The third effort from San Francisco’s Surefire Sound label comes from two of today’s most engaging North American producers working in the nebulous realm of “bass music.” Atlanta’s self-proclaimed Boss of the South, Distal, collaborated with Vancouver, BC’s HxdB (Hexadecibel) and fellow Atlanta producer Mayhem for an EP that further exemplifies why the other side of the Atlantic may have a greater voice in 2011. Out today, Distal & HxdB’s “Typewriter VIP” and Distal & Mayhem’s “Frozen Barnacles” make up the core of this release, while this original of “Typewriter Tune” will no doubt pique your interest in getting the full package. Here Distal and HxdB crafted some of the more intricate and lush percussion among the UK bass familiars with a dizzying array of claps, triangles, and cymbals on constant rotation and synths that slip and slide with natural ease. There is also something wonderfully playful about this track—typewriter clicks and all—that could be completely engaging and fun on the dancefloor with out being overly distracting; a noteworthy feat in its own right.

Typewriter Tune