A name that rose hard last year during the strongest and busiest year yet for hype bubbles was Blawan. And whilst most of those bubbles will level off or have already long popped, the name of Blawan is going to be around for a long time having established himself firmly in both the ever inventive and burgeoning bass music scenes of London and increasingly the techno fields of Berlin and beyond.

Details around this producer, self-described as being based in London via South Yorkshire are scarce. And in an age of sharing every minute details of one’s being (check Charlie Brooker’s recent piece about that very social mediated issue), I’m all for it.

Death Abyss who we featured on Mantis Radio recently, have even less details floating about than Blawan does and their music spoke volumes without needing to know they’d been raised on a diet of Prince and early Black Sabbath.

What there is, and I’m paraphrasing, is that he is a drummer. So that’s three points of interest. He is a solo artist, he is male and he is a drummer. That’s it.

So introductions are done. I wrote a short heads up piece last year highlighting Blawan’s superb remix of cerebral techno overlord Inigo Kennedy’s Revenge, which saw release back in October on ever on it Token Records.

Something that also saw release late last year is Peaches; a four version EP for Clone’s Basement Series. A groove permeating in each of the four cuts gets in and locks into my brain. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve had this EP on repeat beaming directly into my skull via the mighty power of my red and decidedly battered looking iPod nano.

The first version is Peaches (Coronation). Tight, filtered hats bring into a twang-like bass with a definite but mudded straight beat. It’s quick to lock you into that groove I mentioned. There is a definite rawness to the finish here, this sounds like a machine jam with minimal post DAW studio fiddling as do the remaining tracks.

Peaches (Freestone) is definitely a lighter touch that the opening Coronation. There’s still a definite drive but the drums are less bass heavy more clatter; there’s a shuffle to it. It’s that track that would be comfortable in house sets that want to switch up and dark techno sets that want to brighten that little bit and divert the floor.

The EPs third version comes as Peaches (Melting Flesh) and is a highlight of an already very strong EP. Think of it nestling between the first two versions; that beat together with the shuffle. The addition of that pitched down demon-like voice seals the deal for me. That and those mechanised quick fire claps, and, that heavy bass leaning down on you. Straight down the line awesome.

Finally the EP reaches its finish; the non-version, I’m assuming to be original, cut. The darkest of the four in my opinion and most ‘techno’ of the four too. Stripped down, and with the most pronounced beat yet akin to a hammer wielding demented goblin with a weight problem.

It’s still got that shuffle, that groove and just superb percussion work. From what I’ve heard of Blawan thus far, this is easily my favourite release of his. I cannot wait until he takes us somewhere else entirely on a longer LP format.

Essentially stylish and a name to keep a close ear on.

Blawan – Peaches
GRAB

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Blawan – Peaches (Coronation)
Blawan – Peaches (Freestone)
Blawan – Peaches (Melting Flesh)
Blawan – Peaches
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