Jubei At Juno Download

Review: Metalheadz unleash four powerful and atmospheric D&B steppers courtesy of Jubei and his collaborations with SPY and Dbridge. The "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained EP" is an assault on the sense from the word go.

"Carbon" is a bouncy number that is all about the hardstep snares and heavy swabs of bass. The breakdowns are atmospheric with the synths that hint at its arrival taking over the soundscape for those short moments. "Alignment," the second solo effort from Jubei here, sees old school sounding pads joining cruising, moody bass and contorting breaks. It is an entirely bass heavy track that sounds almost ambient if it wasn?t for those huge breaks. However, there are a wide range of emotions embedded into this track with what is actually a minimal range of sounds. SPY joins Jubei for the rattling, jump up track, "Project 1." Keeping things rather uncomplicated until the breakdown, we come out the other side amid dense sound layers and hectic FX.

Finishing the release, Dbridge is the collaborator on "Patience." Arguably the finest track on here, "Patience" has a haunting atmosphere created by ominous sub bass, spooky synths and agile warehouse syncopations. Sticking to it?s genre?s name, aside from the occasional FX, this tune is simply drums and bass. Nowhere is that more apparent than at the drop following the echoed breakdown in the middle. That sentiment seems to mark the ethos of the whole EP. A return to simple, undiluted drum & bass comes from Jubei in what has been a difficult year for the genre.

Review: Having done the rounds on the DJ circuit for a long while now, Jubei's "Patience VIP" finally sees the light of day on Goldie's legendary Metalheadz imprint, backed with a super slick Boddika mix of "Alignment". The original starts with a yearning vocal snatch courtesy of Exit Records boss dBridge and progresses into a tune dominated by rattling breaks, hissing percussion, chiming SFX and the unnerving sound of a blade being sharpened on a stone. Boddika reworks the accompanying "Alignment" into a cool, fidgeting Pearson Sound-meets-Addison Groove style venture which is just downright delectable.

Review: Widely regarded in the D&B scene as the "new Marka", Jubei's next single on Metalheadz certainly is something special. Featuring the lyrical prowess of Flowdan, the track centres around a terrifying, turbo-charged bassline and razor-sharp, snapping breaks with eerie, metallic SFX coming in and out of focus in the distance. The raw, aggressive, streetwise vocal packs a punch and accentuates all the individual elements of the track, calling "heartless / cold blooded / hungry..." The whole track is rife with tension, aggression, menace and emotion. Check the video for a great visual portrayal of the piece.