Review: If you ain't misbehaving, you ain't worth saving... Hybrid's Audio Addict return to the ravey series they set in 2016 with another hard-slapping six-piece. Do-no-wrong Kumarachi reminds us why he's boss with a stuttering jungle roll and demonically pitched vocal samples, Conrad Subs calls on everyone's favourite macabre aged WWE wrestler by way of twist think break devilry while Hybrid fine-tunes his 20/20 vision with a stinking halftime romp. Elsewhere Riffz lashes out on the razz snares, the mysterious Scartip skins us alive with his rim shots and Habitat strips things back with some beautiful time-stretched drum work. Be good now.
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.
Review: Catch-up time! If you've yet to experience the vibes of OKey's Original Key imprint, now is the time to get acquainted... Launched in Germany this time last year, here they've put all their releases so far in one handy package. Ranging from Heist's percussion-flickering funk on "Seems Risky" to DJ Sly's horn-blazed skanky switch-up "98 Style" via Bassface Sascha & Feindsoul's badboy blaster "Sage" and Tomoyoshi's Clipz-style Q&A fireworks on "Killa Soundboy", this collection is testament to what a great year it's been for OKey... And drum & bass in general.
Review: Easily one of the best newcomer labels in the game, Original Key return with two more savagely on-point shake-ups. Once again it's down to Habitat to deliver the goods. A man fast establishing himself in the same league as Voltage or Serum or Heist in terms of just how versatile and creative he is with the dancefloor form, once again he doesn't disappoint; "Gun You Down" stabs with a Charge-style riff but kicks with a Bristol touch while "Salutes & Signals" rattles with a really interesting funk that's both angular (thanks to its sharp two-step) and warm (thanks to its juicy bassline) Neither disappoint. Get in key.
Review: Original Key ain't letting up. Four releases deep and every one a peach, this time Habitat takes the reins for two junglised hooky grooves. Continuing the vibe theme set on Ruffneck Ting earlier this year, both cuts smack with a fresh energy and wily, zero-fox dynamic as "Pump Ya Fist" infects with a big bassline riff while "Warehouse" slams with a physical wall-of-sound bassline and well-chiselled old school stabs. Both absolutely slay the dance - everyone is on their A game right here.
Review: He slapped us silly with Jinx on Ruffneck Ting's still-fire Xtraordinary League Of Junglists album and tickled us bad with his Genetix EP prior to that, now rising young junglist Habitat makes his solo debut on the label with a five-track power-punch EP of his own. Highlights include the riffy bounce to the bassline on "Let It Hit 'Em", the swooning rave synth tones on "All The Massive" and the soulful beauty of "Never Let You Go" but to be honest the whole EP bumps hard.
Review: 48 tracks? Asbo you are truly spoiling us. The quality is as high as the quantity too; a selection of Asbo classics and brand new flavours we're taken from smooth silky rolling soul such as Westy's "Making Moves" and jazzy V-style thunder like Savannah's "Glide Away" to hurricane amen depth (Dawn Raid, Gold Dubs & Jinx - "Old Fashioned") and classic mid 90s style jump-up ruffage (Cabin Fever's remix of "Raw Dogs") via warm-as-toast dub soul a la Vinyl Junkie & Sanxion's "Talk Too Much" and Daffy's beautiful "Love Dub". And that's only an eighth of killer cuts on here. Easily one of the best tenners a junglist can invest this month.
Review: Once you've finished saluting Audio Addict for the ridiculous title of this various artists EP press play... The sounds are even better than the memorable title. Samurai Breaks & DJ Hybrid's title track skips between eski fills, classic jungle elements and halftime steps with such slick fusion you could rewind this for hours and no one would blame you. Other highlights include the ragga steps and Dub Phizix-style jungle subversion of "On A Vibe", the barbed soul and Bukemesque brushed drums of "Wu Jukin", the gangster halftime of "Ruff It Up My Selecta" and "Night" where classic Blackmarket bass is fractured for the Exit generation. Audio Addict have always been generous and forward-thinking with their releases but this one raises the bar a few notches higher again. Essential.
Review: Habitat and Genetix return to Ruffneck Ting to present their latest world-conquering beats and this time, they might just manage their mission. Soulful and packed with attitude, Habitat's opener "Power moves" sets the scene ready for the pair to work together on the old school influenced "Back In The Day" where breaks fly fast and loose, crashing all over a minimal backdrop of thick bass. "Monster" rolls out hard, offering the most straightforward of the tunes, the perfect club uniting track. Finally "Habitat" seeks truth in De La Soul's "Rock Co. Kane Flow", adding huge wobbling bass and double time percussion. The perfect mix of hard and fast.
Review: The original Bristol jungle outpost Ruffneck Ting is back in operation and sounding as vital as ever on the strength of this release from The Force vs Habitat. For all those who bitterly complain about the lack of soul, imagination and rawness in modern day D&B, look no further than this four-track salvo that makes it feel like '96 all over again. Habitat keep things decidedly bouncy and not a little bit cheeky on "See Me Coming", while "Razor Blade" heads into more devoutly junglistic territory to deadly effect. The Force has a smoother blend on offer with the big leads of "City Love" bringing a little Detroit magic to the mix, while "Musical War" rubs a little rootsy skank into the crisp breakbeats.
Review: Deep In The Jungle is a label dedicated to resurrecting the jungle stylings of yesteryear and bringing them back to their rightful place at the front and centre of the dancefloor. This behemoth of a compilation spans the full spectrum of jungle, from the ragga sounds of summer to the dark rollouts of the deepest basement party. With - count them - 22 tracks of pure jungle vibes, there's no stone left unturned here, offering the very best from newcomers and veterans alike. Expect to get feet moving on this one - it's an essential purchase.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.