Review: LX One - Reflect / Distorted Politics [WHEELYDEALY043]

By no means the most prolific of producers, LX One maintains an unbridled consistency with his quality over quantity approach. This, of course, is also an approach that we at Hedmuk have long subscribed to, and as such are always pleasantly surprised by announcements of forthcoming releases from the multi-talented Londoner.

With solid DJ support from the usual raft of scene leaders, including Distance, Youngsta, J:Kenzo, Icicle and label boss N-Type, 'Reflect' is a bonafide A-side: delivering an enormous groove with the effortless sense of style that has been a defining characteristic of LX One's production since his earliest releases. As with his previous dancefloor mainstays, this is an example of how to do a lot with very little. 'Distorted Politics', meanwhile, represents something of a departure for the producer MC as he swaps the heavily swung rhythm of canonical beats such as 'You' for a straightened, kick-driven pulse of a beat. It's new ground for LX One's solo material, but is trodden as carefully and precisely as should be expected from this producer, whose eye for detail - and making every detail count - continues to prove itself a rare asset.

LX One - Reflect / Distorted Politics is now available to purchase exclusively from the Wheel & Deal Surus store on 12" and digital formats, until general release from other outlets on May the 12th.

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Free Download: D-Operation Drop - Dust

Despite the title, there's nothing dusty about this track: something brand new and as yet unheard from the crew from Cesena in Italy, dropped here as a free download after their rapid climb to the 2,000 follower mark on Soundcloud. Since first meeting in 2010 and realising a shared passion for music, D-Operation Drop have worked steadily at channelling this interest and, after turning to production and DJing, have this year seen their hard work paying off. Over the course of this year, they've caught the attention of some of the scene's biggest DJs, including Distance, Icicle, J:Kenzo and N-Type.

'Dust' manages a sense of restrained aggression - with taught mid-range interspersed with hard kicks and played off against cinematic pads - reminiscent of Distance's Chestplate imprint, and shows the Italians at their best: making music that sits as comfortably in late night bus journey headphones as it does on a dancefloor.


Download: D-Operation Drop - Dust [WAV]
Download: D-Operation Drop - Dust [320kbps mp3]



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Free Download: Biak & Baitface - Cellula

Whilst the idea of a 'vanity press' might be more often frowned upon in literature, in the sister art of music - in particular independent and, for want of a better term, underground music - the concept can expect welcome, and anticipation. That is not to say that such welcomes are unheard of in the case of self-published literature, and in fact some of the most challenging and fiercely independent thought has in the past been inked and distributed entirely independently, but rather that when a producer or musician decides to lay a foundation from which to release their own music it is because they are confident in their own abilities of self-regulation and, to further the analogy, editing and censorship. Dubstep, despite its relatively short history, can already offer strong examples in the likes of, without wishing to draw comparisons, the DMZ or Chestplate imprints: both of which began as a outputs for their producer-founders' most defining sounds. And perhaps most important in all of this is that freedom of expression, and the fact of independence; regardless of successes or acclaim, or even the quality of output, this is something which all independent record labels share in common and is a key to progression in creative endeavour.

With all of this in mind, we have Baitface and Badimup. With release number one on the way, the official date set as the 21st September, and both tracks already receiving wide rotation, Baitface is giving out this collaboration with Biak for free. 'Cellula' combines cold, techy synths with stomping kicks and an echoic snare-bongo combination to build a fast-paced stepper; and with such quality being offered up for free, that all-important aspect of self-regulation is clearly being taken seriously already.


Download: Biak & Baitface - Cellula [WAV]
Download: Biak & Baitface - Cellula [320kbps mp3]



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