Critical Presents Modulations At Juno Download

Review: A duo who have supplied D&B fans with some truly essential beats for the past 10 years, D*Minds return with the futuristic onslaught of "Subcrate" - a fantastic, dark and moody mix of snarling subs, itchy hats and tambourines and some glacial pads that usher in the breakdowns beautifully. Flipped over, "Stone River" is again a shifty, nour-ish mover, but this time decked out with an excellent set of constantly changing live breaks that pep up the murky rhythm nicely, with thick and very subtle sub waves piped over the top.

Review: Kasra's Critical offshoot steps up with another polished, super stylish release, this time from Manchester's Dub Phizix. Lead track "Break It" gets things started with a tough, terse beat, dark subs, a simple Icicle-esque arrangement and deadly effective little vocal loop calling "break it" which ticks along for the duration. Accompanying this is the deep, head nodding "Four", bringing in the skills of Skeptikal. It's all eerie pads and uneasy atmospherics in the intro before a crisp, crunching drum beat kicks in. A tidy release here.

Review: Critical Recordings sister label, Modulations will drop the debut release from the US/Czech Republic based producer, Evan Visch, AKA, Hybris. Having shot to attention with his impressive DJ dates, he now arrives with the accomplished two tracker, "The Cleaner." The title track sees rapid flicks and scratches zapping over some deep, warbling bass. Later in the track, Hybris introduces some melodic atmospheres into the breakdown to add a clear sense of emotion. On the flip, "Raindance" at first sounds tougher but is actually more laidback, sinking deep into bass swirls as warm synths stretch over the top alongside the sound and running water and distorted vocals.

Review: Some truly original and pleasantly soulful drum and bass from Dutchman Lenzman. "More Than I Can Take" keeps to a rigid half-pace but doesn't suffer from any loss of excitement thanks to some brilliant drum sequences. The mood is kept intense with some ominous synth pads and chopped female vocals. The appropriately named "Silhouette" features on the flipside and Lenzman lets loose with the drums a little more, whilst still preserving a uniquely soulful and - dare we say - IDM flavour. Definitely a must-hear tune if you like your D&B with a progressive edge.

Review: Vicious Circle teams up with Metalheadz man Jubei for a dark, dangerous 12" on Kasra's Critical offshoot label, Modulations. Expect a long, slow-building intro in aptly named track "Cloak & Dagger", which is all driving breaks, inky black bass rumbles and deadly sub bass pressure for the duration. "Deliberate" is cut from a similar cloth with buckets of bass, ticking hi hats and a grouchy, groaning undercurrent that befits the nature of the beast. A couple of top-notch dark side rollers!