Review: It feels like they've been delivering the good for a lot longer than two years but here we are... Invicta Audio have only been a legit label for 24 months and look at all the artists they've brought through and bangers they've given us so far. Here's a little reminder in the form of this short, sweet but extremely banging 'Best Of' collection. Featuring the likes of Harley D, Jam Thieves, Magenta, Scuffed and vocalists like the inimitable Devilman and Aleya Mae, it's a great way to get up to speed on the damage Anton Bailey's label is causing right now. New generation fire!
Review: Formula brings the foliage to Timeless Towers and it's all spiky and green - just how we like it. 'Cactus' takes the lead with the fartiest siren we've heard this side of freedom weekend. It's backed up by plenty more equally stench-fuelled thumpers - 'Mutant Speaker' is pure theatre with its big cathedral-like riff, 'Sonical' is brings the horns and the finger clicking funk while 'Track Days' is so racy, it'll syphon your petrol without you even realising. Last but not least we have a collab with Spadez - 'Flatout', a grizzly floor slammer that will have you reaching for a seatbelt, even though you're actually standing up and not even in a car. Va-va-voom.
Review: Holy mother of sugar-coated shoplifting, TJ has put together Pick N Mix's biggest ever VA right here! The second edition of his label's All Stars series, here we're treated to 30 reminders why drum & bass is in the safest of hands with the new generation. Highlights are all over the shop and spilling from the shelves... Formula's Serum style less-is-more revs on 'Dragster's Den', Hexa's redeye romp 'White Widow', the sexy snap and swing of Lovell's 'Deja Vu', Yoteii's quirky funk and church-sized harmonics on 'Gameboy', MLH's surreal echoes and torn up harmonics on 'Technique'. The list goes on...
Review: Racers, start your engines! Formula's back with another fast-lane fire-up as he drives straight into pole position in the annual Pick N Mix car meet. Continuing his unblemished record on the likes of Invicta, 'Dragster's Den' is another diesel fuelled piece laced with dark matter funk. Gruff, rough and swinging low and just a teeny bit off-grid, its reminiscent of a Serum jam in all the best ways. Strap up the seatbelts, this is where we realise Formula's surname is actually One.
Review: Celebrating the fact that many of us have come out of lockdown with a few extra pounds of Terry, Formula salutes the phatter folk of the land with this obese six-track EP on Bagged & Tagged. Flavours ranging from the chubby sci-fi bass lasers of 'Double Crossed' to the porky sub wobbles and heavy stench of 'Hoofs' via the blubbery off-beat savageness of 'Phat Man', there's plenty of weight to move us back on the floor this summer and shed some pounds. Comes complete with the chubby 'Neck Back' with Diligent Fingers. Fat.
Review: Invicta Audio are doing us all a massive solid with this release, simply because compilations featuring incredible artists are just the best and the more music we get towards our ear drums the better. The Echo LP is a jump up inflected, minimalistic release that doesn't take many prisoners. 'Bad Bitch' by Harley D, featuring Scotty, is a perfect example of this, as his vocals lead you in with a distinctive tone before a broken drop emanates with some serious force, subterranean wobbles abound and it's an all-round moody listen. The rest of the LP is just as strong - big up the whole team.
Review: Warning warning warning! Formula steps up to Breeze with some serious public service announcements. 'Stranger Danger' reminds us not to talk to dodgy weirdos with its spiky, agitated riff that bounces and bashes around over the beats like a late 90s Zinc cut. It's backed by 'Wasp Season'. Another essential message as we move into the warmer months, this time with fellow new-gen talent ALR, here our stripy, stingy combatants are fended off by a bulging bassline of obese proportions. Stay safe!
Review: Bristol beefcake Formula makes one of his biggest moves so far with this killer debut on Invicta Audio. All four cuts hitting with realness and showing a different side to the young producer, highlights include the deep-space wriggles and sultry house vocal snippets on 'You & Me' and the all-out party flavours of 'Bad Boys'. Switching from a classic twangy riff even your mum knows to a groany, gutter-chomping drop is a dramatic and funky move. We need more music like this.
Review: Bag it, tag it, tell you mum about it; the B&T massive put together this 15 track collection to celebrate the label's 15th release and it's an all-out showcase of tomorrow's finest talent. Highlights fire from all sides; Ben Snow's 'Fire Iron' is a grunting staccato session of pure savagery, Refracta brings NFM-style melted bass to the fray on 'Embrace', Dunk & Teej get all mobster on us with 'Soprano', Parallel does his old school slap-about thing on 'Communications' and KL's 'Tension' is strong enough to blast us into the 23rd century. Pack your bags and your tags, you've pulled m8.
Review: Formula re-appears on the Big & Bad label for another EP of seductive basslines and bouncy UK funky rhythms. "Yukky" is all wonky, grimed-out melodies and squelching low-ends, whereas the title track "Flexxx" proceeds to deliver the full weight of Formula's devious sound in the form of an absolutely nasty bassline - a sound so hefty that it overtakes all the surrounding elements! Finally "Dirty Irishman" is the nuttiest of the lot, where Formula really goes crazy on the low-end and delivers a fully-throttled squelcher!
