Back catalogue: Drum And Bass

Review: UKJ keeps the flame of old-school breaks and jungle afire with its latest four-track V/A 12", with contributions from label co-boss Junglord, Supa Ape, Sully, OmniRhythm and Simply Dread all in tow for the inflammatory sacrifice. Unlike your usual jungle, these four cuts verge on the insane, thanks to this label's commemorative grounding in the earliest days of jungle in its hardcore breaks and graff-adjacent days. We wager that back then, there was more room for experimentation before the "sound" got standardised and fetishised. Here's a cogent recollection of that time - a time of vocal one-shots, dramatic classical music samples and rave stabs, sure - but above all, just a generally wilder and more rapacious indulging of the promise of what was once called breakscience; Junglord's 'Ready For Retaliation' and Dread's 'Hard To Tell' tend towards UK hardcore on this front, ultrafast breaks-drilling and buzzsawing away, with glee.

Review: Sawteeth's Growing Sprout EP is a captivating journey through the vibrant and energetic world of jungle music. The EP opens with the title track, a jungle anthem that seamlessly blends Eastern melodies with a mysterious and mystical atmosphere, transporting listeners to ancient and otherworldly realms. 'The Silk Road' continues the journey with a hypnotic old-school vocal jungle track that weaves enchanting melodies around a pulsating beat. The EP closes with 'The Missing Link,' a melodic and spacey breakbeat track that showcases Sawteeth's versatility and takes listeners on a soaring sonic adventure with its fast amen break. Overall, this album delivers upon the roots of the genre and the future aspirations of the style all mixed into three heaters.

Review: Deep atmospheric jungle is definitely having a moment right now with labels such as Omni Music and Codename RCRDS and Deep Jungle incubating some outstanding art, Kid Drama and DJ Trace's Nine Windows project setting benchmarks and, way ahead at the forefront, Soul Intent doing what he's been doing for the best part of 20 years. Atmospherics is the perfect example. His deepest and most cosmic of albums, the full trip is an epic sci-fi odyssey that sucks you in on an iMax level. These four cuts are some of the most clubbier-minded cuts, especially for the vinyl heads. From the hurricane breaks of the title track to the jazzy rolling drums of 'Dying Star', this is an exceptional snapshot of an incredible album.

Review: In the realm of electronic music, Silver Fox's Dread by Dawn emerges as a captivating time capsule from the golden age of jungle and hardcore. Originally released in 1993 and meticulously reissued in 2024, this rare gem has lost none of its potency. The album's four tracks exude a haunting and otherworldly atmosphere, characterized by ominous doom-infused soundscapes and unmistakable jungle and hardcore rhythms. Central to the album's allure is its masterful utilization of the iconic "amen break," a drum loop that has become synonymous with the genre. Silver Fox weaves this pulsating rhythm into a mesmerizing tapestry of dark and melodic samples, including ethereal voices and haunting sci-fi elements. The result is a deeply hypnotic and immersive listening experience that transports listeners back to the halcyon days of electronic music's boundary-pushing experiments.