Tribe 12 At Juno Download

Review: Tribe 12 is a label run by St Albans' producer & DJ J. Robinson. Here we get a diverse label compilation featuring some of the most forward-thinking drum and bass music out there right this minute. Things kick off with EBK's cinematic "The Flock" which is slow and twitchy with elastic bass; next up is "Top Secret" by Codex, which is pure jungle beats and dark alley noises. Concealed Identity's "Trouble" sticks to the sinister theme, but incorporates dub reggae into the mix. Finally DBR UK wrap things up nicely with "Bushy", a slow, tropical groover features bongo drums and faint birdsong.

Review: Tribe 12's label boss gets all mystical as we head deeper and deeper into the dub swamp. Leading from the off, the title track is a crisp groove that harnesses the power of bongos with candour and funk. Dark, but not deadly, it's a dancer rather than a nodder. "Tundra" meanwhile is an insanely tribal homage with drums hypnotically hammering a texture onto your brain and beyond, it's strictly for those deep, late night shamanic sessions we know you love to have. "Tsavo" is more your trad dubstep with a clock-strike half step and zoned out bass trippiness. A collabo with Gantz - "Spontanious" - is darker and slower again. Oozing out like the intro to an 80s video nasty, it's drama time!

Review: If deeper shades of dubstep turn you on, you'll no doubt already have heard of Quantum Soul. If not, this EP for Tribe 12 is a good place to start. It sees the British producer take his particular brand of dubwise bass music in a number of different directions. There's the loose, percussive pressure of "Hark Back", the drifting harmonica melodies of the tango-influenced "Dawn of a New Dub", and the rolling vibes of "Self Knowledge". Best of all, though, is lead cut "Dubulation", which is more dub than step, despite the half-step rhythms it employs. This Juno Download version of the EP also includes an exclusive remix of Ortokore's future deep-step anthem, "Cannibal Dub".

Review: Killer EP here from Belgian pair The Untouchables for the Tribe 12 imprint. The overwhelming flavour here is of dub, laced with drum and bass atmospherics. Ominous strings and undulating organs hang over opening cut "Tell Dem", a stepper with skittering percussion and an overwhelming sense of doom. The title track drops down to a reggae atmosphere with killer, rolling reverbed drums, while "Black Tears" is even more cavernous in intent with echoes that seems to stretch on into infinity. "Soundz of Freedom" rounds of a killer EP with pattering tribal drums and ominous lashings of sub bass. Essential!