Download: Jon Kwest's new Dust Mask compilation

Seeing the name Jon Kwest on something means you have a guarantee that what's within is going to be somewhere between top quality and the top drawer, so arms are well and truly open for his new compilation, which sees moombahton hanging around the M25 waiting for the tip-off for the location of the party, rediscovering the original rebel buzz of UK Hardcore.

Moombahton's rapid progress is in part due to its quest to push its limits, to experiment with genre conventions to see what fits. The beat beneath is fine, that's pretty much locked – a hearty dem bow rhythm set to 108bpm or thereabouts, just tickle the snare texture and add percussion to taste. But everything else on top is up for grabs – we've had Heartbreak pushing both the soul and dancehall elements, and now Philly-based producer and BMore Original don Jon Kwest is drawing a line between moombahton and the rawness of Hardcore for his new Dust Mask comp, which you can download now from Pop Culture Care Package.



Let's let Mr Kwest fill us in: "I was around to hear these originals when they dropped, I had a sister who listened to house music and I recognized, even then, that most of the songs were just two existing popular house/techno records sped up with a Simon Harris break over it and I loved it! Not to say I didn't love the original tunes, but something about just snatching something and making it new always appealed to me. There are a lot of parallels between UK Hardcore and Moombahton - back then they sped it up, now we slow it down. Some people hated it when they first heard it, then grew to love it. It was, and still is, all about a good nasty time. I can't tell you how proud I am of this project. Despite their busy schedules, everyone really came through and showed their ass!"

With respect to said guys - like Smutlee, DJ Melo, Uncle Jesse - I'm not sure if I want to see their asses. No offence, you understand. Bare cheeks aside, this ongoing genre-dipping restlessness may suggest an identity crisis, but it feels more like a drive to find a sweet spot. The riffs of Dirty Dutch house have a finite appeal for mant, so exploring formats to find one new magic element that sets off the beat is totally logical. Either that, or moombahton is the proverbial shark that dies when it rests. While there's the potential for Dust Mask to be little more than a new angle, instead it's a project that finds its own spot. A while back, I figured that the UK guys would soon be producing a sound that had the fierceness of moombahcore with the drive and party bounce of moombahton, but it hasn't quite panned out like that, instead the US boys have moved towards that – and this comp is packed with it, taking the dubstep-derived moombahcore wobble and fusing it with the siren blare of Hardcore. Also, at the moment there's a need to further nail the use of melodies beyond the snippet sample – Dust Mask in places takes on that challenge, with heavily reverbed vocal lines and the naggingly hypnotic gargantuan riffs reminding us that killer beats and placeholding melodic considerations won't be enough in the long term. There are some beauts from the likes of Kwest himself, DJ Melo, Smutlee, Uncle Jesse, Ckrono, Pickster One and the Tactic boys — now all you need to do is download the damn thing and tuck in.

Then head make sure you over to Jon's place at Moombah Original and grab the mixtape that goes with the comp.

JON KWEST

(MOOMBAH ORIGINAL)

PRESENTS:

DUST MASK

MOOMBAHTON VS UK HARDCORE

The Awsome 3 - Don't Go ............... Nate Metro Ft Avonlea (Pickster One Rmx)

Bass Boy - Let The Bass Be Louder ....................... Steve Konkel & Nate Metro

Skin Up - Juicy Red Apple .............................................................. Jon Kwest

2 Bad Mice - Bomb Scare (Ckrono Rmx) .............................................. Ckrono

Rocking Down The House .................................................................. DJ Melo

The House Crew - Keep The Fire Burning ......................................... Jon Kwest

2 Bad Mice/Flippa Mafia/Cham - Bomb Scare (Smutlee Rmx) ............... Smutlee

Cosmo & Dibs - Star Eyes .................................................................... Tactic

Acen - Close Your Eyes (Optikonfusion) .......................................... Jon Kwest

Circa '91 - Can You Feel Me (Sonido R&N Ghettocore Rmx) ... Rampage y Nader

2 Bad Mice - Drum Trip ............................................................... Uncle Jesse