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After a very short night in London for the definitive closing of The End, I was lost and tired in the middle of Soho. It was a regular Sunday afternoon, rainy, sad, and depressing. I was walking blindly along the streets when I suddenly met the doors of Phonica, one of the best record shop out there. My feet guided me to this place without even noticing it, the call of black gold is nowhere stronger than in the City !

The situation was perfect : a nice and warm place, a gentle staff, no other customers than me, my head fully stashed with the music of the night and a huge vinyl wall. A quick chat later I was able to go behind the desk and pick the records I wanted. At this exact time I decided to focus only on dubstep releases. I’m buying house and techno records everyday but to find interesting dubsteppin’ sounds in Belgium is another story. After all, I was in London and this genre is a speciality here ! You don’t go in a Japanese restaurant to eat some ratatouille…

2562 – Embrace (3024)

The most funniest way I found to begin this “London-English-Dubstep-only” fast track was to start up the hostilities with a 100% Dutch record! The mysterious 3024 label stands for area code Rotterdam, and artist’s name 2562 is from The Hague. Dave “2562” Huismans delivers a very ambient and dubby double sided, far from the rolling bassline of the genre. The synth stabs and spaced out drum patterns show you the way through the misty atmospheric pads. Close your eyes and you feel quickly walking into a deep fog, hardly dodging environmental elements, bouncing like a flipper ball all around the docks of Rotterdam.

Silkie and Harry Craze – Favela (break the habit)

First release on Break the habit imprint, they describe themselves as “a showcase for the deep, the different, the special”. They are not lying with Silkie and Harry Craze – Favela, the sound is warm but powerful. Cut-up voice samples and off beat piano keys, latin trumpet notes and a catchy bassline to make you sweat like in Brazilian suburbs. No salsa here gentlemen, this is pure urban music, rough and beautiful. Follow the drums and don’t forget your Glock, Favela is not for sissies.

Stanton Warriors feat. Big Daddy Kane – Get wild – Bassbin Twins remix (punks)

1987, I was still a young kid when the single Raw hit me full face. Hip-hop legend Big Daddy Kane was born and his first 12″ was and still is an anthem. 22 years later his voice is still strong and the Bassbin Twin treatment is a must! A pure dance floor killer with huge depitched notes, funky breaks and heavy bass. Played in the middle of a techno set, this record may do some damage, throwing everyone deep below human sanity. It sounds a bit like a sum up of what East Coast hip-hop was in the early nineties: funky and catchy as hell, far from the bling-bling MTV attitude.

Foreign Beggars vs. Rouge à Lèvres – Hit that gash – Dj Primecuts remix (dented)

When hip-hop meets house music and dubstep for a perfect fusion. In a nutshell, Foreign Beggars are coming from London and mainly active in the hip-hop and grime scene, while Rouge à Lèvres are from France (Paris and Perpignan) and define themselves as a mixture between several influences: deep house, broken beat, rap, etc… Spice it up with Dj Primecuts on the remix duty, member of the turntablists crew Scratch Perverts, and you achieve a recipe with strong flavour for your ear pleasure! Be careful with your loudspeakers, this track is drifting way more sub basses than the daily recommended intake!