[REVIEW] Mura Masa Continues to Fire on All Cylinders With New EP: Curve +1

Mura Masa has been a very busy person this year. For someone just coming off the heels of a brilliant return to form on 2024’s Curve 1, the Guernsey-born producer hasn’t stopped moving. Numerous production and songwriting credits, alongside electrifying live sets, and he still isn’t done yet.  

★★★★½

Since leaving his label in 2023, Mura Masa (Aka Alex Crossan) hit a new peak in his musical journey. Founding his own independent label and collective Pond Recordings,  alongside plans for a Peckham-based HQ in 2026, the music output since then has felt freer and more focused than anything from his past works. Following Curve 1's emphasis on dense and layered tracks that evoke intense feelings through sound, rather than narrative, Curve +1 continues this artistic expression in the form of an expansion pack. 

Starting with the previously released ‘JUMP’, a glorious banger of a track that bleeds energy, with commanding drums and a delectable use of the Saco hit ‘Hol Up Ya Foot  And Jump’ by Zulu Lightning. It's overtly joyous with a heavy sense of community spirit. The trumpets layered throughout the track are especially enthralling. Accompanying the track is the standout video directed by The Reids, showcasing the dance group and non profit organisation Showdem Movement based in New York, who channel community spirit through the art of double dutch. 

‘I’m Really Hot (For Myself)’ is even more bracing, with its thumping baseline and crunchy, stretched guitar riffs akin to early works of The Prodigy. I adore how this EP carries the ethos of Curve 1 with its emphasis on vocals being chopped and stretched, just as much as the various instrumentals surrounding it, which makes the vocals feel more than just verses or hooks. Which is, of course, the beautiful nature of dance music, and Mura Masa takes full advantage of it here. It's also an ode to self-love, which makes the assertiveness of the production all the more prominent.  

The third track, ‘Losing (jam)’, is easily one of the most addictive and densely crafted works he’s created thus far. Opening with a more sultry introduction, unfolding gracefully with sparse synths and flowing drum patterns to create a well-crafted soundscape.  Warbling percussion midway through is layered with subtle bass, leading into a dreamy drop of cascading synths. The momentum never seems to let up. 

Ending things as strong as they started is ‘Handsup’. A cheeky and sincere love letter to both UK Garage and Jungle, it has all the staples of a Mura Masa classic. Again, the borderless energy of the samples and the vocal soundbites just elevate these tracks to be universally appreciated. By the beat drop hits, the sharply chopped drums kick in with the  posse-like chants and harmonies fading out over flutes with absolute precision.  

It's quite impressive that, given its 14-minute runtime, there’s so much to hear with each new listen of this EP. It's a relentless and expertly produced rush that still channels the ethos of the full-length album that came before it, if not improving on it in a shorter frame of time. This small but mighty offering is proof that Mura Masa is absolutely at the top of his game, with no plans to falter anytime soon.