Review: His first full body of work since 2015's breath-taking album Perspectives, Anile returns to the top of the class with an A* quartet of smouldering workouts. "Your Way" tips a wry nod at Logistics' early work with its tubular bassline and hazy arpeggio, "Wish List" is all about the loose, relaxed drum groove while "Allergens" stacks up on some beautifully chewy reese gluten while "Velvet Glove" will flatten you with bass before picking you up with delicate soul pianos... Before flattening you again. Anile is in a league of his own.
Review: Last spotted raising hell and taking names with Jon 1st on Defrostatica, Arcane (who is also known as one half of the more mainstream-sounding d&b act Kleu) goes full nelson on the breaks with these two choppy choppy bangers on Foxy Jangle. Both cuts focussing on the drums, subs, samples and FX, these are fully timeless trips and sculpted strictly for the heads. Great for losing yourself inside at 3am and even better to mix. Just like concrete.
DJ Fresh - "Dancing In The Dark" (feat Buunshin) (3:16)
Heavyweight (AMC remix) (4:37)
Review: DJ Fresh is a legend at this point. Whenever he drops new heat it is worth tuning in, especially when it's a 12" picture disc like this from Breakbeat Koas. The A-side is a collab with Buunshin. 'Dancing In the Dark' is a hardcore gem with pitched-up vocals and monstrous breaks over spin backs, raw bass and thrilling synth lacerations. Then comes an AMC Remix of DJ Fresh's 'Heavyweight' that is just that. It rides on silky breakbeats with a rising sense of tension that keeps you locked until the explosive bass and jump-up drum head to the level.
Review: Incoming! Clipz is subtly dropping his debut album but in true Hugh Pescod style, he's not settling for usual convention. His debut album as Clipz is a remix LP as he deconstructs Richard Russell's collaborative concept album Friday Forever and rebuilds it into a diesel powered, borderline cantankerous jungle album. These are three of the many highlights; the Dope Dragon style brukage of 'Walk Alone', the deeper piano-licked roll-out 'A Dream I Never Had' and the dubby, Bass Bin style bubbler 'The Night'. And this is just the tip of the version iceberg. Serious Saturday Specials fever.
Review: Super prolific Greekboy touches down on the recently launched Violet Nights with two ballistic beat adventures; 'Future Dancefloor' looks to the roots with some heavyweight breakbeat choppage driving away through the thick emotional pads while 'Nature' brings more of a house-inspired flavour with bulbous bass/kicks and a Need For Mirrors-like sense of techno in its drive and focus. The future is now.
Review: Keppel was last on this label with a contribution to a various artist collection but now steps up with a full solo EP of his own. His unique take on techno is exhibited from the off on 'Stanley Knife' with its scurrying synths, drunken synth loops and drums that go nowhere fast but still draw you in. '194' is awash with kinetic synth sequences and distant dub chords that bring colour and 'Life Takes Rise' rides on another inventive and alluring rhythm pattern while the warming synth work gets you lost in thought. Closer 'Diesel', meanwhile, is tough, frosty, and more techno-leaning.
Review: Since signing to Hospital last year Krakota has delivered a progressively on-point stream of rollers and bubblers. Hot on the heels of "Ice Hands" and "Ghosts" comes the Bournemouth artist's first fully fledged EP and it's something of a vibe marathon: "In The Area" soothes with soft harmonic basses in a similar way to early Netsky or perhaps Nu:Logic material, "Citadels" is a floaty, cosmic meander through the jungle milky way. Looking for Krakota's harder side? Look no further than "Crash Pads"; all Experience-era detuned synths and swashbuckling amens, it's undiluted rave juice. Finally "Lazy Bones" brings us back to earth with a piano-shaped cushion... Before packing us off to sub boot camp with some very devious but subtle bass dynamics. Krakota's best release to date, without question.
