Review: DJ Limited signed up to The Playaz camp a year or so ago with a pledge to bring the big beats to Hype's label, and he's come good on that pledge and then some. This single has a rework of his acclaimed track 'The Elephant' from last year on the A-side, and he's managed to craft an even more dastardly piece of dancefloor construction from the potent elements of the first version. The flip - You Got - is a stepping, punchy number with serious weigh behind it. Banging.
Review: DJ Limited is the newest signing to DJ Hype's Playaz label and he's arrived with his first full length EP on the label. Based on his debut single and his track record, this release was always going to be on the naughty side and DJ Limited hasn't disappointed. Title track 'Minefield' is an expansive, steppy number with stripped back drums and a moody attitude, each new phrase brings with it an evolution or change and the sounds are constantly engrossing. 'Don't Be Afraid' is more choppy, rough-and-tumble madness and it's another highlight, alongside the vocal-laden rolling styles of 'Soldier'.
Review: DJ Limited has been steadily making a name for himself the past couple of years as a man who crafts music rich with jump-uo energy and jungle vigour, music that broadly rests on the jungle/jump-up spectrum but which injects something new and fresh into the mix. Now, he's signed to Playaz and this is his first single, two tracks with animal names to match their respective sounds. 'The Elephant' is loud and bombastic, the piercing sounds of an elephant's call morphed into a dancefloor weapon that's reminiscent of Kings of the Rollers' 'Burnt Ends'. 'The Jaguar' is the flip, a coughing, tortured set of sounds that growl and hack over a speedy drum line, injecting a sense of movement and fluidity into the aggressive, cat-like vibe. Tunes!
Review: Biological Beats and DJ Limited is somewhat of a fiery combination, the pair of them together packing a back catalogue of music that, more often than not, is downright dirty. Louder is a vindication of that and the selection throughout this release is so on-point and so in-touch with current styles of D&B it's a little absurd, you can almost picture the videos on Facebook as each of these drop. 'Gunfinger' featuring Fatman D is the unique one of the bunch, a steppy, Diemantle-esque cut that chops and changes the whole way through; 'Bad Tune' is our favourite, its wobbling sub-bass riff guides you down into a steam-train bassline that sounds a lot like a Serum cut or similar. The other five are also all definitely worth your time.
Review: Click click click BOOM: Limited returns to Bio HQ with five more far-reaching, all-encompassing thoroughbred D&B wounders. "Click Clack" thumps with a loose flabby bassline that flaps and flops around the swinging kicks, "Lighter Up" wheezes and groans with a 40 a day rasp and a hook that's more addictive than nicotine, "Listen Dis" brings the feels with pristine pianos before hurtling us into a savage grotty bass riff while "Turn Up" barks like a classic Playaz jam circa 2001. The EP climaxes with gully abandon as we're treated to a full sub-soaked VIP overhaul of one of Limited's earliest cuts "Two Left Feet". Turn up!
First Things First (feat The Ragga Twins) - (4:35) 172 BPM
Wondering Why - (4:14) 175 BPM
The Unknown - (5:23) 172 BPM
Lights & Lasers - (5:18) 175 BPM
Another Dimension - (4:51) 175 BPM
Last Night - (5:49) 173 BPM
Review: Calling all camps and crews and corners of the game! DJ Limited is here with an EP that genuinely ticks every D&B box under the sun. No boundaries, just realness; whether it's the late-2000s Sub Focus style uplifting riff magic on "Lights & Lasers", the restrained weaves and flows on the rolling soul piece "The Unknown", the grimy jittering frazzles of "Wondering Why", the cheeky funk and Flinty and Deaman's dancehall scorches on "The Unknown", the skin-scorching BC-style electrified rippage of "Another Dimension" or the trippy 24th century jazz of "Last Night", we guaranteed Limited has got you and your unique tastes covered with this powerful EP. Unlimited vibes.
