Pangaea – Release

Hessle Audio's impressive back catalogue of high-sheen, experimental future bass goes back to 2007, with releases from leading lights such as Ramadanman and Martyn. Co-founder Pangaea's contributions have covered a series of EPs and 12-inches, but with double EP Release he refines and updates his sound, bringing us his most cohesive and upfront tracks to date.

Lead track Game is slick, polished and distinctive, with tight, complex 2-step patterns underpinning a looping, square wave bassline and an infectious vocal hook. Elsewhere, Pangaea flirts with nu-skool breaks on Trouble, a track that echoes the sounds of early Deekline productions. Majestic 12 is a tight UKG / house hybrid, while Middleman takes a familiar rave-era vocal stab and works it into a tightly-produced, minimalistic slice of 2-step electronica.