Review: The sand has barely settled from this year's annual gathering yet SUNANDBASS are already back on the grind. This time with Spearhead bossman BCee. A regular guest on their line-up, here he makes his debut on the label with four warm soul excursions. 'Shelter' is a powerful statement tune. Big horns, shiny guitars, tonking piano and gutsy vocals, it's up there with some of BCee's finest. It's backed up by plenty more gold: 'In The Likeness Of You' is slippery cosmic space funk, 'Steam Clean' is a twinkling, heads-down hypnotiser and 'Creed' takes us back to 2006 era drum & bass in the best way possible.
Review: BCee, the mastermind behind Spearhead Records and a prominent figure in the drum & bass scene, makes a triumphant return with a captivating five-track liquid sensation, expertly curated for Fokuz Recordings. Prepare to be immersed in a world of dynamic beats and fluid melodies as BCee takes you on a journey akin to a whimsical rave in a magical, natural mineral water spring. The sound design and depth showcased in tracks like 'Water Hole' and 'Rain' are nothing short of mesmerizing, amplifying the everlasting and life-giving essence of drum & bass.
Review: The Spearhead massive have delivered some seriously high grade weaponry with this new set of originals, inviting some of the most exciting names across drum and bass together for this wicked new compilation by the name 'Soul Warming Sonics'. From the rave-ready vocal barrages of Emba's remix of 'Karma' from The Vanguard Project to DSP's abstract future-jungle synth switch ups on 'Index', this project really does tick all the boxes for a modern-day raver. With the full project featuring 18 scorching originals, we are almost spoilt for choice, but our favourites would have to include the warm bassline bounces of LSB's 'Golden', the sunshine synthesiser sweeps of BCee & Charlotte Haining's 'Is It Real?' and of course the absolute dynamite stick that is 'Feels Like' from Lens, which sees Workforce get busy across a thunderous rework. Fire from start to finish!
Review: Fokuz Recordings has been one of the leading drum & bass labels in the Netherlands for some time. Now well into triple figures when it comes to catalogue numbers, the label is still turning out interesting sounds as evidenced by this new EP from Spearhead bossman BCEE. There is a beauty in the way ever so delicate one-finger piano notes are draped over the relentless bass of opener 'Alpha' that soon wins you over. 'Dogs Behaving Badly' is deeper, more soulful, more tender and insular and then 'Days Like These' is a fluid roller with well-treated string sounds before 'Overleaf' layers dub vibes with jump-up drum goodness.
Review: A few timeless old bits. A few firing new pieces. Soul Trader get stuck right in with this inaugural volume of their new 'Soul Trader Collection' series. FD's remix of Pola & Bryson still rattles and spanks with air and clarity three years later, Data 3 reunite with Blake for a new moment of poignancy on 'You & I' while Saxxon's 'House On The Hill' is still an off the wall jazz stunner almost seven years later. Next up are two bangers from the BCee camp; Vanguard Project slam out a Marky-style jam with 'What We Got' while trouble-free troubadour Fulgoni joins Steve for the cosmic soul finale. Some of Soul Trader's strongest vibes over here.
Review: Spearhead hits an impressive 200 releases and the bossman is taking care of bicentennial business with four tracks of back-to-roots instrumental business. Timeless grooves in time for the summer this is BCee in his most direct and groove-focused. 'TSC' lights the fire with a textures vocal sample and sublime dubby bass tones, 'Not By Sight' bounces with uplifting daydreamy energy and soulful vocal samples, 'God Fixation' brings a little more epic dynamics with its sweeping strings while 'If I Had To Die For Someone' closes the EP with a big splashes of funk. What a way to celebrate 200 releases!
Review: Spearhead bossman BCee celebrates 20 years of releases with this humungous album of new originals and remixes from talented kindred spirits across the board. There's a lot to unpack here with vibes flexing across the entire spectrum. Highlights include the dubwise vibe-out with DRS 'Let Go Of Love', the dreamy star-gazer 'Four Walls' with Ruth Royall and so many remixes it's hard to know where to start... Levela's take on 'Magic Words' (with Degs) balances the grit with the gold perfectly, LSB brings some wonderful new warmth to 'So Right' and Bop's futuristic funk flip on 'Computer Brains' is nothing short of inspired. And these are just a handful of the many highlights on offer. Dig deep and celebrate the consistent contributions of BCee. Here's to another 20 years!
Review: Last year Bcee and Charlotte Haining released a superbly soulful vocal album, and the time has come for it to get the remix treatment. The lineup for this album is immense, as LSB, Technimatic, S.P.Y, Mitekiss and loads more step up to put their own spin on things. The Shogun duo Technimatic kick of proceedings by shoving a rocket inside 'History', with one of their trademark euphoric buildups, a lead that moves delightfully into an explosively rolling exercise in soulfulness. Deadline nail their remix of 'Almost There', and S.P.Y's flips 'Remind Me' into a growling dancefloor number. There are too many corkers to list here - check em out.
Review: The Spearhead boss is back collaborating with Charlotte Haining after their superb joint album last year, and the motive on this one is in a similar vein: gorgeous rolling liquid that pulls on your heartstrings. Tempza is in the building for this particular cut, and him and Charlotte make an impressive team as they both sit above Bcee's luxurious beat with serious style. Lovely stuff.
Review: Now in their 22nd year, Fokuz has to be one of the longest running - and certainly the most prolific - drum & bass labels to ever come out of The Netherlands. A prime spot for breaking new talent, and renowned for their glacial, atmospheric liquid sound, the label have that perfect balance of newcomers and established names which is reflected perfectly here on this reflective look-back over 2020. Highlights include Command Strange & Cnof's dusty soul delight 'Rainy Day', the twinkling cosmic funk of Maverick Soul's 'We In Here' and the shimmering soul of Askel & Elere's 'Honestly'.
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