Review: It's WAR: Deep In The Jungle charge forth with another battle set that features some of the label's heaviest prize fighters. Shells across the spectrum: duck and cover as Epicentre's supersized warped bass jungle slapper "BIG" comes flying upside your noggin, Veak's awesome samplecraft on "Heavy Load" sends you into a hazy spin and the total drum hurricane on Sound Shifter's "Urban Style Formation" knocks every puff of wind out of you. Elsewhere Soul Defiance's "Pariah" coats you in sticky napalm bass before drying you off with soul-stirring pads, Crinnion traps you with a drone sub pincer movement and Sikka provides the final blow with some of the eeriest bass textures ever heard on DITJ by way of his Kumarachi remix. These are the dubs you are looking for.
Review: One of the savviest axis-flexors in the D&B / jungle game, DJ Hybrid has an all seeing eye across the soundboy spectrum with his two labels and mixed-style signature. Here the full focus is on his flagship label Audio Addict with his first exclusive-powered mix album that covers all the crucial corners. Every track rattles and shakes with energy and subversion: the jungle chaos of his own "Mix & Blend", the iced-out atmos and toxic drop of Swerve's "Massive & Crew", the gunshot bass holes caused by Lost Dynamics "New Funk", the jaw-dropping ruthlessness of Ray Keith's take on "Badboy", the list goes on... DJ Hybrid levels up once more.
Review: Deep In The Jungle have been making some serious waves the past year or so with coverage in UKF and a growing recognition that they're one of the best labels releasing a consistent slew of newly emboldened, moody jungle. Epicentre is on things for them this time around with a six-tracker of frightening proportions, packed full of solid percussive strikes and gravelling basslines. 'Come With It' has a seriously funky rhythmic pattern and a slick array of basslines, whilst 'Dread' takes things in a funkier direction with ragga sampling and a fluid concoction of reese bass magic. Top.
Review: Manchester's Subwoofah is a regional powerhouse for, in their own words, the marriage of school jungle and modern D&B. That's the objective being borne in mind here with Epicentre's remix EP, a release which combines the percussive vibrancy of jungle with the powerful basslines of the current age. The 'Motiv' remix of 'Ear Worm' is a great example and we love the rough edge to its drums almost as much as we dig the attitude-packed bassline. Full of anger, but the good sort. Lovely.
Review: Oh gosh... Epicentre is on the attack an no amount of armour or bomb proofing is going to protect you from these relentless batterings. Picking up where he left us on Deep In The Jungle with his trademark 'big bloodclart sound', once again we find him digging deep into the craft with four firing foundational slayers. The raw funk of "Badman Sound", the flabby subs and general rolling stench of "Hold Me", the near orgasmic pad ripples and ghostly roominess of "Influence" and the steam roller style damagement and classic samplecraft of "Respect Your Roots"... Every track doffs its cap to the original source with authenticity, weight, style and realness. Revive yourselves...
Review: Epicentre isn't an artist we're overly familiar with, but we certainly hope to become so after hearing the quality of this release. 'Deng' features MC Haribo, an increasingly popular MC and someone who sounds sick above a minimal beat which is exactly what 'The Deng' is: growling, groaning basses providing the backdrop for a skipping, satisfying percussive run. 'Surely Dead' is on a junglist tip featuring upbeat, ragga sampling and a wobbling bass on the drop that comes out of nowhere from the previously happy introduction. Both 'Jesus Farda' and 'Max Factor' are back on the minimal thing and both are sick as hell, the latter's pulsating back end taking the cake.
Review: Epicentre is back on Deep In The Jungle and he's packing a clutch of gully workouts so absurd and wild you'll need at least ten or twenty pairs shoes to throw at him every time you see him. In vein with his "Run It" EP on the label this time last year, this is Epicentre at his most militant and full force; the marching snares and eastern instrumentation of "Big Bloodclart Sound", the blistering breaks of "Bruk Up" and "Buss Di Gat" (with his longstanding mate and Sub Woofah bossgyal Euphonique) and the nose chiselling two-step of "Anxious" and the purring sub VIP flip of last year's "Infamous". Patience is no longer a virtue, it's downright essential.
