Review: Ransaked return with two straight-up throat cutters from the rising styles of Alex SLK. Previously spotted on the likes of Pick N Mix, Grid, Sub-liminal and Zombie (to name a few labels), once again the UK talent builds on his grimy, greasy dark funk signature. 'Brute Force' is a glitchy, twisted heads-down charge into the dance with no stopping or slowing down while 'The Architect' reveals more brutalist behaviours by way of a fiery bassline and demonic vocal textures. The force is strong on this one.
Review: Holy mother of sugar-coated shoplifting, TJ has put together Pick N Mix's biggest ever VA right here! The second edition of his label's All Stars series, here we're treated to 30 reminders why drum & bass is in the safest of hands with the new generation. Highlights are all over the shop and spilling from the shelves... Formula's Serum style less-is-more revs on 'Dragster's Den', Hexa's redeye romp 'White Widow', the sexy snap and swing of Lovell's 'Deja Vu', Yoteii's quirky funk and church-sized harmonics on 'Gameboy', MLH's surreal echoes and torn up harmonics on 'Technique'. The list goes on...
Review: Pipe down, zip it, shut-up-a-your-face: whichever way you want to say it, Alex SLK is right behind you with 'No More Talking' - A six-track vibe attack strong enough to glue your lips together. A gruff, ruff, collection of rollers and bumpers, highlights include the trippy, elasticated 'Trust Issues', the wonderfully weird and warped 'Zerg' and the mischievous murkery of 'Bombaclaat'. And that's the tip of the iceberg. No talk, all action.
Review: Stick this one up your chimney! Following releases on the likes of Grid and Sub-Division, Alex SLK makes his debut on Pick N Mix on Christmas Day so let's bun the roast and trimmings and tuck into this feast instead; 'Game Changer' is the pigs in blankets, all crispy on the outside but that riff is just so meaty. 'Pressure' is the turkey itself. Big, fat and cooked to juicy perfection. 'Concussion' are the roasties. Coated with a crunch but loaded but soaking in sleazy dark funk fat. 'Sirens' is the Christmas pudding. Rich in groove, soaked in liquid and prone to flames. 'Silk Road' is the chocolate box. A sweet ending to an indulgent day, just like a good box of Heroes or Quality Street, it's full of all your favourite flavours and you never want it to end. Bit like Pick N Mix and Christmas Day itself. Switch up your game.
Review: Over on Juno regular Sub-Division Recordings, Zoner and Alex SLK are being given the remix treatment in a really cool, well put-together single that'll please heads from all sides of the scene. The first comes from Alex SLK himself, and he's flipped the original into a brooding, creeping piece of music that feels cold, tight and packed with latent aggression just waiting to emerge. The flip wears its heart slightly more in its sleeve, as JAK UK rolls out 'The Revolution' amidst a flowing arrangement of bouncing sine stabs and carving bass patches. Wicked.
Review: Few labels are as on-point as Sub-liminal when it comes to new talent. Home to some the sharpest new gen minds to emerge in the last few years, their Myriad collections have always been a succinct snapshot of forefront D&B. The fourth annual collection is no exception as we're treated to smash-ups and stinkers from the likes of Guzi & Dreadnaught, Yatuza, Shayper, Agro and many more. Highlights include the techno rasps of Guzi & Dreadnaught's "All Units", RV's bulldozing rattler "Tell You 1 Thing", Shayper's ghostly rave groaner "Work It Out" and Agro & RV's chest-melting finale "Impact"... And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Myriad by name, myriad madness by nature.
Review: Pick N Mix: A place where full fat variety comes as standard and you're guaranteed to leave with a blazing sugar high and the stickiest fingers imaginable. Since launching last year they've been responsible for a whole barrage of on-point fire jams from the most exciting names in the new-gen D&B movement and for their 10th release they've levelled up the selection in a major way. 20 fresh tracks from 20 killer new talents, the vibes here are so palpable you could chew them. Highlights include the techno-like insistency and of Alex SLK's "Gorillaz", savage tear-out in the form of Vital's "The Game", Zoro's Dread-bass warp wonder session "Buss It", Magenta's MC-fronted bash-about "Purpose", the list goes on and on. Sweet!
Review: Grubs up! Twisted Individual's cooked up a feast of undead delights for the first Zombie Recordings V/A collection and everyone's invited. Chewy, spicy and full of gully victuals, across the collection we're treated to all range of flavours; the peppery aftertaste of Filthy Habits & Jeopardize's "Mind Transfer", the fruity funk bursts of Imaginary Friends' "Rooftop Jam", the gamey aroma and meaty chugs of Yatuza & Nick The Lot's "Mystic Ways" and the sweet and sour textures of Alex SLK's "Kluture" are just some of the many highlights on the menu. Gunfinger-licking good!
Review: If you only buy one drum and bass EP this week, it should 100% be this one. There is something for everyone, we tried to pick highlight but we just can't, each track is so different and so good it would be nigh on impossible to come up with a fair comparison. 'Back 2 Basics' is like nothing we've ever heard the little piano section is amazing and completely juxtaposed to the rest of the dancefloor track. While 'Freeze' is a creepy techy roller with sharp highs and waves off metallic sounding subs. 'Not Going Down' is just, for want of a better word, an absolute banger. The vocal paired with the almost vertical drop is breathtakingly good.
