Review: From the label that sent sparks flying last year, the third eagerly awaited release from Lifted Music is here to impressively kick start 2008.
'From The Inside Out' sees the collaboration of superior artists Spor, Apex, Ewun, Evol Intent, and Phace. This double 12" is proof there's
no holding back this year. With strong DJ support across the board, even Andy C hasn't missed this one - each and every set for months.
A must have for any realist d&b head.
Review: PRSPCT Recordings proudly presents the "Future Filth EP". This is a very strong double pack loaded with the rawest drum & bass around. The EP kicks off with a monstrous collaboration between Counterstrike and Eye-D entitled "The Grind". A monster filled with filth that makes you want to grind your teeth on the streets. On the flip Catacomb unleashes "Gut Wrench" - a nasty futuristic crawler with an actual gut-wrenching bassline powered by running hard-edged catabeats. "Last Call" is Limewax at his best. Amazing edits, creepy basslines, mental subs and complete darkness. Finishing off the EP is "Joshua's War". This is pure filthy Dutch tech created in the Goes-Noord studios by PRSPCT family members Eye-D and Hidden. Support comes from Audio, Evol Intent, Tech Itch, Dylan, John B, Black Sun Empire and more.
Review: Here's a wonderful nugget very few of us knew about; dreamy 90s alternative singer / songwriter Julee Cruise (who was most famous for 'Falling' on Twin Peaks) was paired up with bonafide house pioneer Eric Kupper when they were both signed to Warner in the mid 90s... So they wrote two drum & bass tracks! Clearly inspired by the jazzier side of the genre (think Talkin' Loud, Full Cycle, Two Pages-era 4 Hero), both cuts breeze along with pace, soul and melody. Think Hybrid with a little Breakbeat Era and EZ Rollers. Think what a mad moment in musical history. Let's hope Kupper has more of these DAT delights stashed away.
Review: "We're sure there's absolutely no need to introduce Deekline and Ed Solo to you rowdy lot," say the liner notes on this double act of D&B madness, "so we'll save ourselves and you the bother..." With that unceremonious intro, we crash straight into the bad boys of jungle's latest package of riddims. "Hot This Year" harks back to the sunny yesteryear of summer 2013, where the rain clouds had parted ways, and the sun shone. Ragga jungle MCs were bibbydibbying about London, and good vibes were all that anyone could hear. "Remember" was inspired not only by the lovely sampled vocals here, but also because Deekline really wanted to remind Ed Solo about the time he lent him a fiver...apparently. Grab 'em while they're hot!
Review: Jungle Cakes smash down the doors of 2012 with another heady double drop of rolling goodness from label boss Deekline and studio cohort Ed Solo. "Paella (Blaze It Up)" sees the veteran bass bin terrorists call on the heavyweight vocal talents of Million Dan, founding member of original UK hip-hop crew The Demon Boyz and an MC whose unique verse spitting is a perfect fit for the bass heavy D&B riddims! It's backed with a typically rambunctious Ed Solo and Deekline remix of Rack N Ruin's "Soundclash" that wisely retains Jessie Ware's guest vocals but adds plenty of the duo's trademark bad bwoy vibes, energetic rhythms and rippling square wave bass lines
Review: Two hip-swinging jungle joints from booty-bass bootleg kings Deekline and Ed Solo... With Rubi Dan's inimitable chatter and chubby roll on the bass, "Zunga" is an instant 'sing along' smasher, saturated in reggae juice and sun dried on the Jamaican Blue Mountains. "No No No", meanwhile, sees the Dawn Penn classic go under the expert knives of the Serial Killaz. Bulging with bulbous bass, the skank factor is set to max and the vocal is positioned perfectly in the mix... You really can't fail with this.
Review: A brand new label from the heart of D&B's spiritual city (London), Addictive Behaviour are launching with a serious statement of intent. Celebrating the Balkan hotbed of drum & bass creativity, each of these cuts looks east for inspiration. Detail's "Lost Time" is a wasp-like stepper, EastColors' "Mad Day" is a Renegade Hardware-style slammer with loopy, techno-like tenacity, L 33's "Discrete" belies its name with strident dramatic stabs while Minor Rain's "Powerball" nags with riffy insistency. Addictive beats from Addictive Behaviour: Label launches don't get much bigger than this!
