Mount Kimbie‘s two EPs ‘Maybes’ and ‘Sketch On The Glass’ were undoubtedly highlights of 2009. And the duo have now gone and produced arguably one of the best albums of the year. Rather than the dubstep ilk they’ve been lumped with, experimental-electronica-within-a-very-tentative-dubstep-mould would perhaps be a more fitting label, if a slightly less catchy one. There’s generous lashings of wonky instrumental hip-hop in there too, but with a smoother aesthetic than Rustie & co, making use of everything from 8-bit melodies and crackling white noise to (the obligatory) R&b vocals samples and shimmering synth work.
Andreya Triana – A Town Called Obsolete (Mount Kimbie Remix) [pelski highly recommends] {buy}
Offline dexterity wield some satisfying tribal knocks before slipping into a whirring medley of synths. Thanks to our buddy Jack from Pipedown for these.
Disclosure – Offline Dexterity {buy}
This track’ll fast become a fairly addictive guilt pleasure. Brenmar‘s high-speed garage beats excitedly snap at those deliciously cheesy vocals:
Aaliyah – R U That Somebody? (Brenmar Windy City Mix)
Untold’s one of the most interesting producers in the dubstep/bass game right now. This remix, given out for free in concordance with a Bacardi promotion (or something), isn’t his best, but it has some lovely rattled percussion and shuffled beats. However I feel like the overbearing bass lets it down a little:
Untold – Molasses Guaguancó Unity Master
UK Funky has its ups and downs to say the least, but Roska’s productions really are superb: for instance, the nimbleness with which he neatly slots those light tribal flutters between the high ends in Quicktime:
