Repress!

More than ten years since he first emerged on Skull Disco, Appleblim presents his debut album. The label he co-founded with Shackleton was the first the world heard of his productions, but Laurie Osborne’s innate relationship with electronic music culture reaches back much further than those groundbreaking early days of dubstep. Early days spent soaking up hardcore, jungle, techno and plenty more besides were fundamental foundations from which to spring into the then-unknown realms of sub-low half-step club music. At that time FWD>> and DMZ were the church for this ritualistic sound, and Appleblim was a regular fixture at both.

As dubstep matured, magnified, mutated and meandered, so Appleblim moved beyond Skull Disco to explore different avenues of expression in the new many- layered club music landscape. His own Apple Pips imprint was a natural vessel on which to explore the emergent fusions of hardcore-derived sounds and the US-born house, techno and electro, while labels such as Aus Music equally provided a home for his work (often alongside Komonazmuk). Meanwhile long-standing collaborations with Alec Storey (Al Tourettes / Second Storey) finally manifested in the hyper-modern mind-twist of ALSO, captured as an album on legendary rave label R&S.

More recently it’s been possible to hear Appleblim delve into electro-acoustic and ambient production alongside bassweight sounds on Tempa, one of the original bastions of dubstep culture. As the existing boundaries between genres, cultures, eras and scenes continue to dissolve, on his debut album Appleblim offers up a fresh approach that brings some of the foundational sound ethics of rave culture into a modern framework.

Hardcore breaks are still a regular sound source in contemporary club tracks, but on Life In A Laser it’s instantly apparent that Appleblim has moved beyond choosing popular drum samples to truly tap into the elusive feeling engendered by the music of the era. It’s a tricky feat to manage, but in the pie-eyed chords of “Ignite”, the subby 808 tom basslines on “NCI” or the Mr. Fingers synth flex on “Manta Key” the sonic finish sports the same understated grit and grime that made those early records so timeless. There’s still space for modernism, not least on snaking 2-step killer “I Think We'll Let The Gas Sort This One Out”, but it’s offset by a layer of dust, not to mention an inherent moodiness that can’t be faked.

This fine balance of rave romanticism and future-minded approaches binds together in a cohesive conceptual statement. First and foremost it’s Appleblim’s personal reflection on the music that has moved him on countless dancefloors since his first flirtations with soundsystem culture. At the same time the canny influx of modern ideas into the soundworld of the 90s genuinely results in a new proposition, making for a perfect fit on the modern-day ‘ardcore fetishists label of choice, Sneaker Social Club. Many may claim to draw on old-skool influences in their modern trax, but take one listen to “Flows From Within” and you’ll feel the same time-slipping surge of future-shock as the ravers at Lost, Dreamscape, The Dungeons, Clink Street, Blue Note and all those other iconic spots.

Newton aka Nick Newton aka Nick Rhythm Section. You know this EP is going to hit the spot when you have one of the original members of the first rave super group on production!

Originally released on Rhythm Section Recordings in 1992, this EP will be well known to many who use to got to the big raves of the early 90’s. Every track captures that moment of history, erupting into peak time rave anthems with hooks and riff that imprint into your brain!

The tracks go from the darker side of the scene into full on rave anthems for the hands in the air crew. You know if it came out on RSR back in the day that it will tick every box and more.

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Brace yourselves for a heavy dose of hi-tech futurisms from a long time Sneaker associate. Laurie Osborne has held true to his free-spirited musical demeanour since his breakthrough dubstep years, springing across tempos and styles while holding fast to a deep-rooted raver's instinct. His profound appreciation and knowledge of vast oceans of music injects his sound with a boundless, playful enthusiasm. As was evident with his 2018 LP Life In A Laser and his ALSO collaboration with Second Storey, Osborne speaks fluently in the techno and electro vernacular as much as UK soundsystem gear, channeling a sparkling, melodic energy which typified those genres at their inception. On Infinite Hieroglyphics, Osborne trips into expansive imagined vistas and fizzy furrows with a pervasive sub-bass footing.

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Fresh off his album release on Sneakers Social Club, Appleblim links up with the Boogie Box Records crew to deliver two EPs on the Middle Eastern based label. First up. Two original tracks by the Bristolian artist, Vurstep and Dream Wisdom. Signature Appleblim crossover sound, floating betwee Bass, Breaks and House influences. On the B Side, Vurstep gets a rework by Shed and Forest Drive West. Always on point, Shed does what he does best. A grooving old school flavored bass and break remix. Followed by Forest Drive West's stripped down, mind humping, feet tapping basement flavor."


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Appleblim's third 12" for Tempa touches on the sonic territories explored on his first 12" (the experimental and amorphus 'Wandered' from Tempa101) while expanding on those ideas. The first track 'Minus Degree' is Appleblim at his most experimental. A beatless affair of sparse soundscapes and atmospheres. Full of tension, and crucially no release, you are swept away by the waves of synths and sub bass. Next track 'Move Them' is more traditional Appleblim - 4x4 and dub techno chords build a sense of momentum over the space of 7 minutes. A traditionally leaning techno tune with a UK twist, Appleblim's use of space and tension will keep any raver entranced. Final track 'Twist It Down' rounds out the EP with a subtle roller. Broken drum patterns and bright synths help in stripping away some of the darker undertones prevalent in the previous tracks.




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4 tracks taken from this years digital only releases alongside 4 original compositions.

