grime experiments with Logos, via the primal drive of ‘Dragon Egg’ and the otherworldly ‘Amiga 500′ amongst others, their is a diverse spread on offer that is tied together by its incisive rhythms, skewed melodies and rich ambience. This is a decisive statement from a producer that has taken some time out only to return more focused and single-minded than ever before.

The mixtape is available as a free download in exchange for just a simple ‘like’ or a ‘tweet’, so make sure you go and grab that now. There is also a launch party at Notting Hill Arts Club on the 14th of this month, full details for which are here.

Of the triumvirate that make up Hessle Audio, Pangaea is perhaps the one that draws the least attention, but while he is content to quietly work away at crafting his own take on UK underground sounds his recent output has been some of the most inspired and inventive to come out of their camp. Just look at his ‘Release’ EP at the tail end of last year as an example of his recent evolution. Now he has announced that his new three-track EP will be coming through his own Hadal imprint, and it is his some of his most inimitable work to date.

He is keen to state that the new Hadal project is not meant as a label in tradional terms, describing it in a recent interview with Fact as “a series of self-released records, with no plans or timescales or anything like that.” While we will have to wait and see how this pans out in the long-term, the first release from the new venture is the  ’Viaduct’ EP, a dizzying and powerful exploration of the murky borderland between techno, hardcore and jungle. Picking up where the last EP for Hessle left off, the three-tracks on offer here are a more focused distillation of these ideas, packed with fizzing rhythms, robust low end and warped atmospherics.

Stream previews of each of the tracks below ahead of its 3rd June release date.

It is no secret that we are already big fans of Bloom (See our review of his debut release ‘Quartz’ here), and the announcement of his new EP for Visionist’s Lostcodes label serves as further proof of his inimitable talents.

The ‘Maze Temple EP’ features three original productions backed by a remix of the title track by label boss Visionist. Those who have been keeping an eye on Bloom should already be familiar with the tracks, having been doing the rounds for a little while now, but that in no way detracts from their violence, originality and efficacy. Very much in the same mould at ‘Quartz’, the EP is characterised by its jarring rhythms, brash melodies and breathless arrangements – a dizzying onslaught of gutteral grime that will stop you right in your tracks. On his remix, Visionist channels the scattershot energy of the original into a more focused and propulsive construction that is deadly.

The ‘Maze Temple EP’ is due for release on 24th May, but until then you can stream previews of each track below. While you are at it, check out the previews of Manchester-based producer Acre’s ‘Forgotten’ EP which will drop the following week on the 31st May.

Following neatly from Tuff Wax affiliated mix series alumni Bones & Money (Vol.26) and Strict Face (Vol.27), next up for our mix series is 18 year-old Aberdeen-based producer Zubuntu.

Introducing himself with a promising free EP on Tuff Wax last year, he has just dropped a new EP on the Japanese Sabacan label with frequent collaborator T_A_M. Building upon the influences that can be heard running through the aforementioned EP and the selection of tracks on offer on his soundcloud, the two tracks that make up the new release blend the frenetic sampling of footwork with the rhythmic urgency and precision of jungle, with a healthy nod to 90s rave culture, and keeping their eyes set firmly on the dance floor throughout. ‘Chim Richalds’ is a rude assault of cut up breaks, choice vocal samples and squirming acid synths while ‘Power Cologne’ ties its breaks to skeletal drum patterns and deep 808 bass hits, injecting some low-slung swagger to proceedings. Both are more than worthy of both your attention and your hard earned cash.

With the EP out now, we caught up with him for a chat and handed over the reins for Vol.29 of our mix series. Bringing together hip hop, footwork, ghetto house, grime and more, it is a fast-paced ride through the sounds that make up Zubuntu and one which will undoubtedly encourage you to check out more.

First up, for those who may not already be aware can you please briefly introduce yourself…

My name is Jamie Ferguson, I am 19 years old, from Aberdeen, Scotland and I produce, DJ and play live.

When did you first get into production and what impelled you to do so?

I started out playing in a couple of bands and I decided to go to a DJ class ran by Big Dada affiliate A La Fu. From there I started getting more interested in how the songs I was mixing were made. From there I saved up for a Roland 404 sampler and started making beats and have since.

To provide a wider context to your music, how has your production style and musical taste developed to the point it is at now?

My friends that I have made just from the scene in Aberdeen have had a huge influence on my taste and production style, a lot of them have such a vast record collection and I’ve had the chance to listen to so much I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. There is quite a tight-knit community of Djs and producers who all share their knowledge with each other and would come together every month for the Acid Thunder club night, which unfortunately ended earlier this year. For me that was where I got to hear a lot of what influences me now.

