- Innovative takes on UK garage from around Europe.
- "UK to the world and back," reads the biography on Rhythm Labs' Bandcamp page. The label's commitment to curating global sounds ensures that, so far, they're living up to that motto. Their debut release was a two-track fusion of Polish house and UK breakbeat. RL002 broadens those horizons with both international (Swedish and German) and homegrown takes on UK garage. Over the course of six tracks, these producers touch on addictive and experimental two-step that embody both day and night partying. Some of these dance floor heaters show just how much room there is left for innovation in UK garage.
The AM Side starts off strong with Heywood's "Untitled," a heady vibe that captures summer at its peak. It's sugary but perfectly contrasted by an abrasive bassline. Harry Felce's "Untitled" is slick with a mischievous energy, asserting its presence layer by layer until it becomes a fully fleshed belter. The pace is high while subtle, microscopic tinkering leaves your head spinning. Toof sees out the AM Side with "Lost In Ritz," where heavily delayed and filtered synths conjure an aquatic ambience, with a hint of dubstep.
Things get chaotic as the sun sets on the PM Side. Movement lives up to his name on "Angel 5am," the most dynamic track on the tape. Melodically, it's skeletal but rhythmically it's satisfyingly dense. Every pocket is filled with pin-prick percussion and erratic synth stabs. Rudebwoy Marsl's "Rotten Mule", with its relentless drive and unpredictable shuffle, is something to behold. His high-octane approach completes the transition from day to night without losing a degree of heat.
Tracklist01. Heywood - Untitled
02. Harry Felce - Wait A Minute
03. Toof - Lost In Ritz
04. Movement - Angel 5am
05. Daffy - Gunshot
06. Rudebwoy Marsl - Rotten Mule