Premiere: Shu – MK2 (RARE12)


If there were a set of commandments for the Honey & Bass blog, one of the first would be ‘thou shalt feature new Rarefied releases in some capacity as is deserved’. So here we are with the twelfth edition of my favourite label with a fresh face, Shu. And not only that, but today we have the pleasure of premiering one of the tracks from this raw, triple a-side EP, ‘MK2‘!

RARE12 certainly comes in with all the right intentions with the stunning ‘Zero Sum‘, setting the path for the following two tracks. Through mystical wavy synth leads supported by icy trap drums and subtle details, Shu dives into cold swampy marshlands that doesn’t seem of this world, in keeping with the carefully curated sounds of Rarefied. The following track ‘Visitor‘ heads into spacier territory, a minimal track holding throbbing low end weight that, similar to ‘Zero Sum‘, progresses into a more energetic piece by way of intensified fluctuations and added mid range grit. Not forgetting the subtle detailing in his other worldly sampling, effortlessly woven into the spacious arrangement. Our premiere ‘MK2‘ completes the trio of sci-fi inspired bangers where Shu showcases another cutting edge sample based composition whilst heading to the trappier side of his arsenal through his drum kit selections, particularly on those animated hats riding the rhythm at the forefront.

Throughout the three tracks, Shu perfectly balances his clear creative inspiration of sci-fi sampling and spacey constructions, but retains a murky darkness that’s deserving of a spot on the ever growing and spellbinding Rarefied roster.

Rare12 is out on 21st June and available to pre-order here.

Check out Shu on Soundcloud and Twitter.
Check out Rarefied on Soundcloud.