NC-17's Grindhou5e imprint is home to a roster of star names including State Of Mind, The Upbeats, Mr. Xplicit, Smooth, and the man himself. Now in its third year, the label is based in NC's home town of Toronto, Canada, and has become a go-to label for those looking for drum & bass with a difference.
Always hard, always dedicated, and always with an eye on the future. And now the UK's Voltage is bringing the flavour to the label, coming correct with a four-track EP.
Voltage is one of d&b's veterans, with a string of hits under his belt, such as Hard Goin, both under his own name and as a member of the mighty Cabin Fever. He's worked with a ranage of names throughout the scene, and is now dropping some massive tunes as a solo artist. Get ready to dive deep into some new sounds from Grindhou5e and Voltage.
The EP starts off with the quite frankly big Tingz A Gwarn. Floating around some old skool themes, Voltage brings all of his power and rage to the lead track. Snarling, slowly developing bass underpins some sharp, rolling breaks and eerie, unusual samples. Shimmering synths complete the package, making for an urgent, booming track to set things off perfectly. Element two of the EP is Element One, on which Voltage switches up on us, injecting some electronic flavour into the track's opening. Things continue in a dark, deep kind of a way, with some rangy effects put into the mix. An essential track, one not to be slept on.
Make sure you keep more than an ear out for Rollers Express, the kind of tune which might just blow your mind. Plenty of low end, plenty of funk-fuelled future sounds, and plenty tof grit and attitude, all delivered in the unique Voltage way. Every detail is looked into and covered, and the production is as exact as you would expect. Huge.
The final stop on the journey is Hornet, an insane, infectious slice of funk. Rolling beats, flavourful basslines and enough sting for even the hardest junglist, this one is right up there as well.
Voltage really can do it all, and does it on his new EP for Grindhou5e.