Review: German OG Bassface Sascha returns to the sound he made the biggest noise in back in the mid 2000s; balls-out, riff-heavy jump up. With its savage metallic textures and nose-breaking energy, there's a wily ruthlessness buzzing and sizzling throughout. "Klonk", meanwhile, pays homage to the legacy of Clipz with its sweet, simple but seriously savage harmonic Q&A. No nonsense, plenty of drama; Bassface is gunning for the dance right here.
Review: Titanic Teutonic titillation: two of Germany's longest standing D&B representers switch up from their recent dark-style shredders with a classic throwback to the early 2000s where liquid and jump-up were just one fugly sinewave apart. Big strings and horns aplenty, this is a perfect balance between heavy nostalgia and pure contemporary rudeness. Watch out for the Byrd-level funk on the drop... The good old days are here again!
Review: New German label Original Key continue to fire the big guns on their third release: DJ Sly continues to chow down on the quarter pounders with another epic plunging bassline on "98 Style" that just tears through everything else in the mix (including the cheeky string sample on the fills) For the second track OKey invites fellow German titans Bassface Sascha and Feindsoul on board for a grunting, jumpy bassline-focused b-boy session. Die saga geht weiter...
DJ Phlex & Bassface Sascha - "New Dawn" - (4:45) 175 BPM
Review: Junglist superheroes Ruffneck Ting return with the second sampler from their extraordinary new edition to their on-point album series. As always it's pure foundation business with some exceptional examples of contemporary roughage and choppage. Genetix twists up a fat riff and prods it from every corner on "Something's Brewing", Bristol OGs and label founders Substance & Dazee get serious busy with a shattering dubbed out roller while Jinx & The Force get deep, dark and dangerous with a purring, deep-breath bass that suddenly rises from nowhere in a techno-informed style. Need a little vocal pressure? Jump on Bassface Sascha and Phlex's "New Dawn" and trust us, you'll be feeling good...
Review: LA junglists Noah D and No Thing get AAA access to the Liondub vaults and are told to do their damage with their unique fusion of dancehall, digidub, jungle and bass. Subverting 11 of Liondub's wide-reaching releases, the album-sized results are exciting, unique and full of surprises such as the vocalised synth layers on "Control", the rich vocal focus of Bunny General on "Soundwar" and the out-and-out badmanisms of "Nuke A Soundboy". A really interesting remix concept that works just as well as whole as it does as a collection of serious floor-firers.
Review: Time for a remix tip from Navigator as "Sound The Alarm" gets a working from some Liondub heavyweights. From the monster hench Serum remix to Lost City's dancehall wind and grind, and Brian Brainstorm's frisky, jump up interpretation, it's fair to say there's more than one way to bake a Navigator classic. Heavy ragga vibes with a focus on those battle cry vocals in Sticky Joe's remix is definitely one to look out for. Heavy.
Review: Don't be misled by the title: this is no thrown-together 'greatest hits' package but rather a 40-track label showcase from DJ Hybrid's Audio Addict label, coming complete (if you opt to buy the whole album) with a fast and furious, 52-minute mixed version by Canada's RMS, aka Paul Currie. Tracks come a mixture of relatively new names (Martyn Nytram, Saffire Dubz, Confusious) and more established players (LJ High, Scartip and of course Hybrid himself), while stylistically the album touches on various different D&B sub-genres, but with the emphasis always firmly on cuts that are built to tear up the rave.
Review: Catch-up time! If you've yet to experience the vibes of OKey's Original Key imprint, now is the time to get acquainted... Launched in Germany this time last year, here they've put all their releases so far in one handy package. Ranging from Heist's percussion-flickering funk on "Seems Risky" to DJ Sly's horn-blazed skanky switch-up "98 Style" via Bassface Sascha & Feindsoul's badboy blaster "Sage" and Tomoyoshi's Clipz-style Q&A fireworks on "Killa Soundboy", this collection is testament to what a great year it's been for OKey... And drum & bass in general.
Review: Germany representing! Jump-up representing! Shrust's PDD gathers friends old and new for a riotous kick-start to 2017. It's fire from the off as OG Bassface Sascha lets rip with "Superhuman" which tips a nod to the Supreme Being/Taxman style of late 2000s jumpery before Lustral lays down his nastiest tones on the insanely uncompromising "Z2A". Elsewhere Koznik & Khavy adds a little amen twist on "Killer", Manga scratches our hinds raw as he riddles us with glitches on "Dragon's Claw" and Machines threw a little 90s west coast hip-hop feels before ripping our faces off on "Ears Still Blastin" With more caustic bumpers from Mech, Substainless, Connecta and Cue, this is one seriously explosive package.
Review: Make no mistakes: Ruffneck Ting are smashing it on a whole new level this year! Bombarding the game with beat after beat, barely a month has gone by with a Ruffneck roll-out session. The Xtraordinary League Of Junglists takes this proliferation to a whole new level with 20 killer cuts from some of the label's firmest friends and family. Every cut is a highlight but you'd be off your nut not to check the clinically obese classical mid-90s jump up bass of "War", the sprung-out Bingo bounces of "All 2 Myself", the piano-slapping feel good rave workout "All Through The Night" or the dubbed-out trickery of "Hazey Dub". Need we go on? Ruffneck Ting have been on this ting since dot and they're rolling out some of their finest right here. Essential.
Review: 2018 was a certified vintage for Serial Killaz' self titled label as they dropped a stunning slew of singles, EPs, albums and mixtapes. In case you missed anything, these are just some of the many heavers, heaters and hurters that dropped throughout the year. Highlights include the toad-like bass and Spyda's iconic vocals on "Imitation Soundbwoy", the island charm and snaking rolls of Limited's "Sun", DJ Vapour's absolutely pummelling hardcore slap-about "Damage Your Sound" and Leaf's other-planetary freak-out "Night Time Vultures." Sing when you're killing.
