Back in stock: Drum And Bass

Review: Covert operator ASC continues his astral travels for his current series of intergalactic breakbeat explorations with 'Star Cluster'. Following 'Isometric Projection' and 'Cause & Effect', this EP once again reaches to the heavens for its essence and rolls out with shimmering, emotional charm and more than its fair share of heavy drum punches. The dreamy vocal calls and slamming breaks of 'Solyaris' and the tightly coiled spring groove of 'Oblivion' are both major highs on this trip.

Review: Eusebeia and Artificial Red: Two artists together across three tracks on one beautiful 12" Samurai off-shoot label Mind Games are spoiling us silly right here. The magic is evident the moment those luxury drums swoop and dip on 'Sweet Memories'. More jazz than jungle, there's a cosmic urgency laced throughout that sets the tone for the whole EP. Elsewhere 'Peace Of Mind' goes full GLM with its dreamy pads and soft subs before 'Cloud Nine' finishes with a tender ravey hug. Music for the Mind Games, soul games and indeed body games.

Review: Holsten makes a fine impression here with his debut EP on Rupture LDN. It's a drum & bass excursion that operates at the darker and menacing end of the spectrum and opens with the eerie bell hits of 'All Talk' (feat Overlook). Thrilling breaks soon take over as the turbulence synths grow ever more wild and 'Stallion' then mixes up fizzing synth chaos with tight, kinetic drum programming. On the B-side, 'Understand' is another tough drum workout with haunting pads, and 'One Step Closer' shuts down with withering sci-fi motifs and a seriously wobbly low end.

Review: UK producer Kloke has been on prolific form lately, dropping the science on Tim Reaper's Future Retro, Unknown To The Unknown, Fresh 86 and scores more labels besides. Now he's stepping up to Samurai sub label Mindgames in the wake of essential drops from Reaper and Eusebeia with some incredibly accomplished workouts which reach beyond formulaic limitations to offer the kind of bar-raising breaks juggling and considered production that truly stands out in this day and age. 'Eternity' is as compelling in its teasing, quasi-ambient lead in, taking some of the backroom surrealism of Photek's Modus Operandi and charging it with a vivid, underwater sound design flair. That's just one example - every track has its own distinctive intrigue and mind-bending ideas flying out of the speakers in high-definition.

Review: Law & Auder's latest release, Big It Up/Boomstick, is a two-track EP that showcases their unique blend of jungle and liquid drum and bass. The A-side, 'Big It Up,' is a high-energy track with a fun, reggaeton-inspired melody and plenty of samples. The B-side, 'Boomstick,' is a more atmospheric track with an eerie melody, a big Amen break, and a deep, throbbing bassline. Law And Auder's production skills and their ability to create music that is both danceable and thought-provoking. This record gives major old skool hardcore vibes.

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.

Review: .Stepping into spring with true style and just the right amount of nostalgic sass, unpredictable Finnish artist Otto Taimela follows a string of techno dispatches with this sublime four track jungle narrative that's perfect the sunnier seasons. With its lively, unkempt edits and jumps, 'Sunflower' has a powerful warmth of a timeless jungle dancefloor tune while carrying a certain amount of nostalgic IDM haze. It's a vibe which is maintained throughout the EP; 'Sunwarmed Window' has a dreamier edge that wouldn't have gone amiss on Warp at any point during the early to mid-90s, 'Sunshine Reloading' rides a much busier drums palette while 'Imagined U' brings us back down to earth with a gentle beatless ambient kiss. Stunning.