Review: Fresh off the presses of Jungle Cakes Records comes the "Survival" EP, a four-track journey guided by the skilled hand of Gold Dubs. No stranger to production, Gold Dubs leverages his years of experience and diverse influences - from bassline to DnB - to craft a dynamic and electrifying listen. The EP kicks off with the aptly titled "Survival," a collaboration with Kalum featuring the distinctive lyricism of Rider Shafique. This track hits hard, both sonically and thematically, with pulsating basslines, warped sub frequencies, and expertly layered FX. Next up is "Infinity" a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a distinctly 90s vibe. Think sharp sub bass, heavy percussion, and vocal samples and synths that evoke a bygone era. Offering a stark contrast, "Bliss" lives up to its name. Soaring, spacey risers and futuristic basslines create a sense of weightlessness, perfectly complemented by the mesmerizing vocal effects. The EP closes with "Too Late," a showcase of Gold Dubs' mastery of the bassline genre. Warped subs, pulsating basslines, and tastefully sparse synths combine with captivating vocal samples to create an infectious groove. This is a track that will leave you hitting repeat and craving more.
Review: Slopping out a big old bucket of hot juicy manna on every single one of our senses and sensitive areas, DLR, Hyrdo and Spinback's project The Sauce gets spicier and tastier by the dispatch. Here we find them in murderous mode as the inimitable Rider Shafique joins the fray on the dark and deadly 'Mercenary'. 'Killer' follows suit with similar textures, tones and samples but sans Shafique. Both versions crucial and designed solely to make dancefloor widows and widowers. RIP. 187 thumbs up.
Review: Following his awesome Hardcore Energy release earlier this month, the mighty man like DJ Hybrid returns with yet more breakbeat funk and jungle slappage. Joining him for the title track is Rider Shafique who does the business over the emotional chords on 'New Dawn'. Setting the levels for the rest of the EP, other highlights include the high energy 'Everynight Everyday', the bumping 4x4 stomps on 'Ruffneck Request' and the lighter, skippy junglised 'Down We Go'. Sickness.
Review: 96... A fine vintage for many D&B heads as a new sound of jump-up was dominating the dance via the likes of Zinc, Hype, Micky Finn and Aphrodite. Big booming subs, stripped back elements and loose springy breaks were the order of the day. Which is exactly the vibe DJ Hybrid and Mrs Magoo have captured here with 'Back To 96'. Complete with a crucial vocal mix with Rider Shafique on the VIP, lets go back in time and take the boom back from the boomers.
Review: Rider Shafique rolling with appreciation over a soft focus bassline groove from NYC producers Liondub and Jah Boogs: it's a winning combination. Both elements as breezy and emotional as each other, there's a perfect summer flavour at play here. Looking for something that's blessed with more of late night edge? Look no further than Acuna's much darker work-out. Paying full respect to Rider's vocal, but doing so with all the whistles, bells and grizzles, it's another sure fire success from the Brazilian man of the moment.
Review: DJ Hybrid and Rider Shafique... What a link-up! Multiple label owning Hybrid has been working with MCs and vocals for a long time and knows exactly how much space and momentum for Rider needs to lay down his full-spectrum vocal. Loaded with a powerful message, praying for a more positive energy for the youth, Shafique rides out over both purring subs and sharp breaks of the original and the bubbling swing and slaps of the jungle mix. Complete with instrumentals, things couldn't be better on Boom 93 right now.
Review: The hold tight team have for sure assembled a powerful combination of artistry on this one as they welcome Ickle inside alongside two of the most recognizable vocalists of our generation in Riko Dan & Rider Shafique. Riko steps up first for a chest-heavy vocal display on 'Wicked', once again displaying his microphone dominance with a skank-inspiring display of intricate lyricism and skippy flows. On the flip, Rider Shafique dons a much more dubwise influenced sound, with scattered drums and a much more syncopated feel giving him room to maneuver his poetic approach amidst a sea of synthetic slides and beeping chords. HIJINX also provides a potent remix of 'Murda' for good measure, giving it an additional level up in the evil-sounding department. Lovely stuff!
Review: Liondub International are slamming out the goods right about now, this brutal pairing between Street Creeps and MC-du-jour Rider Shafique being a fine example of where Liondub's label is at in 2021. A proper version excursion, 'Hungry Belly' is showcased through various versions - the diesel powered original, a more breakbeat-charged junglist Amen mix and an instrumental. Just in case you can't handle the very real truths of Rider's warnings of greed and high level world order skullduggery. Grubs up.
Review: Watch out for the red lights! When it comes to contemporary jungle partnerships it can't get much more on-point and exciting then DJ Hybrid and Rider Shafique who've linked up for this haunted-yet-badass slice of timeless, emotional breakbeat science. Complete with an instrumental and a crucial 2021 update on DJ Hybrid's infamous banger 'Shockin Out', this is a very serious release from Liondub International.
Review: Trex dusts off his shovel and tags in a whole team of Gs as they forage for gold in the grit. 'Undergrowth' is an instant treasure trove as Rider purrs over a stealthy but venomous bassline. Dig deeper: 'Scene' gets the oil drill out and strikes thick gooey bassline gold while 'Need U' goes fracking and pipes up an icy, shivering, breezy heads-down showdown. Deeper again: 'Answers' takes us to the core as heavyweights Teej and Pastry Maker join Trex to answer any queries you might have about the subterranean world while T>I rolls out the bulldozer for a final forage as he twists up 'Scene' into a high voltage excavation. Can you dig it?
Review: Deep In the Jungle know a thing or two about curating rough and ready beats, and this EP from Crom fits the bill perfectly. Across four tracks, the producer spits out a diverse mix of beat structures that form a singular purpose: dancefloor readiness. The title track is the highlight, as Rider Shafique does his usual business of injecting menace and catchiness in one fell swoop, this time above a stuttering junglist beat and sweeping basslines. 'Sticks & Stones' is our other favourite, a stripped back, no-nonsense tune with clean, powerful percussion and a relentless feel to it that reminds us of Grey Code or HLZ. Big ups.
Review: Liondub are experts at blending the heritage of drum & bass with that of dancefloor and reggae music, and there are few better MCs for the job than Rider Shafique, whose CV covers both traditions and who comes seriously correct on this EP. It consists of four versions of a single tune and it's the original which really stands out, as 'Focus' moves expertly from stepping halftime-come-dancehall sounds into more jungle-flecked territory, all the time underpinned by subway kick drums and vibrant basslines. There's an instrumental version, and then JNGL rolls out the remix into a more recognisable 174 number. Excellent.
Review: As far as dubstep veterans go, Von D holds a special place in steppers history, with a long run of 140 classics under his belt. He here offers two of his more hard hitting recent originals up for remix duty and the combination of Hypho and Moresounds simply could not resist getting involved. Firstly, we hear Hypho's potent rethink of 'Hardcore Dub Music', which alongside featuring some tidy vocal work from Rider Shafique, packs a real classic steppers punch. Following this, we hear Moresounds rebuild 'Frictions' into a more march-ready roller, providing a perfect secret weapon to mash up the dance.
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