There is a real focus on interesting rhythms in your tracks, referencing footwork, jungle and hip hop. Where does this stem from do you think? And is it something that you look for in music as a listener?

It’s not really something that I particularly look for, it’s just something I am interested in right now. I love Djing juke and footwork stuff in clubs  it’s music that I want to dance to, I guess that’s how it ends up being reflected in my music. The club where Acid Thunder used to be based called Origin, has quite a big emphasis on Jungle, so I think my use of amen breaks comes from there. A lot of the stuff I make, especially in my live sets, tends to be a bit more sporadic, with more of an emphasis on melody and unusual beats, but its about what’s being portrayed in the particular song at that particular time.

Across all of your music, do you think that there is anything inherent to everything you make? Any fundamental principles that tie it together?

The first thing I always think of about most of my music when I listen to it is that it seems to sound quite naïve and innocent. I think to some people that having quite a footwork and jungle influenced sound is a conscious effort to make throwback tracks, since that kind of sound has gotten quite popular. But in my mind I like all of the sounds that I do, because they are new and exciting to me, because I didn’t experience those genre’s when they first really developed.

You released a free EP with the Tuff Wax label, which is also home to previous mix series contributors Bones & Money and Strict Face. How did you first hook up with the label and how did that EP come about?

I first got involved with Tuff Wax by being good friends with and also working in the same place as Bones & Money and I remember always asking them for stems so they sent me some for the release at the time which was Yoin – “Martial Status”, so I did a remix of that and I began following what was happening with Tuff Wax for about a year, still as I was learning the basics of Djing and production. From there I approached them with the two best tracks I had finished in the past year and asked if there was any chance of me working with Tuff Wax and were kind enough to release the EP in summer last year.

You work a lot in collaboration with T_A_M too. How did you guys start working together and has it been an organic process?

The collaboration came between us from us both being brought on the same night at Acid Thunder, from there we both became residents and I started listening to T_A_M’s own music and I was struck by how melodic and different it was to a lot of the stuff I had been making. So I approached him with the idea of doing a couple of collaborations to see how it would work out and we have now ended up with a few Eps worth of music. For me the process is organic, it doesn’t feel forced. The main reason I started making music on my own, was that I felt a band environment is too constricting to really create something good, but making music as a collaborative effort with T_A_M just feels right and I think the end products show that we have fun making the music we make.

Do you see a separation between what you make individually and in collaboration?

Certainly, I feel that T_A_M utilises space and noise very well and each song definitely creates a different tone. Whereas my own tracks tend to be a bit more beat oriented. However, when we collaborate, I think these differences work well and we have learned a lot of different techniques and ways of making music from each other.

You guys have an EP forthcoming on the Japanese Sabacan Records label. Can you tell us about that link up and the tracks that feature on the EP?

Purely through soundcloud, the label head Guchon, listend to one of the tracks we had made and approached us to release it.

Looking forward, what else have you got coming up over the next few months? Any new releases or projects in the pipeline that people should know about?

I am starting my own club night next month, so a lot of my time will be going into that, also I am continuing work on my own EP and try to find a label who would like to put it out and will be playing a few live and DJ dates in the next few months, hopefully some international. I also have a track coming out in the near future on a compilation from LQE Collective based in Shanghai.

Can you talk us through the mix that you have put together for us a bit…How and where was it recorded? Is it a fair representation of what people can expect to hear from you if they go to see you play in a club?

The mix was recorded live in one take on Ableton, in my bedroom/studio/practice area. I would say it has a wide range of what I would play in a club, I have tried to get as many of the different sounds I am into just now. It has some exclusives from friends, some new tracks of my own and some older tracks that I still love.

LIMINAL SOUNDS VOL.29: ZUBUNTU
DOWNLOAD: HERE

If you watched our last Just Jam takeover at the end of March, you will have caught a consumate set from Circadian Rhythms, the new alias for the collaborative project between one half of Blackwax and Last Japan. Having been long-term fans of their respective music, the possibilities of the new venture are really exciting and this new focus has quickly manifested itself in a number of ways with which you would do well to keep up to date.

