Following last months review of ‘Buluu’ EP on TRUSIK, rising Japanese producer City1 deservedly makes an appearance on the Weekly Buzz for a second month in a row. His latest release sees him further demonstrate a determination to evolve and experiment within the realms of Dubstep, a pattern currently emerging out of Japan. Subaltern Records have the honour of hosting ‘Speak Out‘ EP, which features special guest Rider Shafique, contributing his masterful lyricism on the title track.
City1 pulls no punches on ‘Speak Out‘, doing Rider Shafique‘s iconic vocals justice by mirroring the melancholic themes with dark low end movements and eerie de-tuned chords settled in the background. The melody becomes lighter upon the ‘Speak Out’ hook; a more chimeful segment that offsets the the moody underbelly of the track. As great vocal lead tracks should be, it’s both impactful as a stand alone tune and being dropped in the mix. The following cut ‘Koroga’ blows the doors off, opening into a futuristic dimension. Taking its place as the stomper of the EP, City1 develops a gritty industrial future set against powerful kick heavy patterns. The rampant yet minimal design and sharp mid-range stabs take me back to Youngsta‘s Minimal Mondays show on Rinse FM, where I could easily imagine Yunx throwing it in alongside a classic Killawatt or Asylum tune!
If you’re a regular on H&B and you’ve perhaps begun to see a pattern emerging when it comes to my personal taste, you won’t be surprised to find out that ‘Zee‘ is my pick of the EP. I’ve become a sucker for a throbbing muddy bass-line. Somewhat meditative in some respects, it quickly builds up to the main event, an unforeseen alien invasion. The beings communicate through the wildest, most stunning synth work I’ve heard for a while. It’s spontaneous and unpredictable, effortlessly sending the record into a sci-fi movie and sees off the physical record with a lasting impression.
Digital exclusive ‘The Deepest‘ essentially carries out exactly what the title describes. Under most circumstances, the slick organic percussion would be a talking point, but the filthy growls of the bass-line certainly steals the spotlight here. Growing in movement as the tracks advances, I dare you to not screw up your face during this one!
A second digital exclusive ‘Rut‘ concludes this compelling EP, also known as the instrumental to ‘Speak Out’. A nice touch by both artist and label and something I always welcome with any EP lead by a powerful vocal track. Especially when the production is so clean.
Similar to ‘Buluu‘ EP on TRUSIK last month, City1 demonstrates his versatility once again, proving he can approach production at any angle and nail all elements. As mentioned previously, it’s a pattern that’s emerging from Japan with other producers such as HELKTRAM, Dayzero and Karnage doing their bit, certainly not shying away from a bit of experimentation. They’re collectively pushing the sound forward and blurring the lines between genres in a way that leaves me very optimistic about the direction the scene is going in. These movements appear to be paying off as, along with City1, they continue to make a name for themselves, now appearing on respected labels such as Subaltern Records. Subaltern being one of the many growing imprints in this exciting time that successfully select in demand releases consistently, building a formidable catalogue that includes some of the finest contemporary bass music around.
Check out City1 on Soundcloud and Twitter.
Check out Subaltern Records on Soundcloud and Twitter.