- A veteran of London's pirate radio scene and the Anti Social Entertainment crew, DJ Heny G's debut of last year, Arena 1, hinted at his musicality; the lush ambient synths of the title track were closeted by a whomping bassline, but given kinder treatment on the flipside's "Retro Love," a calm and melodic marriage of intricate keywork and tempered reverbed beats.
After reportedly enduring a series of false starts with Deep Medi Musik and his own Gangsta Boogie imprint, Heny G is now stepping out with 3.5 Records for the first time. But despite the heavy dubs and grimey edge of 3.5's catalogue, Soul is Born Through Pain is the dramatically titled soundtrack of an artist completely surrendering to melodic instinct.
"Soul Is Born Through Pain" soars with swirling ambient synths and a mellow dub sway, grounded by a bassline that sinks inwards rather than propelling forwards. "Colours" is marked by breezy synth work, skittering kicks and chattering percussion, as the rapidly escalating arpeggios and a vibrato bassline juxtapose each other.
Closer "Charger" possesses a stillness, with a loosely stepping rhythm and lingering clouds of static chords. The delectably melancholy feel clings to each note like mist, with well-defined electronic influences giving the gentle roller some added bite.
Succeeding in reducing both the "dub" and the "step" to secondary players without leaving the arrangement toothless, DJ Heny G looks to be a key player for the future of melodic, soulful dubstep.
Tracklist A Soul Is Born Through Pain
AA1 Colours
AA2 Charger