EP Review: Motions

Slicedub’s Motions is a dark, brooding journey through the musical landscape of the early 90’s. The influence of the English dub scene rings throughout, tinged with the grit of Bristol’s early EDM movement, with shades of The Prodigy seeping into the sound. On the track Dim, you can hear clear echoes of Massive Attack in the deep bass and the slow but driving tempo.

Each song builds and swells with ideas, with vocals used less as a traditional melodic line and more as part of the soundscape itself. That said, melody is still explored with care. Fracture carries an almost James Bond vibe with its lead line. The track grows gradually, layer by layer, until it locks into its groove before easing off at the end. Like much of the EP, it feels like a meditation on a single idea, giving each part room to unfold.

The fourth track, Glass, leans into a more Portishead-inspired mood, showcasing the sounds that clearly shaped Slicedub’s listening habits while growing up. Lyrical fragments appear throughout the EP, always fitting the atmosphere, serving more as texture than spotlight — a subtle nod to the dirty, grimy sound that came out of England in that era.

Motions is a strong and thoughtful release. It captures the essence of a time when dub, trip-hop, and electronic music blurred together into something raw, moody, and exciting. The EP sounds great, is well performed, and is one I’d recommend checking out if you’re into dub or enjoy exploring its darker, more atmospheric edges.