Back catalogue: Drum & Bass / Jungle

Review: Is there a more consistently policy and famously high quality producer in all of electric music - let alone just drum & bass - that the universally respected Irishman, Calibre? The don of drums and baron of bass is by now a master of his art and the one going Shelflife series continually proves that time and time again. This seventh volume is once again jam-packed with silky rhythms, soulful sounds and meticulous craftsman ship across a wide range of tempos and moods. There are roomy steppers like 'Ready Beek' next to darker, edgier and more menacing cuts like 'Snoopy' signature emotive sounds like 'Nearly Nothing.'

Review: Dominick Martin's Shelflife series takes us back into the very core of Calibre over the past 20 years, finally sharing tracks which were previously only aired in his DJ sets. It's testament to his rigorous approach to the music he released over that time, given how incredible some of these cuts are, but it's also a relief to finally be able to cop the likes of 'Breather', 'Home' and 'I Don't Care What U Say'. The range of d&b on offer here is remarkable too, from moody, heads-down tech steppers to gorgeous, soul drenched swooners, with an unerring quality which lets you know it's Calibre at the controls.

Review: Kings of new school drum & bass Chase & Status made another triumphant return with 2 Ruff Viol 1, which is jam packed with fresh new wave jungle anthems for those who like it energetic. The chart topping duo knows a thing or two about crafting big bangers and massive anthems and that's what they do here as they follow up their last album What Came Before with more massive moments. Plenty of guests help them along the way here such as IRah & Flowdan & Trigga & Takura on the massive 'Baddadan' and Avo & Horrid1 on 'On The Block', a collar with Mosey which is also devastatingly large.

Review: There is a mix of old-school dons and new-school talents from all over the world here, each adding their own unique spin to Goldie's timeless. It's a record that remains a drum & bass benchmark, but also one of the most seminal in all of electronic music. The man behind it celebrated its anniversary last year with various different projects and now follows that up by handpicking a selection of remixes to take his most treasured material. Searchlight, aka Irish drum and bass producers ZeroT and Beta2, are signed exclusively to Goldie's Fallen Tree 1Hundred label and bring some lush jazz and broken beats to 'State of Mind' and later 'Sensual' while Metalheadz tastemaker J Kenzo brings dark, minimalistic and tribal sound to his Tribute remix of 'Jah'.

Review: Since releasing his debut single in 1994, Tom Withers AKA Klute has been one of the most prolific and reliable artists in drum and bass, releasing well over half a century of single releases in the process. "Whatever It Takes" is his ninth LP in total and lands 21 years after his first. There's much to enjoy throughout, with the Ipswich-based artist giddily skipping between elastic, funk-fuelled workouts, soaring liquid anthems, marginally darker and moodier fare, acid-fired rollers and, as the album progresses, tech-house and techno-influenced four-to-the-floor cuts. Throw in a handful of melodious, IDM-flecked downtempo numbers and you have an ear-pleasing set of expertly produced electronic gems.

Review: When electronic musicians invent new words, you know you're in for an accompanying sonic treat. u-Ziq aka. Mike Paradinas' latest record Grush aims at something between a crush and a grunt - as if to suggest the violent hydraulic floorings of the former and the cave-manic disinhibition of the latter. Sonically, this follows suit with Paradinas' as-ever ascendant, wompy-breaksy sound, which this time comes peppered with additional flavours of black MIDI and generative sound-spurts honed at live shows; the ultimate aim of the album is to replicate the nonstop feel of a live tour, with each track here having been meticulously road-tested and polished for home listening (or not - get out there and dance to the thing, couch potatoes!)

