Finally a collection El-B's groundbreaking and genre-defining beats surfaces on CD. Compiled by Blackdown, these are some of the rarer works and remixes in the El-B discography (no "Stone Cold" here sadly) that display El-B's transition from UK Garage and Jungle to what became the dubstep sound. It's easy to see the influence he's had on many top dubstep artists after listening to this collection. You can draw a straight line from El-B many of dubstep's most recognized artists, from Burial's beats, to Loefah's bass wobble - it's all here before it was anywhere else really. The "Neighbourhoods" remix of Zed Bias is a personal favorite, with it going back and forth from light to dark. Most of these tracks are nearing eight to ten years old, so for some this might sound a bit dated. But for those wanting to hear more of where the dubstep sound came from, besides the other Roots of Dubstep collections, I can't point you in a better direction.

2600 is making quite an impression in the hip-hop world. First, the sold compilation Home Entertainment, then the excellent mxi by Buddy Peace, and now this fantastic EP from Tommy Tempa. "Wonderland" was one of the best tracks on Home Entertainment, but Tempa is totally outclassing that track here, with incredibly fresh instrumental hip-hop songs. Lukid is the closest touchpoint here, but Tempa has a style all his own that includes much more of a jazz leaning. The opener "Nightfall Manoeuvres" has to be one of the most impressive hip-hop tunes I've heard in a while. Long and expansive, it's a statement of purpose. "Fallback" is calming and cool with its jazzy flute, but Tempa returns to the unknown with "Rollin?", a masterful track that has an awkwardness to the beat that becomes so charming. The title track mixes jazz funk with a sort of dubsteppy vibe. "Elevation" is more familiar territory for the hip-hop scene today, with its wonky beats. Tempa closes it out with keys and cut-up vocals on "Lost Souls". An excellent first expression of an artist's vision, Time To Run plants Tempa at the top of a list of hip-hop stars destined to break out in 2009. Note: CD/7" sold out. Vinyl coming soon.

Skull Disco co-founder and all around dubstep genius Appleblim helms the latest mix for Tempa's Dubstep Allstars series, and it's as good as one would expect from such a forward-thinking dubstep artist. Appleblim along with contemporaries such as Peverelist and Martyn have been quietly carving out a niche of more cerebral dubstep that is just as effective on headphones as on a giant soundsystem in a club. Here Appleblim uses Tempa's Dubstep Allstars as a platform to showcase this sound, as well as weaving it in with a more familiar dub and dubstep sound to show a 360 degree view of what's current in the dubstep scene. Appleblim pulls this off so effortlessly it's easy to overlook the scope of this mix, which is more concerned about a tracklist that works together than a list of hits. If someone's looking for a compilation of where dubstep is at and headed, this mix is a perfect way to find out.

2008 is going to be an exciting year for instrumental hip-hop; I can feel it. With new albums coming from some of the scene's most promising talent, there should be quite a bit of ammo to provoke a renewed interest in a style that has stagnated in recent years besides a few notables like Jneiro Jarel and Flying Lotus. The 2600 label's inaugural release Home Entertainment (released in late '07) gives us a peak at some of latest up and comers in the style, along with a couple of established names like Req, Lukid, and Buddy Peace and Zilla (sculptors of that brilliant WarpVision Mix). And it's nice to see that this crew is not a bunch of imitators. Home Entertainment explores a gamut of sounds within the hip-hop framework, with incredibly high quality control. Of course Req and Lukid deliver fantastic tracks here, but what's more impressive are some of the unknowns, like Tommy Tempa and The Contortionist. From abstract to straightfoward, this comp will give you a sense of where hip-hop is headed.

Having previously heard Beni Uthman’s "Music Box" on Mary Anne Hobbs’ The Warrior Dubz, I picked up his first full length on Tempa. The album is a total trip through some of the deepest, groovy and at the same time melodic dubstep that I’ve heard to date. Operating out of South London, Benga’s numerous 12"'s appeared on genre head-starters like Big Apple Records, Planet Mu, Hotflush, and Southside Substars. Diary of an Afro Warrior is more than just a collection of previously heard hooks shoved through the dubstep grinder; each is unique in texture, style, and rhythm. They contain that "in your face" attitude that I love so much about confident artists. Among the common groove treatments, I hear a prominent hip-hop influence, electro breaks, wobbly bass and even elements of minimal and funky house. With an incredible resource of ideas, directions and styles demonstrated by Benga, we can be very confident in accepting that dubstep is here to stay, and will evolve way beyond its current adolescent form.