Appleblim / Various

Despite five excellent compilations so far, each featuring the freshest tracks by the likes of DMZ, Loefah, Skream, Hatcha, Youngsta, Benga and Kode 9, the Dubstep Allstars series has been severely lacking in a degree of variety in the overall sound of the mixes. With the likes of Burial rising to prominence and many around stretching beyond the confines of the original ideas of the burgeoning scene, the progression has taken the genre into many schools of thought and created some of the best new work in each of those classrooms. What Appleblim demonstrates with the sixth of the series of Tempa Recordings compilations is the dub-iest, most harmonic side of the music, flowing directly from the bass and surrounding it with warmth in the other octave ranges. Gently converting the darker aspects to mournful textures, and with beats taking tech-ier forms distinct from the traditional two-step breaks, the mix not only shows dubstep in a completely different light but also explores the versatility and boundaries that may be one possible future.