Review: Fresh from waggling his snake around the gaff, DJ Limited returns with two more phenomenal slabs of riffy gritty bass funk. "Smoke 'Em Out" is a fat 20 skinner with rolling Hazard-style drums and a bassline so bulbous and vital you'd swear it was on its third trimester and about to give birth to septuplets. "Ain't No Love", meanwhile, flexes a classic sample around a savage distorted bass drop before opening up the strings and vocals over the beats. Big up the double negative crew - there's plenty of love around here for DJ Limited!
Review: Snake killing: a highly dangerous occupation practiced only by the likes of Chuck Norris, Bear Grylls, Andre The Giant (ask your dad) and stone cold vibe-firing junglists like DJ Limited... A man who's not missed a trick lately. Following releases on Serial Killaz and Biological Beats he returns to Heist's Co-Lab with a six-pack that contains some of his best tracks to date... "Kill The Snake", an absolute blinder of a riff track that mixes with everything and sticks in your head like pure gorilla glue. Other crucial cuts include the flabby wobbles of "Famous On Earth", the stripped back theatrics of, switches and guitar glitches of "Right On Time" and the classic off-beat shake down of "The Purpose". Tl,dr: Absolute murderation (of snakes and soundboys)
Review: DJ Limited... Now there's a producer you'd be proud to take home to your parents. Strong, efficient but charming and funky; he's the hero we all need right now (but most of us don't deserve) "123" is one of the tunes that all DJs can drop, regardless of what ridiculous pigeonhole they've camped up in - steppy, minimal, left-of-centre, it's kinda reminiscent of Enei, Eastercolors & Noel's "Cracker" in the way it complements any type of mix and really stands out. "Baby" is more on the dancefloor side with its cute Q&A and soulful one-word vocal snippet. Think somewhere between Break and Voltage and you're in the right territory. Don't sleep.
Review: Serial Killaz feel that people need an education on what a dubplate actually is. The title track provides a staple amount of reggae infused new school jungle. "Gang Related" has been thrashed by DJs currently supporting this EP and for a valid reason. The label claims "It's a nasty piece of filth that belongs in the gutter, the type of track you would only dare to drop in a really moody dance." They then up the ante on "Colour", with plenty of funk and wobbles. Then "Hit The Streets" brings the vibe into new territory with plenty of panic ridden vocals, rumbling basslines and skippy swing breaks. Lastly 'Ready' features well known vocal samples, gunshot effects and no-nonsense production make this an amazing end to the EP.
Review: Carefully balancing light and dark with every release, DJ Limited's range and scope reflects the diversity of modern D&B. Following releases on Jaydan's Smokin' and Sigma's Life, here comes his biggest release of the year so far. Highlights include the hornet-nest-on-fire buzzes and cathedral arpeggio of "The Addict", the cap-doffing reference to Annix with the screeched-out "Decimal System" and the chunkier, gnarly reese grit and sing-along vocal sample of "Play With Fire". Don't believe the name: Limited's skills are unlimited right about now.
Review: Despite producing under the name DJ Limited, Norwich bad man Billy Smith has proved himself to be anything but that, with a strong line of releases dating back to last November which have seen him work with Biological Beats and Life Recordings. Next up is the Bass 12 EP for Jaydan's long-running Smokin Riddims label which comes with the all-important DJ Hype seal of approval. Both "Badman Champion" and "The Sound" have got an airing on the Hype man's legendary Kiss FM show of late, but you can forsee the whole EP nicing up the dance for months to come.
Review: DJ Limited's stock just went up by a few quid: previously flexing on Fatman's Bio brand, Sigma have signed up the UK producer for two blisteringly rushy cuts. File under moment: "Your Love" is a synth-licked whirlwind of a stepper that rises and rises with euphoric urgency. "Everyday" provides the all-important contrast... With chubby-boi subs, rattling breaks and dancehall vocals from Dominator, it takes off where Sigma's "Rudeboy" left us. Both sides have serious potential; have Sigma found the next Sigma?
