Review: Agro is on Sub-Liminal with an EP that's full of, well, agro. He's roped in some of his friends for the release, including NV & Mentah, Leaf, Charlie Rotten and Toxinate in what is a full-throttle release from start to finish. This is clear from the off, as 'Don't Play' dives down deep into murky sonics and minimalist force for session that'll appeal to the real heads. 'Godfather' feat Lead has a unique percussive line that lends it an almost halftime quality; 'Gorgon Sound' is a naughty roller with a disturbingly scary sub bass & reece bass combination and 'Thinking Bout U' ties up the release with more dark atmospherics - quality stuff.
Charlie Rotten - "The Myriad Part 3" (continuous DJ mix) - (16:49) 181 BPM
Review: Sub-liminal are one of those very prolific, very underground labels that tends to go unnoticed yet releases some absolute bangers. So, getting a whole compilation full of them from a variety of up and coming producers is only going to go one way - hard. The first tune - 'Iggy' - from Garry K & RV is an instant stand out, a wobbling riff of force and hurting energy, all tied up in a jump-up sized package. 'Vultures' by Zapya and MC Karter is another top-level cut, a skippy drum-line and menacing vocals sit above a fiercely minimal roller that clicks and clanks with satisfying precision. There are a bunch more excellent tunes on this release, so go check them out.
Review: The clue is in the title mate: Ruff Rollerz... Delivered by one of Manchester's most consistent and authentic jungle imprints since Sappo's Advisory. Epicentre grabs our crotch with an iced out riffer, Warhead gives us the finger with some heavily tribalized drum damage, Bou-affiliate Jamoh cooks up a low-swung waspy bassline-riddled Voltage-style shaker while newcomer Kovert Sounds juices up the rave machine and twists up the elements in quite an astonishing way. Finally Buckfast-swigging buccaneer Sl8r returns with another hardcore homage that switches so sexily into a percussive minimal drop you might need new trousers. Get on this now mate.
Review: Guzi, with the speed of an Uzi and the glamour of Gucci, is landing on Sub-Liminal Recordings with an unsophisticated but incredibly fun release, one which, if you hear out live, is certain to get you moving. There's a carelessness and a freedom to these tracks and it's a tangible sense of kinetics. The title track kicks things off in style but it's 'Shadow' feat. BP MC that really takes the cake, a winding, subby track that flips between wobbiling shimmers and jump-up stabs. It's a wicked track and definitely the highlight of the release. 'Shroud' feat. Peggy Sewage - great name - is another absolute banger but one that's deep and wispy in all the right ways. Sick release.
Review: One of the most promising and exciting new labels to launch in 2020, Onyx return with one of their biggest releases so far as they welcome Kontakt and a few of his mates. 'Shottcaller' kicks off with the crunch we need right now. Hard hitting and no messing, it's just pure filth. Elsewhere Newcastle's Stompz joins the fray for the stuttering, guttural turbine funk-up 'Bruk Out' while Warhead brings the drones and groans on 'Goodbye'. Finally Kontakt signs out 'So Far', a euphoric smash-up here a big afrobeat vocal eases our souls before the bassline burns them down again. Shots fired!
Review: Pick N Mix do one thing, and that's pump out absolutely wild cuts of destructive D&B. That's their sole mission and, not for the first time, they've roped in Magenta and friends to help them accomplish it, a producer who is more than familiar with the peculiarities of dancefloor pressure and twisted sonics. 'Distress' is arguably the best cut on the EP, with absolutely wicked drums undergirding a Serum-esque display of dragged-out bass wizardry and gurgling force - the back-end on this track doesn't take any prisoners. The other tunes are trademark Magenta, with the punching stabs of 'Slave' and the stepping aggressiveness of 'Champion Style'. Big stuff.
Review: You'd hope that the good men and women behind Young Guns Recordings don't actually carry weapons, but this EP proves that they do. Master Error lands on the label with a five-tracker that's rooted in the current contours of the UK underground, a riotous and rough release that isn't too bothered about its occasionally unseemly fringes. 'Escalation Protocol' is a good name for the first track, an expansive stepper that oozes and pulses from its core with a surprising amount of groove. 'Run It Back' is the other standout track of the five, with a precision percussive line that gets its weight from a diving sine bass and wobbly, fluttering synths that remind us of a neurofunk tune. Sick stuff.
