Review: Hospital co-founder London Elektricity drops his seventh studio album and it's one of his most exciting, alluring and experimental bodies of work to date. The clues were clear when he dropped the first single, the soprano-led, Morricone-esque "Final View From The Rooftops". A statement with a narrative and a vibe of its own, it doesn't play by any established rules bar that of his own and has set the tone and vibe of the album perfectly. Other highlights include the immense jazz fusion of "I Wish You Could See It Too" (with Urbandawn), the immense goosebump-inducing funk euphoria of "The Prescription Is Love", the smouldering dark soul of "She Slowly Caught Fire" (with Bulgarian Goddess) the return of Elsa Esmerelda on the evocative 'Lonely Sirens' and the Whiney-featured gully bumper "Empty Seat At The Table". These are just a handful of highlights from truly thoughtful and hugely creative album.
Seven Days To Live (feat Emer Dineen) - (4:59) 173 BPM
Tone Poem - (6:15) 173 BPM
That Thing You Did - (4:11) 173 BPM
Are We There Yet? (continuous mix) - (50:17) 173 BPM
Review: We've been waiting on this one for four years.... Hospital bossman Tony London Elektricity Coleman doesn't release music anywhere near as much as we'd like him to these days but, when he does, it's essential listening. His sixth artist album, Are We There Yet sees LE taking us back to the Hospital foundations as he eschews the larger, cinematic dramatics for deeper, soulful songs; Emer Dineen's vocals tremble delicately over sparse plucked bass and piano flurries on "Phase Us", Pete Simpson plays the consummate jazzman over whistling amens and vibrant keys on "Impossible To Say" while "Drop Ship" reminds us of Coleman's ability to go gully at the flick of a switch and "Tone Poem" is an instant flashback to the early 2000s when Hospital really started denting the scene with pneumatic tools that doctors and surgeons shouldn't really have access to. These are just four of the 14 highlights... London Elekricity has returned to form right here.
Seven Days To Live (feat Emer Dineen - Dubwise mix) - (4:29) 173 BPM
Are We There Yet? (continuous DJ mix) - (50:17) 173 BPM
Review: In case the original version isn't quite enough, or you've been waiting for new London Elektricity material for so long you want to make hay while his soulful sun shines, the deluxe version of his best album since Power Ballads contains seven addition tracks and versions. "A Beautiful Sadness" is an apt name for the bonus track as it trembles with poignant minor keys and powerful restraint. What follows is a series of versions that help to highlight Tony Coleman's musicality; the beatless and acoustic mixes are instant soothers that let the vocals of Emer Dineen and Pete Simpson really shine while the dubwise mix of "Seven Days To Live" echoes and shakes with such organic soul you have to wonder whether this was the original version before Tony shook it up to 170. Captivating.
Review: It's hard to believe that Hospital Records have reached the 400th release milestone. It's an unbelievable achievement and one that reflects their dominance over drum & bass for the best part of three decades. NHS400 is a collaborative release featuring joint production from a slew of the label's most consistent producers, including new boys on the block BOP X Subwave and old hands like S.P.Y and label founder London Elek. It's Keeno and Polaris, however, that really nail things to the wall with 'Leviathan', a huge track that lays pounding basslines beneath eerie, choral vocals to create a mash up between dancefloor flavour and the orchestral sounds Keeno is so known for. Whiney and Mitekiss team up alongside Ruth Royall to produce a liquid masterclass, whilst the synthy, upbeat tones of Fred V and Logistics sound as fresh as ever. Superb.
Review: Like some kind of Human Traffic soundtrack to 2020, Hospital's annual House Party VA has arrived. Fresh for a summer of social distancing, house parties and clandestine diversions, it's a soundtrack that will get any D&B head through the lockdown status, BBQs permitted. Top and tailed by the poppy, liquid, sample based and acoustic sessions of both Villem & Leo Wood's "We Had A Sing" and Whiney's "Better With You", find playful aggro in MC LowQui's "Middle Finger" to some hyper fresh material in Degs' "Pressure Cooker". Aggy half time once more in tracks like "Saturn's Strings" with gnarly basslines in Voltage's "The Prophet" and Logistic's "Playing With Fire" bringing the heat.
