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1
Review: Easily one of the most justifiably hyped men in D&B right now, Hyroglifics steps up to the mighty Critical with three boundary-smelting slabs of contemporary jungle. "Bay City Ballers Club" is driven almost exclusively by a robust bassline and steppy, sliced up amen magic. "Killamanaman", meanwhile, takes us deeper into the spacy, stuttering half-tempo drama that the likes of Om Unit and Sam Binga have been dealing of late. Complete with a dual demonic narrative from both the vocal and the middy bass, it's an instant damager. To ensure a strong sense of completion, the final cut is a lush, star-gazing LA beat style wonk-out with bendy synths, far-away vocals and an overwhelming sense of dreaminess. Stunning.
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CRITDIGI 002
16 Jun 14
16 Jun 14
2
Review: Nikki Nair's last outing for Dirtybird, last year's Power Tool EP, was a weighty, excitable dance through speaker-busting dancefloor heaviness that variously doffed a cap to B-more breaks, wobbly dubstep, two-step garage and downtempo synth-pop. There's a similarly energetic, fusion-fired feel to this similarly impressive follow-up, with Nair bouncing between sub-heavy two-step/deep house fusion (the rather good 'It Goes'), mutilated experimental drum & bass (the lo-fi treat that is 'Socket'), woozy breakbeat oddness ('Something', which sounds like Aphex Twin and Squarepusher after a bunch of happy pills) and skittish, all-action ghetto-tech sleaziness ('Want To You').
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DB 270
20 Aug 21
20 Aug 21
3
Played by: Koast (Durkle Disco)
Review: With Addison Groove being one of the most renowned names in UK dance music, his unique, clicky approach to rhythmic bliss is constantly yielding fantastic new originals. We see him land his latest album project on Gutterfunk and what a project it is. The album as a whole boasts a magnificent soundscape, from the experimental funky melodies of 'Rele Dawomey' alongside the wonderful Chouk Bwa, to the junglist switch ups of 'Dreamscape 12' and system basslines of 'Burning Spear'. There is also a touch of classic Addison throughout, through the clicky percussive blueprints of 'Bass Trips' and jukey switch ups of 'Out Of Nowhere'. We also can't get enough of the bubbly grooves of 'Brand New Drop', an inspired funky roller, personifying the organic energy of the project perfectly.
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GF 034
10 Apr 20
10 Apr 20
4
Review: Brian Rays is back in business, unleashing his killer new album project 'Slime', courtesy of the one and only Acroplane recordings. One word of warning, prepare for the unexpected as we dive into 10 tracks of sonic surrealism, from the uber-eerie percussive melodies of 'Plugs' with Quiet, to the stunning synthetic soundscaping of 'Nightcrawler' and high octane drum bops of 'Vampire Tints' alongside Riffs. As an album, this collection takes us on a completely unpredictable flight path, with a new rhythmic direction and melodic approach waiting around every corner. Our highlight moments include the super glitchy percussive arrangements of 'Ghost Burger' alongside the legendary Neil Landstrumm, next to the time-dancing subby twists of 'Oddball'. A highly inspired album for sure.
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ACPR 051
12 Apr 24
12 Apr 24
5
Played by: Nice Up! Records, Smutlee, DJ Vapour, Gunjack, BSN Posse, Mooves, Rockwell (Shogun Audio), Hex
Review: With an extensive repertoire that includes breaks, house and techno, Sam Binga's switch to future jungle rhythms has spawned some of his honest, his most exciting and his heaviest tracks to date. Sitting in the same unclassifiable field as Om Unit and Fracture, his productions wobble, writhe and punch sweetly around the 160/80 axis and feature a wealth of killer vocalists such as Warrior Queen, Rider Shafique and Romaine. Part dancehall, part jungle, part mongrel bass, Sam's skills are showcased succinctly across Wasted Days with a consistency that ensures the album experience is just as hard hitting as the individual tracks hit the floor. Get wasted.
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CRITLP 08
11 Sep 15
11 Sep 15
6
Played by: Perez (Iberian Juke), Kantyze, Calculon, Sideswipe, BSN Posse, Modern Ruin Records, Sofie Letitre, Natasha Kmeto
Review: We love the way Alix Perez has branched out in recent years. While we used to associate him to the minimal d&b wave that spawned in the late 00s, he's begun to venture onto into more diverse territories, as of late. He's up on his own 1985 Music here, and "Ghosts" is exactly the sort of glitchy, pseudo hip hop sketch that we now expect from the guy, but the real heat comes from "Hack & Slash", a total hybrid tune that goes from juke to dubstep, and back to something we're not really sure how to label. But, this is exactly how experimentation works and how new genres are created, something which is also very audible from his collaboration tune with Taso, "'Andromeda". "Tempest" is perhaps the weirdest and most daring of the lot, and the tune where Perez's d&b roots really come out, whereas "Crush" is a swinging, London bullet rhythm, for the heads. All in all, a much recommended affair.