Review: One of the regular labels we feature are Sub-Division, a wicked little imprint that puts out a diverse sound ranging from techy rollers to jump-up steppers and even liquidy numbers. This week they've arrived with an EP from Niterider, who, across five tracks, spans various tones and styles, all of them rooted in a sense of dancefloor aggressiveness and all of them top-notch. 'Kush Puppy' is a highlight, its rolling percussive line isn't the paciest but is loping and satisfying, whilst a gargling bass and sweeping reeces sit just above and inject all the force. Top stuff.
Review: Niterider is landing on Murky Digital with his Dub Elevator EP and, as you can probably tell from the name of the label it's coming out on, it's a seriously murky bit of work. You wouldn't think that from the start of the title track though, which leads you in with a luscious bit of elevator music but that quickly devolves into a pummelling expression of force. The rest of the release is powered by the same relentlessness and 'Killa's' carries an expansive back end that undergirds a sequence of menacing hip-hop sampling, whilst 'The Wob' possibly has the most creative bassline on the release in a wicked display of dancefloor heat. Sick stuff.
Review: One of the regular labels we feature are Sub-Liminal, a wicked little imprint that puts out a diverse sound ranging from techy rollers to jump-up steppers and even liquidy numbers. This week they've arrived with an EP from Prestige, who, across six tracks, spans various tones and styles, all of them rooted in a sense of dancefloor aggressiveness and all of them top-notch. 'It Must Be Destroyed' is a highlight, its rolling percussive line isn't the paciest but is loping and satisfying, whilst a gargling bass and sweeping reeces sit just above and inject all the force. 'A Snake' is also a wicked track, with a lovely, stripped back drum line that's full of moody sonics. Top stuff.
Review: Ever on the forefront of fresh talent, Sub-liminal present another brand new name to our ears: Pyro. Every bit as firesome as his name suggests, his debut EP shows strong signs of promise as Pyro runs us through his gritty, slightly-left-of-centre gutter funk. 'Bring Me Up' hits with a little old school rave flavour, some proper ghetto grit in the kicks and trippiness with the glitches. 'Tick Yes' follows with serious roller clout and just a touch of jumpy riffage in the bass while 'Your Love' brings things to a head with pure unabashed rave energy and a bassline so bouncy you need to hold onto something when it first hits you. Complete with his own remix of Warhead's Sub-liminal banger 'Volume' and you've got an exceptional debut EP. Start some fires today!
Review: Don't be misled by the title: this is no thrown-together 'greatest hits' package but rather a 40-track label showcase from DJ Hybrid's Audio Addict label, coming complete (if you opt to buy the whole album) with a fast and furious, 52-minute mixed version by Canada's RMS, aka Paul Currie. Tracks come a mixture of relatively new names (Martyn Nytram, Saffire Dubz, Confusious) and more established players (LJ High, Scartip and of course Hybrid himself), while stylistically the album touches on various different D&B sub-genres, but with the emphasis always firmly on cuts that are built to tear up the rave.
Review: Sub-liminal take a moment to look back over almost six years of hard graft at the future talent coal face. Having been responsible for so many bangers from so many now household names, it's a mean feat boiling it down to this mere 50 heavyweight highlights. All the label's key names are on board; Guzi, Dreadnaught, Nick The Lot, Too Greezy, Kumo, Version, Vital, Pyro, Motiv and many more dust off their past heavers, hurters and head-slappers to reflect on everything Sub-liminal has stood for and encouraged so far. From the deeper, more subtle bubblers (Sam Harris - 'Coffee Machine') to the most outrageous funk-ups (Warhead - 'Cranked') this EP has everything. When the Riddim hits you, you can't say no...
