Pinch - Qawwali

Pinch, "Qawwali" (YSI link)

Pinch, "Qawwali V.I.P." (YSI link)

Dubstep isn't exactly the most maximalist music, so when a tune is called out for its minimalist approach you know you are in for some a serious sound redux. Pinch is the alias of Rob Ellis, the Bristol based DJ/producer, this is . One of the craziest things about this release is that it came on the Planet Mu label, home to such minimal talents as Soundmurderer, Venetian Snares and Shitmat.

This music is just as much for the late night as the Skream/Digital Mystikz stuff, it just seems more appropriate for the last few hours of darkness after an amazing night out, when that beautiful bliss comes over you and you just want something that lives and breathes and slows things down. There's space in this music, space to think that doesn't often come in dance music especially the bass-heavy stuff. Unlike anything else we've put up, "Qawalli" seems to almost look East (and no, I'm not referring to Bushwick). The subbass and are still there, but so are

The VIP version is my favorite, proof that deep down I'm just a paranoid, dark-hearted robot. It's all about the organs on this one, so ominous and creepy that they made me pee my pants just a little the first time I heard it when they came in for their first stab. For real, this is essential music, one of the best slabs of vinyl in a long time.