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ONEF 002
30 Sep 16
30 Sep 16
7
Played by: MAGE, Juno Recommends Funky House, HxdB, Bop, Icicle, L Plus, Jack U (Diplo & Skrillex), Reid Speed
Review: One of drum & bass' true innovators, Rockwell spends his time wisely over at Shogun Audio creating only the best messed-up beats from a mind-bendingly diverse spectrum of influences. "INeedU" is a skitterish firefly of a track, complete with hyped-up ADD beats stolen from a Rave mixtape circa '93 and samples from every corner of his record collection. "1_2_3_4" features harsher than harsh pads throughout, creating a hard techno blast through the neon wormhole of Rockwell's D&B fever fit. More Bangface than Sun and Bass, it's an amazing mental breakdown of a tune that somehow works itself out into quite the little mover. Be prepared for a scare.
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SHA 081
20 Jul 14
20 Jul 14
8
Played by: Reso (Hospital Records), Juno Recommends Drum & Bass, Joe Belmarez, Gunjack, Soula, Sideswipe, Bigseuf, Cos BV (Car Crash Set), Skubi, Icicle, Covert Garden, AmossDnb, Danny Scrilla
Review: Fracture create some of the most experimental drum and bass out there, so bringing forward their dancehall-eclectic-inspired sounds with the help of Mancunian producer Chimpo was only going to create disturbances of the best kind within the scene. "From Early" takes the Fracture dancehall sound to the next level but it's in "Hard Food" that the rave and hardcore madness kicks in and things start getting a little wavy from there on in. To tidy up, "From Early" gets a reduction mix from Fracture, stripping back the shimmying and getting right down to the bare, bassy bones. A legendary collaboration in the making.
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META 022
13 Mar 15
13 Mar 15
9
Played by: Dj N◉va ▶ Rodon FM 95, ActRaiser, Etherwood (Hospital Records), Warmth, Anushka, Dennis DeSantis, AWITW, Prism B.R.K
Review: After his Room(s) long player for Planet Mu confirmed him as an unsung hero amongst US beatsmiths, Travis Stewart follows up that gargantuan effort with this turn for Ninja Tune. It's a deeply atmospheric album that works Stewart's palpable love of jungle breaks into richly atmospheric pieces that move through sometimes mournful, sometimes dreamlike spaces that hang together like all the pieces of a creative puzzle should. At times the tone is blissful, as on "Center Your Love", while the immaculate breaks give way to strung out coldwave balladry on "U Still Lie". His sense of adventure as intact as ever, Stewart happily follows up such contemplation with the feisty tech-step precision of "Eyesdontlie", ensuring there's never a dull moment across the ten tracks.
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ZENDNL 200
30 Sep 13
30 Sep 13
10
Played by: Dj N◉va ▶ Rodon FM 95, Stagga, Murder He Wrote, Juno Recommends Bass, Soul Intent, Sorrow, Danny Scrilla
Review: With his Vapor City LP dropping with a weighty impact, Travis 'Machinedrum' Stewart serves up this tidy EP to start expanding on the open-to-interpretation city concept that lingers over the album. Gunshotta Avenue unsurprisingly is predominantly populated by the powerful lead tune "Gunshotta" with all its limber breaks and atmospheric chord swells, but Stewart backs it up with the reggae-infused lilt of "Stirrin", all cheeky skank and slick breaks. On the remix front, Fracture gets called upon to work a little more club roughness into "Gunshotta", heading for that crisp half-step D&B headspace without discarding the original essence of the track. Meanwhile AMIT whips up a "Thug Dub" of the track that revels in reverb and the space it creates, proposing an entirely fresh but equally valid angle steeped in true roots styles.
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ZENDNLS 373
14 Oct 13
14 Oct 13
11
Review: Continuing the geographical theme of his Vapor City LP, Machinedrum is back on Ninja Tune with more of his dreamy hybrids that sit at the nexus of juke, electro and jungle, expanding on the groundwork of the album with the choppy funk of "Back Seat Ho". Rustie is in a fearsome mood as he reworks the original into a drum-heavy stomper, before "On My Mind" staggers out with its wild-eyed arpeggios and slow-rushing snares. "Neujack" has a futuristic juke lilt to it, precision-engineered for maximum nag, and then Pinch and Adrian Sherwood step up for a remix of "Back Seat Ho" that takes the kitchen sink approach to production from guitars and toasting to rapid fire drum machine blasts.
