I wasn’t lying when I said you need to keep your eyes on Lampa earlier this year. The Manchester based producer was firing out all kinds of heat late 2019 and early 2020 which has deservedly paid off. From MUD to multiple self releases to a big collab on Deep Dark & Dangerous with Cartridge and Biome, the man is making moves and it continues this week with a release on the always reliable Instigate Recordings! ‘Celestial‘ EP not only features Lampa‘s well crafted future-dungeon sounds but he also welcomes a few friends along to add fuel to the fire. However today’s premiere features Lampa’s solo and EP title track, ‘Celestial’.
While much of the opening track offers Lampa‘s core deep dungeon sounds, as the name suggests, ‘Celestial‘ provides moments of introspection and star gazing ambience. Light, flickering synth notes dance through combinations of deep low end hums and classic otherworldly growls before things take a tougher turn, as fellow Mancunian Enigma brings the energy on ‘The Details‘. While usually dabbling at a DnB pace, Enigma combines with Lampa perfectly at 140. A dynamic combination of fuzz and distortion from energetic free-flowing bass-lines, with sharp expressive flute licks adding some spice. As the EP continues to exhibit the growing Dubstep pedigree developing in the north, upcoming Leeds based producer Gnasha provides the vibes alongside Lampa for ‘Highlander‘. The duo rock the system with deep and consistent sub-frequency pulses, forming the basis of this mystical collab. Echoing vocal trails and enchanted flute elements whip up an intoxicating aura, a feeling we’ll soon become familiar with as Gnasha moves onto Foto Sound very soon. Even though ‘Highlander‘ is one of the more candescent cuts on the EP, it’s worth noting the rough mid range riff that frequently cuts in, perfectly off-setting the chilled and uncanny charm.
B-Say winds up what is an impressively diverse record, taking on remix duties for Lampa‘s ‘Matrimony‘ which you can find as a free download courtesy of Instigate Recordings. With a release on the imprint himself (INSTi018), B-Say returns to Instigate heavily armed with signature dancefloor disturbing stomps, the toughest of the four, although the sobering, melancholic tones of the original rightly remain.
With their ear to the ground as always, Instigate brings Lampa on board just at a time when his dark, future-lead vibes begin to spread throughout the scene. If he continues to journey through a host of labels and continues to collaborate with some serious fellow talent, it’s only a matter of time before we see Lampa at the forefront of the genre.
INSTi027 is out this Friday (16th October) and available to download here.
Check out Lampa on Soundcloud.
Check out Instigate Recordings on Soundcloud and Twitter.