Listen to Skope’s 6-track ‘Beneath’ EP, out now on Slug Wife

Slug Wife seems to be a name on everyone’s mind these days, at least in the left-field bass community. Built on the ideal that genres should “be eaten” and artists should be given full creative freedom, the imprint has made a name for itself over the years through their heavily attended festival stage takeovers. Now the label invites UK-based veteran producer and sound engineer Skope for his newest EP project, Beneath.

Coming as one of England’s finest underground bass artists, the tenured heavyweight is part of the small wave of experimentalists who fused modern neuro textures with off-kilter sound design. Skope’s stylistic choices helped pave the way for what he called “neuro-hop,” blending hip-hop rhythms over bleak, saturated soundscapes. As that line of electronic music has made its way into the US over the last three years with overwhelming popularity, Skope has remained relatively quiet during that time.

Skope’s newest Beneath EP marks a further departure from his earlier, more dance-floor friendly productions in his Razorbeam and Rollerskates & Hoverboards EPs. The newly-minted effort also signals a return to the half-time drum and bass of his Strange Science EP, although with a completely new production philosophy. Littered with dark and verbose rhythmic motifs, ominous overtones, and glitched-out breakbeat stylings, the 6-track effort is the perfect monstorous collection that caters to the Slug Wife name.