various: tectonic plates volume 3

The mighty Tectonic drop the third volume in their esteemed Plates series, compiling exclusive tracks from a selection of electronic music's leading and breaking artists. Since starting low frequency operations in 2005, the Bristol label has been a beacon for dubstep, bass and progressive electronic music fans, releasing music from artists of the calibre of Skream, Loefah, 2562, Peverlist, RSD, Flying Lotus, Joker, Addison Groove, Jack Sparrow, Photek, Benga, Digital Mystikz, and label-boss Pinch. Over the past year, album projects with legendary Jamaican dub producer Scientist, NYC beat-experimentalist Pursuit Grooves and live dubstep duo Author has reflected a broadening of Tectonic's core sound, while remaining faithful to its roots. On Tectonic Plates Volume 3, the first half offerings range across classic 140 bpm tempi, including Kryptic Minds' haunting opening declaration "The Talisman," Pinch's deeply cinematic "Blow Out The Candle," "Evolution" by Cluekid, and the supersonic "Mach" by Japan's Goth-Trad. Tribal influences permeate through Tunnidge's "Universal" and rhythms also swerve towards funky with an appearance from Roska on "480 BC" and, shot through with an array of classic scratch DJ samples, "Phantom" by Addison Groove. Cardiff's Monky introduces the second movement with the transcendent breaks of "Float" before the heavy-prog-rock stomp of Ginz's "Chrome" body-slams events firmly back into place. Three breakout artists are featured with recent Red Bull Music Academy participant Om Unit, Kevin McPhee (named in DJ Magazine's "Ones To Watch" for 2012) and Manchester's Illum Sphere, whose set at Radiohead's remixes album launch for Boiler Room topped a fantastic year. The album's closing scene is the epic 10-minute "Rogue State" by 2562.