Review: Bag it, tag it, tell you mum about it; the B&T massive put together this 15 track collection to celebrate the label's 15th release and it's an all-out showcase of tomorrow's finest talent. Highlights fire from all sides; Ben Snow's 'Fire Iron' is a grunting staccato session of pure savagery, Refracta brings NFM-style melted bass to the fray on 'Embrace', Dunk & Teej get all mobster on us with 'Soprano', Parallel does his old school slap-about thing on 'Communications' and KL's 'Tension' is strong enough to blast us into the 23rd century. Pack your bags and your tags, you've pulled m8.
Review: The epic decade celebrations continue as DJ Hybrid's Audio Addict continue to reflect over the last 10 years at the forefront of the dnb game. Like the previous classics collection, once again we dive deep into the label's rich history to find career-shaping tunes from some of the best in the game such as Kumarachi, Warhead, Euphonique, Replicant, Nectax and many many more. A perfect chance to get up to speed on the last 10 years, or fill a few gaps in your collection, highlights include the forthright rudeness of Nectax's flutter-bass roll-up 'Labyrinth', Gravit-E's twisted growler 'Side Bitch', Scudd & Crinnion's skank-happy 'My Town' and the massive 'Takeover' VIP from the bossman himself. Massive.
Review: So it doesn't feel like we've had much of a summer this year. It also feels like the arts are being hung-up to dry right now. But at least the good folk at Sub-liminal care for us.... To mark the (albeit raveless) sunny season, they've put together a 50 (yes, fifty) track collection from some of the most exciting names in the game. From Dunk to Xav, RV to Warhead, Agro, Guzi, Shayper, Damage Report and so many more, this is the 'Summer Selection' we all totally need and deserve right now. Highlights include the Remarc levels of badness on Guzi's 'Area 51', the tension and staggered creepiness of Yatuza's 'Clich?' and the broadsword swathes of Motiv's buzzy bumper 'Necroplasm'. And that's just three out of 50. Thank you Sub-liminal. We need this more than ever right now.
Review: Everyone likes a good compilation, right? What's better than having as big a range of artists as possible in one condensed place? It's essentially an album with the ease of listening of a single, so we're all for it. Subliminal have come out with the 2020 edition in their Riddim Return series and it's packed full of bangers, across a range of styles, and it's one of those albums which doesn't try to be cool or sophisticated by chucking in a few fillers for the sake of diversity - it's just hard stuff here. It works great, with Sam Harris' tendency for muscular minimosity coming on loud and clear on Boom Ting, a wickedly devilish and driving roller.
Review: Grubs up! Twisted Individual's cooked up a feast of undead delights for the first Zombie Recordings V/A collection and everyone's invited. Chewy, spicy and full of gully victuals, across the collection we're treated to all range of flavours; the peppery aftertaste of Filthy Habits & Jeopardize's "Mind Transfer", the fruity funk bursts of Imaginary Friends' "Rooftop Jam", the gamey aroma and meaty chugs of Yatuza & Nick The Lot's "Mystic Ways" and the sweet and sour textures of Alex SLK's "Kluture" are just some of the many highlights on the menu. Gunfinger-licking good!
Review: Forget your daft screechy dubstep variant of the same name, Sub-liminal deal strictly in proper riddims. Wobbly riddims, fat riddims, stinking riddims, gully riddims. They have done for almost five years now, and this new Riddim Return collection is a reminder of just how much ground they cover, how many super talented darksmiths they work with and how much skin of yours their releases will melt. Highlights on this 50 track strong collection (yes, 50!) come from every angle but you'd be mad not to lick a shot from Agro & Raz on their melted bass weird-out "Ah Like It", do air trumpet to Warhead's "Cop Killa" or get wonked the heck out by Leaf's concrete steps on "Hold Up". Dig hard and take a deep breath... You're in riddim country.
Review: When we look back over both the roster and discography that we have seen the team at PAR assemble over the years, it is very difficult to not be incredibly impressed, with back catalogue boasting arguably one of the strongest selections in UK bass music. We here see them set out on another goliath conquest as they present their ninth birthday release 'PAR IS 9'. This project features a host of exciting guests, from heavyweight veterans such as Garna, DeadbeatUK and Moony, to more new school hard hitters such as S3 Dubs, Daze Prism and more. Highlights for us include Dubzta's grimey sheller 'Side Effect' and the madness of Sekt 87's skippy belter in 'Surge & Rush'.