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ZENDNLS 378
24 Mar 14
24 Mar 14
12
Review: Machinedrum heralds his next album on new home Ninja Tune with the Eyesdontlie single, introducing the Vapor City concept the producer said was inspired by a recurring dream . Fans of his stellar 2011 album Room(s) will be glad to hear his signature sound incorporating footwork and more experimental elements is still intact, though the lead track here seems steeped in dreamier textures. The B-side track "Body Touch" however is a different beast, harking back to his earlier hip hop-inspired productions. An excellent single that bodes well for the album...
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ZENDNLS 367
29 Jul 13
29 Jul 13
13
Played by: HxdB, Skrillex b2b Noisia, Kian Asamoah - Noisy Meditation, Sideswipe, BSN Posse, Modern Ruin Records
Review: In a final move within the sprawling vision of his Vapor City project, Travis Stewart offers up another albums worth of material that ties in to the online community he sought to create with the release of the initial album. It's everything you would hope for from additional Machinedrum material, melding soft and gentle melodic elements with razor sharp drum programming, bubbling footwork percussive tones, and enough playful ideas to keep things warm and inviting. There are some ruder moments, as in the bass rubbing throwdown "B Patient", but then there are some outright folky inflections such as the plucked guitar on "More Than Friends". Always surprising and never repeating himself, Machinedrum nails it once again.
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ZENDNL 215
17 Nov 14
17 Nov 14
14
Played by: Juno Recommends Techno
Review: Before Nina Kraviz was hailed the techno heavyweight she is today she surfaced with a unique brand of electro that fully realised itself in 2012 with a debut album for Rekids, Ghetto Kraviz. Following a selection of remixes from the likes of Steve Rachmad, Kink and French producers Alex Kid and Amine Edge, a rare run of coloured 7"s featuring two remixes from Chicago ghetto house OG DJ Slugo made their way out too. Today, and in tandem with a recent collaboration with alongside Paris Mitchell, DJ Slugo's two "Ghetto Kraviz" remixes enter the digital realm, with the epic 808 drum rolls of the second mix a masterclass in juke not to be overlooked.
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REKIDS 010LTD
31 Jan 20
31 Jan 20
15
Review: Making an impact in the world of footwork and juke across labels like Modern Ruin, Iberian Juke and Vandal LTD, Stayhigh's most demanding output of late has come through Ditto Music, with this quick-fire Muscle Trax EP following up two albums already in 2020. Drawing on something more soulful here, tracks like "2 Fast" and "Vibration" play on pitched R&B vocals and UKG elements, with instrumental hip hop inspirations making it into "Burn Up". Deeper club vibes come through the synths and staccato rave stabs of "Don't Ya Hurt Me No More" and the amen-infused breaks of "Da Chord Trak" that flex, glisten and gleam.
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505958 0553388
18 Oct 20
18 Oct 20
16
Various
Review: We've been waiting for this since Doc Scott fired up his old ThirtyOne machine just over a year ago. A 24-track collection of stone cold exclusives, this bucks any expectations of the label and its remit and celebrates the very best creativity in all shades of drum & bass. Littered with the best names in the game (Calibre, Nucleus & Paradox, Bungle, Loxy & Resound, Scar, Marcus Intalex and many many more), each cut pushes the bass and riddim envelope with stark, uncompromised creativity and production muscle. The ultimate document of where the best D&B is at, this is nothing short of essential.
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31 RSFB 001
15 Dec 14
15 Dec 14
17
Review: Following a thread started up with his Africa HiTech project with Steve Spacek, Mark Pritchard shifts shape once again but keeps that hyped-up flow going strong with this five-strong EP for Warp. There's plenty of juke flavour in the snapping beats of "Manabadman", bolstered by the patois delivery of Spikey Tee, while "Ghosts" channels a more trap-oriented beat through which to run rambunctious synths. "Duppies" makes for one of the centerpieces with its intense UK rave signifiers, from hoover bass to gruesome D&B stabs before deftly leaping into a jungle tear-out. "Get Wyld" mops up the mess with a sopping sponge of electro synth work hanging from a restrained drum track.
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WAP 341
24 Jun 13
24 Jun 13
18
6blocc feat Junior Demus
Played by: 6Blocc
Review: DJ Muggs producer and self-styled woofer cooker, LA's 6Blocc enjoys an illustrious heritage, and a very exciting future. Fusing the best elements of jungle, ragga, bass music and dubstep, "Serious" flexes around a very well known horn sample and some guttural lyrics flows from Junior Demus. Four-version heavy, it ranges from the full-bodied, breakbeat-heavy original to the thugged-out Miami bass style 808 twist. "Give Love" takes the skank factor further to the fore as Demus gets sexy over a groove that teases with so much digidub pleasure it's likely to stick in your brain. Finally we hit "Jungle Stabbin." All rusty amens and mangled horns, it lives up to its title in every possible way. Lighter!
