Review: It's safe to say that the Juicy Fruit Recordings team have supplied us with an absolute gem here as they arrange a collection of top draw remixes, bringing a new lease of life to 'Year One'. We begin with Brockout's high energy redesign of Bill & Ed's 'Maximum Warp', before Diligent Fingers gets stuck into his groovy rethink of 'Hernando' from S Man. Next up, we take in some stripped back drumsy flavours on Warhead's dramatic overhaul of 'Visions Of The Future' from Kovert Sound, before Erbman finishes off the project in style with his sub heavy recreation of Verdikt's 'Here We Go'.
Review: Ruffneck Ting let rip into 2018 with the launch of a brand new V/A album The Xtraordinary League Of Jungles 2. As with the previous collection, the album will be a roadblock of stone cold jungle lash-outs and these are the first five tracks to tease us. "Erbman" is all about the warm bassline bounce and strange sci-fi flutters. Kenji goes in on a T>I style stripped back steppy vibe on "I Would" while K Jay gives us not one but two dope collaborations... The wobbled out "Kerplunk" with Verdikt and the rocked-out face-slapper "Rock With Me". Finally the label bosses Dazee and Substance's 1997 tear-up "LF Ant" gets a razor-sharp 21-year update from Genetix & Habitat. Ruffneck ting; heads of the herd for almost 25 years.
Review: Ruffneck Ting ante-up with the first volume of the Xtraordinary League Of Junglists album. A family affair with tag-teams galore, the Bristol murk merchants divide and conquer on every cut; The Force & Verdikt get mucky with a big bassline jump-up, Jinx & Aries build an mischievous Q&A a la DJ Die or Roni 20 years ago while Jinx & Dazee play a game of Asteroids inside our minds with the sci-fi bassline that wouldn't have gone amiss in a Moving Fusion set 15 years ago. K Jah & Vytol wind up the dispatch with a clunkier iron age riff and a dizzying array of basses. Xtraordinary indeed... Bring on volume two!
Substance - "Belong To The Night" (feat Susie Ledge - Dazee remix) - (4:53) 175 BPM
Review: Level up! Not content with flinging out one 15 track jungle arsenal this season, Dazee's Ruffneck Ting power up with another hench collection less than a month later. Serious business as always, vibes fire fast and loose from the moment Jinx & The Force welcome us to the new echelon on "Next Level" with a classic sample subversion to the very last shimmering echoes Dazee's remix of Substance "Belong To The Night". Highlights include Jinx's grumpy grumbling subs on "Sound Killer", Verdikt's springy jungle roller shakedown "Party People" and The Force's alien landing serenade "Article 50". Another level.
Review: It would seem that the team at Ruffneck Ting have pulled out all the stocks here as they put together their 'The Xtraordinary League Of Junglists 2 (Level 1)' compilation, collecting up fifteen original dynamite sticks as they do so. The line-up contains a collection of high profile drums specialists, including DJ Hybrid, Erbman, Jinx, Bass Antics, Genetix and a host more. For us the highlights of this quite frankly super stacked project include Lion UK's dubwise roller in 'Hova Nova', alongside Flat T's scatty driver 'The Dragon' and Verdikt's super subby outing on 'Enemies'.
Dub General - "World Of Confusion" - (4:27) 175 BPM
Cabin Fever - "The Hunter & The Hunted" - (4:50) 175 BPM
2Stars & Dissent - "Kung Fu Kid" - (4:28) 175 BPM
Zere - "Loophole" - (5:36) 174 BPM
Tomoyoshi - "Smokey Horn" - (5:34) 175 BPM
Suv - "Instead Of War" - (5:12) 175 BPM
Coda - "Tripped" - (3:42) 175 BPM
Ickleman - "Open The Hatch" - (4:24) 174 BPM
Warhead - "Static" - (4:32) 175 BPM
MPW - "Jungle Stranger" - (5:56) 58 BPM
Review: Jaxx powers up his gully roller steam engine for the latest volume in his label's Off The Rails series and the results are off the scale. 14 tracks of deep, forthright rollage from a broad selection of respect talents ranging from certified OGs such as Suv to established dons such as Cabin Fever and Verdikt to bright young upstarts like K-Y and Zere, the collection is one of the best Train wrecks so far. Highlights include the tonal chaos of Zere's "Loophole", Suv's peaceful party piece "Instead Of War" and Warhead's brittle bass lash out "Static" but to be honest the entire collection needs your attention. Full steam ahead.
