Back catalogue: UK Hardcore

Review: Warehouse Tools takes listeners on a nostalgic journey through the vibrant world of UK house music, showcasing the iconic sounds of Hooj Choons. Opening with Farayen & Liam Parkins' 'Where Do We Go (Jamie Unknown Remix)', the track blends high-energy euro house with New York-style house rhythms, offering a dynamic trip back to the early 90s. Dan Newman's 'Movin'' follows with a melodic Balearic progressive house gem, featuring heavenly piano moments paired with a serious beat that creates a dynamic vibe. On the flip side, Dean & Di After's 'Wicked Dreams' brings retro energy to the forefront, evoking the essence of house music's early days while offering a fresh perspective. Finally, Shade Guevara's 'Ted or Dead' delivers a piano-driven breakbeat, showcasing a vintage sound that encapsulates the roots of house music. This compilation is a well-crafted tribute to the genre, perfectly balancing nostalgia with contemporary energy.

Review: The Time Is Now to welcome bass legend Samurai Breaks to your ears; the artist's latest record 'Turbo Diesel' is a splittingly fast garage come bassline EP, one boldly unafraid of the upper ranges of the proverbial tempo fader. Described as "another cut of face-melting goodness" by the Shall Not Fade sister label, the likes of 'Exercise Riddim' and 'Wheel Up' bring raw and confident rave sampleage to a brisk doubletime 150-odd BPM, while B-siders 'Turbo Diesel' and 'Supa Wobbly Shedda' hear a seamless mix into juke-footed drum & bass come bassline. We're ordered to "pop the trunk" amid siren blares on the former track, not long before we're bundled into the back and taken on an earnapped ride, the latter track indeed shedding any prior inhibitions we'd harboured.

Review: Andrew Bowen, formerly of AnD and Shadows, debuts a fresh EP for a fresh alias: Slave To Society. An entirely unique exploration of breakneck jungle and bass, 'Abstract Venom' explores the extremities of the harshest facets of darkside electronica, with a self-proclaimed disregard "for BPMs, rules, regulations, or trends". While that claim might be somewhat hyperbolic, there is some truth to it. We hear vestiges of punk, industrial, noise, and experimental music in this overarchingly drum & bass project; while at the same time, cuts like the title track and 'Tribulations Of An Alien' indulge everything from rule-ribbing polyrhythms to mega-tight, neuromantic breakcore.

Review: Sonic Deadline AKA Party Force AKA Eyeski AKA Master Editor boils up the Hard Boiled machine once again with an eggsellent four-tet of rave fizzers. Strictly vinyl, all four cuts slap with a playful housey hardcore edge. 'Memories Of Blue' is a proper Dred Bass style springy breaks cut with mega scratches galore and 'My Feelings Can't Explain' shows some seriously twisted Saturday loving (if you catch our drift) Meanwhile on the B: 'Road To Nowhere' takes us into a darker state of emotional consciousness while 'Our Mind Was Trapped' closes with a big bouncy, hands-in-the-air hoorah. Times up.

Review: Reload! Ruff & Tuff re-up their 001 by popular demand. Courtesy of the label bosses Stekker and Sofa, the vibes are as authentic as you'd expect them to be. Slightly hazy, off-grid and woozy, 'We Must Proceed' is all about the choppy fills, wonky pianos and zippy, stretchy hardcore elements while 'On One' is a bit of more subversive as a cool counting sample wraps tightly around the chops beneath a dense sea of FX and samples. Solid jungle business!