Review: Hospital Records do compilations better than most, partly because there's always something for them to celebrate. This time around it's the second year of Hospitality in the Beach, their new 4 day exercise in beach-based beats, featuring some of the best artists in the game. A huge album, the LP has 33 tracks - 25 of which are brand spanking new. Whiney's remix of Etherwood's 'Begin By Letting Go' is a highlight, the original's smoothness roughly transformed into a pummelling display of techy force. With Bou, Kasra, BOP and others making an appearance, this LP has all bases covered.
Review: Three words: "Police In Helicopter"... One of the biggest dubplates last year is finally here, and it's joined by 24 other exceptional bangers as the Hozzy team roll out another absurd stack of "Sick" freshness from across the board. Genuinely on point tune for tune highlights include Pete Cannon's outstanding drumfunk lash out "Ella", Flava D's first D&B tune (the breath taking "Return To Me"), a bone shaking duet from the next gen gems Unglued and Bou ("Ascendant Man"), both Fred V & Grafix's first solo tunes since they split and an absolute neck breaking gully snapper from Lakeway in the form of "War Dub". And that's just scratching the surface, this is a humungous V/A album. Hot enough to burn down a cane field or two...
London Elektricity - "That's A Switch" - (4:58) 173 BPM
Fred V & Grafix - "Auckland Sunrise" - (3:42) 174 BPM
Bop & Subwave - "City Lights" - (4:37) 170 BPM
Krakota - "Mismatch" - (3:45) 58 BPM
Kings Of The Rollers - "Hot Wheels" - (4:46) 175 BPM
Urbandawn - "Caffeine" - (4:09) 174 BPM
Metrik - "Dawnbreaker" - (5:01) 174 BPM
Nu:Logic - "The Sound Of Your Smile" - (3:45) 174 BPM
Polaris - "Lessons Learned" - (7:20) 58 BPM
Logistics - "Let The Senses Clear Your Mind" - (4:13) 174 BPM
SPY - "Rock Da House" - (4:57) 172 BPM
Whiney X Urbandawn - "Loki" - (4:24) 175 BPM
Makoto - "Wading Through The Crowds" (feat Karina Ramage) - (4:35) 174 BPM
Keeno - "Brave Face" - (6:23) 174 BPM
Mitekiss - "Veloce" - (5:00) 170 BPM
Etherwood - "Haltija" - (5:28) 172 BPM
Hugh Hardie - "Offshore" - (4:22) 170 BPM
Lakeway - "Stomp Your Soul" - (5:06) 170 BPM
Polaris - "Empire" - (6:59) 174 BPM
Review: If you're familiar with the Forza franchise you will know two things; the game is best played to a D&B soundtrack and Hospital Records in-game radio station. Now for the first time (definitely in Hospital history, perhaps in D&B history too) the label have created an album of tracks specifically for the game. And your DJ sets. Cue Hospital's finest operators, each proffering stone cold gems. S.P.Y's "Rock Da House" is an impeccable hypnotic stepper that's been doing the business on dub all summer, Urbandawn's "Caffeine" has enough filtered disco pump to put led in your pencil for about 20 years while his collaboration with Whiney "Loki" is a splintered step jam with dramatic orchestral twists. Elsewhere London Elektricity gets sincerely symphonic on "Now That's A Switch", Hugh Hardie goes all Good Looking on "Offshore", Lakeway does some serious damage with the junglised grime hybrid "Stomp Your Soul" and Krakota gets absolutely filthy on "Mismatch". And that's not even half of it. May the Forza be with you.
Review: The fourth instalment of their Fast Music series, Hospital Records now hit the tracks with one of the most genius compilations to date. Running and drum & bass are the perfect companions; consistent enough in speed to keep momentum but broad enough in shades and styles to keep you occupied as you pound the streets, there's a real sense of positivity and driving drama across the 50-track collection of standards and forgotten classics. Complete with two mixes from Nu:Tone, this is a win from every perspective. On your marks, get set, go...
Review: 21 years old. How about that then? Some of us were barely out of nappies when London Elektricity first launched the imprint, some of us remember like it was yesterday. Either way, we are all united under the big flouro H and right now they're celebrating their coming of age with a humungous 70 track collection. Yes, 70! Each cut handpicked to represent the London imprint's constantly evolving but always soul-touched and groove-laden sound are 24 exclusives such as Urbandawn's insane version of Reso's "Taiga", Fred V & Grafix's titanium colab with Metrik "Tension", Serum & Inja's already-massive "Blow Dem" and Whiney's remix of TC's chop-slapping "Storm Brew". Massive. Happy birthday Hospital!