Review: South east soundboy DJ Limited is on a mission to bring the drums back. Naturally he's doing his bit for the cause with some precision chiselled beats himself; the pneumatic two-step beneath the wasp-in-a-jar bass wriggles of "Bring The Drums Back", the punctuating snares providing stability beneath the mentasms on "Bounce", the turbo swing beneath the Nu:Logic-esque bass tones on "But I", the broader full fat amens on the skank-happy "Revolution", the thunderous rolls beneath the lightning neuro nuances of "Matter", the classic steppy drama beneath the gut-tickling bass on "Don't Just Stand There". In fact DJ Limited hasn't just brought back the drums, he's brought back the classic all-corners, no-stone-unturned approach to EPs full stop. Very impressive from the drums upwards.
Review: DJ Limited is a wanted man right now. Nicky Blackmarket, Sigma and Ed Rush all want a piece, but nobody even knows his true identity, yet. Teamed with Fatman D on "London Slums", Limited absolutely kills it with tune after tune of serious hurters. For total annihilation, look no further than "Biological Warfare", or the smooth-starting "Orders", however there is a more technical side to this production guru too, which is audible in both mixes of the immense "London Slums". Currently taking late night radio and dancefloors everywhere by storm, it's this year's biggest contender. Get in the know.
Review: Twisted's Grid launches a new series dedicated to the deeper, introspective moments in life with five seriously respected artists at the dials. DJ Limited continues to show how versatile he is with the clanking, wobbling, slurring "To Be The First", man of the moment Need For Mirrors gets his slinky step on with "Such A Thing" while Damage Report gets his dancehall neck brace on with the hardest, snare-snapping jam of the set "Took You So Long". Elsewhere Dexcell add pace and grit to Mutated Forms' space-hopping bleep shock out "Duct Tape" and Raz brings down the curtains with a hurricane snare rattler that's laced with bone-chilling textures and rises. One for the heads...
Review: Fatman Dee's dusted off his big black book of contacts and commissioned some huge remixes for this all-out version excursion. Turno takes the lead with a full fat-and-gristle shake-up of Dominator's "Holes In Ya Chest" while Voltage adds an array of unique sonic twists and designs on his take on "Willy Wonka". Dig deeper for the unstoppable Decimal Bass letting loose with a confident swagger on "Shoot Dem" and Konichi sets his space lasers to stun on "The Shuttle Skank". Finally DJ Limited lays down not one but two remixes of Jayline's "Peanut Butter On Toast". Part one rolls with some really cool old school middy tones while part two combines an early TC style squelch. Both are exceptional.
DJ Chap & C.A.B.L.E. - "Be With Me" - (4:25) 176 BPM
Murdock - "Raw Power Moves" - (5:14) 174 BPM
DJ Andy - "Acid Reflux" - (4:33) 174 BPM
Chromatic - "Footprint" - (4:58) 174 BPM
Need For Mirrors - "Go Easy" - (5:23) 174 BPM
Peshay - "Nitro" - (6:43) 175 BPM
DLR - "Dafunk" - (5:55) 175 BPM
Bailey - "Computer Life" - (5:10) 174 BPM
Simplification - "Therapy" - (5:18) 172 BPM
Alibi - "Machine Head" - (5:36) 174 BPM
Nymfo - "Warrior" - (3:49) 170 BPM
DJ Limited - "Love Is Blind" - (4:12) 58 BPM
Jumpin Jack Frost - "Chronicles" (continuous DJ mix) - (1:08:09) 178 BPM
Review: Chronic is a sub-label of V Recordings that's specifically for rolling, rapid and rough tracks, the ones that are too naughty for the main label yet too good to throw out. Jumping Jack Frost as curated this latest compilation for Chronic and it's simply too good, with a wicked mix of vibes. From the snarling funk of Philth's 'Sanctuary', the wobbling energy of 'My Flava' by Command Strange or the rough jungle on Bailey's 'Computer Life', this LP injects the old-school vibe into new-school clarity. Arguably the stand-out though is DLR's 'Dafunk, a combination of stuttering drums and upbeat samples wrapped up in typical DLR-esque fashion.