Review: Subwoofah's Epicentre continues to stretch his legs in all jungle directions with this debut for RMS's Dubsoul Recordings. Two crispy pieces of work, it's Epicentre in all his fiery colours; "Serial Sound Killa" sends for the hacksaws with its rattling breaks and filthy belching bass groans while "We Done Tun Up" flips the vibe switch for something altogether deeper, smokier and jazzy. Watch out for those far-away sax tones and don't get entangled in his twisted fills. Epicentre really is killing it with his productions right now.
Review: Flexing between some of the best contemporary jungle labels in the scene right now, Epicentre is playing a mean hand this year. Leaping back from Deep In The Jungle, he hits Sub-Woofah with four of his best cuts to date. "Earworm" is a delicious wriggler with a riff that lingers in your head for days, "100 Box A Dub" pays in full in every possible way while "Grey Goose" leans back with a restrained wobble that's reminiscent of early Bassbin material. Finally his insane "Trees" from earlier this year gets a gritty switch up on the VIP stakes. Shake your membrane.
Review: We'll cut to the chase on this one: If you're not shouting 'EPICENTRE YOU BADMAN' at the top of your lungs when the bulbous fatman bassline on "Fresh" drops then we suspect your soul might be damaged beyond repair. Other physical kneejerk reactions you might experience when vibing to this seriously sharp release include leaning back as far as you can to the east coast keys of "Infamous", hard-stepping like a mad bugger to the ghetto-grooving Astrophonica-style workout "Run It Back", leaping around like a total idiot to the ragga-tinged roller "Lion A Lion" and getting pranged beyond the cosmos on the darkstyle damager on "Jedi". As for the additional VIP of "Duppied Inna Dance", if you should expect around 20 gunfinger rounds a second. Any less and consult your physician.
Review: A key radar fixture since emerging on Euphonique's Sub-Woofah a few years back, Epicentre makes a return to Hybrid's Deep In The Jungle with five more jaw-dropping jungle jams. There's a strong sticky-icky theme as we spark up - "Dem Vibez" is a soundsystem shaker with notorious lyrical levels while "I Like Dope" wobbles with a bassline so authentically jungle it still needs to pay its Poll Tax. "Featherweight" belies its name with heavyweight drums and rolling breaks where a grunting sub provides the main hook. Stepping closer to the light, "Sweet Dreams" is a more cosmic roll-out with subtle psychedelic flourishes while "Watch Your Back" is an all-out lesson in jungle theatre - toxic bass, operatic vocals, sheer dance hedonism. 100% vibes.
Review: "Dystopia"... The EP title says it all. But then if you know Epicentre's output (and you really should by now) then you won't need a bleak title to set the scene. We're talking dark, rolling, timeless junglism on a highly authentic level. From the Sappo-style rolls of "Inside Your Mind" to the Vapour-level hoover flexes of "Yeah Man" by way of the turbo charged grit of "The Program" and outright anger of the ironically titled "Good Times", this is yet another spotless example of Epicentre's command of both studio and jungle science.
Review: What kind of visions does the word "Slumfunk" bring to mind? Mancunian producer and d&b pusher Epicentre is probably best known in the area for slipping darker sounds into the local consciousness and this release is an example of how his raw-edged stylings match into sleeper-cell junglist knowledge. This man could sleep-walk through a set and still have the floor saluting. "One Way" is less demanding but no less immaculately produced, picking up vintage sounds and breaks and cracking the whip, adding a crisp, no-nonsense ethic to proceedings. Nod your head and get low, because now he's sucked you in you've got nowhere else to go. That's how it goes.
Review: Something tells us this guy wants to do more than just chat. With a big, heavy junglist riddim bursting out of roots samples like a freight train, there's a war following him wherever he goes. Taking that energy and morphing it into something more sinister is Euphoque's remix, a reggae-fuelled horrorscape where jump-up meets echoing organ vamps and vocal snaps before dissolving almost completely into break-laden chaos. Two totally different takes on a theme of dancefloor dictatorship. Take care.
