Review: It has been a brief minute since we heard from the Maraki team, who have clearly been keeping busy, plotting away for their next compilation project behind closed doors. Here we see just what they have building up to as they unveil a monumental second edition of their 'Spaces' series. This kicks of with Axel Boy's hard hitting original in 'Feel It Deep' which fuses potent bass synths with stunning vocal lines perfectly. Next up, Zero bring his unique sound design into full flow on 'Broken' before Document One get busy with a highly sought after D&B rethink of Bushbaby's 'Sonder'. Finally, we see the introduction of Greed & BTW who team up with the legendary vocals of Dread MC for their crunchy roller 'Enemy'.
Review: Document One dropped their debut album on Shogun Audio last year and it was packed full of wicked dancefloor anthem, as well a a number of liquid and jungle cuts. Anamorphic is their first outing since then and it's gone down the heavier route whilst also incorporating some junglist tones, a wicked combination that represents the diversity present on Friction's label. 'Rave Culture' exemplifies that best, with a ferocious breakbeat and chopped up vocals combining to make a monstrously heavy and catchy club-focused riddim. Lovely stuff.
Review: And the Shogun album heat just keeps on coming... Fresh from launching Ed:It's album series, Friction's label flings Document One's debut upside our features. And it's another essential addition to our collections. As an act renowned for covering the spectrum and subverting the styles, the album format is perfect for the Oxford duo as they guide us through the spectrum... Launching with sing-along sunny-side jungle ("Shutdown") and closing with epic Sigma-esque gospel business ("Newborn") they pack every shade and style in between from soothing chime-laced deepness ("Temporal"), introspective soulful steppers ("Fortitude") and absolute grizzlesome grit ("Holy Moly") A highly accomplished debut album.
Review: Having teased us with a little "LSD" earlier this year, then a sneaky peak of the EP with the well oiled sci-fi soul flips of "Reaching Through" earlier this month, Document One deliver their first full EP for Friction's label and it's a blinder. "Cosmic Funk" steps and slams like it's 98 on Virus all over again, "Aiight" is all about the tightly coiled spring groove, spacious dynamics and croak funk textures while "We Got It" plays the aggy UK stinker of the set. They got it... So can you.
Review: Oi oi! Document One cement their arrival at the Shogun estate with this deliciously bendy, switchy multi-shade bass flashback. Fittingly loaded with myriad ideas all compounded into one epic, precision-barbed freakout, it is - unquestionably - Document One's best track to date with perfect levels of funk, fury and outright trippiness. Get on it.
Review: Document One and Joe Ford aren't the most obvious partnership but they're clearly one that kicks arse in all directions. Both parties bring their finest skills to the table with something for everyone: strong musicianship, scalp-singeing bass, a soaring vocal and a beautiful jazzy drop that swallows you whole and spits you out alive on the second drop. Take care with this one.
Joe Ford & Memtrix - "Out Of Place" - (4:53) 172 BPM
Joe Ford & Document One - "Care For Me" - (4:54) 175 BPM
Said - (7:05) 150 BPM
Cosine - (3:44) 172 BPM
Master This - (4:20) 172 BPM
Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants - (7:22) 165 BPM
Joe Ford & Koven - "Made Of Glass" - (3:56) 180 BPM
Adrenaline (feat Hacktivist) - (5:05) 172 BPM
Guess What - (4:18) 172 BPM
Tomb Raver - (4:41) 172 BPM
Take The Lead - (5:18) 172 BPM
Enemy - (4:08) 150 BPM
Review: Shogun wunderkind Joe Ford finally delivers his debut album in the form of Colours In Sound and it's a daring document by any stretch of the imagination. Slamming himself into the centre of a much wider D&B map than some assume he's known for, the opus stretches from springy bass riff elastic on the opener "Where Is The Sun" right through the grunting glitch finale "Enemy". In between we're treated to thundering vocal drama on "Out Of Place", sci-fi soul on "Said", dreamy Huntemann-style techno on "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants" and savage headbanger wizardry on "Adrenaline" with Hacktivist... With plenty more loaded and coded in between, this is a remarkable piece of work from the highly respected next-gen artist.
Review: Shogun have a forthcoming compilation and it's one which shows just how good a year they had, all things notwithstanding. It features music from GLXY, Sustance, Koherent and more, and what's notable is just how many are from producers relatively new to the Shogun camp, evidence that the Brighton team are doing the best they can at nurturing the next generation. GLXY are at the forefront of that generation and they have several tracks featured from their Spring album, Research & Development. 'Conclusions' feat. Steo is one of the best, a feathery light liquid number with a dusting of harp and a dash of vocal magic, a sultry approach mirrored on their critically acclaimed single 'She Sings For Me' feat DRS. Koherent's recent, infectiously funky number 'Bliss' makes an appearance, as does several tunes from Gerra & Stone's rebirth as GEST. Big.
