Ursa Major - Test Match

Just in time for the start of summer, Notthingham’s Ursa Major returns to Trouble & Bass with a smooth pair of future garage burners for late-night lovers and headphone ravers. The follow-up to May 2011’s tropical and funky Blacklight EP and November 2011’s Low Rises Remix EP, these two tracks are more stripped down and sensuous selections, but maintain the classy melodies, clever subs and whip-sharp snares that are the duo’s trademark.

“White Caps” floats on a wave of first-crush synths and watery effects before dropping into a sleek palette of spacious drums seemingly abstracted from jungle and shipped hyper speed to the future. An ebbing sea of pads crests neatly into a wave of bass pressure, sending surprisingly grimey low-end coursing through the center of the track.

“Test Match” is a rolling drum workout, a mysterious cavern of stalagtite formations created from an endless drip of juking high-hats, shakers shed from bat wings and hard-water kicks. Heavy reverb and mysterious atmospheres abound, leaving plenty of room for the imagination – this is one minimal bass number that belongs in the crates of the most adventurous selectors, from forward-thinking techno DJs to the post-dubstep set.

It may seem like Kieran and Sarah have gone a mellower route this time around, but this is one release both outwardly lush and secretly banging, honed by the pair’s DJ gigs at Nottingham’s Stealth and around the UK. Fans of Addison Groove, Ben UFO, SBTRKT, Distal, Nguzunguzu and Throwing Snow won’t want to miss this one!

Releases on June 12, 2012