PAPERKRAFT — Play Somethin’ Nasty EP

Paperkraft – Play Somethin’ Nasty EP, released on Sally C’s Big Saldo’s Chunkers as BSC008, is a four-track 12-inch built around rave energy, hip-house attitude, chunky basslines and the kind of instantly functional dancefloor grooves that have become synonymous with the label. Released in October 2025, the record marks the eighth instalment in the Big Saldo’s Chunkers series and introduces the Japanese producer Paperkraft to one of the most recognisable contemporary house imprints for chunky, playful and rave-informed club music. The EP brings together Play Somethin’ Nasty, Funky Bluh Bluh, Drop The O.S.B. and Let It Whip, with each track approaching the label’s sound from a slightly different angle. Paperkraft is a Japanese producer and a prominent figure within the Osaka underground scene. His catalogue includes releases for Physical Education, Tombolo, Homage, Hidden Assets and other independent labels, where his productions have repeatedly demonstrated an interest in breakbeat-driven house, old-school rave vocabulary and highly physical basslines. Sally C had already been following his work before inviting him onto Big Saldo’s Chunkers, particularly after hearing his Physical Education material, which she described as having a strong driving, breakbeat-heavy old-school character. His arrival on BSC008 therefore feels less like a stylistic departure than a natural meeting between an established producer and a label whose identity is built around energetic, characterful club records. The EP begins with “Play Somethin’ Nasty”, a track that immediately establishes the record’s attitude. At around 133–134 BPM, it moves with considerably more urgency than a conventional deep-house production, combining a driving rhythm with playful hip-house vocals, a substantial bassline and unmistakable rave energy. The vocal element gives the track its personality, while the low end provides the physical foundation. Rather than relying on a single repeating hook, Paperkraft builds the track through changes in texture and intensity, with the second section pushing into a particularly squelchy bass-driven passage. One of the defining details of “Play Somethin’ Nasty” is its use of a rewind-style sample. The production uses the technique as an active part of the arrangement rather than a decorative reference, creating a moment of interruption and anticipation before the groove returns with renewed force. The combination of hip-house vocals, rave references and heavy bass places the track somewhere between late-1980s and early-1990s dancefloor culture and contemporary UK-influenced club music. Specialist retailers have also connected its sound to Belgian old-school rave, while the overall production remains firmly rooted in modern house functionality. A2, “Funky Bluh Bluh”, changes the mood without losing the EP’s physicality. The track draws specifically from 1990s Italo and funky house influences, giving the record a more playful and colourful character. Its groove is less aggressively rave-focused than the opening cut, functioning as a bridge between the heavier A1 and the high-energy material that follows on the B-side. The bass remains central, but the track’s appeal comes from its combination of funk, house rhythm and slightly eccentric production details. The title “Funky Bluh Bluh” accurately reflects its playful personality. It is not simply a historical recreation of 1990s house, but a contemporary production that filters those references through Paperkraft’s own rhythmic language. The result is a colourful DJ tool that can work particularly well in a set moving between classic house influences, breakbeat material and more modern rave-oriented productions. Its position as the second track on the record makes it a useful transition piece, maintaining the energy of “Play Somethin’ Nasty” while opening the musical palette. The B-side begins with “Drop The O.S.B.”, arguably the most explosive track on the EP. The track had already become a favourite of Job Jobse after being played at DC-10 during the summer before the release, a strong indication of its effectiveness in a large club environment. Musically, it takes the old-school rave spirit established on “Play Somethin’ Nasty” and pushes it considerably further, combining rapid-fire rap vocals, Hoover-style rave sounds and a huge keyboard-led riff. The arrangement of “Drop The O.S.B.” is built around escalation. The vocal material gives the track an immediate hip-house edge, while the Hoover textures connect it directly to classic rave and hardcore production techniques. The large melodic riff provides the track with its central hook, transforming what could have been a straightforward rave tool into something with a much stronger musical identity. At the same time, the production remains chunky and direct enough to perform its primary function: moving a dancefloor. Closing the EP is “Let It Whip”, a more economical track that works as a highly effective DJ tool. Rather than competing with the maximal energy of “Drop The O.S.B.”, Paperkraft strips the approach back and concentrates on an addictive vocal loop and understated hard-house energy. The result is a useful final cut that can be introduced into a set without requiring the same dramatic impact as the B1. “Let It Whip” also demonstrates the breadth of the EP. While the record is consistently recognisable as Paperkraft, the four tracks cover hip house, rave, funky house and hard-house territory without sounding like disconnected genre exercises. The common thread is the bass-heavy groove, playful vocal manipulation and preference for immediate dancefloor functionality. This balance between historical reference and contemporary production is central to the identity of BSC008. Big Saldo’s Chunkers has developed a reputation for modern interpretations of hip-house, rave and chunky house, with Sally C carefully building a roster that includes artists such as BELLA, Eliza Rose and Papa Nugs alongside producers whose work connects contemporary club music with older dancefloor traditions. Paperkraft fits naturally into that environment, bringing an Osaka perspective to a label whose influence has become increasingly international. For DJs, Play Somethin’ Nasty EP is an exceptionally functional record. The A-side provides two complementary tools: the high-energy title track and the funkier “Funky Bluh Bluh”. The B-side moves from the full-force rave pressure of “Drop The O.S.B.” into the more restrained hard-house groove of “Let It Whip”. The four tracks therefore offer different levels of intensity while retaining enough sonic continuity to work within the same section of a set. The physical 12-inch format is particularly appropriate for this material. These tracks are designed around immediate rhythmic impact, extended grooves and memorable hooks that benefit from being worked into a DJ set. With track lengths ranging from approximately six to seven minutes, each cut provides enough space for mixing while maintaining a strong sense of forward movement. Paperkraft – Play Somethin’ Nasty EP is ultimately a powerful meeting of Japanese production talent and the Chunkers aesthetic. BSC008 combines old-school rave references, hip-house vocals, funky house grooves, chunky bass and contemporary club energy into four tracks that are colourful without becoming unfocused. From the rewind-driven “Play Somethin’ Nasty” and 1990s Italo influence of “Funky Bluh Bluh” to the rave overload of “Drop The O.S.B.” and the slick hard-house functionality of “Let It Whip”, the EP delivers exactly what its title promises: energetic, characterful house music made to be played loud and used on the dancefloor.