Mengzy Selects - 013 / June

Welcome to ‘Mengzy Selects’, a monthly column which features eight recently released tracks by producers and labels in Asia and across the Asian diaspora. Your host is Mengzy: a Hong Kong-based DJ and producer, academic, music journalist, and co-founder of Feed the Dragon.

Manchester-based Korzi dropped his second Bone Idle release this month via ‘Purgative / Burning Bridges’, a headsy two-tracker at the intersection of techno and bass. The producer, real name Wakil Ahmed, launched Bone Idle in September of last year and is also a co-founder of the rising Left, Right & Centre label.

Cool and collected, ‘Purgative’ effortlessly traverses broken beat rhythms and ambient synths in a sparse arrangement. Ultra-crisp sound design and an understated groove are the defining features of this fusion offering.

Listen to ‘Purgative’ here.

In celebration of its third anniversary, Italian label Early Reflex recently released their fourth VA, Flex004, bringing together an exciting array of leftfield club and techno sounds.

Experimental opener ‘Puzlz ‘, by Kyoto-based producer Naco, plays with a two-step beat while incorporating techy textures and flourishes. In the second half, organic drums enter the fold, adding an interesting counterpoint to the track’s techno core.

The compilation also features tracks by Taiwanese artists Sonia Calico and B E N N.

Listen to ‘Puzlz’ here.

‘Pak Choi’: a nostalgic and hauntingly beautiful title track from a deeply personal EP by Shudan.

Speaking to Mixmag Asia via email, the producer shared: “In recent years I've been exploring the intersection of my heritage and growing up and living in East London. I think that's why I've always been drawn to the sinogrime sound, which I'm still exploring.”

The EP marks the British-born Vietnamese-Chinese artist’s third outing on White Peach and features grime, dubstep, and garage influences amid traditional Chinese samples.

Listen to ‘Pak Choi’ (feat. Yunxiao) here.

Indian-born and Toronto-based MALFNKTION dropped the bootleg we didn’t know we needed this month with ‘Future 369’, which samples a song from an iconic Telugu sci-fi film from the early 90s.

Grabbing a female vocal chop and orchestral stab, MALFNKTION recontextualises the decades-old Tollywood references into a contemporary, rave-ready electro bop. Clips from the film, called ‘Aditya 369’, are also featured in a sick visualiser that accompanies the track.

Listen to ‘Future 369’ here.

We’ve been following Sydney-based label Extra Spicy for a while now. Consistently strong across its catalogue, which includes an exceptional VA series, the label is noteworthy for signing tunes exclusively from Australian artists.

While Extra Spicy usually focuses on bass, its latest release, ‘A Family Affair’ by Flexy Ferg, is in the acid techno and tech house realm. That said, Macca.47 rounds off the EP by reimagining techno opener ‘Dance With Me’ as a groovy 2-step garage littered with breaks and wobbly bass.

Listen to ‘Dance With Me’ (Macca.47 Remix) here.

Last month, Los Angeles-based Taiwanese producer Yunna dropped her debut EP, ‘Rinne’, on Worst Behavior Recs. Formerly known as Wolfbaby, the project also debuted Yunna’s new artist name – a move symbolic of a “reclamation” of her Asian heritage, according to the label.

This month, the New York-based imprint followed up with a two-track remix EP featuring reworks by British producers Addison Groove and Fixate. The collaboration is fitting, seeing as ‘Rinne’ was heavily rooted in breakbeat and hardcore.

On his remix of ‘Day’, Addison Groove blends American and British influences in his signature style, as showcased on previous releases. The result is a vibey, upbeat and bouncier take on Yunna’s breaks-laden original.

Listen to ‘Day’ (Addison Groove Remix) here.

Earlier this month, Tokyo-based Drunken Kong debuted on legendary Swedish label Drumcode with ‘I Want to See’, an explosive four-track techno EP.

The duo, made up of D. Singh and DJ Kyoko, craft peak vibes across the entire EP, which closes with ‘Need It’, an expansive 4/4 belter that features an alluring, dubbed out vocal sample. Close your eyes and enjoy…

Listen to ‘Need It’ here.

Having recently co-founded and launched a new experimental imprint called ‘Turing’ with partner Oyubi, it’s a wonder Osakan producer Fetus has had time to craft some self-releases on the side.

One of these is ‘Etching’, a hypnotic liquid roller that snakes through kinetic, tech-infused atmospheres. Fetus is no stranger to drum ‘n’ bass, a genre he returns to frequently, but the artist is probably best-described as a multi-genre bass producer, given his masterful explorations across the bass spectrum.

Listen to ‘Etching’ here.

Want to be featured on ‘Mengzy Selects?’ Email promos to [email protected].

[3D cover art by Daniel Stiensmeier]

Mengzy is Mixmag Asia’s Music Culture Columnist, follow her on Instagram.