Review: It's that time of year again! The scene's longest-standing platform Drum&BassArena step up with their annual flagship album and once again it's a fitting salute to all corners, all shades and all styles of the rich, wide scene. 60 tracks deep comprising absolute bangers and bliss-outs from the likes of Chase & Status, Noisia & Phace, K-Motionz, Rockwell, DJ Hybrid, GLXY and Seba, it's also home to exclusives from Kyrist, Brookes Brothers, Bou & Simula, Kanina, Kove and A.M.C & Turno. From jungle to jump-up, liquid to dancefloor and complete with three killer mixes for life when you're not practicing your double/triple/quadruple drops, Drum&BassArena continue to celebrate the widest possible scene.
Review: It's finally here! After almost a year on dub, man of the moment Benny L and Metalheadz drop one of the most anticipated and distinctive tunes of the year so far. Wheezing under pure reese bass pressure, restrained and stripped back to the barest of bones, every miniscule element from the pranged pads to the skippy hi-hats and funky little double kicks plays the perfect role as Benny takes us darker than ever before.... Not once but twice as Inja joins the fray on "Vanta Blackin" adding a sharp-tongued twist to this unique noir narrative. Actually make that thrice because they've thrown in the even longer-awaited VIP of Benny's breakthrough "Low Blow" for good measure. Blacker than black.
Review: It's nearing the end of summer, you've rinsed your playlist from every angle at every set. You need new groaners in your life. New tunes that are going to slay a crowd on a whole new level. Who are you going to summon? Benny L of course. Still man of the moment, still capable of making you collapse under major foghorn pressure; he's back on Headz with five of his heaviest, most forthright thumpers to date. From thunderslapping title track right through the last blasts of the mischievous "Trick Or Treat", it's the sound of Benny summoning us all to the dancefloor... And ain't nobody going nowhere until he's done.
Review: Just look at the list of titans on this album.... The Prodigy, Sub Focus, Spor, Chase & Status, dBridge & Skeptical, Icicle, Benny L, Artificial Intelligence and so many more have all contributed to this worthy compendium from brand new mental and physical wellness festival Getahead. Not one contributor disappoints across the set as we're treated to 100 percent exclusives from across the board. From the rampant late 90s tech twists of Chase & Status's "All Crew" to the delicious halftime vibes of Proxima's "Trek" right through Halogenix's sense-melting remix of Koiya, this really is a massive piece of work... And proceeds going to Music Minds Matter. This is such an important release!
Review: Man of the moment Benny L has had an incredible rise over the last two years, guided and nurtured by Ram Trilogist and Audioporn founder Shimon, Benny's groaning, rumbling basslines have become a benchmark that sit right up there with Serum and Voltage as the best in the contemporary game. Case in point: "Low Blow", a tune that's been unavoidable at festivals throughout the summer and famously made Goldie pull the best bass faces the Mixmag live stream has ever seen. It's backed by three other crucial rollers: the iced-out Headz homage "Route Zero", the thunder-striking drum-shattering "Hold It Down" and the whirlwind sense-zapper "Home." Four absolutely crucial cuts from one of this year's most essential rising drum & bass stars.
Review: The don Randall continues to smash things to "Pieces".... 16 tracks of serious rolled-out dark groove soul, it's nothing but heads down grit and uncompromised creativity with every track playing the consummate role of lead player; T>I's soul-shaking hip-twister "All I Do", Benny L's epic groaning yes-fest "Dr No", Vapour's sci-fi drama stepper "Looking Back", Trex's cosmic alien lullaby "Short Story" are just some of the highlights as we roll deep to the very end as Seba blesses the collection with a superlative re-touch on Randall, Goldie and Dego's seminal, scene-shaping bomb from 93 "The R". Randall... Still doin' it after all these years. Essential for all drum & bass heads.
Review: Jaybee & XTC's 'Charlie' is a ride inside a paranoid vortex. Childish whispers hide amongst melodic shadows, worrying 'I don't feel good about this', surrounded by icy drips, metallic stabs and tumbling bass. The classic breaks surround you like net dragging you further still into this long dark tunnel. Benny L is on fine form right now producing one dancefloor destroyer after another, this is a fast paced, forward moving shuffler with a devastating sub. From the strength of this sampler, and the smasher that was Session 1 we're looking forward to hearing the full LP.
Review: Exclusive overload: while some labels like to solely wrap up their existing content into a compilation, Hospital request freshness from their troops. In amongst the 60 tracks on offer (yeah, 60!) there are no less than 25 brand new cuts previously unavailable until now. From the breathy, horizon-glaring bliss of Fred V & Grafix's "Constellations" to High Contrast's first original in well over a year "Calling My Name" by way of Krakota's pulsating gully stepper "Lust Thrust" and Ulterior Motive's darkside creeper "Oddness". This is - without question - one of the biggest, most bountiful Hospitality albums so far. And let's face it, they're always pretty special anyway.
