Review: Selecta! Sub-liminal bossman Agro rolls his sleeves up and gets stuck into his label vaults, drawing out persys and reminding us just how on it his label has been since morning. Ranging from the twisted bass bubbles and trippy warped sounds of Warhead's 'Tread Carefully' to the interplanetary bleep drama and sweet bubbling subs of Kumo's 'Trick Shot', Agro is explicitly telling us how versatile and timeless his label has always been. With some of these cuts going back to the 2016/17, he's proved it. Get stuck in!
Review: Some say Pa is short for papa and that he's actually your dad. Others say Pa is short for Pasta and he just loves his spaghetti. Others, meanwhile, say that Pa is actually P.A and that he used to be a personal assistant to some filthy rich CEO before having an epiphany that life is too short for the rat race so he bunned it off to make gully D&B. In truth no one knows what Pa means or is short for, but we all know that his music means the absolute business. As proved on this eight track EP. Near album size in its weight and consistency, highlights include the low rumbles and understated groove of 'Clipped' and the eerie rave tension of 'Burn Dem' but the whole release is absolutely cracking.
Review: D&B Casanova Pa comes correct on Dub Damage with some dubious romance advice by way of a slinky, purring roller. 'Get Em Heartbroke' by name but actually rather heart-warming by nature, this is the deep and thoughtful side of Pa we'd love to hear more of! Meanwhile 'Venom' hits with Pa's grittier, uncompromising energy and some of the broadest, heaviest kick drums we've ever heard ooze from his lab. Strong enough to charm a snake at 20 paces, Pa cannot be parred!
Review: Is he a PA system? Is he named after your dad? No one is too sure, but we can all agree that Pa's music is absolutely despicably and utterly gully, as proved once again with his first full EP for Agro's Sub-liminal. Here are six happy-slapping examples of Pa's sound and energy that ranges from the timeless rave energy of the title track 'Tape Pack' to the grittier, razor sharp 'Scorpions'. Other highlights include the time stretched fills and classic disco vocal sample on '93' and the unforgiving bass tension on 'Ya Mad'. Massive.
Review: Forever at the forefront of new-gen and established talent across the full spectrum of drum & bass, Twisted Individual's Grid imprint delves deep into the soulful side of the dance with this beautiful new addition to their 'Liquid Allsorts' VA series. Eight tracks, each one a peach, highlights include the inspiring housey tones and dreamy vocal vibes of Marvel Cinema's 'Eyes Like' the RnB vocals and laid back rolls of Oli Lewis's 'Be Heard' and the lavish slap bass and lolloping groove of L0G1N's 'Let Me Ask You'. These are just some of the stunning highlights across the whole EP. Essential.
Review: 50 tracks!! Count them - FIFTY tracks - right here from the Sub-liminal Recordings crew as the label looks back over the last few years of massive bangers. Pure gully science from across the board, if you've missed out on any of their releases or you've only just tuned into the sounds of Agro's longstanding label then this is the place. Highlights come in all shapes and sizes but only a madman would miss out ridiculous heavyweight cuts likes Shayper's 'Burnt Gerbil', Prestige's wonked out weirdo funk-up 'Computer Killer', Xav's old school charmer 'Crisp Packet'. These are just three crucial examples. Dig deep!
Review: Grid Recordings have been on a bit of a roll of late, bringing together vibrant new compilation projects on quite a regular basis with this latest, fifth volume of their 'That's What We Call Bass!' collection sitting as a super potent weapon. We begin with the nauseating LFO punts of 'I Try' from Jenks (UK) & 7Age, giving us a gritty introductory piece, followed by the super bouncy drum techniques of Pa's 'Blood Clart' and the dissonant, metallic bass sweeps of 'Perfection' from Harley D. Next up, Zeba arrives for and old school shack out on 'Trump Bone', a super melodic exploration into synthesis, chased up by Muzo's more subtle synthetic sweep approach on 'Funky Bits' and some temple slapping 808 action on Burntboi's 'Pull It'. Finally, two last gasp heaters, with Jfal & Twisted Individual linking up for the system-busting synth pulses of 'Window Shifter' and then Whisper's swirling finale in 'Don't Be A Fool', one final synth-driven switch up to slap the project closed. Awesome!