Review: The Craft Music label is back after a one year break with some fresh new cuts by resident Marco Lazovic. It's an EP inspired by the sound of the English club scene in the nineties and noughties, labels like Good Looking Records and artists such as Mike Millrain. Opener 'Losin Control' sure is a compelling mix of electro and breaks that soars on cosmic lines with euphoric vocals in the distance. 'Come To London' has a distinctly garage feel to it with its crisp broken beats and there is more high energy but melody-rich breakbeat action in 'Dark Gravity' while 'Space Jazzy' is s super sweet and deep jungle cruiser.
Review: Legendary Belgian record label WeMe has long been a pioneering force in the drum & bass underworld. It is Lord of the D who makes a devastating return here with all consuming sounds towering over you and do as they please with your brain and body. 'Dunstable' is all fizzing synths and hammering drum breaks then 'O Ixed Mpo' absolutely cuts loose with sonics in meltdown, reversed stabs and drum carnage that never resolves. 'DBLE' is another fucked up drum track that will leave you bedraggled and bewildered.
Review: .Anthem incoming! Having generated some powerful hype and attention online through an unofficial stream, Lyra's take on Ojerime's 'Give It Up 2 Me' now finally gets an official release on Leisure Collective. Capturing the universal turbo movement that's taking most genres by storm right now, each version tickles a different spot. The original is a pounding speed bass bumper, L Major brings some jungle magic to the mix while Limoux drops the tempo for a bubbly bass house cut. Finally Jag Limbo takes us all the way to trance town. All corners covered.
Spread Love (feat Pete Simpson - Full Length mix) (6:59)
Spread Love (feat Pete Simpson) (5:53)
Contact (5:18)
Review: After its recent appearance on Hospital Records' 25th anniversary compilation, Makoto's superb D&B cover of Al Hudson & The Soul Partners' 1978 disco classic, 'Spread Love', has been released as a single. It's well worth picking up, specifically for the A-side 'Full Length Mix', which ekes out the life-affirming, mood enhancing pleasure by another minute or so. It's a terrific version - as is the original mix, which you can find on the flip - and features British soul man Pete Simpson, backed by a big group of backing singers, belting out the loved-up lyrics atop swooping disco strings, warm synth sounds, booming bass and skittish D&B beats. Bonus cut 'Contact' is worth a listen to, featuring as it does floaty ambient intros, aggressive post-jungle beats, wavy vocal samples and some seriously bowel-bothering sub-bass.
Review: 'Born With It' by Mungo's Hi Fi, featuring Aziza Jaye, Gardna, and Eva Lazarus, is a high-energy anthem blending UK Garage and 90s rave vibes with a powerful dose of Drum n Bass. Aziza Jaye's searing vocals, Gardna's dynamic delivery, and Eva Lazarus's fierce dancehall attitude create an explosive party track. On Side-2 'Back in the Dayz', adds nostalgia with a deft rap over rave-infused breaks, sure to evoke memories of old-school rave scenes. This 2024 12" vinyl, eco-friendly and pressed in Scotland, includes unreleased instrumental versions and a dub mix of 'Back in the Dayz', making it essential for summer festivals, clubs and sound system parties.
Review: Nu:Tone is a drum & bass giant and a longtime mainstay of the legendary Hospital label. He hasn't put out any solo material since his last album way back in 2014, so this new two tracker is a big deal indeed. After all the classics on that record he has a lot to live up to but does so, with both tunes showing this artist's pioneering approach to drum & bass . Opener 'Sweeter' is the heartfelt and super soulful cut we all need right now with London-based singer and songwriter Maiday providing the icing on the cake. Do It Right' is a nostalgic roller with big rave pads, Av it.
Review: With previous sermons on the likes of Black Acre and Hooversound, Prayer now clasps his hands on burgeoning Irish label Spheres. As always his love for the foundations shines through as we're taken on a whirlwind tour through jungle, hardcore and rave. 'Set Me Free' nods towards that 92/93 era of atmospheric hardcore and jungle which the likes of Jack Smooth was behind. 'Breakthrough' goes a bit deeper into the foundations with its slower tempo and four beat energy while 'Reteoric' closes the EP with pure euphoria. Oh Prayer, ye of plenty faith.
