From a weekend of introductory lessons in grime to a German and a Midlander unaware of the current musical climate for today's vinyl-centric youth....

Toastyboy: Too Hot / Guesswork (Storming Productions) - 12"
Horrified to hear the intro of 'Too Hot', it's as if the ghost of LTJ Bukem had reared its ugly head. But this quickly settles into a staple grime groove. Maybe not as nastier as some of the other cuts in this posting, but just enough to please the bass fiends.

DJ Distance: Replicant (Boka) - 12"
Anything with 'Blade Runner' samples in gets my vote. Sounds and sci-fi motifs previously reserved for dark electro get re-pasted onto an industrial dubstep rhythm. The searing B-line in 'Replicant' dominates, but the real find here is the understated mantra of 'Dark Crystal'. Tense as fuck, grime gets African.

Skream: Angry / Traitor (Ital) - 12"
Possibly the most sophisticated and minimal slice of grime I'll hear for a while. Give it six months before everyone else is catching up. Please purchase.

Vex'd: Canyon / Pop (Subtext) - 12"
Vex'd: Ghost / Lion (Subtext) - 12"
Vex'd: Function (Z-Audio) - 12"
Get the first two Subtext releases for sure, but skip the Z-Audio one (not exactly grime, more of an interesting breaks rhythm). 'Canyon' and 'Pop' go for the jugular with no build ups or breakdowns; just a continuous groove that's easy on the ear. 'Lion' on the other hand is just one big build-up with the most effective drop. Even if his debut album for Planet Mu is utter gash, at least he'll have this.

DJ Charmzy: R-Ha (Black Op's) - 12"
Roughly produced, this is a simple, sparse, effective rhythm; melody alternating between deep synths and violin strings. Reminds me of early darkcore, where jungle started to integrate an unsettling filmic vibe.

DJ Eastwood: Regime (Black Majik) - 12"
DJ Eastwood: Elastik / The Tunnel (Black Majik) - 12"
'Regime' and its 2004 remix are pretty standard, flat exercises, best used as DJ tools. But the B-side of 'Aftershock' reveals a drum-heavy variant on the dubstep riddim. But arriving further down the line and showing off a more intricate and complex approach, 'Elastik' sounds like Dynamix 2 doing dubstep; electro's New York rhythms made to move to a London beat.

DMZ 001, 002, 003 - 12"
Both Loefah and Digital Mystikz are given greater visibility on the second Grime compilation on Rephlex, but just as essential are these releases on Digital Mystikz's own DMZ label. Uncompromising / unrelenting, these explore the darker end of dubstep.

From the three twelves, you will comply with my selection of 'Chainba' (DMZ001), '10 Dread Commandments' (DMZ002) and 'Da Wrath - Souljah VIP mix' (DMZ003)....it's when they stray from the dancefloor that I start to tune in.