March: 7 bass & club releases you need to hear this month

Superfície 'Hélices' (Salviatek)

With a penchant for interweaving sounds of the natural world with technological apparatuses, Montevideo’s Salviatek label has been making a name for itself since 2015. Its first international release (following two stellar records from Pobvio and Lechuga Zafiro) comes from Brazilian producer Superfície, who blends baile funk rhythms with staggering percussive breaks and rainforest ambience. EP opener ‘Febre Do Vale’ is a deliberate midtempo march that traps you in a slinky crossfire of snares and lasers, while the lurching echoes at the beginning of ‘Hélice’ settle around you like a mist before giving way to stoic drum patterns.

The SoundCloud descriptor calls the record a “chase”, and the breathless, interlocking rhythms are what sets Hélices apart from other fast-paced club sounds; there’s a precision in the mix that’s rare to find. That precision extends to the release’s final cuts as well – Salviatek has a particular strength in knowing who to tap for a remix, and Club Chai co-founder Foozool’s version of ‘Dengue Drums’ smoothly flips the agitated energy of the original track, using hang drums and an ominous droning texture.

9/10