Back catalogue: Hardcore/Style

Review: Get to know Mekatune, a brand new label from one of jungle music's most influential but enigmatic pioneers - Marlon M Beat. Prior to this, most of the releases of his music have been without his wish and wrought with complications (to the point he left the industry for over 25 years) But Mekatune is a place for his own material on his own terms. Much of which has been unreleased or never been reissued in years. This EP is a great example; 'Booyaka' was his first breakthrough while '247' is a cult classic. Meka moves.

Review: Brenda's debut for Rupture LDN is a love letter to the dancefloor in all its phases, from early anticipation to late-night transcendence. Hailing from the UK and embedded in the country's long rave lineage, she draws on 4x4 jungle techno, deep d&b and spoken word to map out a personal and emotional arc. 'Come Undone' captures the energy of the night in full swingirushing breaks, euphoric pressure, the kind of track that commands the room. Elsewhere, 'Benda Brenda' and 'Total Danger' are raw-edged and jungle-rooted, while 'Rolling With Fabio' is deeper and more rolling. It all closes on 'A Deep Shade of Rave (Outro)', a poem dedicated to her long-running Ferry to the Underworld sessions at Corsica Studios. Spiritually full, physically rinsedithis EP nails what it means to live for the rave.

Review: Minds At Large are back on Vinyl Fanatiks with a second outing, this time to resist their 1993 bangers 'Futureworld' and 'Spinechiller' which only came on white label the first time around. 'Spinechiller' is possibly more well known for being the standout on LTJ Bukem's 'Hardcore Volume 9' mixtape from the mid-nineties. It's a pristine breakbeat workout with chopped vocals and rich bass, while 'Futureworld' pairs even more manic breaks with some ethereal vocals. Two stone-cold killers.

Review: This new one on Aphrodite Recordings offers a rare chance to own some previously unreleased hardcore history. Crafted by Urban Shakedown founders Aphrodite and Kaukuta, these two unreleased Moonwalk tracks date back to 1993. ever since they were made back then at the height of hardcore's popularity, though, they have remained forgotten on a DAT tape. After being recently rediscovered, they have been pressed up to this 12" with 'Meditation' offering a blitz of pulsating drums and funky bass, thrilling breaks and sci-fi melodies that reagin down the face of the track, while 'Outer Space' is more raw and direct with a menacing low end and plenty of kinetic drum programming.

Review: Three years in and Guachinche are proving themselves to be an essential outpost for UK hardcore and rave styles in Spain. Making their interests abundantly clear, their latest 12" is a VA affair simply titled The Rave. You know exactly what to expect from this release then, and DJ Rasco and Bubble Couple more than deliver on the rolling breakbeat and euphoric piano of 'Old Groove'. Suga7 mixes things up a little with some trancey elements folded into a deft, moody workout, while Mutantbreakz brings all the emotions to 'Keep It Up'. Raverman completes the set with a sound which is closer to the US big beat style of the late 90s, complete with some cyberpunk acid lines and a thread of mysticism in the breakdown. If you want big, bold rave styles, this record has got them in abundance.

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: On Curve 1, Mura Masa takes a detour from pop-infused collaborations and returns to his roots with a record steeped in the spirit of club culture. Released on his own Pond Recordings, this fourth album is a statement of independence, reflecting both a shift in direction and a rejection of the narrative-heavy, hyper-commercialised approach that has often surrounded modern music releases. Curve 1 is enigmatic, playful, and ambiguousidesigned to resonate in both solitary listening sessions and the intensity of packed, sweat-drenched dancefloors. Mura Masa describes the album as a manifestation of a personal philosophy: to ignore the noise of the attention economy and focus on what truly matters. In this light, Curve 1 becomes more than an albumiit's an invitation for listeners to strip away preconceptions and find their own meaning within its layers. Tracks bounce between euphoric highs and introspective moments, leaving plenty of space for tension and release. With the launch of his own label and creative space in Peckham, Mura Masa continues to position himself at the heart of youth culture, pushing boundaries and fostering new talent. Curve 1 marks the beginning of this new chapter, full of possibilities and free from convention.