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D 6016
15 Jul 14
15 Jul 14
19
Review: 6Blocc doesn't channel dancehall; he breathes new life into it. This EP is a joyful twist and skank through vintage vocal riffs and rose-tinted ragga sounds with the deceitfully dark edge of his perfectly tuned bass programming. Simultaneously as gritty as it is joyous, each track give listeners (and DJs alike) the choice of vocal and dub mixes - although we'd seriously recommend the former. It's rare that the roots of d&b are celebrated at the forefront of deep d&b and this release makes the most of the past to create a fresh sounding EP ready to take over dancefloors everywhere. Crank it.
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D 6017
12 Aug 14
12 Aug 14
20
Review: The art of remixing jungle tunes is one that treads a fine line. On one side tracks come out warped and unintelligible, but on the other, when things go right, a new freshness is added to classic sounds, bringing relevance and a re-imagined heaviness to well-loved tunes. 6blocc spends his life doing the latter. A massive jungle fan from day zero, he's currently travelling the expanse of America on a tour to educate the masses about jungle etiquette. Revelling in pushing samples to the extreme, tunes like "Mexico City", "Down Low" and title track "Cumbia Bass" swing wildly between dancefloor smashing D&B and experiments in bassline sound. Listen to believe, you won't regret it.
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D 6014
05 May 14
05 May 14
21
Review: The story goes that 12 years ago MC Bones gave 6Blocc a cassette tape with over an hour of freestyles and acapellas. The tape was apparently lost until now, where it's been rediscovered, re-cut and laid on thick with some seriously smashing beats. "Vibes Music Drums" is a dark and sinister masterpiece of understated beats. Followed up with "Gunshot A Gwarn", a dive into the dark recesses of 6Blocc's mind with a shamanic dancehall vibe. Darkside amen smasher "Voices Of Xibalba" is a trip through the Mayan underworld, taking jungle to the rainforest with dripping, dense production and otherwordly tribal rhythms. Don't get too drawn in though - you've got to wait for that insane rinseout at the two minute mark. A dancefloor smasher that's stunning too - you can't ask for more.
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D 6015
04 Jun 14
04 Jun 14
22
Review: As always with the legendary production styles of 6Blocc has provided us with some sizzling flavours on this spicy, extensive new refix collection, taking the title 'Dub Marley'. Reworking numerous works from the most famous name in reggae music, 6Blocc does what he does best, pulling older tunes into the here and now through a combination of junglist and dubwise production approaches. The project as a whole is pretty exceptional, with numerous classics from the late great Bob being thrown in for multiple recreations, including 'Forever In Dub', 'Revolution, 'Ganja Gun' and more. For us there are a couple of clear standouts, with the '140 Steppers Remix' version of 'Running Away' and the highly energetic drum skips and breaksy rolls of 'Stir It Up' being the two that immediately jump out from this impressive selection.
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D6 083
13 Apr 21
13 Apr 21
23
Played by: 6Blocc
Review: Ear Butter debuts on the militant Digital 6 with a heavy one-tracker, shooting all bass head out of the way and storming down on the sound system like a pile of bricks. For being his debut, "Bottles Up" is both masterfully executed and memorable, where a squawking mutant bass folds over juke drum patterns and detuned hip hop vocals. The remix comes from 6Blocc and it's a more pumping, more bigroom kinda score. Heavy hitters.
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D 6035
16 Oct 15
16 Oct 15
24
Review: 6blocc takes matters into his own hands on this brutal set of remixes, offering up dancehall and footwork takes on the massive "Anytime" original. Claiming to "rumble the glasses off your grandma's face" in the official press notes, we had to put that to the test. No grandmas were harmed in the making of this review, although this reviewer's specs did move a good few millimeters during the instrumental version of "Anytime 6blocc Footwork Refix". Thinking about taking up footwork? Get on with it. You'll never hear the neighbours complain again.
