SINGLE: GUY ANDREWS
The Wait / Hands In Mine (Hotflush Recordings)
After his ‘Shades / Textures’ release on Hemlock last year, Brighton-based producer Guy Andrews has been attracting more and more attention for his techno, house and UK bass sounds. ‘The Wait’ is a modern techno tune that’d have Berghain heaving and even the most discerning listener toe-tapping relentlessly. ‘Hands In Mine’ seamlessly slips genres, starting out as a progressive, deep house rhythm and sliding into a heavy techno/bass fusion, with atmospheric tension building throughout. Double A* for this double a-side. (JMM)
ALBUM: MUTE SPEAKER
Post Block (self-released)
Prolific local producer Mute Speaker has just made an album with perhaps the most diverse and far-spread collaborations we’ve seen this year. All beats are his own and the celestial artwork is by local graphic designer Alfonso Cruz Castillo, but the vocals have been sourced from as far as Sheffield, Italy, LA and Macedonia. The warm and sultry beats of ‘Day By Day ft. Shiula’ are our favourite, but it’s a close call. Stream all 22 tracks at mute-speaker.bandcamp.com. (JMM)
BOOK: CHEEKY WALKS IN BRIGHTON & SUSSEX
Cheeky Guides
If your country brogues see more of the Green Door Store than England’s green and pleasant land, then this should motivate you into heaving your sorry hipster arse out into the open air for a constitutional. It’s full of pop culture and local knowledge – including a topical film suggestion to complete each walk – and if your weekends are too debauched to cope with greenery there are city walks to turn the tedious quest for Rizla into a rewarding round trip via the corner shop. (RK)
SINGLE: SUAVE DEBONAIR
Play Your Game ft. Pete Cannon (self-released)
Having clocked up thousands of YouTube views for his comic guest rap on the original, explicit version of Stooshe’s ‘Love Me’ (kids, if you’ve not heard it, check your folks aren’t in the room before pressing ‘search’), Brighton MC Suave Debonair builds his profile further with this crossover track. Dropping easily graspable references over solid stomping beats, Suave announces his commitment to the new woman in his life, perhaps not entirely seriously. It’s bright, daft, and tooled for daytime play. (SH)
ALBUM: DONNA FULLMAN
Inner World (Lyrically Speaking)
Londoner Donna Fullman came to Brighton when she got into BIMM on the strength of her voice alone, so it’s fitting that ‘By The Fire’, the opening track on this debut album, begins with her a capella singing. Fullman’s vocals are soft and restrained throughout ‘Inner World’, matching the relaxed musical atmosphere conjured by former My Little Problem fellow Simon Janes. The black velvet folksiness of Fullman’s songs suits a late night listen, so please don’t operate any heavy machinery. (SH)
SINGLE: SLEEPIN’ GIANTZ
Badungdeng (Tru Thoughts)
Sleepin’ Giantz is a collaboration between Manc garage producer Zed Bias, former London Posse man Rodney P and fellow UK hip hop innovator Fallacy. After appearing on this spring’s installment of Tru Thoughts’ limited ‘Black Gold’ series, the irresistibly bouncy ‘Badungdeng’ is sensibly getting a full standalone release. “It’s raving time again” promise Sleepin’ Giantz, over speaker-busting bass wobbles, something we’re happy to go along with if these body-movin’ beats are the soundtrack. (SH)
ALBUM: AMONGST THE PIGEONS
Get Amongst It (Marowak Records)
Producer Charlie Thompson returns with his second Amongst The Pigeons album, once again enlisting an impressive set of guest vocalists including fellow Brighton residents Chris T-T and Stick In A Pot. ATP (that acronym must cause confusion among the international tennis playing/indie rock fraternities) mixes up rhythms ranging from gentle loops to springy disco, with a handful of random, sometimes nonsensical, samples scattered around. The song-orientated tracks are the obvious picks, but ATP’s restless imagination throws up plenty of inspired moments. (SH)
Words By Stuart Huggett, Rosie Kendall, Jessica Marshall McHattie
