Back catalogue: Drum And Bass

Review: No matter your particular preference in the deep house world, this various artists' outing from Q1E2 Recordings is sure to have something for you. Mike Riveria & Marco Ohboy, for example, tap into an early sound on 'Euphoria' with its big, brash piano stabs and whistles, while A Soft Mist Production keeps it all cuddly and deep with languid chords draped over gentle drums on 'Upside Down Rainbows.' DatSIM brings in some space-tech vibes for a deft rhythm and neon infused sound on 'Influx' and The Rabbit Hole's 'Tail Groove' has a mad double bass sound jumping about beneath frantic jungle breaks.

Review: Does drum and bass get any better than this? Two of the finest names in the genre club together for "Run Away", met in the middle by the man like Fox who puts his vocal stylings into the mix. Rolling out smooth, it's that lulling bassline and softly-spoken chorus that takes the edge off punchy drums and signature Intalex-style strings from the pad section. Fans have been waiting for a release on this for some time now - finally, it's ownable. Showing that they can still deliver tastier goods for the dancefloor, "Something Heavy" is a funk-fuelled hips-mover with Fox sending out his raggamuffin sounds over down and dirty bass. You've heard it in the dance, now get it on repeat.

Review: Furthur Electronix's first two Furthur Journeys Into compilations tune plenty of heads and shift plenty of copies. The third one keeps the quality levels high with more explorations around the periphery of underground electronics. Chris Coco opens with a soothing synth sound before Jake Slazenger brings crystalline synths and abstract modulations to the mid-tempo '168B.' There is more pace and twisted acid energy to Global Goon's untitled contribution and then old school jungle comes to the fore on the super stylish and atmospheric Gavin Masih cut. Monika Subrtova's 'Alata' is a serene and widescreen ambient synthscape that brings things to a suitably poignant close.

Review: On a mission to "make d&b great again", Finland's Straight Up Breakbeat pass through once more with the second of three EPs formed to showcase modern junglism. Kicking off, 'Mystery Machines' sees Glastonbury's Dead Mans Chest slam down some deadly amen choppage reinforced by haunting vocal FX and paranoid drones. Aeon Four & FFF's 'Look Inside' is a jungle-tekno roller, served with chunky hardcore style amens and a side of warm old-skool pads. Keeping the mid-90s vibe alive, the tripped out 'Green Fields Forever ' from Fanu - which drops hot on the heels of his greatly received remaster of Source Direct's 'Stars' - delivers airtight amen trickery, weaving synth washes and blissful dubby basslines. Esc & Mineral round things off with 'Photosynthesis', a pensive stepper highlighting cut-up breaks waltzing with cheeky synth nudges and a wide, rugged bassline. If the pioneers had buried some beefed-up tracks in a time-capsule to inspire future generations, they would probably sound a lot like 'States of Art II'.

Review: Destination Finland: Straight Up Breakbeat roll their sleeves up for this almighty VA from some of the most respected jungle crafters you could possibly shake a dubplate at. Local legend Sofa links with Rupture Queen Mantra for the opening cut 'The Tunnel'. Dark and tense, it sets the scene for some utterly fantastic moments. Long time pals Basic Rhythm & Tim Reaper get silly with 'Target Lock', Blood Trust gets militant with 'RLLR 24' while Jesta finishes with a little blue-faced bust-up 'Liquor Snurf'. Sup sup!!

Review: The dream team Dogger & Mindstate return to TNQ wax with this hearty package of soulful, hip-hop-influenced D&B flavours that was originally unleashed digitally last summer. Representing both their pathways into this music, from north to south, the duo recruit the likes of London's Verbz and Manchester's Sleazy F Baby to vocal and narrate their delicate, subtle but ultimately heavyweight rhythms. From the deep jazz of 'Different Roads' to the symphonic dynamics of 'From The Concrete', this is one of the hardest hitting and emotional records Dogger and Mindstate have made so far.

Review: It's time to sweat it out once more with the latest from the label of that name absolutely going for the big time with some classic vocal stabs defining the rip-snorting opener. And that is the extended mix of Luude & Bru C's 'TMO (Turn Me On)' (feat Kevin Lyttle) which is a big drum & bass anthem with ragga vocals, unrelenting and steel plated drum funk and naughty bass. A slightly more sweet and soulful Borai & Denham Audio remix also features as do Luude & Mattafix's anthem and festival friendly jungle anthem 'Big City Life' and similarly epic and accessible 'Oh My' with Issey Cross and some blissed out keys from one of Moby's classics.