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D 6030
07 Jul 15
07 Jul 15
25
Review: Tale Of Us did it, Blawan did it, Special Request too, and many others at the top of their game find their hype bonafide with a silver & green plated R&S debut. Joining that list alongside other contemporaries like Djrum, Ada Kaleh and Benjamin Damage is rhythm, UK bass and percussive techno specialist Forest Drive West. Channeling a harder, slightly darker tribalistic and UK style for the rave-minded R&S, each track here sees deeper Italian techno in breakbeat form meet with shady Bristol rave and dubstep atmospheres. Throw in the splash of jungle in "Curved Path" and you've got a EP that covers what any R&S / FDW fan needs. Rave 2.0
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RS2005D
21 Aug 20
21 Aug 20
26
Review: Following the success of his recent LP Sundial (hyped by 6Music and more), Scotsman-in-OZ Jonny Faith, releases a new single from the LP, Neon, backed with both a new track and a remix. The former turntablist has grown musically somewhat over the years and with it's crisp and fizzy soul-hop meanderings, "Neon" is a great example of this development. Album highlight "Firefly" gets reduced into a sparse, killer tropical percussive jam by Clap Clap and newie "Revolve" wraps things up with a chiming, organic melange of rythmic beats and sounds.
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TRUDD 131
13 Apr 15
13 Apr 15
27
Played by: Nphonix, Juno Recommends Drum & Bass, HxdB, Dexta, Calculon, Kian Asamoah - Noisy Meditation, Sepia, J:Kenzo, Icicle, Zed Bias
Review: The man behind the deepest MC voice the UK has ever known, Chimpo also runs a very fine line in beats. He's nowhere near as prolific as he should be. But when he does start the engine up, it purrs like a Bugatti. The turbo-charged footwork-meets-jungle "Restless Leg Syndrome" drives like one too. Deeper into the release we strike swaggering, waspy halfstep gold on "Haymaker", we get dangerous on the stark, spacious almost trap-like title track, we hit tribal insanity on the loopy vocal-coated "Bun It" and trippy insanity on the wonked-out, weirded-up "Dumb". Out, bad and essential.
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EXIT 052
06 Oct 14
06 Oct 14
28
Review: Kicking up some new, dusty and frenetic sounds for Exit Records is the emergent Sun People, a solo project known for stand out releases before this on labels like Modern Ruin, Disko404 and Hyperboloid (thanks to a rare 2015 long player). Concentrating here once again on the EP format, Sun People conjures up a mixology of uptempo and hybrid fusions, be it the juke and drum and bass induced "Rich Man Poor Man" to the fluttering percussion and subbed-out basslines of "Spirits". Deeper, stuttering footwork sounds make it into "To Give" (an EP highlight) with some edgier, topped-out drums keeping it levelled in "Main Squeeze". Rain dancing with Sun People.
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EXIT 090
16 Apr 21
16 Apr 21
29
Played by: Flash Atkins, Buck Lee, Esa Ruoho a.k.a. Lackluster, Sideswipe, Juno Recommends Footwork/Juke, Near, Paper Recordings
Review: Oh boy... Dave Jones has blessed us with six Zed Bias album (his eighth album in total if you include his Maddslinky LPs, and you really should) and the world immediately feels like a nicer, warmer place. Building on his deep foundations of space-aged soul, roomy drum arrangements and raw emotions, Different Response is riddled with timelessness and atmospheres that resonate with every corner of the dance from soul to jungle to techno; the slight vapour trails of Dego and powerful vocal pull of Eva Lazarus on "Restless", the gully gospel of "Lost Souls" with DRS, the cosmic synths and rattling footwork of "Just Like Ohm" and the badded up turbo bruk of "Jibba Jabba" are just some of the many delicious highlights on offer here. No one does it like Zed.
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EXIT LP 017
22 Sep 17
22 Sep 17
30
Played by: Aleksandir
Review: Visible on the drum and bass scene for some five years now thanks to records with Beckett's Rudimentary and DJ Madds's Roots & Future labels to others like Bad Taste and the solitary outing that launched Side Orders last year, London's Itoa returns to Exit! This Melba EP follows up 2018's Ever Orbit EP that's spearheaded by the largely ambient "Melba" that sees its percussive counterpart fall into a sub-frenzied new rhythm halfway through. "Leather & Lace" sees disjointed beats and syncopated rhythms fall and twist around a new school bassline and footwork vocal stutters, while diving into deeper tribalistic and urban rhythms is "Flow". Add some staccato acid lines to the juke joint of "Glow Coma" and you're met with a fresh batch of hybrid sounds from an already promising producer!
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EXIT 091
06 Nov 20
06 Nov 20
31
Review: Fresh from his "Hammerhead" escapades on Aquatic Lab, Dave Jones dons his Zed Bias guise for another slippery bass session. This time he takes the footwork formula and twists it inside out in a way only he knows how: "Driftin" soothes with jazzy chords and velvet vocals from Zoel Violet, "Fever" is all about the dense physical drum arrangements while "Hipbounce" is a sonic sandstorm of soca and occasional UKG bass belches. Unique as always.