The first outcome of the new collaboration is their bi-weekly show on the burgeoning internet radio station NTS, Thursdays (Bi-Weekly), 2-4am. The two hour fortnightly show provides a wider context to the new project, distilling an array of dark dancefloor vibes into their individualistic approach. Each show they invite an artist to contribute a 30min guest mix, and the bar has been set high with the first selection of mixes coming from Facta, Trusta, Jon 1st, Brunks and Rabit (All of which are available to download here).

With loads more plans in the works, make sure you keep a keen eye on them to see what they have coming up over the next few months. They are taking bookings as a duo, so promotors take note and use the opportunity to get them down to your rave. In the meantime, make sure you get locked to Circadian Rhythms on NTS every other Thursday, 2-4am.

It is safe to say that the way in which the Coyote Records label has come out of the blocks has left a lot of others at the starting gate. During its short tenure, a focused spray of releases from Mella Dee, TS7 and Walter Ego has helped to quickly establish them as one of the most promising young labels to emerge over the last twelve months, operating at the crux of instrumental grime’s most interesting satellites. Next up is Melbourne-based producer Arctic, who continues this impressive run of form with the ‘Shook EP’.

Following digital drops with the likes of Car Crash Set and Diskotopia, the ‘Shook EP’ feels like Arctic’s proper debut statement. The two original productions here, ‘Shook’ and ‘Know This Don’, pay heed to grime’s key touchstones while delivering a distinctly individualistic take. The titular track is led by a sparse, jarring rhythm punctuated by choice vocal snippets and warped synths. Playing upon the classic eski sound palette, its broken take on the sound is refreshingly leftfield. ‘Known This Don’ takes a more direct but no less powerful approach unleashing scattershot snares, ominous atmospheres and juddering bass licks.

The EP is also backed by a surprising interpretation from Seattle-based producer Kid Simpl, whose glacial ambient rendition of ‘Shook’ is unexpected and nothing short of stunning – A perfect example of Coyote’s fresh approach to what they are doing.

The ‘Shook EP’ will be available on 12″ and digital. The release date is currently TBA, so keep your ear to the ground for more news on that soon. You can check a preview of ‘Shook’ and ‘Know This Don’ below, and head to Fact who have premiered them in full.

Fresh from the release of his latest ‘Underground’ EP on Epoch’s Egyptian Avenue Records (which we talked up here) and with the promise of an album on the way imminently for Threnody’s UK Trends label, we invited Filter Dread to take the reins for the latest installment of our mix series.

Ever since first being introduced to the producer’s music via his ‘Hyper Lost’ EP on Visionist’s Lost Codes imprint late last year, his productions have been on heavy rotation at Liminal Sounds HQ. Exploring the more abstract fringes of soundsystem music, his music embodies the dark and vital forces that run through the UK’s underground. Densely woven and often disorientating in their construction, his music draws upon tropes taken from traditionally dance floor connected sounds like jungle, dubstep and grime, conveying an otherworldly and immersive refraction of their forms.

His recent ‘Underground’ EP further articulated this unique handling of his source materials and, having had a chance to listen to his forthcoming album, the longer format proves even more gratifying. Adroitly balancing immediacy against a hyper textural, intricate approach, Filter Dread makes music to get lost in.

For his contribution to the mix series he takes a similar approach. stitching together an immersive patchwork of his own productions and new material from kindred spirits over a dense 30 minutes. With inclusions coming from the likes of Visionist, Wen, Epoch and Etch nestled between a host of new Filter Dread material, it makes for a compelling listen.

First up, for those who may not already be aware can you please briefly introduce yourself…

I am a music producer originally from Cambridge now living in Birmingham, producing tracks under the name Filter Dread.

To start by getting a better idea of the context to your music, what music did you grow up on? And what was your first contact with electronic music? Is it something you were immediately drawn towards?

The first music I got Into was hip-hop when I was about ten. Things like Naughty by Nature, Wu-Tang Clan, NWA, Snoop, Onyx, etc…I then got into dub music like Augustus Pablo, King Tubby, Dr. Alimantado and electronic dub like The Orb and Massive Attack.

I grew up in Cambridge in a very electronic environment, killing Arachnodroids in Doom, messing about on hacking programs and causing trouble in early Internet chat rooms with my mate Ben who was on his computer down the road.

Everyone started getting decks and getting drum and bass and breakbeat vinyl and there were a lot of warehouse raves in fields at the weekend. This exposed me to drum and bass and jungle music and I would go back home and spend the rest of the weekend figuring out the formulas and patterns they used and build those tunes.

When did you first pick up production and what impelled you to do so? Was there any particular catalyst?

