Tag Archives: future grooves

Future Grooves: Flux Pavilion

Posted on July 8, 2010 | Leave a comment

One of the biggest dubstep tunes this year has to be Doctor P’s “Sweet Shop.” A little digging into Doctor P will net you associate Flux Pavilion. The duo have been making music together for years, and their latest venture was founding Circus Records, the Greatest Show on Earth for grimey, filthy dubstep.


Flux Pavilion (aka Joshua Steele) is another North Londoner churning out wobble-friendly, aggro-dubstep. Over just a few singles, he’s making a name for himself in the dubstep scene. His “Got 2 Know” is a downtempo jam with 90s keyboard synths, big grinding bass and vocals like those in “Sweet Shop.”

Flux also dabbles in some of the other UK dance flavors, like on the dancehall gem “Night Goes On,” or the luvstepper “Voscilate.” On the latter, he is both behind the boards and the mic, and the song shifts effortlessly between R&B influenced two-step and massive double-time wobble.

Still, when it comes to Flux Pavilion’s tracks, one thing is true: the dirtier the better. “How Rude” and “Show Off” use samples that lead some to call his work “pornstep.” Hear for yourself why on “Show Off,” a track that starts serenely enough before exploding into dubstep madness.

Flux Pavilion, Doctor P, and the whole Circus Records crew are producers to watch for pure dubstep bangers. Check out this mix the pair did for Ego Thieves for a taste of what’s to come under the big top at Circus Records.

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Future Grooves: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Posted on July 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

Most producers coming from the UK underground choose a simple alias: Rusko, Skream, Joker. Not so for one “Orlando Dinosaur,” who records under the unwieldy and redundant Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. If his name doesn’t catch your attention, his totally enormous tracks definitely will.

The mysterious Oxford producer has released two EPs on Greco-Roman, a DJ collective and record label that is also home to Buraka Som Sistema and Drums of Death. TEED makes bass-heavy dance music, a sweet concoction of electro, fidget, and dubstep.

Last year’s All In One Sixty Dancehalls alternated between summery dance tunage and throbbing sub-bass wobble, sometimes all in one song, like on opener “Bournemouth.” The standout track, “Moon Hits the Mirrorball,” adds glitchy chiptune and Factory Records-esque vocals to the mix.

TEED must save all his creativity for his music, because the similarly-titled All In Two Sixty Dancehalls dropped just a few weeks ago. Picking up where the first left off, the new EP finds an expanded sonic range and an increased chance for a breakout hit or two. “Garden” is laidback and funky, with a subdued synthline reminiscent of The Street’s rave-tribute “Weak Become Heroes.”


“That One” and “Dipper” flow from UK funky into deep house sounds, with the latter building into a pneumatic breakdown. Filling the EP’s “which of these is not like the others” role is “Blood Pressure (dub),” a Redlight-like dub-and-bass banger that features dub master Riko.

Like most producers, TEED is also trying his hand at remixes. His take on the Crystal Fighters’ “Xtatic Truth” takes the Baleairc beat to 11, getting grimey with it for nearly two minutes longer than the original. Which is perfectly acceptable to bassheads like us.

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Future Grooves: Roska

Posted on June 24, 2010 | Leave a comment

Last week, London radio station Rinse FM went legit, receiving an FM broadcast license. The pirate radio station (exclusively online since a government crackdown in 2005) has been a driving force in the UK underground dance scene since 1994. Garage, grime, dubstep, and UK funky have thrived with the support of the station, which has exposed the world to influential artists like Dizzee Rascal and Skream. The station also runs a record label, whose latest release is the full-length debut by UK funky producer Roska.


Roska (aka Wayne Goodlitt) is one of the foremost producers in a genre that – while sharing some influences and sounds with dubstep – has developed in response to the aggro-bro feel of the dubstep scene. The beats are closer to those of house, with a soca shuffle and tribal elements; UK funky is much better suited for dancing than for moshing.

Roska’s record is a great starting point for listeners unfamiliar with UK funky. Nearly half of the tracks feature R&B-flavored singers Anesha, Jamie George, and Nikki. These hook-based songs, especially “Love 2 Nite,” are all cross-over contenders. The first single, “I need love,” highlights the vocals and an insistent snare line over a bubbling bassline.

The album also features fantastic UK funky-dubstep hybrids. On “Time Stamp,” reedy synths do battle with a dark, minor-keyed bassline, while “Burn in Flames” pits flamenco piano against bouncing synths and some serious bass. The title of “Squark” refers to trill, bird-like synths that are met with a pulsing rhythm and slick guitar chords on the downtempo romp.

Roska is coming off a Sonar Barcelona show curated by dubstep diva Mary Anne Hobbs that also included sets by Flying Lotus and Joy Orbison. Check out the interview and mix he did for Hobbs on BBC Radio 1 back in March. With co-signs by Rinse FM and Mary Anne Hobbs, Roska is definitely doing something right.

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