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EXIT 064
11 Mar 16
11 Mar 16
32
Various
Played by: Juno Recommends Bass
Review: It's no secret that the team at Exit have a legendary catalogue, which they have decided to celebrate for their 100th official drop. This Part One of the "EXIT100" compilation series features some serious heavyweights, including Itoa, Dolenz, Sertone & Addison Groove to name a few. The pure range that we get is also awesome to take in, from Fixate's stunning drum production work in "Dead End", to the skippy, juke-inspired skips of "Tell Me Something" from Sun People and the acidic adventure we are taken on in Borderlandstate_the Best Kisser In L.a.'s "Minimal Input". We couldn?t round off without discussing "Wasted" however, as Dub Phizix dive down a truly unique avenue for them, unveiling a mind-melting soundscape that would leave a tear in the eye of the staunchest electronic music fan. Top quality stuff!
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EXIT 1001
27 Oct 23
27 Oct 23
33
Review: Astrophonica have delivered something very unusual with this latest six track collection, ushering in the sonic flavours of Phillip D for a vibrant new LP. Beginning with 'Predator', we jump into a post drum and bass frenzy, as high energy digital jitters sit in front of a heavily delayed percussive backdrop for a high energy introduction, followed by both the post-grime synthetics of 'Clappin Alien Cheekz' and the euphoric drum skips of 'Orbit'. From here, a box of sweeping subs are unleashed in 'Future Shock', giving us a slightly different atmospheric feeling, before 'Hyperspanner' delivers a tasty block of junglist drum sampling. From here, a box of acidic goodies are unleashed on 'Replican't which draws Om Unit into play, before finally, 'The Journey Home' and the following 'Party Loop' version give us a smooth closer, stripping back the arrangement to a drum heavy flick fest, rounding off the EP with a smooth landing.
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APHA 028DD
10 Mar 23
10 Mar 23
34
Various
Review: Four-to-the-floor, let us hear you roar... Fracture's Astrophonica goes into techno overdrive with this crucial collection of 4x4 inspired jams. With cuts from the bossman himself, Lewis James, Addison Groove, Moresounds, Sam Binga and Om Unit (under his Philip D Kick alias) all running rampant at around 160BPM there's a heavy stench of hardcore rolling throughout this unique collection. Highlights include the acid funk frenzy of Addison Groove's "Redeye", the ghettotek badness of Binga & ONHELL's "A Mighty Quest" and the late night 23rd century car chase vibes of Lewis James' "Kit5000". These are just a handful of examples of the truly unique fusions on offer here. Astrophonica are way ahead of the game right here.
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APHALP 003DD
25 Oct 19
25 Oct 19
35
Various
Review: Few labels hit the spot like Fracture's Astrophonica. Home to breaksmithery's most innovative waifs and strays, every release writhes in those gloopy, unfathomable pastures between jungle, juke, beats and just straight up sick electronica. This sophomore edition of the label's V/A Gradients series is a perfect example as everyone from Luke Vibert to Sully lay down powerful designs. Every single track is a highlight but you'd be mad not to get mucky with Binga, James and Shafique's "Everfresh", get lost in the dubby wooziness of Groves' "Hennessy Brown", get air punchy to Fracture's technoid thumper "Dropping Yu" or get straight up sexual to BSN Posse's "No Matter How Far"... Ain't no track too steep, Gradients has every single breakbeat flavour you could need this season.
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APHALP 002
30 Nov 18
30 Nov 18
36
Review: Philip D Kick, a name championed form the infamous dystopian fiction writer, comes through as a debutant on our charts, courtesy of the ever-impressive Astrophonica outlet...and the producer has unquestionably brought the vibes to the foray. The Pathways EP kicks off with the frantic 303 bursts of "In Formation", before turning all deep and jazzy on the jungle-leaning "Work That", and then the full-blown drums and bass of "Drown". DJ Spinn features on "Vibe Off", a minimalistic, breaks-filled glitcher, and "For Real" scatters drums hither and dither, shaping up some new forms of neo-jungle for others to catch onto. Wicked stuff - recommended!
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APHA 017DD
01 Jun 18
01 Jun 18
37
Played by: Juno Recommends Bass
Review: When we explore half-time D&B and its surrounding cousin genres, the most important thing for us is the uniqueness in sound design and sonic structure. That is an area in which both Astrophonica & Moresounds are able to thrive, with this latest EP showcasing mastery in both attributes. We begin with the metallic snare slaps and bulbous bass bounces of 'Show Your Respect', which give the track instant body and a wicked sense of energy without ever getting too intense to enjoy. On the flip, 'Forward' fuses a combination of jungle themes and dancehall drum patterns with grizzly sub-bass designs and sweeping atmospheric textures for an absolute whirlwind of a creation. Both of these originals will cause serious dancefloor damage!