Review: Hell bent on making Manchester the - wait for it - epicentre of jungle in 2013, this latest release is the North West newcomer's most accomplished yet. The airy chime and janglingly loose amens of "One Way" blaze the way for a big dirty bassline ready for some serious dancefloor movements. "Champion" fanfares into a mashed-up mix of breaks and low down dirty bass. Bringing the heat to a filthier, nastier incarnation of jungle, there's one thing that you can be sure of - Epicentre ain't going nowhere.
Review: The clue is in the title mate: Ruff Rollerz... Delivered by one of Manchester's most consistent and authentic jungle imprints since Sappo's Advisory. Epicentre grabs our crotch with an iced out riffer, Warhead gives us the finger with some heavily tribalized drum damage, Bou-affiliate Jamoh cooks up a low-swung waspy bassline-riddled Voltage-style shaker while newcomer Kovert Sounds juices up the rave machine and twists up the elements in quite an astonishing way. Finally Buckfast-swigging buccaneer Sl8r returns with another hardcore homage that switches so sexily into a percussive minimal drop you might need new trousers. Get on this now mate.
Review: The second chapter in Deep in the Jungle Anthems 7 is upon us, and there is yet another cacophonous blend of fractious jungle riddims inside. Drawn from artists across the scene both old and new, this LP is the second leg of a journey that's pull you deep through the spiky, rough edges of a the jungle. The crashing force of K Jah's 'Quest' is a good example, as repetitive breaks needle their way into your soul amidst a wobbling sub and jazzy samples. Bish is on remix duties for label boss DJ Hybrid and his tune 'Badboy', which samples possibly one of dance music's most iconic film lines and does so amidst a relentless, rolling instrumental. Sick - there are over 30 tracks inside so get involved.
Review: Let us see your war face!! Just in case the "Ravey Misbehavey" collection on his Audio Addict imprint wasn't enough this week, DJ Hybrid has also blessed us with this killer "Jungle Wars" series edition. As always the vibes are high with each track rolling like a 10-strong trip to Holland. Highlights include the dancehall damage of Euphonique & Kelvin 373's sticky icky "Hot Spliff", Veak's rusty break gut-puncher "Nuff Respect" and the classic rave stabs and thundering drum work on DJ Hybrid's "Stand Up".
Review: THIS MEANS WAR: Hybrid's Deep In The Jungle crew dust off their best breaks for a second bout in their authentic roller battle. Label boss Hybrid teams up with rising star RMS for the ragga-raged lead track before we're treated to crucial cuts from the across the label's ever-growing talent roster: DJ Cautious's "Romy" is a stripped back swinger with stacks of space for the distinctive Top Cat style vocal chants, Galvatron pulls of the switch of his life on the expertly-tuned skank shock out "Revolution" and Lavery's awesomely titled "Akai Blackeye". Watch out for those cascading pitched snares, they're lethal. Let us see your war face!
Review: Deep in the Jungle continue their onwards march with this, the seventh edition in their widely acclaimed Anthems series, a compilation that always finds the ideal mix of current and future talent to showcase. In the case of the former, well-travelled producers Epicentre and Kumarachi roll things out and tear them down on 'Light Em Up', which features a gnarly array of interlinked bass nodes and torn low frequency sonics, al underpinned by a percussion section that's the perfect blend of rusty and sharp. New talent emerges in the form of Trobe and Mirage, who have their first label release with '89', although you wouldn't have guessed it based off this tune's razor clean percussive edge and expert use of space, a hard thing to get right and one this pair blow out the water here. Rave samples, expansive basslines and a synth arrangement you won't be able to shake - unmissable. 34 tracks later and Deep in the Jungle have nailed every single one of them - big ups.