Review: What a label Diamond Audio is shaping up to be. Four releases deep and they're already two albums and two massive EPs deep. Just look at the tracklist and you know we're right on the forefront of nex-gen drum & bass. Bou, T>I, Klay, Aweminus, Rawtee, Version... The list of hotly tipped future headliners here is impressive. Highlights include T>I's sweary stepper "Pull Up", Klay's radio-melting trip-out "Clap Back", Aweminus's gamey retro pacer "It's Ok", Rawtee's hornets nest bass and barbed soul on "Searchin'" and Version's cascading kicks and harrowed bass on "Facades". 10 diamonds in the rough... These will last forever.
Review: Make no mistakes: Ruffneck Ting are smashing it on a whole new level this year! Bombarding the game with beat after beat, barely a month has gone by with a Ruffneck roll-out session. The Xtraordinary League Of Junglists takes this proliferation to a whole new level with 20 killer cuts from some of the label's firmest friends and family. Every cut is a highlight but you'd be off your nut not to check the clinically obese classical mid-90s jump up bass of "War", the sprung-out Bingo bounces of "All 2 Myself", the piano-slapping feel good rave workout "All Through The Night" or the dubbed-out trickery of "Hazey Dub". Need we go on? Ruffneck Ting have been on this ting since dot and they're rolling out some of their finest right here. Essential.
Review: Ruffing up your lugholes as we stride into the bleakest of winters, Dazee's long-running Bristol imprint Ruffneck Ting deliver the first part of Verdikt's debut album 'Redy Fe Dem'. A mainstay on the label for the last five years, his rude, warm sound is the perfect fit; dark West Country rollage with samples and flavours from across the board. Each cut will have you reaching for the 'save for when the raves come back' folder. From the jet engine bass drones of the 97-flavoured 'Bust 45' to the dusty jazz and dulcet charms of Collette Warren on 'Wrong' (with Dazee) via the soothing rave pads and gutter-chomping bassline of 'Headbanger' (with Dissonant) and trippy bass wonkiness of 'Let Off', there's a stripped back consistency running through the whole collection which sets us up nicely for the imminent second part...
Review: Verdikt has actually nailed this one. For real. Born On Road are back and they're back with a an absolute corker courtesy of the aforementioned Verdikt, who's Ice Cold EP is aptly named and which simply slams start to finish. The title track is a fluid, motional number with a wobbling back end that wraps itself round the percussion in gloriously satisfying way fashion. "Don't Leave' featuring Dissonant is a steppier bit of work, with clean jungle drums and a growling bassline that warps and morphs into sine territory, all overcut by a soulful vocal sample. The other four are also top-notch, with Verdikt really nailing that Kings Of The Rollers vibe. Wicked stuff.
Review: Featuring some pretty creative if perhaps slightly polarising artwork, Verdikt lands on Ruffneck Ting with the Hands Up EP, a rolling mix of sounds and tones that lend themselves well to both the dancefloor and the bedroom. The title track exemplifies that perfectly, a subby underpin that transforms gradually into a monochromatic mash of force and energy. 'Crazy' opts for a wobblier outlook instead, featuring a fantastic, penetrating drum line that cuts underneath everything else. 'Rap Game's classic sounding rap sampling is the prelude to another flowing stream of low-frequency energy that would just go off live - banging EP.
Review: For this project, Verdikt makes a highly anticipated appearance on the ever ready Switch! Recordings with four explosive compositions under the title 'Badman'. We kick off with the excellent rolling collaboration with Flat-T before stepping into the more minimal inspired junglist bass movements on 'Badman Get Shot'. Next up we hear the ascending bass patterns of 'Broken Fingers' before rounding off nicely on the grimey LFO's and ride-led drum maneuvers of 'Big Respect'.
Review: Verdikt makes his debut on Too Greezey's seriously impressive Nuke imprint and he gets his finest bounce on to celebrate. "Inside" has all the vital ingredients: a springy, hooky bassline, sensual vocal elements, rattling drums and a sparse sense of funk. "Hold" takes us deeper down the bass chamber with some wonderfully warm drone tones lingering off each beat in a way that's not dissimilar to Voltage. Ageless, subgenre-less pure pedigree drum & bass jungle.
Review: Ruffneck representing: Verdikt steps forth with his largest body of work to date and it's nothing but dancefloor trouble. The title track is a lesson in minimalism as the bassline and swinging drums wriggle round each other, elsewhere we get a Ganja Cru style up-and-down bass riff on "Beat Pop", a brilliant "Remember The Roller" style roll-out in the form of "Bounce", a laidback Kartoons style bassline stepper "Levels" and a shaker-soaked funk jam "Records". Timeless unabashed party cuts tailored for deep-mix creativity.
