Juno Recommends Drum & Bass January 2019

Review: Friction's Shogun imprint launch the Shuriken series; a deep dig into the vaults to give select tracks a little vinyl spotlight. Limited and not to be repressed, the inaugural volume is packed with four thick slabs of Shogun's broad pie on a delicious green 12" platter; Document One's unique bass tripper "LSD", GLXY & DRS's introspective "These Lights", Pola & Bryson's starlit take on "Porcelain" and the evergreen soulful wobbler "Burning" from the dream trio that is Serum, Paul T & Edward Oberon all map out the label's breadth and extremities with precision.

Review: Metalheadz crack open a fresh bottle of 2019 and spray it all over the shop with the effortless class of Grey Code. Previously spotted on Dispatch and Demand, here the Bristol producer levels up once again with his broadest, most startling release to date. If the big synth flourishes of "Pearl" don't knock you off your feet with cosmic glee, the orchestral swoops and drama of "King's Rock" most certainly will. You'll stay KO'd for the duration of the EP as he continues to draw out more science; "Saturn" is pure tech wizardry that nods respectfully to the late 90s while "Ethics" is a powerful intergalactic trip with futurist technoid elements. Outstanding D&B craftmanship here. No reprieve, no surrender.

Review: Rudimental's third full-length, "Toast To Our Differences", was originally slated for release back in September, but ended up being delayed. So was it worth the wait? It's certainly a colourful, vibrant and expansive affair, with the quartet drawing on a far wider palette of influences than were evident on their previous albums. Check, for example, the title track's glistening, South African style tropical pop, the piano-powered cheeriness of "These Days", the soaring power pop of previous single "Sun Comes Up" and the auto-tune heavy EDM-house stomp of "Scared of Love". Given their superstar status, it's unsurprising to see an impressive cast list of guests and collaborators - Major Lazer, Rita Ora and Ladysmith Black Mambazo included - while this "Deluxe Edition" includes a trio of extra tracks.

Review: Three words: "Police In Helicopter"... One of the biggest dubplates last year is finally here, and it's joined by 24 other exceptional bangers as the Hozzy team roll out another absurd stack of "Sick" freshness from across the board. Genuinely on point tune for tune highlights include Pete Cannon's outstanding drumfunk lash out "Ella", Flava D's first D&B tune (the breath taking "Return To Me"), a bone shaking duet from the next gen gems Unglued and Bou ("Ascendant Man"), both Fred V & Grafix's first solo tunes since they split and an absolute neck breaking gully snapper from Lakeway in the form of "War Dub". And that's just scratching the surface, this is a humungous V/A album and it's here in all its glory on vinyl. Hot enough to burn down a cane field or two...

Review: This is a heavy one; "Salvation" and "Cookie Monster" are the first Spirit tunes to be released after his tragic passing in August 2018. Created during a session with longstanding compadre Digital and mates Smithy and Quiff, both sides hit hard both sonically and poignantly. The former has Spirit's signature smashed all over it as the pads breathing deeply over the rolling breaks and bulbous subs. The former has a little more funk in the mix with an equal sound of all four dons on the track. Essential but you already knew that. RIP Duncan Busto.

Review: Don't fear this Reaper... Reaper Recordings is a mysterious brand new label with little information besides their dedication to the jungle craft. If this launch release from Ghosty (AKA Hungry Ghost) is anything to go by, they're not mucking around. "Dead Already" is a powerful subby slammer with eerie top lines and drums that could pierce concrete while "Forward" takes more of a sassy soul approach on the musicality but still drops deep into gully science when it needs to.

Review: Original Commix member Conrad Whittle returns under his Saikon alias via BCee's Spearhead and the results speak for themselves. Proper authentic foundation jungle D&B, loaded with pensive moods and tension, each cut is an instant back huncher; "Badman Can't Dance" paints a contemporary scene using colours strictly from a classic hardcore palette, "Subway Writers" rolls with dreamy charm courtesy of some of the warmest drums we've heard on Spearhead in years while "Shadows Of The Sun" whips a classic Alex Reece style vibe, laced with a perfectly measured haunting sensation. "Years Gone By" seals the deal with a lavish breakbeat and big jazz feels in every chord and majestic harp flurry. Timeless to the core, Conrad's comeback stinks of longevity. Essential.

Review: Top ranking Dirty Dubster Bazza Ranks teams up with one of the most distinctive, entertaining and versatile MCs in the game Dynamite MC for this serious system heater. Bubbling with dancehall delight, Dyna's vocals fit like a glove and get us geared up for the summer months ahead. And if you need something with more of a darker punch check the D&B remix that's armed with a classic sample you can't run away from. From sunny side to the far side, this one brings the feels. Don't let it pass you by.

Review: Rewind to 2014: the duo previously known as Technicolour & Komatic galvanize everything they'd done before with a debut album that boosted them several levels. Four years later and Desire Paths remains a vast and vibrant set rich in emotion in all directions. From evergreen soulful, highly strung roll-outs such as "Beneath The Skies", "Music Is Music" and "Night Vision" to darker pacers like "Innermost" and "Tectonic" via off-piste surprises like the jazzed out "Mucky Jeff", this debut album stands the test of time perfectly. Last pressed two years ago, now's your chance to grab the vinyl if you missed it before.