Calculon, Chu Hi & Lil Kevo 303 - "Mango Hi" (Digital remix) - (4:54) 57 BPM
Review: This is a monster of a remix album, as Calculon has roped in an all-star cast of names from the world of slower, breaksy music: Om Unit, Deft, Survival, Lewis James, Fanu and more. Lewis James, of Exit Records vintage, especially impresses, as his remix of 'Get Murked' makes its way through analogue soundscapes via a vessel of bouncy junglist breaks, a truly funky yet hard-hitting arrangement that rolls out to your heart's content. Deft's remix of 'Get Murked' takes a different direction, with oodles of space for his halftime approach to reap dividends amidst a serious commitment to soul and funk. Top album.
Review: The always reliable Drumpoet Community return with a Swiss army knife (of sorts) for deep house music, in the form of Drum Union Vol 1. The Akjoya Circles label boss Look Like appears first, first fresh off appearances on the likes of Mistress with the neon-lit, tropical balearicisms of "Full Moon Rhythm", Manuel Fischer returns to the label after last year's great Iris EP with the boogie-down acid antics of "Galactic Manhunt" and Wah-Chu-Ku delivers what is probably the EP's standout moment on the deeply emotive futurism of "Humble Beginnings". An honourable mention deserved to Mitsubishi Galaxy also, whose contribution "Metadroen" keeps the rest of the release on a techy and moody trip.
Review: The Dreamcatcher Recordings team have a real reputation for unveiling forward thinking and exciting drum and bass music, especially within this fabulous self titled compilation series which today lands it's fifth official edition. The tracklisting is stacked up highly with top quality names, with HABIT, Samurai Breaks, Neve & DNN leading the way. There are of course some notable highlights from the project, which in itself covers quite a wide spectrum of where drum & bass is at in 2020, including the hardcore chord progressions and jittering drum slices of Harka's 'Body Talkin'. As well as this, we couldn't help but notice the super smooth synth lines 'Agua Viva' from Qua Rush, alongside the glittering soundscapes of Levrige's 'Full Circle' original.