Review: Not to be confused with the Julia Roberts classic, the Sound of Nuusic isn't a Bavarian epic but instead a UK underground epic of compilation sized proportions, with a whole raft of underground talents offering up a diverse concoction of jungle flavours. With Conrad Subs making several appearances, his stand-out contribution is 'Leave Dem', with a funked-up loping introduction that's seriously smooth but which quickly devolves into a stuttering balance of breaks and reece bass action. There's wicked jungle contributions from Kumarachi and RMS as well as Sheffield upstart Charla Green, whose knock-down breaks carry some serious weight. This is a must-listen for anyone who likes their jungle music.
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: Sub-liminal sleepers this one is for you... The UK label have just repurposed and repackaged some of their many successes on this epic 20 track compendium. Ranging from the white knuckle neuro pace of Fena's "Viral" to Dominator's gamechanging grumpy-bass twist on Agro's "Noise Complaint" via Dialogue's ultra-grot wobbler "If You Can't Beat 'Em", Tyrant's Nightflight-style jungle slap-about "Bomb", Agro's sinful stepper "Tank" and many more, this is a perfect snapshot of the label's breadth, weight and uncompromised sound so far. Riddim stinkers.
Review: Ooof! Sub-liminal are spoiling us right here: 19 tracks and a mix killer mix from gully professor Too Greezey. Loaded with upfront exclusives, VIPs and classics in equal measure. One moment we're squelching and squirming to the wet bass on Warhead's "Bad Trip", the next we're gurning and turning to Benny L's Dillinja-esque remix of Hybrid & Agro, the next we're spooking out to the Clipz-style harmonies on Guzi's "Business" VIP, the next we're writing out our last will and testament to Agro's incredible mix of Leaf's "New Life". That's just scratching the tip of this murky iceberg, there are myriad other bangers awaiting your attention, just tuck in.
Review: Two and a half years deep into their dark star safari Sub-Liminal continue to shred up the dance with a crack team of heavy bass innovators. Bass riffs galore and aesthetics so unforgiving, every track is tailored for the most underground floor... The worming low-end mashery of Too Greezey's "Modulation", Leaf's oddball drum funk and melting trumpets on "Shoot Off", Warhead's brutal technoid mutations on "A'Gwarn" and Tyrant's absolutely annihilating "Nuclear Bomb" are just four of the 14 high level bangers on display here. There's nothing subliminal about the message on this one: not picking up on this is a criminal offence.
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: Uh-oh, Warhead's on the 'Rebound' and he's out on the prowl with some of his most seductive bangers to date. The title track is the sound of him chirpsing you over a meal of rare-cooked basslines and tender stem snares. 'Backstreet Business' slides into your DMs flashing its raw high voltage bassline at your peepers. 'Ozone' is the type of romp that turns the room upside down thanks to those tumbling toms on the fills and that urgent (not to mention classic) vocal sample. Elsewhere 'Good To Me' chats you up in a chippy, all greasy and hungry, 'How Can I' is a gnarly, white knuckle mercy trip to see an old flame while 'Versions' ends the EP with a grumpy, grizzled bassline that vows never to go on the rebound again. Live, laugh, love and all that.
Review: Warhead is back on the warpath! Not content with tearing Co-Lab up with his and Teej's 'Activate' EP earlier this year, he's back with another four-piece suite of slap-downs and blast-ups. 'Gobsmacker' says it all. A slithering percussive wriggler, all steppy and stripped back and laced with a tense dark funk, it's the type of tackle you'd expect from the Eneis or DLRs of the world. Elsewhere 'Real Bad' is a Harley Davidson of a tune that revs up behind you menacingly with its lamp on full beam, 'Battering Ram' is a roundhouse kick of chaos, all scratchy and grizzled and 'I Want More' is another minimal mission where the percussion does all the chatting... Before that killer sample kicks in. Wow. We want more, too.
