Cheap Thrills At Juno Download

Review: Out on his own Cheap Thrills label, Herve swoops under the radar with his Action Man alias on these two new acid-drenched winners. "Life Cycle" is a perfectly measured jack-to-the-future, complete with deep intoning vocal loops, 808s, old-school stabs, as well as a simply perfect build-up. "Your Prayers Won't Save You" is more urgent, with some high-pitched keys coming up against Eastern percussion in the vein of Duke Dumont's mighty "Hoy". Big, big stuff indeed.

Review: This newie from Baxta is a little different to previous Cheap Thrills releases. While the UK funky/garage/B-more/tropical fusions on offer do come loaded with heavy drums and gut-wrenching bass, there's also plenty of subtlety to the production and some choice melodies and ear pleasing sounds (see the title track and the touchy-feely breakdowns of "Skyline"). Recommended.

Review: Tropical tales abound on Cheap Thrills this month as Baxta gets rather lively with Afrikan Boy and Queenie on this grime-meets-house-meets-funky mash up. With a sing-along chorus and deep, pummelling groove, it's an instant banger laced with all the right lady-friendly elements. Not feeling the vocals? Don't worry, there's an awesome instrumental AND a superb stomping body-rocker in the form of "Blade Runner". Watch out for those mournful chords on the drop... Lovely stuff.

Review: Having previously dropped a remix on Baxta's excellent Connection EP, D1 makes his own debut on Cheap Thrills with the heady treats of his Devotion EP. The title track excellently fuses hardcore, piano house as well as the famed hook from Nomad's seminal early-'90s rave hit of the same name. On an even more wonked-out and minimal tip, "Ace Of Spades" is a bass-thumping kuduro-esque banger, as is the equally paced-up sine-wave rocking "Are You Buzzing". Rounding off with the malicious swirl of "Whiskey & Coke", this makes for an equally forward-thinking and club-rocking EP that's a must for Cheap Thrills aficionados.

Review: With a name that sounds like some pub glam rock band, and a sound that brutally fuses electro with bass, funk and some serious shades of trance, Death Rose Cult aren't hard to miss... And they're only on their debut release! "Badman" is a real false-proceedings number; it opens with a hefty pump but nothing can prepare you for the drop when it finally lands. Meanwhile "Voodoo" is a far more full-frontal beat ambush; devious dubstep along the similar lines to High Rankin or the Never Say Die lot - it's extreme in every sense.