I’ve always wanted to make the music I listen to and when my dad gave me a demo of Cubase he found i started making electronic jungle and dub style tracks and got hooked.

What were you producing at the time and how has that evolved into where you are at now?

Mainly drum and bass. I was really interested in how to get the compressed analogue sound without hardware. I would spend a month on one tune staying up all night going on these mad musical journeys which would end up sounding like five tunes in one track. I started making these drum and bass beats with slow wobbling bass-lines and my friend said that it sounded like Dub-step. I checked it out and got really onto the sound. I then moved to London in 2006 and Dub-step was everywhere. This led me into listening to more grime and garage and going to the raves and producing those styles of tracks.

What are your production processes like? There is a depth of texture to your tracks that suggests hardware, do you take things out of the box at all?

Yes I like experimenting and switching up techniques. I use different programs such as Logic, Reason, Audio Mulch, Recycle and I’ve got music making apps on my iPhone and on my GameBoy which I use. I also use a Roland sampler for making sounds, getting some compression and effects with it.

Across all of your music, do you think that there is anything inherent to everything you make? Any fundamental principles that tie it together, be that mood, groove, sonic etc ?

Well I’m into deconstructing the rave sound. I’m into making awkward drum loops which confuse people . Essentially I’m trying to get back to those early dubstep and warehouse raves, the culture and formulas in the creation process of those tracks and the vibes that they created. People like Bizzy-B who were making music for themselves and not worrying about perfection but more about vibe and texture.

I was first introduced to you by your EP on Visionist’s Lost Codes label, how did you first hook up with him and how did the EP come about?

We were on the same music course at uni hanging around in the studio. We worked on some music together and kept in touch.

Some time last year I posted up some tracks and he heard them and said he wanted them for the label.

It feels like there is a real community building amongst like-minded producers such as Visionist and yourself as well as a host of others. To me it feels like it is picking up where the lost potential of grime and dubstep was left as a reaction to house’s recent ubiquity. What are your thoughts on it?

Yes it’s mad. I really like what’s going on and the levels are really high. It’s good to follow your own path but working with others along the way is also part of the fun.

Following on from that, are there any producers that you feel a particular kinship with? Is there anyone we should be watching out for?

I like a lot of producers at the moment. People like Visionist, Sully, Wen, Epoch, Moleskin, BD1982 and Slackk have a really diverse sound and constantly seem to be switching up the styles and blurring boundaries. Etch, Sepia and Underclass have got the dark rolling sound and Threnody, Rabit, Parker and Bloom have got that abstract Grime sound which I really like. I also really like what Luke Benjamin is doing with his vocal tracks and Will Ward is killing it as usual with his experimental techno and garage sounds.

You have an EP forthcoming on Epoch’s Egyptian Avenue label and, beyond that, an album for Threnody’s UK trends imprint. What can people expect from those and do you know when they will be dropping?

The Egyptian Avenue avenue release has just come out and is available on the Juno Download website. The Album for UK Trends should be out in the next couple of months. I also have a physical release which I’m excited about but want to keep that quiet for now.

How is work coming along on the album? In what ways have you approached it differently to the manner in which you approach EP releases? Are there any overarching occupations or themes informing it?

The UK Trends album was built up from tracks that I was producing very early in the morning when I had just woken up (around 5am) when it’s still dark outside and you watch the sunrise and feel euphoric and still in a dream state. Threnody gave me a list of the tracks he liked and I then picked 9 which I thought would work well together.

Can you talk us through the mix that you have put together for us a bit…How and where was it recorded? Is it a fair representation of what people can expect to hear from you if they go to see you play in a club?

I’m probably more experimental with recorded mixes. I like to throw in sound effects and stuff because its quite fun. I also use programs a bit when making recorded mixes to create weird effects but generally this is what people can expect in a club.

LIMINAL SOUNDS VOL.28: FILTER DREAD
DOWNLOAD: HERE

Filter Dread – New Rules
Visionist – Pain
Wen – In
Filter Dread – SP2
Bloom – Maze Temple
Dellity – Cold case (Devil mix) (Rok RIley Dub)
Sully – Simple Things (FIlter Dread Deep Space remix)
Underclass – Klang
Rabit – Double Dragon (Filter Dread Remix)
Etch – Sphynx
Luke Benjamin – Why
Filter Dread – Underground (Epoch Remix)
Major Grave – Paramedics
Threnody – Synchronic
Visionist – ? (Filter Dread Bootleg)
Filter Dread – Enothaone
Filter Dread – Public Energy
Will Ward – Squeak