Technimatic - "The Nightfall" (feat Jono McCleery) - (4:30) 174 BPM
Document One - "Holy Moly" - (4:41) 174 BPM
Ed It - "The Ticket" (feat Pola & Bryson) - (4:34) 172 BPM
Monrroe - "Everywhere I Go" - (4:50) 174 BPM
Technimatic/Matt Wilson - "Holding On" - (4:56) 175 BPM
Document One - "1964" - (4:13) 174 BPM
Ed It - "Generally Speaking" - (4:53) 175 BPM
Gerra & Stone - "Feels Like" - (4:33) 174 BPM
Review: Having just celebrated their 15th year with one of their best ever collections, Friction's Shogun Audio look back over a strong year of sonics. Flexing a stellar rollcall of all the label's talents - Ed:It, GLXY, Technimatic, Pola & Bryson, Monrroe, Document One, Koherent and many more - there's an exciting energy to the label's collective and this collection captures that vibe. Highlights include Ed:It's fast-lane percussive roller "So True", the deep dream manoeuvres of Koherent and Charli Brix's "Voices" and Document One's epic electrified shredder "Holy Moly". These are just three of 20 reminders of why Shogun have had such a great year in 2019.
Review: It's been 15 years since Shogun Audio burst into life on the South Coast and under the watchful eye of Ed Keeley AKA Friction, as well as K-Tee, it's grown and grown into one of the best labels in the business, without a doubt. From the classics like Perez's seminal 1984, to more recent, futuristic numbers from the likes of Koherent and Document One, the label is truly diverse and that's represented extremely well in this 15 Years Of compilation. Featuring a litany of acts both old and new, including Technimatic, Pola & Bryson and Friction, this one is for the proper fans. Document One's 'Vibration' is a favourite of ours, with a stupidly cool, distorted bassline that packs a tasty hardware edge, undergirded by a click-and-snap drum line. Pure quality right here.
Review: Following on from last year's incredibly popular instalment, Shogun Audio have brought back Point of Origin for a third time. This series emphasises the rolling, minimal-ish side of the scene from some younger, more hungry producers and boy, is it a good formula. Exemplifying this is Revaux with 'Ibex', probably the nastiest tune on the album and arguably the best, as its crunching bass tabs inject fantastic groove. Rizzle and Malaky add something more sultry with 'Solstice' and 'Requiem', the former focusing on the vocals of Sydney whilst the latter opts for a more instrumental roll-out. Gerra & Stone represent the old guard amongst the newbies, holding up their end with a growling amalgamation of low-frequency force. This is an exquisite album of D&B, with every corner covered and every flavour recognizable - special props going to Shogun for supporting new talent as well.
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: Thought Technique's last 15 year celebration compilation was huge? You've seen nothing yet. It's their quinceaNera, dammit, and they're not giving up the party yet. Drumsound & Bassline Smith hang on to those summer vibes with two inclusions and artists like Tantrum Desire, Tremah, L Plus and Document One hold the fort with similarly stonking tunes. Unbelievable variety from the label that just keeps on giving. Then giving some more.
Review: Fifteen years. Can you believe it? Actually, the question we should be asking is; can you remember what the world was like without before Technique was championing the darker end of high energy drum and bass? Featuring absolute classics from the likes of Drumsound & Bassline Smith, Crissy Criss and Technique's own intelligent production scientist, it also features music from Trei, whose recent EP took is a must-check! There are also bone shaking tracks from brand new and up and coming artists like MaxNRG and Kronology whose productions sit perfectly alongside the greats.
Review: Celebrating two of the most popular genres of recent times, compilation kings Straight Up! add to their Dubstep vs Trap series with the third album in less than a year. 20 tracks in total, there are enough saw tooth bass tears and smouldering 808 grooves to power a small town for a year. Highlights include the laser bass rifle and icy arpeggio on Kairo Kingdom's "Bounce", the unfettered euphoria of Rob Gasser's "The Exit" and the outright savagery of Ming & Moxiie & Static Link's supreme savagery on "Block Party". The list goes on - this is essential for lovers of both dubstep and trap.
Various - "Various Artists" (continuous DJ mix 2 by UKF Bass Culture 2) - (1:17:09)
Various - "Various Artists" (continuous DJ mix 2 by UKF Bass Culture 2) - (1:19:01)
Review: Bass is all over the place in the UK at the moment, so much so that this is already the second instalment in this recent compilation series. Boasting some heavy hitters including number one hit "Feel The Love" by Rudimental feat John Newman, we get 40 tracks spanning drum and bass, dupstep and electro house. Highlights include the fluffy pop meets dubstep of Netsky's "Come Alive", the wobble-hop of Foreign Beggars' "Flying To Mars", the future drum and bass of "I Remember" by Culture Shock and the epic synths of Camo & Krooked's "Further Away".