Review: DJ Phantasy and DJ Lee way back in good old 1993. Now here's a mind-blowing collaboration from the past. Reissued on Phantasy's old Liquid Wax imprint, it captures where both acts were at during this formative point in jungle drum & bass history. Phantasy was retuning into the frequencies of jungle coming from a hardcore perspective while DJ Lee was up to his neck in residencies at some of the most important spots in d&b history. Made at Jack Smooth's legendary Sound Entity studio and engineered by Alex Reese, the history on this record is palpable. And it still sounds pucker to this very day.

Review: Destination Japan: Metricmania pays homage to the motherland with this EP named after one of the country's biggest national parks. As with previous explorations, the vibes are far-reaching, star-gazing and steeped in jazzy motifs. Highlights include the woozy vapour trails and loose off-grid breaks of the title track 'Daisetsuzan', the Detroitian marching jam '33.a- Vero' and the tightly-coiled spring energy and jittering drums of 'Www.arai'.

Review: Future Retro continue rebooting recent history with these repress and it's great to see the demand for high grade timeless jungle music. Especially this one. The enigmatic Mr Sensei and the bossman himself go toe-to-toe on two very different breakbeat workouts. 'Strictly Ragga' goes full foundation with a very thick subby mixdown and layers of percussion. 'FM Dial', meanwhile, goes much more contemporary. Militant cuts and hits but bags of space and sudden twists. With Kid Lib on collab duties, too, some argue it's one of the most powerful tracks FR have ever blessed us with.

Review: With previous releases on Tombolo, Natural Sciences and cassette label Gin & Jazz XX, Mutant Joe is back with a new one this week on Los Angeles-based Evar Records. Since his arrival on the scene back in 2019, the Aussie producer's output has spanned diverse genres. There's four tracks featured on Wrong Way Out; he builds on earlier work with underground trap artists on opener 'Bangin On', the ketamine-laced electro of 'Static Effect' had us equally impressed as did the gnarly jungle deconstructions of 'Eyes Without A Face' and the brooding beat contortions of 'The Living Dead'.

Review: Diosis Decibel roll out another techno D&B fusion affair with the bossman Sam C once again at the controls. 'Under The Radar' sets the scene. A pummelling 165BPM 4x4 / breakbeat swagger, it punches holes in every wall of your house before it even comes out of the sleeve. These vibes persist across the 12" as Sam goes deep on the hypnotic 'Electric Flow' and euphoric on 'Eternal' while Italian-in-Romania Madmatik lays down some psy gold on 'Lacrima'. Exceptional.

Review: It's been a big year for Hospital. Shucks, every year is a big year for London Elektricity's imprint, but 2014 seems especially big with huge albums from the likes of Fred V & Grafix, S.P.Y and now Metrik. Repping his game, the label and the genre at the highest level, Universal Language is a highly accomplished calling card for Metrik that showcases his ability to create barn-storming rave homages ("Make The Floor Burn"), arena-slapping sing-along lighter-raisers ("Human Again", "Infinity"), techy underground rollers ("Slipstream") and unifying cuts that give the legendary Underworld a run for their money ("Resonate"). Maintaining a fine balance of great songwriting, muscular production and straight-up dancefloor abandon, this speaks to every corner, every sub genre and every tiny pocket of D&B. Just as the title suggests.

Review: Mike Paradinas is a veteran producer and owner of Planet Mu but he keeps on serving up thrilling new sounds. Grush is his latest, a new album packed with energetic tracks that he hopes reclaim the "dance" element of IDM. Inspired by the melodic dance music of the genre's early pioneers, Grush blends sweetly nostalgic melodies with dynamic, road-tested rhythms. Many tracks were developed during times on the road and from the spiralling notes of 'Hyper Daddy' to the aquatic acid footwork of the title track, Grush traces Paradinas' musical journey with signature style and invention. With influences from early Black Dog to Drexciyan funk, it's a vibrant, live-inspired record that works in a wide range of contexts from the club to the sofa.