Review: Bryan Gee and V Recordings do not mess around. They never have in the past, they're certainly not right now in the present and judging by this highly anticipated Future album, they're going to mess around any time ahead. 25 tracks from some of the biggest, best and baddest names in D&B (Dillina, Serum, Benny L, Paul T & Edward Oberon, Roni Size, DJ Marky, Drumsound & Bassline Smith, Bladerunner, Saxxon, the list goes on) this one's been a long, long, long time coming... And it's been well worth the wait. From L-Sides massive remixes of Dillinja and Krust to Need For Mirrors super-revved "Lambo" to Benny L's incredible remix of "Days", this sums up why Bryan and his label are as influential and respected in the game as they are today. Don't mess around.
Review: V Recordings: A genus source for drum and bass, the launch pad of so many great careers it's not worth counting and still a consistent source of forward-thinking beats. If any label can justify five volumes of back-cat badness, it's Bryan Gee's. Going right back to 1993 (Roni Size's "Timestretch"), we whistle, rattle and roll past some of the label's (and scene in general's) titans. Dillinja is repped hard with an array of discography highlights such as the shattered amen attack plan ("Bad Man"), Krust is paid in full with cuts such as the minimal muscle roller "Set Speed", jungle godfather Sappo reminds us of real old school with "Into The Light" while Future Cut's later-era "Prophecy" is rewound to great effect. And that's just five of the album's 21 chapters. A must read document for junglists old and young.
Review: Bryan Gee's bumper Club Sessions series continues like the drum & bass juggernaut it is with volume five. Since appearing on the scene back in 2005 with an album packed with exclusives from Roni Size, Fresh, Calibre and dBridge, the label have come back stronger than ever with their latest instalment. Featuring modern heroes Need For Mirrors, Peshay and Eveson alongside fresh talent from the likes of Pennygiles, Duoscience, Atlantic Connection and Flaco, each track is a reassurance that drum & bass from the Liquid V corner of the scene is still going strong. At 28 tracks plus two mixes featuring MCs Stamina and TRAC, how could you say no?
Review: Labels, artists and websites all tend to adopt a retrospective tone as the end of a year gets ever closer, so it's naturally quite timely for V Recordings head honcho Bryan Gee to crank out a third volume of his excellent Retrospect series. With it comes a wealth of old jungle riddims, influential classics and long forgotten favourites from the likes of DJ Die, Roni Size, Ray Keith, Krust, Lemon D and more. Gee opens in style with the Brizzle roller "Fashion" by the legendary Roni Size and maintains the pressure throughout, dropping gems such as DJ Die's "Something Special", Krust's iconic stepper "Check Dis Out" and the jazzy, liquid loveliness of Lemon D's "Get On Down" with its shimmying, sunshine filled vibes. For a trip down memory lane, this one's essential.
