OB1, Austin Corrosive, MK303, Tassid – Digital Rejects 001

Though the System Rejects crew are sticking to their original philosophy of keeping it vinyl, they’ve launched an offshoot  label for exclusive digi releases. There’s no crossover, they promise, and on the evidence of this first outing, no dip in quality either. Oh, and they came fully tagged.

Things kick off in fine style with Acid.647  by OB1. It has cantering percussion and a lovely echo-soaked kickdrum, with a brutal acid line acting as a framing device of for high-pitched squiggly sirens. A metallic riff not dissimilar to the breakdown in Unlucky Punk by Magnum Force completes the picture. Like a lot of the best London-style Acid out this year, it nods to the past while sounding bang up-to-date – with the emphasis on bang.

Next, Austin Corrosive’s Head Off finds him in a discursive mood, letting one of the acid lines meander down interesting melodic avenues before pulling it all back into shape where it tussles with another, both vying for supremacy of the track. Think of The Oracle by Cosmic Trigger given a sprayjob and you’re almost there.

Meanwhile, MK303’s Hero Challenge is as hard as nails. I dare you to listen to the intro without clenching your jaw. Jagged sounds drop in at will, intensifying what is a brutal, thrilling experience, while at the 2.47 mark there’s a break that is absolutely not to be missed, before a monumentally epic, transcendentally headfucking outro. There’s only one word for it, and that word is ‘Whoosh.’

Rounding out what is clearly a thoughtfully constructed release (two total bangers, two more idiosyncratic tracks) is Only Some Will Understand by Tassid. A breath of fresh air, it more or less dispenses with the usual structure, serving up a machines-in-crisis sound that not only rewards repeat listening but sounds brilliantly disruptive in the mix.

Get if from: System Rejects

A.P., Josh Inc., MK303 & Tassid – Skuxx003 (Skuxx)

All your favourite Acid producers have tucked away their 303s for this Skuxx release. First A.P attacks Tassid’s awesome Raw ‘n’ Dirty on the remix. The original is a beast of a track, a coachload of screaming, terrified cheerleaders hurtling towards a cliff edge as the driver clutches at his chest and slumps dead to the wheel. Cleverly, A.P saves the cheerleaders. He even has the cheerleaders celebrating at the precipice as he reforms the tune into a bouncy party centrepiece. And it’s a cracker.

Meanwhile, Paranoia by Josh Inc. is a bit of a Marmite track, which is all I’ll say about that. Next, things get real filthy for MK303’s Section 6. Industrial-revolution era beats, metal-on-metal sparking: the man like Matt Knight lays down some extra-special powerage here, and the ‘section 6’ vocal gives it a focus, although it never quite develops as much as you wish it would. Lastly, Wretch is another hard-assed torture-chamber tune from the ever-dependable Tassid. It’s hard, it’s filthy, it sounds like demented tramps playing with operating-theatre equipment and it has a series of late-period breaks that keep the energy levels high.

Get it from: 909

MK303 – Circuit Protocol 006 (Circuit Protocol)

New on Circuit Protocol comes this from Matt Knight, aka MK303, and it’s a cracker. Maniacs on bongos kick off Parallel Universe, a riff kicks in and it’s a good riff, it’s a livable riff, but what sets MK303 productions apart is his readiness to take it to the next level, and sure enough he does that here – and how. A cloud of dust heralds the arrival of the 303, which bosses the song from good to brilliant. Another one appears and we’re talking some serious hed-melting, psychedelic shit here, completely nuts and irresistibly funky.

Risky Neural Stimulant at first appears to be a more laidback venture than Parallel Universe, until it really gets going. Imagine the bassline to I Feel Love on steroids and you’ve got the picture here. It fair thumps along, with intertwining 303s slithering between skyscraping kickdrum. In short, these are two absolutely storming tunes and this EP comes highly recommended.

Get it here: 303 Acid Techno

MK303 – Official 002 (Official)

The Brain: a beautifully languorous opening introduces a solid kick, a double dose of itchy and scratchy acid and a tremendous vocal sample. After about four minutes comes the break and the track really lifts off, the 303s blasting away in a squealy nineties style. It’s good, solid acid, exactly what you’d expect of the man like Matt Knight. Tribal drums are the standout feature of the flip, L.M.A.O.O.M.G before at 3.32 you’re treated to a breakdown with all the trimmings: an acid line that snarls and tugs at the leash, declamatory vocals, a smart ratcheting drum sound and then BOOM. Meanwhile, if you’re jonesing for these – and to be honest, if you’re here, you will be – then, firstly, head over to the new and improved Soitiz site, where you’ll find plentiful MK303 goodness, including a brand new free track, and secondly navigate to his Soundcloud page, for yet more bruising acidity, just the way we like it.

Get it from: 303 Acid Techno

The post with everything. Free Acid AND a Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers pic

Look below or scoot on over to Soundcloud for some tasty free acid from one of the best new producers around, Matt Knight AKA MK303. Topping off a good year, in which he’s graced us with the insane, V for Vendetta-sampling Acid Revolution for CDJ303 and stonking releases on Chase Yer Tail, Corrosive and Soitiz, MK’s laid on some super-fine tuneage here, both top quality but with Don’t You Know Who I Am? feeling my needle the mostest. That breakdown at the halfway mark seals the deal for me, and I love the X3 sample.

A.P, Josh Inc., Bonz, Graham Acidic, OB1, MK303 – CDJ303 03 EP (CDJ303)

Conspiracy by AP & Josh Inc. kicks off the EP with two acid lines that tussle and scratch like fat lady wrestlers, before another one joins them and things get real messy. Meanwhile in the background a sampled John F Kennedy talks about being opposed to secrecy and secret societies. I used to love it when Acid Techno felt like a political force as well as a party on plastic, and this is a return to those happy, happy days, when hangovers only lasted till Wednesday.

What’s to love on No Idea by Bonz & Josh Inc.? Everything. The lowness, the fatness of the riff, not to mention some effects that remind me of playing GoldenEye on the N64. Along comes more acid, more fatness. It’s one of those tracks that if it was a dog would be a big rabid one. This, ladies and gentleman, is the sound in Cujo’s head when he’s lying in the yard waiting to maul Donna and Tad to death*. Oh and then, joy of joys, a classic Marky Mark moment from The Departed. My favourite of the EP.

Get Ready by Graham Acidic & OB1 shimmies into view and it’s time for your acid-line workout here. As ever where OB1’s involved, the 303 is tweaked and manipulated to perfection. It soars, it swirls, it fizzes like an over-carbonated bottle of Soda Stream ready to shower the kitchen in a sticky residue of something that’s supposed to taste like Coca Cola.

‘A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having’ begins Acid Revolution by MK303, as a sprightly kick lays foundation on which multiple, old skooly acid lines build and screech and bicker and whine. If I say this’ll put you in mind of The Rabbit’s Name Was then you’ll know we mean that as the highest praise it is possible to confer upon a tune. And that’s before a positively stunning breakdown and squirly climax.

*Interesting fact: Donny Pintauro, who played Tad in the film, now sells Tupperware.

Get it from: CDJ303