You’ve got to smile when a new netlabel advertises itself as “Second Original Rudest In The Infants from JPN“. Anyone that makes a reference to Underworld’s classic album “Second Toughest In The Infants” has got to be worth checking out.

The HARUTA EP is a sampler album, the first from new Japanese netlabel Lowfer Records. The collection of tracks is categorized as “dubstep” but there’s a lot of variation here, which is nice.

From the opening track, Soda Float by Mononofrog_4sk, you know there’s something slightly retro about the feel. There’s a central section that I swear is like New Order’s 1963. Really nice happy poppy and dubstep tune at the same time. Cool!

In fact I’d say the first 4 tracks of the album all have the same happy feel, which doesn’t mean they’re all the same, but just all have the same feel good vibe.

By the time you get to Hit Me! by Yasterize you get more of the dub influences coming through, before the classic dubstep drop hits. Metastep by Dominik is equally dark and wobbly, but the mood turns upwise again, and by the time you get to Where Is The Sun, by Kard, you’re almost in trance-dubstep territory.

It’s not until you get to Miss Pararel World by Theory of Relativity that you hear some of the wacky, perhaps kitch Japenese-ness coming through, in between the wobbles.  The final track, Forest Bath by DJ Sea is a much more subtle piece and a fitting way to end a varied album.

I wish there was more to say about this album and this new netlabel, but there’s not a lot more on their website to say. My ears are thankful in any case!

Link to download the album.

Link to the netlabel homepage.

Link to a sample mixtape on soundcloud.