Review: There really aren't enough flutes in drum & bass. We know this. You know this. Verdikt knows this... And on "As We Go" he tackles the issue head-on with a quirky flute toot or two before dropping into a classic Urban Takeover style jump up vibe. The result is something that would have sounded great in 97 as well as today. For more timeless jump up vibes head for his long-awaited "Pussyclart Bass VIP". Switching out the walking-style bassline for something hookier and more direct, it's the consummate example of VIP subtlety.
Review: Rising UK junglist Verdikt gets lively with Bristol skank bastions Ruffneck Ting. With a dubwise vibe rolling throughout, it's another ageless document: "Chalice Pipe" warns of naughty narcotic combos while horns pierce the darkness with balance and funk, "On The Corner" is all about the subs and snares that punctuate in a fashion similar to Digital or, more recently, Stealth. "Cornerstone" is a classic jump-up flavour a la DJ Stretch while "Money First" jitters with a strange sample, humming subs and an array of classic zap FX. The verdict? Guilty... Of pure gulliness.
Review: Allow Subwoofah to present Verdikt, a newcomer from the UK with a big sound on his shoulders. Pumping out jungle vibes through a new-age filter, "Kill A Soundboy" takes classic breaks and creates something destructive and dark. Add a heavily manipulated bass and you've got yourself a hurter. "Pussyclart Bass" sounds just as deadly, but don't let a title override your judgement. Crisp future sounds abound from the offset, joined by a big womping bassline and little else to get in your way. Stomp it out, that's what dancefloors are for.
Review: Ruffneck Ting has been a prominent name in jungle for the over 20 years, starting life as a night in Bristol in 1993 before morphing into a label in recent years. So it's fair to say these guys know good jungle and, if they put out an extra large EP, we should be listening. Standing out as one of the highlights is 'Buju' with it's slow, low sub. We're also feeling 'Bad Boys' which blends tight, rolling amens with weird sci-fi synths and shorts shots of dirty bass, perfect for the dance. The title track 'Untouchable' combines classic claps, and lasers, with more modern effects and a killer bouncing base.
Review: Ruffneck Ting have really outdone themselves with this one and it's courtsy of Verdikt, who, across four tunes, seriously rolls things out. It's the sampler for a forthcoming longer project and the standout tune is 'Wrong', featuring Dazee andd Collette Warren, the latter of whom smashes the vocal work as per usual, injecting that little something extra into a tune already thriving on its diet of wide snare hits and wibbly wobbly sub bass. 'Ya Ya' is a unique which reminds us of Bungle's 'Coccooned' with its repitition and relentlessness, except the bass in question isn't a constant note but another superbly wobbly sub bass. The others are equally stripped back, and we really love the barebones approach being taken here.
Review: The accused looks up from the dock. First to the judge, then to the jury. They have this man's life in the palm of their hands. "What's the verdict for Verdikt?" asks the be-wigged judge, all pompous and gammon. "We find him guilty of two crimes of first degree gulliness!" they cry. The accused grins mischievously in response. If they found the swinging 60s horns and surreal rubber ball bassline drop of 'Batman' and the stripped back bubbling bassline wriggler 'Rained Off' gully then just wait until they hear even more the album. It's 'Ready Fe Dem' but are they ready for it?! The case continues...
Review: Following a couple of samplers, Verdikt has the second part of his Ready Fe Dem LP dropping on Ruffneck Ting and it's absolutely unreal. Nine tracks long and full of diversity, this LP is full to the brim with urban attitude and gritty textures, from the scatty percussion of 'Monkey Head' to the clean, precise needle points of 'Rained Off'. 'Bristol Girls' is especially good, as warm synth waves bend themselves through the range and wrap around its tight, driving bassline, a rolling number which those into sound system culture will be all over. Top piece of work.
Review: Erbman and Krunk's Juicy Fruit quenches our thirst once again with another full flavour v/a EP. As before there's a strong jungle twang to the vibes as we're treated to a slew of funk-flecked bass odysseys. Verdikt takes the lead with a set of thuggish subs and a precision spoken word sample, Bill & Edd loosen up the drums for a real soulful shaker while Kovert Sound crushes us with his "Pussyhole" in the most charming way possible. Finally the unstoppable Too Greezey jumps on board for the finale with a spaced-out twist on the bossman's "Rockerz International". Each track making up way more than your five a day, this is one healthy label right now.
