Review: Straight up jungle legend Nicky Blackmarket has barely released a track since the mid-90s. Famed for his selections (and his hugely influential Kartoons imprint) much more than his productions, he's teamed up with ex-Cabin Fever member Voltage to make sure his studio chops are still on point. And what a partnership this is... Paying homage to Back To The Future (with vocal samples and OST motifs) it's an 88mph jam that will find favour in both the techy and jump-up camps. The future is here... And it's being driven by a man who helped shape jungle's history more than many others. Great scott!
Review: Dr Meaker are a live band slash electronic music outfit who make incredibly unique hybrids of D&B and other genres, notably soul and funk. On this occasion, however, they've taken a distinctly different turn in the direction of the jump-up sound, including a feature with Kings of the Rollers star Voltage, over on Jungle Cakes.'Baddest DJ' is that aforementioned feature and it's a roller of the type you'd expect, with snappy drums underpinning a naughty set of siney wobbles and low-frequency inserts. 'Wisdom & Knowledge' is even further from the beaten Dr Meaker path, a full on jump-up number with pitched up synth lines and grating atmospherics. Top stuff guys.
Review: Cor blimey, Jungle Cakes aren't messing around with their Welcome To The Jungle series are they? Hot on the heels of Ray Keith comes another stone cold OG; Nicky Blackmarket. Digging deep across the classics and sparking up a whole forest of fresh fires, it's a 40 track, 2 mix, 10 FX tool trove of pure jungle magic curated with the wide-armed style you'd expect from an originator. With classic ranging from well known such as "Incredible" and "Pulp Fiction" to cult such as "Keep It Raw" and "Gangsters" and upfront jams flexing from all the right names (Serum, Aries, Serial Killaz, Drumsound & Bassline Smith), Blackmarket has absolutely smashed this out of the mark.
Review: Here come the remixes: Dub Damage look back to last year's four-year birthday album with two barn-burning twist-ups. Annix get their paws mucky on Blackmarket and Chapo's already-stunning "USS Enterprise" by switching out the classic Urban Takeover sub rolls for something altogether eviler and sharper. Meanwhile Harvest takes T>I's stripped back stepper "Grudge Fcuk" and injects it with jet engine reese that's so wide and overwhelming you might have to have a sit down after hearing it. No messing around at all on this one.
