Con-figure Back alley/Toska (M Ocean Records)

Bristol based Con-figure has a fantastic work rate producing mostly chilled beats in a liquid style on labels such as Soul Deep and Liquid drops. He also has that classic tech sound in his repertoire which is illustrated perfectly on this release on London based label M Ocean Records. Let’s take a gander!

Back Alley – The tune starts with some lovely tight filtered drums and an airy atmospheric feel. We move into some more pumped up drums and some high pass filtered reese sounds which evolve into what is a pretty heavy drop. The bass is fuzzy and drives nicely and the drums are focused and lively. There are some cool fx and atmospherics providing a magical edge to the focused core of the tune. We move into a nice break which has a great use of fxs and some lovely percussion sounds. The second drop is really lively and lots of cut up bass sounds and drum ideas with plenty of groove as it rolls through the tune. Definitely one you can dance too and I can see it being used in many sets. The tune possibly ends a little abruptly and could have been filtered out in a similar way to the first half but having said that most djs would have mixed in a new beat by this point. The main things to note is how authentic the tune is in it’s classic feel with a nod to the modern era rollers. Overall this creates a great balance and will bring in new fans as well as pleasing all us old heads at the same time!

Toska – This tune opens with lots of atmospheric feeling and passion and dives into a classic break which is tight and punchy, filtering down into some lovely amen break drums which build us into a fantastic drop. The sub bassline is warm and powerful and really hits us with a deep presence which is well mirrored with very tight and precise drum beats. There are some classic ragga vocals and some expert fills and fxs which provide lots of interest. There are some nice complex ideas going on here but they don’t detract from the overall vibe and groove of the tune. The ride sounds that appear particularly stand out and are really nicely done and fit well with the pad swells and the heavy core of this track. There’s nice headroom, and everything is well produced and sits well in the ear of the listener. The tune eventually filters down into a break before working us up to the second drop. It’s not quite as smooth the transition into the drop as the first perhaps but once it gets going you are vibing again. The balance between a fairly aggressive bassline and beautiful airy pads, percussion and fxs is the thing that really stands out to me. This provides real light and shade and that is always something I look for in music of all genres.

Overall these are too very professional pieces of music. The mastering is really nice. Not distorted or over driven and maintains good focus. The production stems the balance between classic era dnb and that modern style of roller and should work well with punters and DJs alike. The tunes are getting great feedback and support from an array of DJs by all accounts and the future is exciting for Con-figure for sure. I expect this man to keep evolving and improving and excited to see what comes next whether it’s a chilled emotive liquid piece or a darker techy sound.