| A few weeks ago we posted on dubstep forum calling for new labels to make contact, and of the many promising producers and imprints who responded, York-based Shire Sound is the first of that crop to take the step into distribrution with Cargo, and we're very happy to welcome them on board. Shire Sound aim to bring in flavours from all sides of the dubstep sound, but with an emphasis on more thoughtful and mellower twists taking precedence over cone-melting subsonics or willful audio abuse. Currently working some of the best unsigned producers in the north, Shire Sound is certainly a label to watch out for in future. Their first release is a three track EP from up and coming artist Goku. Lead cut 'Finishing Touch' is a jungle influenced roller with elements of an 8-bit style, tooled for the club with a tight looping structure driven by functional sub-bass pulses, and an unpretentious deployment of tension & release drops coupled with an instinctive rising and falling energy. Flipsides 'Let Me Go' and 'Wall To Wall' display a more liquid sound, using full vocals to compliment a pair of tracks that will just as likely feature heavily on headphones as they will move the crowd in languid waves. 'Wall To Wall' is where this unhurried atmospheric style really bears fruit, as a tough slowed-down 2-step production creates a sense of space not often heard in the context of new dubstep. Goku's sound is not outright experimental, but at the same time he's not afraid to try out unexpected sound combinations and comes out the other side with due props as a promising artist. The 'Finishing Touch' EP won't be to every selector's taste, but it covers familiar ground with aplomb and a certain unpolished panache that will make it a favourite with many. 300 copies only. |