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APHALTD 003DD
15 Oct 21
15 Oct 21
38
Various
Played by: Juno Recommends Drum & Bass
Review: As always with Astrophonica, we are in for a treat with this one, as they get busy with a top quality compilation selection, unveiling twenty pulsating originals under the name '20'. Whilst examining the vibes on this one, we noticed that it really does cover all the basis when it comes to high tempo bass music, from the grizzly roller arrangements of 'Hull Breach' from Fracture & Neptune to the bouncy footwork flavours of Dawn Day Night's 'Voodoo Vibe'. There are most certainly some clear standouts, with Fracture, Rider Shafique & Sam Binga pulling together for a spicy original on 'Back It Up', alongside Sully's super colourful junglist roller 'Flock' and the eerie flute work of 'Flocon' from Moresounds. A very interesting listen!
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APHADIGILP 002
20 Jan 20
20 Jan 20
39
Review: Largely the port of call for the drum and bass of Fracture & Neptune, Astrophonica's discography has seen curios like Machinedrum, Sully and Om Unit, otherwise known here as Philip D Kick, make an appearance over the years. As We Continue presents Om Unit's second release as 'D Kick' on Astrophonica, which may leave you wondering, do electric sheep dream of dubstep? If there ever was an answer it would most likely be "Drip", while for some uptempo, future bassline house look to "Clouds". With space age soul meeting the frenetic UK rhythms of jungle and bit-graded rave in "The Riveria" this EP moves from woozy ghetto house and footwork in "Summer Modes" to some Drexciyian electro motifs in "160909313", not to mention the post-post future dubstep of "Funk 160". You may pass, totally dope.
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APHA 022DD
17 Jul 20
17 Jul 20
40
Played by: Marcus Visionary, Eastcolors, Juno Recommends Footwork/Juke, SpectraSoul, Dub Motion, Danny Scrilla
Review: Two of Bristol's most respected breakbeat scientists Die and Break team up with Mad Hed City (who you may recognise from The Prototype's massive "Pop It Off") for "40 Hurts". A stripped back stepper that tips a cheeky nod to both juke and jungle, its humming subs and eerie bleeps are the ideal bed for MHC's rapid dancehall chatter. Remix-wise Sam Binga slaps us down with a militant drum attack while Skitz gets his digidub on. Just in time for soundsystem season - or the summer as it's more conventionally known.
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GF 009
03 May 15
03 May 15
41
Played by: Juno Recommends Bass
Review: Breaking through on to DJ Die's Gutterfunk label are the hyper-fresh sounds of Yung.Raj, a beatboxing synth chemist to emerge from the sub rosa of India's beat scene. Based out of Hyderabad, Yung.Raj's music had made it onto a few hyped mixtapes (including DJ Die) which now lends itself to a full release on the Bristol label (following Addison Groove and Nuff Pedals). Arriving at five-tracks large, Yung.Raj pays homage to the woozy, lo-fi and crackley sounds that his home city might share with the neighbourhoods of LA. Sultry rhodes and summery vibes shine through in "Stormy Monday" and the title track, with more euphoric, beat centric and experimental funk gettin' down in "Reality Sandwich" and "Cant U C". With an additional downtempo jamsto boot in "Oofie", Yung.Raj's soundworld ain't dead but kickin'.
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GF 041
04 Jun 21
04 Jun 21
42
Review: Wow, well who would have expected a collaboration by two heavyweights in the bass game from different eras? This new Gutterfunk EP has brought together the talents of post-dubstep pioneer Addison Groove and jungle/d&b legend DJ Die; you can already imagine what these three blasters will sound like and, yes, you're probably close. "Standard Affair" is a footwork bomb that's given the extra dose of hypnotics, the former coming from AG and the latter from Die; "Legion Of Boom" is even more clearly a half-way house between the two artist's specialities thanks to some subtle jungle breaks, and "Dr Know" injects a layer of 303 magic to a deep and intricate juke pattern. Militant!
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GF 016D
08 Jul 16
08 Jul 16
43
Played by: Kellie Allen
Review: After releasing a wealth of EPs since making his debut in 2020, Malik Kassim is ready to unleash his first album, 'Straight Foxin', for the constantly inspiring Wolf Music Reordings. Framed as a kind of mixtape, with head-nodding interludes sitting side by side with club cuts, the 14-track set features a wealth of appearances from horn player Mauricesax, as well as collaborations with Bezzix (see the deep dancefloor jazz of 'Be Someone' and the organic deep jazz house of 'New Cribs'), Passion Deez (the skittish, uptempo deep house-goes-ghetto house warmth of 'Kush Love') and 'Nephews' (the deep, Bukem-influenced D&B flex of 'Bad Knees'). Throughout, Kassim offers a near perfect blend of dusty instrumental hip-hop, nu-jazz and the deepest and warmest of house grooves. Recommended!