Review: It's been a pleasure to observe the development of Tribe Of Dub since its inception in 2019 and watching the label grow from a various artist and compilation collective to a platform for solo independent artists. Following rocksteady missives from Octo Pi, Tomoyoshi and Greekboy, the artist PA arrives with the timely Sunshine EP. Known within the tribe as a veteren junglist, the Birmingham low rider turns up the breakbeat science here while flirting with the most gorgeous liquid rhythms in "Everyday". Touched up by dub all the more, a floating bassline will keep you strapped to the flying grooves in "You Lie", with classic rave elements, gnarly bottom end and melancholic pianos taking you home in "Sunshine". A deeper jungle number adds to the heavyweight flow of the EP in "Science" that marks out a true dub tune for the true heads. Let it shine.
Review: Bang! 30 Sub-liminal tracks deeply dug from every corner of the Brighton label's vaults, all packaged up in a new VA concept album: On Air. Perfect for filling a few gaps in your collection, or new ears who've only just experienced the power and gritty funk of Agro's label, every cut is a highlight or a heavyweight. Warhead & Dutta's grizzly 2018 slap-about 'Don't Test' still melts your skin, Leaf's 2020 wonk-out 'Erby' still hit with high grade 23rd century funk, Pyro's 2020 'Tick Yes' will still blackmail you and your family with its sinister undertones. And that's just a mere tenth of this solid collection. Cop it.
Review: You can't say 'party on dudes' without saying PA. Hell you can't even say 'pandemic' without saying PA. But you can say 'petty pilfering', which is what PA has done right here... He's half-inched your soul and he's not going to give it back until you've soaked up all six slices of his badness. From the tense rattle and hum of 'Annabelle' to the shimmering intro and absolutely bumping tribal drop of 'No Seeds' and the growling grumpiness of 'The Past' and three other essential bangers in between, by the time you've chowed down on all this wholesome dankery you'll have forgotten he's even taken your soul in the first place. You can't say 'panic buy' without saying PA.
Review: There's a scurrilous rumour going round that PA is short for PAIN - the pain you feel when his music hits you like an elephant stampede as it hurtles from the speakers. There's another rumour going round that PA stands for Petrol Addict - and that he drinks gallons of the stuff during his epic studio sessions. We can't corroborate these rumours but we do know that if you don't jump on both of these uncompromised bruisers you'll feel the pain of FOMO and your car may run out of petrol as you drive around to every DJ friend you know trying to blag a copy. Certy heavyweight business.
Review: Sack your secretary, abandon your assistant, defenestrate your diary: the only P.A you need right now is this guy. Hailing from the Birmingham Badlands with a long track record of gully on Muzik Hertz, Dread and Radius, it's a welcome return to Hazard's stable with another near-album level slew. Ranging from the dark Ray Keith-style roll-out "Fall Down" to the skippy details of the crispy drums on "In The Middle" to the deeper, Enei-style mechanical growls, ghostly vocals and drum damage of "What We Know", P.A's range manages to be both broad and sharp: whatever D&B subgenre you love the most, we guarantee there'll be tracks on this EP for you. One of his best EPs to date.
Review: After almost a year's break from releasing, the mysterious P.A returns with a monolithic six-tracker on Hazard's Radius: and no track is a fluffer. Ranging from the epic jump-up thunder of "Fuck Da Bullshit" to the silky subs and gossamer vocal rolls of "Lead The Way", P.A's breadth and ability is showcased to full spectrum effect. Deeper again our innards are rearranged by the paranoid grit of "Strength" while "Ya Don't Fool Me" (that comes complete with some cheeky Back To The Future samples if we're not mistaken) makes the perfect DJ tool as a leaps from lean and clean to utter filth with 1.21 gigawatts of power. One in a googolplex.
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