Roskas Shocking EP is the latest release from the long-running Rinse producer and his firstfor the label since last years Rinse Presents: Roska2 LP. It finds the UK innovator on his usual fiery form, drawing for his characteristic deftly swung percussion and grime-infused sub-bass pressure. The explosive title track is the most overtly grimey Roskas sounded for some time, slow-building intro giving way to a pulsating bassline and caustic laser blasts.
As with all his best work ittoes a tense line between visceral impact and house’s perpetual motion groove, switching betweenthe two to exhilarating effect. The EP also features two vocal collaborations. ‘Changed’ is an infectious slice of pop-infusedhouse, its percussive flurries and synth haze a back- drop for the chatty flow and sung vocals of Birmingham MCC4- best known for last year’s ‘Off Track’ and ‘OoRITE’. On ‘Desire’, Vanya’s vocals soar above an anxious, fidgety beat whose whose drums rattle and shuffle within a thicket of interlaced melodies and bass blasts. ‘Penetration Test’ rounds the EP off in raucous style: chunky bleep motifs, razor-sharp handclapsand a deadly undertow of sub-bass, primed to stop dancefloors in their tracks before sending them into feverish overload.