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Coki’s seminal double A, “Tortured/Shattered”, finally repressed,

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Originally produced during 2003-2006, 6 Coki cult classics finally available on vinyl

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Bristol heavyweight K-Lone, arrives on Tempa with his 'Pressure EP'.

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Introspekt’s hotly anticipated debut album Moving The Center comes nearly a year after the release of her latest EP Tectónica. Set to be released on June 20th, Moving the Center sees Introspekt play homage to dubstep’s point of genesis in South London in order to then shift the center of focus from a singular point of origin, to a more global narrative of bass and vibration. The album blends UK bass with contrasting genres like garage and ballroom, creating the perfect feminine blend of these historically masculine genres. The album merges the Black diaspora from across the Atlantic, crafting a sonic world where past, present and future are parallel and immersed in an early millennium type dubstep soundscape. Speaking about the album, Introspekt says, “‘Moving The Center’ embodies an alternate perspective to that which has been dominant in dance music, particularly so-called ‘bass music’. The narrative it presents is one which throws a wrench in the seemingly common perception of Dubstep as a masculinist sensibility. ‘Moving The Center’ pushes a feminine physicality to the front of the bassbins. Femmes to the front!”

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3 heavyweight tracks from the collaborative duo of Jossy Mitsu and Bluetoof. Following their recent tour of China, Japan and Korea, BLUMITSU make their debut on Tempa with three club focused, hard-hitting tracks.

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Manchester native Alex Coulton has nurtured a reputation for creating sub-heavy rollers thanks to 12"s for the likes of Black Acre, Livity Sound and Bloc. With Gamma Ray Burst, the next in his series of releases on London low-end specialists Tempa, Coulton consolidates his sound to deliver some of the most sparse, rhythmic work of his career. With the record's title track, Coulton weaves from hard-hitting kicks, through to dizzying tribal polyrhythms the whole time maintaining a minimal, space driven atmosphere that remains omnipresent throughout the track's most intense moments. 'Ground Zero' revels in its spaciousness, allowing reverb to flood into the negative space between flashes of heavyweight techno percussion and saturated ripples of synth while the pulsating kicks that underpin 'Alpha Decay' are punctuated with bleak, discordant bells, rhythmic bass hits and hypnotic filtered percussion. Showing his diverse abilities, 'Phase Two' is an exercise in measured restraint, as a cacophony of clicks and hisses come together to disorientate before forming a driving rhythm section before Coulton maximises his expansive elements on the fog-tinged 'Ascent'. Closing with the steady flowing, brighter-hued melodic work of 'Distant Resonance', Alex Coulton has created a masterful collection of experimental tech-focused electronica that bewilders, intrigues and will draw the listener in with each play.



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Appleblim's third 12" for Tempa touches on the sonic territories explored on his first 12" (the experimental and amorphus 'Wandered' from Tempa101) while expanding on those ideas. The first track 'Minus Degree' is Appleblim at his most experimental. A beatless affair of sparse soundscapes and atmospheres. Full of tension, and crucially no release, you are swept away by the waves of synths and sub bass. Next track 'Move Them' is more traditional Appleblim - 4x4 and dub techno chords build a sense of momentum over the space of 7 minutes. A traditionally leaning techno tune with a UK twist, Appleblim's use of space and tension will keep any raver entranced. Final track 'Twist It Down' rounds out the EP with a subtle roller. Broken drum patterns and bright synths help in stripping away some of the darker undertones prevalent in the previous tracks.




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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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Appleblim's third 12" for Tempa touches on the sonic territories explored on his first 12" (the experimental and amorphus 'Wandered' from Tempa101) while expanding on those ideas. The first track 'Minus Degree' is Appleblim at his most experimental. A beatless affair of sparse soundscapes and atmospheres. Full of tension, and crucially no release, you are swept away by the waves of synths and sub bass. Next track 'Move Them' is more traditional Appleblim - 4x4 and dub techno chords build a sense of momentum over the space of 7 minutes. A traditionally leaning techno tune with a UK twist, Appleblim's use of space and tension will keep any raver entranced. Final track 'Twist It Down' rounds out the EP with a subtle roller. Broken drum patterns and bright synths help in stripping away some of the darker undertones prevalent in the previous tracks.




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Kosheen member Markee Ledge, making the most of the groups hiatus, brings forward three solo productions for his debut release on Tempa.



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Appleblim and October - two key figures in the Bristol electronic music scene - reunite forces to deliver 'Other Side of The Sky' for Tempa. A melodic and cycling kick drum and sub-bass pattern propels the spectral, white-noise hiss of the Original Mix forward on side A. Appleblim breaks apart and refixes the track for his remix found on the flip, in a style reminiscent of label mates Horsepower Productions - all dubbed-out tape echo and amped up paranoia.



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From across the pond, US producer Andrew Howard a.k.a AxH lines up another 12" on Tempa after his lauded first outing on the label back in February in 2014. Having also released records on Elk Beats and Dubs Alive - his latest 'Numbskull' 12" charters a familiar murky territory to his previous and features a brawny collaboration with Toronto based Gremlinz. The title track kicks things off with a lively melodies set tumbling over driven kicks, dramatic ride pings and fierce, roaring bass tones before 'Gem Tone' melds off-kilter and vaguely arabesque tones over capacious percussion that sits the tone comfortably in big room spaces. 'Hacker' then shoots off the blocks with mangled feedback signals and sharp, effective rim shots, while dense subs tremble beneath spectral reverberated atmospherics


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