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WOLFLP 006
19 May 23
19 May 23
44
Played by: Juno Recommends Bass
Review: Over the years we have seen the Nice Up! Team deliver a really wide range of creations, often focussing on the more dubwise end of the spectrum. This time around however, we see them unveil this killer new footwork-style selection from Casement and boy is it impactful. We begin with the super grimey synthesizer work and choppy breakbeat grooves of the title track 'Mutiny', which is set to bring life to any party. Next, we continue the grimey-influences as the eskimo-infused melodies and percussive clicks of 'Thunder' take us somewhere completely different, before finishing up the EP with 'Movement', a crunchy experiment in rhythm and sub. A very tidy selection indeed!
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NUP 082
12 Mar 21
12 Mar 21
45
Review: DJ Godfather with the bizness once again offering up a point and place where the tempos of house, techno and electro can be bridged in a single mix with the BPMs of footwork, juke and jungle. Godfather flexes between 125-145 BPMs in two versions of "Make That Ass Go BOOM", with your stable tempo of course found in the original mix kept at a straight 145. Get your more tongue in cheek, Dirty Bird-like club numbers from "Up All Night (feat Christina Chriss)" next to the straight up, frenetic, and deep Detroit styled clap-track "D3T-313".
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DB 097
12 Mar 21
12 Mar 21
46
Played by: Juno Recommends Electro
Review: DJ Godfather of late is going from strength to strength with each release, turning in a new single for his Databass label with the tongue in cheek Keep My Name Out Your Mouth - aka "Certified Freak Hoe". Featuring looped vocals from King Saadi, the Godfather delivers a track that lands somewhere between a Dirtybird and Dance Mania production with its playful basslines, scandalous vocals, space pongs and jacking snare rolls. Given two alternative tempos to play and alternate, this is a DJ-centric release for da klub.
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DB 096
19 Feb 21
19 Feb 21
47
Played by: Juno Recommends Electro
Review: DJ Godfather back in da house with Smoke In Da Air, the crowning track of a release that's backed up by three electro, acid and house inspired jams. "Smoke In Da Air" stands out from the get-go for its undeniable footwork flavour, detuned vocals, smokey chords and wavering bassline - a hit! For your classic slice of ghetto house head straight to "Big Girl", with "Like Some Dubstep" going from minimal groove to Ultra Music festival banger. And for a pure deep house vibe with a touch of everything Detroit - "Rebirth Of A City" is your jam.
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DB 100
14 May 21
14 May 21
48
Played by: Bluntskull
Review: With loping dancehall funk and autotuned reggae vibes, this single from Think Tonk and General Mikey is the perfect envelope of music for carnival season. The weather is improving and the lockdown restrictions are easing, and these two have roped in two remixers to beef up an already perfect original. 'None of Dem' is legitimate dancehall, full of integrity and grounded in the partyland ethos that sees bashment, reggae and dub meet in a technicolour explosion of good vibes. Riddim Punks toughens things up with a drum & bass flip, whilst Red Eye Hifi lays out the kicks in an even harder rendition that crosses genre boundaries with ease. Lovely stuff.
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NUP 083
09 Apr 21
09 Apr 21
49
Review: Nice Up! are at it again here as they continue their journey into the unknown, this time employing the talents of Noh Vae who arrives with three parcels of absolute weight. We kick off with the title track 'Look At U', a precisely design jukey masterpiece, with incredibly crispy drum arrangements and subtle bass tones leading the way, before the more emotive atmospherics and vocal stabs of 'Days & Days' roll into play. Finally, we take a more experimental D&B route as 'Perception' again deploys incredibly fine drum work to round this project off with some major finesse.
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NUP 067
11 Oct 19
11 Oct 19
50
Review: DJ Godfather is unlikely to ever win an award for the most politically correct track titles, but as this release demonstrates, he remains one of the most entertaining ghetto producers. Like all of his career highlights, "Get Girl" is remarkably uncomplicated but highly effective. Underpinned by rolling snares and a primal, jacking rhythm, it features an unknown female vocalist intoning the track's title. It's a similar situation on "Bitch Get Off Me", where Parkhouse utters the title's command over a rudimentary groove and repetitive house organ riff. However, neither can compare to the title track, where Godfather teams up with vocalist Good Money for a trip into high-octane, lo-fi ghetto funk.
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DB-086-D
30 Nov 18
30 Nov 18