Review: The second sampler ahead of Deep in the Jungle's 7th Anthems album is here and gives us another glimpse into what is sure to be a superb collection of vicious jungle weapons - they always are. This one features Crossy on remix duties for Epicentre and Diligent Fingers, and he's turned 'Run Up' into a vibrant track with a gorgeous set of hi-hat studded drums and a luscious, deep bassline that packs plenty of attitude. 'Run Dem' by Hybrid is stepping in its percussion and lands with a seriously heavy amount of downwards pressure, whilst Bish remixes Hybrid's 'Badboy' to great effect. Toby Ross and K Jah both kill their tunes as well, and to say we're excited about this album would be an understatement.
Review: Doe, a deer, a female deer. Ray a drop of golden sun. That's The Sound Of Music, circa 1965. Boh, a banger, an absolute banger. Whey, a drop of golden gunfingers. That's the 'Sound Of Nuusic', circa right about now as the Manchester based label let rip with their third V/A experience. Now an annual thing for the label, it's their biggest collection yet as it's super-charged with blaze-ups from the best in the new-gen game. From Sl8r's opener to Conrad Subs' grand VIP finale by way of cuts from the likes of Teej, Sola, Kuma, Epicentre, Kumarachi, Motiv, Selecta J-Man and many more on-point future headlining names, this isn't just the sound of Nuusic, it's the sound of now.
Review: Deep in the Jungle have emerged as arguably the biggest standout new jungle label in recent times and, off the back of their growing family of artists, they've decided to try and represent both where the label and the genre are in 2020. With artists from DJ Hybrid, to Conrad Subs and beyond, it's a statement of intent from the imprint. The music reflects that intention as well, with jungle sounds throughout but punctuated with that modern, sharper edge that we've come to expect from our newly revitalised scene. DJ Hybrid's 'On A Riddim' is the best example, as a punchy bass note streams out of a bedrock of clattering breaks, whilst we're seriously digging the rolling reece's of 'The Rhythm' by Conrad Subs. All of these are proper percys.
Review: Following the likes of Ray Keith, Nicky Blackmarket, General Levy and many artists of high don calibre, Dope Ammo and DJ Hybrid are the next to take the controls as Jungle Cakes' Welcome To The Jungle series. As always, the selection digs deep across the board to include classics, absolute bangers that have been criminally forgotten and no less than 10 exclusives made strictly for this album. From the sun-kissed soul and key-tickling evangelist jam "Salvation" to the absolute rave carnage of "What's Going Down", the boys have gone in on this collection maintaining its still spotless reputation as one of the most consistent and prolific mix series available in the genre. Pay close attention to the Jukebox Jungle track, too. This needs your loving.
Review: Holy moly! This is how you smash open a new decade; a 50 track album absolutely drenched in stinkage. Now a tradition for DJ Hybrid's label, this anthem collection is one of the biggest to date with names and vibes across the spectrum. Epicentre, Kumarachi, Conrad Subs, Stompz, Veak, RMS and many more all bring their fieriest artillery with highlights bursting from the seams. Every single track slaps the dance from the stripped back drumfunk and demented mentasms of Substrate's "Throwback" to the mystic sitar twangs and heavy bass bangs of Euphonique's "Moksha" via ruded up Dread bass badness of the bossman's own "Lost In The Jungle". And that's not even the tippiest tip of this anthemic jungle iceberg. Don't dilly dally.
Murder Most Foul - "Can You Stand The Rain" - (4:43) 164 BPM
Hmr - "Curfew" - (6:42) 162 BPM
DJ Hybrid - "Boom In 93" - (4:14) 168 BPM
Daffy - "Bottle Shape" - (5:08) 174 BPM
Xian Juan - "Deep In Tha Jungle" - (4:34) 175 BPM
Review: Deep In The Jungle Records is a UK jungle imprint that have been making bigger and bigger waves over the past several years, a big part of which is their affinity for fat compilations that straddle numerous sub-genre boundaries and which represent lots of different artists. This next one is about classics and it features artists like Conrad Subs, Kumarachi, DJ Hybrid, Kartoon and more. Conrad Subs is a favourite of ours and his cut, Takeover, is a wicked, deep rolling piece of work that packs a sick bassline, one which makes you think of late-night raving at its finest. This is a top compilation from a star label of the new wave.
