Review: Jack Beats is the production brainchild of scratch DJs Beni G (Mixologists) and Plus One (Scratch Perverts). Cheap Thrills seems to be Jack Beats perfect match with EP releases in 2009, 2010 and now again in 2011. This time, they have teamed up with Beta Recordings label owner John B whose extensive discography is nothing short of impressive. "All Night" is a belter, an inescapable track riddled with funk and groove, jackin' basslines and a classic sounding vocal. The release boasts a remix from dubstep don Skream, who lifts the vocal and utilises some burning electro synth stabs. "Elevator Music" brings the EP to a close with rubber rhythms, tightly sprung beats and rapid percussion.
Review: There are few intros as iconic as that of John B's 'Up All Night'. It's the tune which launched the career of drum & bass' glitter adorned, pop fusion superstar, and what a way to make an entrance. Featherweight flutters and foreboding stabs aside, this three-tracker presages a broader 25 Years of Metalheadz release that will surely be one of the year's best, a part-nostalgia, part-future looking release that charts the history of drum & bass' most seminal imprint. 'Up All Night' gets a 2021 remastered relick, whilst Data 3 step up and flip proceedings on their head with a deeply techy, superbly engineered dancefloor remake that's been blowing up the virtual and physical dance for some time now. Finally, John's 'Epic Mix' stretches out the intro and amps up the suspense, as clattering breaks cement his place in the history books. Utterly superb.
Review: It's been years since John B last fronted a Headz release - 15 to be precise - but there is no other label these three tracks would be more at home on. Techstepping back to his earliest visions, "Lava" is a straight up spring back to 1998 in new trainers. Stark, grimy and heads-down, it pays homage to one of drum & bass's most innovative eras. "Lie To Me" reminds us of John's inability to sit still creatively with the jazzy, almost "Brand New Funk" style dynamics of "Lie To Me". Finally we hit "The Colossus". One of John's secret weapons since Sun & Bass 2015, it's an ugly piece of uncompromised machine funk with all the bass groans and cymbal splashing you could ever ask for. Arguably John's best release this decade.
Jazz Session 1 (Alternative mix 2) - (7:09) 55 BPM
Jazz Session 2 (Alternative version) - (6:56) 175 BPM
Jazz Session 3 - (7:04) 60 BPM
Sax Therapy (remix) - (7:27) 174 BPM
Slamfunk - (6:55) 59 BPM
Fermat's Theorem (remix) - (6:42) 168 BPM
NewJam (Alternative mix) - (6:26) 174 BPM
Split Endz - (6:35) 175 BPM
Hydrolysis - (6:39) 58 BPM
Sight Beyond - (8:14) 172 BPM
Sight Beyond RIP - (7:11) 172 BPM
Secrets (remix) - (7:07) 171 BPM
Undertow - (7:01) 57 BPM
The 1st Judgement - (7:33) 57 BPM
Travelogue (Alternative mix) - (11:32) 174 BPM
Travelogue (remix) - (6:38) 174 BPM
Firewall - (7:03) 174 BPM
Energy Field (extended mix) - (6:40) 58 BPM
VCF (Alternative version) - (7:51) 174 BPM
Voltage Control (dub mix) - (7:21) 174 BPM
Review: Berkshire drum and bass legend and Beta Recordings head honcho John B is back! The man notorious for his crazy hair-doos as much as he is for coining the term 'electro-step', there's no doubt his contributions to the drum and bass sound over the last 20 odd years have been significant. To commemorate the 18th anniversary of his seminal Visions album, it gets remastered with a whole bunch of bonus tracks for your enjoyment. Includes the Moog mix of his incredible collaboration with DJ SS "Slamfunk". There are a whopping 49 tracks on offer here including bonus tracks of his Vangelis style drum and bass synth odyssey "Starburst and loads of brilliant extended and alternative versions of his revered "Jazz Session' series of liquid drum and bass explorations.
Cheers; here's to another 20 years John B!