Review: Introduced as members of Biological Beats' Young Gun league, Klip & Outlaw level up as serious game contenders with this full-flavoured EP. Ranging from the gutter-chomping bass-barged jump up they came through with ("Out Of Their Minds") to subverted, honey-roasted soul steppery ("Dedication") by way of robot-tailored future tech ("Heaveness"), this is a highly accomplished EP from drop to stop. Essential.
Review: It's the tune that simply won't quit: Mutated Forms' breakthrough stuttering halftime jam "Wastegash" enjoys two brand new remixes: DJ Limited adds a sassy swung triplet drum and maintains the rifle-like gutter groans of the OG bassline while Freek pushes the original grizzle to the background and adds a whole new level of clanger prang weirdness. Just when you thought the original was timeless and The Upbeats remix couldn't be topped, along come these. Get wasted.
Review: Even just glancing at the amount of killer collaborators Saxxon's recruited for his odyssey you know this is a huge album: Navi, Coppa, T>I, DJ Limited, AK1200, Jaxx, Blackout JA and Liondub all play a role in this ambitious affair. And that's before we even address the music itself; rollers, slappers and vibers hanging from every corner like ill fitting suits, highlights include the heavily rotated bassline bust up "Rollcall", the trippy tripletty swing, strange buzzes and piano bliss of "Way Back", the woozy soul and fat wobbles of "The Night Before 420", the loose limbed jazz of "The Dopest" and pant swinging bassline slappery of "Wile E Coyote". And that's just the tip of the Odyssey iceberg. Huge respect to Saxxon, this isn't an album, it's a statement and way of life.
Review: Saxxon's "Jungle Odyssey" continues with four more firestarting burn ups. The EP kicks off in earnest with "Way Back". A hook up with DJ Limited, it's one of those holy grail tracks that's hard, soulful, funk and deep all at the same time thanks to a fine tuned bounce on the wobbles and those jazzy chords. Meanwhile "Yo Yo" brings even more wobble and jazz to the mix with a rampant sense of early 2000s funk and the final two tracks bring the MC to the fore; "Ignition" with Blackout JA is a forthright shredder with some incredible distortion and restraint on the bassline while "Roll Through" sees Coppa spitting over a rubber band bassline and subtle mid 90s Headz references. This album is going to be massive.
Review: You can always bank on Subby releasing one massive EP every year. And this one's extra massive as he's brought four mates along for the ride. Complementing his already beautifully brutal style, each collaboration brings out a different side in the Newcastle producer: Maji tickles the jump-up darkness out of him on "Weapon Of Choice", Jaydan encourages a little off-beat subversion while retaining the dancefloor punch while Dub Motion complements Sub Zero's jungle roots with a delicious roller that's as soulful as it is dark. Finally we hit "How To Act" where Sub Zero and DJ Limited lay down the trippiest, most weirded out bassline you'll hear all week, month, possibly even year.
Review: Sub Zero don't need a write-up from us to get you pumped, the bassline on "Inside the Beast" already has floors packed out for months and things aren't getting any less claustrophobic. This EP brings out all the things we love about Sub Zero in one neat, destructive package. Big bass, slammin' snares, the ridiculous beats... let's face it, nobody does it better. In amongst the jump-up there's some real experimental gems, pushing his sound further than ever before in tunes like "Bakyard Skank" and steamy roller "Hearts On Fire". Well worth a shuffle.