Review: Deep in the Jungle know how to do jungle. The clue is in the name, really, and they're proving it again with this huge compilation of 40 huge jungle anthems from some of the best rising stars of the breaksy side of the scene. RMS, SL8R and DJ Hybrid all make an appearance, as do Kumarachi, Veak, Schematic and Epicentre. This is a very strong roster and its reflected in the tunes, with Schematic and RMS teaming up on 'Take It' to combine roughshod, vibrant breaks and moody atmospherics in glorious fashion. Check this one.
Review: Comrads in bass: Dubsoul rallies up the soldiers for its first V/A collection since 2017. Packing pure exclusives from a whole gang of on-point rollersmiths and stepper surgeons including Kumarachi, RMS, Epicentre, Conrad Subs, Veak and more, expect nothing but trouble... The drums on Kumarachi, Veak & RMS's "In Spirit" will slice bones in two, Conrad Subs "Inglorious" will have you on such a heads down hypnotic trip you'll think it's 97 all over again, Epicentre's "One Eight Seven" is a total murderation station the second that Micky Finn & Aphrodite-style bass juice oozes out of the speakers while Veak's idea of alternative medicine isn't so much as homeopathic but psychopathic as the steppy kills drill into the deepest corners of your soul. And that's not even half of this epic EP. Solidarity!
Review: Deep In The Jungle got picked out by UKF has one of the top labels of 2018 the other week and it's certainly well deserved, for they just consistently bang out some of the most vibey jungle around. They also represent forthcoming artists and we'll always support those who give a platform to people who otherwise might not. The album is a huge fifty tracks, spanning some well-known names like DJ Hybrid, SL8R, Conrad Subs, RMS and Kumarachi. The latter kicks off the album with a bang, 'Have You Here' sweeping down the range with its DLR-esque bassline and riotous attitude. It's a emblematic of the quality present on the rest of the album - check it out.
DJ Hybrid - "Rumble In The Jungle" - (4:29) 175 BPM
Epicentre - "Run Em Out" - (5:34) 175 BPM
Kumarachi - "Have You Here" - (4:49) 58 BPM
RMS - "Clash Stash" - (5:02) 170 BPM
Review: Do you like venturing deep into the jungle? Well, if you do, make sure you don't get lost - the jungle is massive. Jokes aside, this four-track sampler precludes a full-length release that offers you the exact type of jungle tour you need. Up first is the prolific DJ Hybrid with 'Rumble In The Jungle', a stuttering, rambunctious jungle cut that hits hard and leaves you in a slight state of shock. 'Run Em Out' by Epicentre is full of upbeat ragga vocals and samples, the top-line to a tune that has a ferocious bottom-line pinning it all together over a rolling percussive line. Kumarachi bloody does in on 'Have You Here' and to finish, RMS goes in just as hard on 'Clash Stash'. Top sampler - can't wait for the full thing.
Review: This is an album for any discerning D&B head who has been locked in to the sounds of D&B this year. Featuring the likes of SL8r, Kumarachi, DJ Hybrid, Bou and Stompz, this big LP touches right onto the pulse of where the D&B scene is at the minute: long basslines, raucous atmospherics and downright dirty vibes. Bou provides that from the very start with his remix of 'Raised In The Jungle' by DJ Hybrid and MC Haribo, a full-throttled run through the Mancunian space in the Bou fashion that we all already know and love. 'Liberation' by RMS is another highlight, slightly more stripped back than some of the other offerings but still with plenty of force to go around. This is a fat release.
Review: From deep in the jingle, Deep In The Jungle arise from their Christmas chrysalis with their biggest album to date... 44 absolute beasts from some of their closest allies, freshest friends and long-time sparring partners. From the soaring synths and twisted drum switches of Kumarachi's "For You" to the classical rave feels of Demented Frequency's "Amens On The Nile" via absolute toxic gully from the likes of Galvatron, Didak, Veak, Redline, Epicentre, Sweet N Sikka, Conrad Subs, Martyn Nytram and the bossman DJ Hybrid himself this is a pure steel steal. Nothing short of essential.