Review: DJ Trace's 'Spy Technologies' series has come a long way since its 2002 inception. The original comp was a neurofunk milestone, and deftly justified Trace's status as a drum n' bass pioneer, run through with spy imagery and themes. Now on its eighth instalment, the DSCI4 sub-imprint has become increasingly star-studded, with Trace now curating the first 4-track selection from the upcoming LP. Straddling dutty jungle ('War Torn') to rap-sampling neuro rollers ('Thunderin'), one can only describe this EP as audio-nunjitsu, scoping out the desert compound for insider info on the full-length. Out on limited blueberry-coloured vinyl, it's an apt soundtrack for your next reconnaissance mission.
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.
E Theory - "Gimme Something" (feat Lesly - Phesta remix)
Review: Third in the series of exclusive vinyl presses off the 'Street Technique' LP, and arguably the strongest package yet! Cuts from Part 1 & 2, like the dancefloor destroying 'Friends' by Roni Size and 'Pegasus' from Drumsound & Bassline Smith have been receiving heavy rotation from the A-list DJ fraternity and this 4-track EP is already set to top that success. First up is the plastic explosive known as 'Cape Fear' which has been played exclusively by Zane Lowe (Radio 1) for the last 8 weeks, plus Grooverider, Hype, Roni Size and Andy C, etc. This deadly rhythm has been a favourite in the sets of many leading DJs and has been talked about non-stop in the clubs, on the forums and on the street. The deep penetration of 'Sub Sonic' is up next which is followed by Aussie's Skyver & Djon's contribution, the stupid knees-up of 'Knock Out'. If you ain't dancing to this you must be in the wrong rave. Finally there's a four-man collaboration featuring Skyver & Djon, E-Theory, Mark 7 on 'Gimme Something' featuring the vocals of Lezly. This is one for the rock crossover crew as guitars soar over metal-edged drum and bass.
Review: E3 makes his debut on Gourmet with two almighty constructions; "Stalactite" is a wave of trippily textured bass that just laps and laps over you relentlessly, pushing breath out of you with every wash. As the name suggests, "Stalagmite" has a much lower centre of gravity with a much more stern tone and restrained sense of menace. Remix-wise E3 frequent partner in grime Alter Echo switches out the bass drama for a swinging dancehall riddim and a sparse, teasing groaning bass hook while Tetrad gets his 4/4 dub on with "Stalagmite". Another fine feast.
Review: Rua Sound deliver their first release of the year and it's an absolute feast for the senses. Earl Grey polishes off his percussion and hammers it into all kinds of wonderful, whimsical and often mystical shapes. From the driving hypnotic jazz force of opener 'Amygdala' to the final sorrowful strings and emotional weeps of the concluding 'Prussia Dub', Mr Tea has whipped up a beguiling storm. The fast-lane blurs and urgency of 'Atanas Aconite' and the dense, sweaty tribal drama of 'Death Rattle' are also exquisite.
Review: Nic TVG's Pinecone Moonshine collective deliver a second EP package with three more delicious refixes. Early Grey's 2015 space-out stepper gets a thoroughbred drumfunk dreamboat flip from Dave Hoax while Tokyo's Shins-K takes us back to 2011 for a shattered rhythm twist of Relapse's "Down The Sun". Finally Paluca's pretty harrowing experimental piece from 2016 gets a deft roll-up from Fushara. Authentic.
Review: Finally, The North Quarter upgrade Echo Brown's sublime debut EP for the label to wax status. Featuring four of the original five tracks, here we find the rising US artist linking up with Manchester's KinKai for the woozy opener 'Affirmations' before heading into a dream-like state as 'So Good' rolls with hazy neo-soul, 'Love Won't Do' takes us deep down SpectraSoul flavoured rabbit holes and 'Phenomena' brings us to a gully halt with its UK style shuffly drums and gritty, rasping bassline. There's no struggles to hear what's good here.
Review: Rising London talent Echo One jumps aboard the good ship Silent Force with four star-gazing slammers that all take root in the golden age of hardcore, jungle and that early Headzian wave of stark futurism. Highlights include the ice cold pad blasts of 'You Don't Know' and the cosmic brutalism of the title track but all four cuts will crush any rig in a 50 mile radius. Limited to 200 copies, ready for take-off?
Review: After flitting between labels for the best part of four years, Ed:It (AKA producer Ed Warener) finally found a settled home on Shogun Audio. The Junction EP is his third 12" for DJ Friction's label and contains four more slabs of D&B dancefloor dynamite. As you'd expect given his history, the EP contains a couple of fluid, soul-flecked bombs, with the sweet Lady Soul collaboration "Wander Away" - think seductive vocals and heavy bottom end - just edging out spacey, rolling opener "The Junction" in the "best track" stakes. Elsewhere, both "Nevermind" and "Kovacs" are darker and more tech-tinged in tone, with Warener concentrating on the punchiness of his beats and the weightiness of the bass.
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