Sub Zero - "Missing Piece" (feat Roxi Yung) - (4:32) 175 BPM
Annix & K Motionz - "Stutter" - (4:33) 175 BPM
Review: Playaz are rounding out this year with their first compilation for quite some time, and their 2020 roundup relies on a fairly small handful of long-term label stalwarts across twenty tracks. In this case, less is more and the likes of Annix, Taxman, DJ Hybrid and Tyke all come seriously correct in this compilation, their collective decades of experience really shining through. Taxman's 'You Can't See' is absurdly good, with wonderfully stuttering breaks which emerge from shimmering synth lines before cutting into a raucously stabbing bass hits, a proper rowdy collection of sounds which get right to the heart of the Playaz sound. Bristol trio The Sauce pop up on the label with several contributions, including 'Spooked', an eerie roller with choppiness right at its core - big stuff from the crew.
Review: This compilation arrives with a rich heritage of V Recordings compilations behind it, and Planet V has for a number of years been the flagship series for Bryan Gee's label. Edition four comes to a whopping 73 tracks and includes a mix as well, and all the familiar V faces are present, from Alibi to Paul t & Edward Oberon. All of the tunes have already seen the light of day in a previous form, and Disrupta and Duskee's 'Deep Thoughts' is one of the standouts, as Disrupta lays down a minimal yet funky beat for Duskee to rap lyrical over, something he does with serious presence. New gun SL8r makes several appearances, including on the excellent 'What U Need', which bounces along in a synthscape of serious depth and texture, its funky nodes nodding to the beat of a vintage blend. Crossover outfit Think Tonk also shine with 'Tom & Heavy', an offering unique in its stepping, breaksy percussion and one which oozes soulful class. There are dozens more to have a gander at, so take your pick.
Review: Biological Beats are turning fifteen years old and, like any good anniversary, it's being celebrated with a proper knees-up, hands-in-the-air type compilation of jump-up heavy hitters from a slew of wicked artists. This is that celebration and DJ Limited, Puppetz and more are in the place, whilst Enta and more make a feature as well. Enta turns up the heat with a screamer with 'Ear Dis', Puppetz takes things heavy on 'Reborn' and Traumatize drags proceedings into a bouncier place with his stormin VIP of 'Joker'. All round, an excellent showing from the crew and an excellent example of how to pull off a big compilation.
Review: With Hazard rounding up another killer year for Hype and Pascal's label with his first release in five years, Playaz take stock of 2019 with this savage showdown from all their main mandem. From the eerie gurgles and scraps of Annix & Kanine's "Jackpot" to the flabby wobbles and groans of Limited's "Soldier" to the sweet seduction twist of Jam Thieves' "Love Forever" this 25-track pack covers the entire spectrum of proper rave-primed drum & bass with all manner of curveballs and boundary-pushing badness. No compromises, a healthy balance of elder statesmen, new headliners and young talent and a sound that's distinctively theirs, Playaz are about to bulldoze into a new decade... And this is how it all begins.
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.
Review: In terms of legendary status for labels over on the jungle/jump-up side of the scene, it's pretty hard to beat Serial Killaz. Run by the duo of the same name, the imprint has arrived with the second instalment of their mixtape series and it's unsurprisingly good. Full of big tunes from guys like Serial Killaz themselves, Vital Elements and Upgrade, it's the latter of these guys that takes the cake with 'Steel Drum'. You've probably heard this one doing the rounds and it's actually already been released, but oh boy what a tune this is: a screaming, siren-lake mash of grating metallic synths and punching drums all come together to make an unstoppably good piece of music. Don't sleep on the rest of these tunes though, and a special mention goes to DJ Hybrid's 'Beatbox' - naught jungle vibes.
Review: Time flies when you're a junglist... Reflecting the bossman DJ Hype's all-style signature as a selector, Playaz output covered the spectrum in style last year. You want sun-dappled soulful fire? Look for Potential Badboy. You want dirt munching gully? Look for Annix. You want leftfield stripped back surreal dark funk? Look for Bass Brothers or Jam Thieves. You want to get knocked the heck out? Look up Taxman, Prestige and Tyke. So many corners covered they smashed walls down to create new ones, Playaz killed it in 2016... Here are 25 reasons why.
