Unlike most compilations, Artikal faces towards the future rather than looking back with a stunning collection of 14 unreleased and previously unheard tracks, from the likes of TMSV, label-head J:Kenzo, Thelem and American dubstep shaman EshOne amongst others. Established in 2012, the label is fast approaching 14 releases and is developing an ever-growing fan base. This album is filled to the brim with meditative rollers to low-slung club bangers, which are sure to spark up the interest of any dubstep aficionado and any DJ worth his stack of plates to continually draw for these tunes for years to come. The Artikal Music UK Compilation will be available in multiple formats, including a limited run of CDs, 2 x 12” Vinyl and a digital bundle including a continuous DJ mix.
Opening with a statement, J:Kenzo invites Dancehall veteran Collinjah to drop a lyrical furore over the industrial synths and haunting keys on the apocalyptic march of ‘Straight Defeat’. Meanwhile, a salvo of neoteric aesthetics and hypnotic textures on Thelem’s ‘Foul Play’ are a nod to the label’s exploration of kaleidoscopic sound design. Amongst the category of low-end bangers, Artikal recruits D&B stalwart Skeptical, Manchester native Biome, west-coast dubstep kingpins Matty G and Eshone, and Tempa heavyweights Truth to go straight for the throat. Tracks like ‘Solstice’, ‘Skavenger’, ‘Qualia’, ’Flatline’ (a J:Kenzo & Matty G collaboration), and ‘Questions’ come armed with bass-lines that burrow miles deep within the Earth’s core, while toughened percussion chips away at any last minute resistance to invigorate the dance.
Not to disappoint the more introspective dubsteppers, Artikal gives some well deserved breathing space to riddims like ‘Sheba’ by Italian group D-Operation Drop, TMSV’s ‘Scorpion’ along with his battery percussion re-work of Thelem’s ‘Shottaz’, and the garage-influenced reggae skip and swing of Mercy & B9’s ‘Butterfly Kick’ which floats like its namesake, but is guaranteed to cave in its fair share of speaker cones. Finally, secret DJ weapons like Sleeper’s ‘Coxsone Dub’, Thelem’s remix of TMSV’s ‘The Cosmonaut’ and Perverse’s ‘Subcontinent’ round out this well curated compilation and will drive any dance into a frenzy, begging for a rewind in a matter of seconds.
Artikal Music is proud to deliver a compilation that serves not a nostalgic retrospective, but showcases what the label does best, which is delivering up-to-the-minute thundering dubstep tunes by a unique selection of artists from all corners of the globe. This compilation will firmly secure Artikal’s position in the world of dubstep and serve as a testament to the progression of a sound, which is thriving more than ever on a global scale.
The Compilation is out now and available from the Artikal Music Store.
