DopeTek At Juno Download

Review: Stand back and prepare to witness a sonic explosion from Alter Ego. Sitting somewhere between John B's trance n bass compositions (bleepy synth-led intro; check) and the neurofunk/techstep stalwarts like Noisia (heavily compressed, aggressive sounds; check) with a touch of Blokhe4d's filthy humour, "Coming Back" will bring a smile to the face of those who like their D&B driving, dirty and abounding with energy. "Are You Ready" provides no let up on the flip, with more Spor sounding machinations peering through at every turn, alongside warping synths, robotic vocal snippets and pelting drums.

Review: Prepare yourself, your ears and your neighbours as Alter Ego spits out some super sick, dirty D&B on the Dope Tek imprint. It's turbo charged synths, power punch Sigma-style drums and hammering SFX all the way here as "Cryogenic" gets the EP off to a momentous start. Designed squarely for the dancefloor, this one packs a punch from the off. "City Of Angels" kicks off with some clinking and chiming SFX before falling into another destroyer, with shimmering synths, grinding bassline, pedal to the metal drum work and a sense of euphoria in the atmospherics. Big, bad and heavy!

Review: A producer who's garnered the support of 1Xtra, Nicky Blackmarket, Mickey Finn, Zinc and many more within the D&B aristocracy, Alter Ego returns with these two enormous, floor-orientated tunes - "End of The World" and "Shockwave". The former is every bit as apocalyptic as you'd guess from the title, a truly manic ride through hectic beats and an excellent in-your-face bassline, complete with proggy riffage and spooky sampled dialogue. "Shockwave" is just as upfront, with soaring, single-note synth melodies that ride the crest of the frantic beats just right.

Review: Something for those who like their drum and bass tech-tinged and in-your-face here, as Deli J joins Dopetek for a Juno Download exclusive EP. The title track darts around impressively, pausing only for the subtlest of sting-laden breakdowns. Those pauses aside, it's a heavyweight smasher of cranium-cracking proportions. "Hospitalized" ups the ante, basing the action around searing breaks, old skool-influenced riffage and a strong desire to smash someone's face in (metaphorically speaking, of course). "Survive" sounds like a 100 mile-per-hour motorcycle ride through a city populated by empty brutalist buildings, whilst "Future Tales" takes a wind-swept stroll though a sci-fi paradise - sort of.

Review: "Time To Die"... Not the most positive, encouraging title you'll find in the drum & bass section this week but "Time To Do A Merry Dance Because This Tune Is Ruddy Fantastic" just doesn't have the same ring to it. Plus that title doesn't really suit the ear-pullingly vicious rage Deli's painted in this evil picture. Frantic and menacing, if you've enjoyed any of The Upbeats work you'll love this. Track two, "Space Cowboy" is a more neurofunk inclined affair. It's still edgy and loaded with foul bass tones, but there's a little more elasticity and funk in the groove.