Rhythm Section At Juno Download

Review: Going back to the classics, Y4K have hooked up a team of new jack producers to tackle Rhythm Section's 90s hardcore classic "Atomic Bass". The results are a revelation: London's ConRank draws out the dub from those distinctive rave-piano stabs, whilst also fitting a half-stepping D&B beat around it, while Ellis Dee and Twista perfectly update the original for today's ears, adding more stuttering beats and fatter b-lines, yet still keeping the original's innate ravey-ness at heart. Stagga also keeps it old-skool, but brilliantly switches up rhythms so that it unexpectedly drops into a tight half-step for the verses, while L-T-D concentrates on retooling the drums with a cavalcade of samples thrown into a sick, funk-sampling beat.

Review: Legend has it that this classic rave cut from 1991 would have made the Top Twenty, if only Rhythm Section knew that the vinyl had to have a barcode on it! Made up of Rennie Pilgrem and Ellis D amongst others, Rhythm Section were at the forefront of breaks and D&B, and have now collectively revisited the tune with a team of remixers hell-bent on making it rock in 2010.

The original has all the hallmarks of the time, including a discreet sample of Meat Beat Manifesto's Radio Babylon running in the mix. For this new release, both members of Rhythm Section take different approaches with their mixes. Ellis D's is nicely aimed at modern Breakbeat DJ's, but has enough of the old-school flavour to work across many different sets. Rennie Pilgrem's comes at it from a much more funky angle though, adding lots of jazzy Rhodes piano and funky guitars to give it a breezy, goodtimes feel.

The Caper mix is the one to head for if your after a supercharged Dubstep fix, while rising stars Black Noise also turn in a belter. The Newton Chugg Piano mix is a brilliant throwback to the era of early rave, and comes over like Shut Up and Dance never went away - speeded-up drum loops, mono keyboard riffs and an awesome piano drop all present and correct. The Slum Dogz mix is also highly renegade, taking the original samples and twisting them into a sweaty D&B track. A great way to reconnect with a classic across several different genres - if only all reissues were this much fun.