Review: Goldie revives his genre-defining Rufige Kru alias for Alpha Omega, a new double LP on London Records. The record secures the first new release under the name since 2009. Though the proverbial kru once consisted in Goldie (Clifford Price), Linford Jones and Mark Rutherford, Price characteristically dominated it. Rufige finally came to with the seminal 'Darkrider' release on Reinforced Records: the track was a handed down later version of what started as a plundering of Japan's 'Ghosts Of My Life', giving the classic new wave title the mood of a broken-window metropolis, and it became the object of much cultural theorising for its influence on d&b's reflection of class politics. Now, Goldie faces the city of glass again, exposing the dirt behind the neon with longtime collaborator Submotive, enlisted to propel the project further into the "rufige": classic roots crusted by high-presh, concrete crud.

Review: The 20th-anniversary edition of Squarepusher's Ultravisitor showcases Tom Jenkinson's groundbreaking blend of live and studio recordings, remastered for new depths of sound. Spanning frenetic breakbeats, jazz-funk explorations and atmospheric fusion, this album captures the complexity and eclecticism of Jenkinson's work. Tracks like 'Iambic 9 Poetry' deliver sunlit jazz tones, while 'Tommib Help Buss' brings serene electronic bliss. Although Ultravisitor might feel overlong at nearly 80 minutes, its sprawling length doesn't diminish its innovation. The title track encapsulates Squarepusher's signature drum-n-electro-pop, while pieces like 'Circlewave' and 'I Fulcrum' balance virtuosity with thematic exploration. Jenkinson's improvisational drumming and bass solos, such as on 'I Fulcrum', demonstrate his command over both instruments and composition. Jenkinson's eccentricity shines through, making Ultravisitor an essential listen for both long-time fans and newcomers. This edition reaffirms Squarepusher's pioneering role in electronic music, blending technical brilliance with intriguing, if at times chaotic, compositions. It's a record that intrigues and impresses, pushing the boundaries of beat-driven electronic music.

Review: There are basically two types of anniversary compilations: the humble retrospective, packed with classics and significant musical moments from the past, and collections of all-new music that showcase where an imprint is at right now. Predictably, Planet My founder Mike Paradinas AKA U-Ziq has chosen the latter option to mark the occasion of his legendary experimental label's 30th birthday. There's naturally plenty to get the blood pumping and the synapses snapping across the 25 tracks on show, from the skittish IDM of Jlin ('B12'), mutant future-boogie of Venetian Snares ('Drums') and hard-to-pigeonhole excellence of Falty DL ('Usually I'm Cautious'), to the chopped-and-screwed r&b of Bae Bae ('Living In The Memory'), Nik Colk Void's industrial gunk ('A Tough Design (demo)'), the glassy-eyed D&B/ambient techno of Xylitol ('Nevada') and the sample-rich instrumental hip-hop hedonism of Luke Vibert ('Bullet Drop').

Review: When Hospital Records launched some 16 years ago, it was primarily to focus on the more soulful side of drum & bass. While London Elektricity's imprint is now about so much more than that, many of its' releases still bristle with an expansive soulfulness. This mixed, mid-price, two-disc affair pays tribute to the label's soulful side, delivering sinewy, string-laden gems, vocal anthems, and liquid D&B classics from the likes of SPY, High Contrast, Nu:Tone, Logistics, Danny Byrd, Phuturistix and, of course, London Elektricity. Who mixed it isn't revealed, but they've done a great job; both discs ripple with melody, emotion and, of course, skittering dancefloor rhythms. This is Fast Soul Music, after all.

Review: Many happy returns to V Recordings, which this year notched up no less than three decades at the forefront of the global jungle and drum & bass scene. Such an occasion warrants a celebratory release, and Gee has provided that via this painstakingly curated collection of new gems, remixed takes on classic cuts, and previously unavailable 'VIP' versions. Naturally, the quality threshold remains high throughout, with our picks of an exceptionally strong bunch including the d&b-acid insanity of Serum's revision of 'Acid Fashion' by Nazca Linez, the elongated wobble bass and punishing beats of Krust's 'Not Necessarily a Man (L-Side VIP)', the bowel-bothering onslaught of Voltage's 'Lion of Judah', the deep, dreamy and punchy 'Majesty' by Alibi, and the bleeping jungle revivalism-goes-jazz funk madness of Chimpo's 'Fever'.