Manchester’s latest Dubstep prodigy Maes lands himself another huge release this week with a debut on Navy Cut, arriving as yet another super raw, super talented producer to enter the imprint’s roster. No less than fourteen releases deep now, label head J Sparrow and crew have curated a back catalogue with some of the most rich, authentic sounds that can currently be found, whilst letting producers express themselves and indulge in their own bass-weight lunacy. For NC014, Maes creates three sound-system heaters of his own. For the most part, a tribute to the simple yet powerful sounds of og Dubstep.
Lively sub movements and cascading bass-lines dominate the opening ‘Tallawah‘. A simple yet classic marriage of dynamic low end grooves and pin sharp percussion, the reverb on that snare is simply mouth-watering. But nothing could prepare you for the following ‘Flippy Neck‘. ‘Flippy Neck‘ indeed – I nearly lost my head when I heard that ten tonne bass-line kick in! Tougher than Ronnie Kray in a London pub, there’s a reason why I’d consider this for track of the year, this is some serious gangster business. I use the term ‘powerful minimalism’ a lot, probably too much, but in this case it’s more than appropriate. Out of the ‘Flippy Neck‘ darkness and into the shimmering ‘Gods Gold‘, Maes concludes with a warmer grin inducing bass-line, comforting like a warm bowl of toffee pudding. The percs are so distinct and penetrating, you’ll be wondering if you’ll ever find anything as crisp and striking again.
By my count, NC014 is at least the second must cop record from Maes this year, following the unforgettable ‘The Fury’ EP on Locus Sound. Through these releases and other features, he has quickly become a proven force within the genre. After all, if that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t be on one of the most impressive and authentic labels in Dubstep right now.
NC014 is out now an available on vinyl and digitally from the Navy Cut Bandcamp.
Check out Maes on Soundcloud.
Check out Navy Cut on Soundcloud.