B-STOCK: Torn sleeve, otherwise in excellent working condition
Qeta - "Idream"
Qeta - "Revved Orb"
Qeta - "Redawn"
Inkipak - "Plex"
Inkipak - "Schedule"
Inkipak - "Wetlands"
Review: ***B-STOCK: Torn sleeve, otherwise in excellent working condition***
Qeta and Inkipak show off their respective skills on this fine split EP on Sound Synthesis's Wave Function label. Qeta takes care of the a-side with a serene opener in the form of 'Idream' which pairs lush ambient designs with pristine breakbeats. 'Revved Orb' is a more dubbed-out and trippy post-jungle rhythm with 'Redawn' bringing soulful Detroit techno style to the floor. With his trio of tunes, Inkipak offers stripped-back breaks and celestial chords, heavenly moods on 'Schedule' and a cosmic comedown soundtrack with 'Wetlands.'
Review: After some wicked EPs by Yosh, Etch and Tom Jarmey, here is some proper underground UK flavour courtesy of Burnski's Vivid imprint - a new sub label of Constant Sound. The latest one this week is by the enigmatic Tamoshi. On the A side, we have the snarling minimalist roller called 'The System' which is quite reminiscent of early DJ Krust. Over on the flip, hear a convincingly old school junglist stepper, the fittingly titled 'Darkside' that goes all the way back to '95. One for the heads.
Way Back When (feat Esther Durin - Halogenix remix) (5:07)
Review: Get unstuck with these two delicious refixes from Unglued's debut 2021 album Interplanetary Radio as two of the most highly respected beat carvers apply their scalpels to one of Hospital's most exciting new-generation stars. The ravey 'Total XTC' is perfect fodder for Exit's Fixate as he winds up the 4x4s and laces it with his own special hardcore essence. The super sweet soul of 'Way Back When' is also a perfect fit for its remixer as Halogenix brings a whole new hazy shade to the dreamy vibes. Far out.
Review: UK drum n' bass producer Madcap's production credits extend all the way back to the early 90s, when LTJ Bukem was heralding him as a fledgling, yet time "fantastic" DNB visionary. Now a fledgling no more, 'Saxon Street' is his latest jungle offering for Rotterdam's Vibez' 93, and is a nonstop EP of fluffless breaks cruisers ('Fall Down') and impeccable, Brandy-sampling bouncers ('Combination', 'See Her').
Review: Rua Sound's sellout Foxy Jangle series returns with a ninth (second-to-last!) 12" release: a double A-sider featuring Bedford hardcore hero Wise & Deadly, backed by an equal legend of the UK soundsystem scene, Humb. Observe the obverse side: Wise & Deadly offer a cheeky jungle techno take on a well-known free party anthem, Mike & Charlie's 'I Get Live' (it's almost as if the remixer's name is an unconscious ironising of the OGs'). Meanwhile, with the B-side's 'Shut Up', Humb goes in heavy on the amens for maxmium dancefloor devastation, upending any prior need for four-to-the-floor implants for a shrill, nigh thrillingly unhinged break-stravaganza.
Review: The legendary Zed Bias is stepping out with a new label I Feel Good Records and intends for it to spread good vibes only through a diverse roster of talent and sounds that span house, bass and beyond. He has more than a quarter of a century of experience in the game and of eyeing new talents and helping them to shine and has always had a collaborative approach to music that will continue to define this label's MO. Zed is minting the label with a new single alongside award-winning d&b MC Inja. 'You Should Dance' pairs his warming tones with infectious garage drums and smeared, soothing chords that radiant heat. It will, indeed, make you feel good. D&b mainstay Bladerunner serves up a remix that has been doing the rounds for a while now and never fails to make an impact.
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: 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.
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