Review: Artists don't get much more legendary than Digital, who has been doing his relentlessly excellent thing for twenty odd years now. That experience and heritage is viscerally present on this three-tracker, as Digital shows all the young uns' how to make an EP that crosss genre divides whilst still staying true to a central, core production philosophy. 'Junglist Soldier' is the upbeat, light-hearted track of the three, as sumptuous breaks underpin a floating ragga vocal. 'Hijacked' is a downtempo number that doesn't sacrifice anything in terms of heft, and it progresses in delightful fashion amidst sweeping low frequencies and eerie synths. The final tune is a roller, keeping up the diversity with an interesting structure and tumbling acid synths placed above its sound system bassline. Classic brilliance.
Review: The one and only Digital celebrates his label's 50th release with this incredible V/A collection featuring some of the most important names and artists in the movement. Calibre, Klute, Kiljoy, Need For Mirrors, Drumsound & Bassline Smith and many more all feature on the album, ensure the Function signature broadsword, open-armed sound remains as developed and varied as it's known for being. Highlights include Calibre & Jet Li's drum-heavy drama stepper "Least Loved", the unabashed bashment of Digital's own "Dub Conscious", Seba & Jr Vallo's epic growler "Wasabi", DJ Trace's wild breakbeat ruckus "Spirits" and Klute's insane "Sick Of It All". These are just examples of a completely killer collection with no filler whatsoever... All contrasts, shades, styles and energies, Digital doesn't not mess around!
Abducted (Digital's Is This A Dream remix) - (5:18) 57 BPM
Review: Blimey! As if Digital's originals aren't heavy enough, here come some absolutely flaming versions. "Waterhouse Dub" gets a savage tonking from Kiljoy that flips the breaks but retains all focus on that iconic riff of the original. US genre-flexers Sight Unseen take "Strictly DnB" to some dark, disturbing places behind those big warm horns while the main man himself takes on his own "Abducted" with a stark stripped back steppy feel that gives the bellowing subs. No one does it like Digital, right down to the remixers he gets on board. Massive.
Digital & Keygenlog - "Too Late Again" - (6:03) 58 BPM
Digital & Gremlinz - "Low Battery" - (6:14) 174 BPM
Digital & Sight Unseen - "Out Of Control" - (6:23) 174 BPM
Digital - "Bitter Switch" - (5:41) 174 BPM
Review: Digital returns this week to the seminal Function Records, an old-school imprint with old-school credentials an old-school lineup yet new-school freshness. Digital is of course the man of the moment and he's teamed up with some of his most talented friends for Mental State, an EP which means business. 'Too Long Again' featuring Keygenlog is knock-down jungle that seriously smacks, a gravelly, monochromatic back end adding the weight to a set of naughty jungle breaks. The other cuts are all more fantastic jungle, proper jungle and jungle which resonates in a manner that's deeply urban and which strikes at the core of the genre. Unmissable.
Review: The mighty Digital steps forward with two stunning slabs of sound system science. "Strictly DNB" lashes and splashes with such a bright, energetic amen you'll swear you'll never miss another sermon at your local church ever again. Loaded with vibrant dub skanks, if you've caught any of his recent sets, you'll know how much this kicks off. Flip for "Time Out". A bubbling dub odyssey rolling at halftime tempo, it's Digital showing his roots and more reflective side with rich, precision sonic science. Pure class.
Review: Soundsystem professor Digital maintains his spotless flow this year with another dynamite 12" on his own Function imprint. "Rejection" should be known to all - a powerful roller that's soundtracked many a Rupture gets a drum rework and added energy from the man himself before we drop into two versions of "Water Bucket". The original is a 140 vibe with classic dub waves and ripples, lush horns, toxic subs and a militant stomp while the drum & bass remix ups the energy with some turbine amens and a drone bass that squeezes your inner ears with insistency. Classic Digital.
Review: When Digital says VIP he means VIP. Each of these cuts smack with some of the finest, fieriest, fizziest dynamics drum & bass can offer: Swift's take on Digital & Drumsound & Bassline Smith's "Bail Out" is an epic jungle monster that will slay from now until 2417 (don't ask us what happens in 2417 - you don't want to know) Benny Page follows with a spaced-out bashy drum set on "Calling" that tips its hat to both Jamaica and Manchester while J:Kenzo does a madness on the cult anthem that is "Daylight Robbery". Finally S.P.Y takes a leaf out of the Roller Bible and writes a whole chapter for "Deadline". Very important.
Review: Humanity's deadline soon come; Soundsystem basher and foundation junglist Digital tells it how it is with this storming six track darkness document. Covering his range in diligent, strong-arm detail each cut reminds us of our own greed-riddled mortality. "Crater Face" spits and sizzles with classic Bluenote badness, "Force Field" is space jazz from the year 2157, "Inside The Mind" is the hurricane stepper of the set while the title track takes us on one of his darkest trips of all time, all halftime and truth-mongering. Deeper again we hit the turbo techno of "Far Cry" and more tripped out timeless drum magic on "Abducted/Missing Time". Raw power.
Review: Synthesis is the fourth Digital album and it might be his most ambitious undertaking yet! The album's sixteen tracks see the UK producer working alongside a swathe of high profile contemporaries. The danger with projects such as this, is the lack of cohesion and binding theme but its clear Digital conceived Synthesis as a display of all that's good in the current scene. Exceptionally well produced and engineered, it's nigh on difficult to pick out a highlight here with the likes of Om Unit, Nomine, Villem, Spirit and the mighty Klute excelling in their bass science explorations alongside Digital. An album to really sink your teeth into.
Review: The mighty Digital introduces a brand new Function off-shoot Function Dubz with a focus on ragga/vocal based jungle. Naturally, it's a hefty launch release: "Zion" is straight out of 1993, all head-twisted amens, crazy-sharp edits and evocative dub vocals. "Bad Bwoy Talk" brings us back to the future on a sleazy bubbly halftime roll and full badman chats from YT and Solo Banton. A full jungle history lesson in two tunes; few artists do it like Digital.
Review: Strident Trident business as Digital, Horrific James and Flava team up for a knuckle-dusting bass jungle orgy... Gritty, grainy and powered by drums rough enough to make a rogue bishop blush. Prepare to lose your hair with the distorted bass on "Friday 13th", expect your every bone to shudder and shake to the militant snare rolls on "Too Much", anticipate dark skank dancefloor action on the lean and funky minimal stepper "Lava" and look forward to making all sorts of awkward angular moves to the tribal-minded "Voice Of The Jungle". Heavyweight collaboration business, hopefully we'll be hearing a lot more from Trident Code in the near future.
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