36 Hertz recordings - purveyors in fine bassline exploration in and around the Hardcore, Jungle and DNB scenes. Established in 2009 by DJ Vapour to release the best in undergound music and to showcase up and coming artists. Specialists in hearing damage and earthshaking basslines.
Review: Luke B has developed a bit of a reputation over the past couple of years for his approach to making a diverse range of sounds that are bloody insane but also sophisticated and raw. He never holds back and this release on 36 Hertz Recordings is definitely not close to being more restrained, with the producer experimenting with across several different styles and textures. 'Way Back' is interesting, with hypnotic stabs making up the main arrangement in a stripped back roller. Check these out to hear something properly wicked.
Review: A 36 Hertz family member since 2014, UK producer Indigo Virus continues to channel that icy, stripped-back 93/94 vibe with his latest four-piece collection. Instantly from those Moving Shadow / early Headz pads of the title track, you know you're in for a fully body workout. The breaks swing and slap across each track with the tribal rattles and snaps of 'Flyby' and the finger-clicking switches of 'Exploding Fist' especially of note. Complete with the hurricane soul of 'This Island Universe', it's another timeless trove from man like IV.
Review: 36 Hertz Recordings always unleash some of the naughtiest D&B around, it always has that tinge of old-school flavour and usually packs an aggressive punch to the finale. The best thing about Sanz's Dark World EP is the rough-edged manner in which it toes both the old-school and new-school lines. 'Mini Gun' feels wonky and old yet sits within the current wave of dark rollers so popular at the moment and it's reminiscent of Kid Drama's recent releases. 'Real Gangsters' also has that lovely old-school feel, this time packaged up with a set of stunning jungle breaks and tinged with hard-act vibes - absolutely banging tune. The rest of the EP is equally sick.
DJ Hybrid - "What You Gonna Do" (Delphi Productions remix) - (5:36) 172 BPM
Review: 36 Hertz Recordings are back on track and back on beat this week, with a fiery compilation that isn't the longest out there but surely one of the hardest. Every single cut on this album is an explosion of vibrant jungle breaks and moody subterranean sonics, courtesy of some big names like DJ Hybrid, NC-17 and recent Metalheadz feature Jem One. The latter's track is especially good, a featherweight intro leading on into an aggressive, rambunctious slice of feverous energy, Jem One's recent foray onto the OG imprint of jungle music apparent in every bar. Perfectly timed to fit in with the new wave of junglist pressure coming out across the UK, 36 Hertz have hit the nail on the head with this one.
Review: Empty warehouses and white vinyl artwork instil an old-school vibe in this release from literally the very start. You can almost smell the 90s rave dancefloor when you look at the artwork, which is certainly a good thing and rusty jungle vibes abound from start to finish. The opening rave piano on 'Paranoid Flashbacks' quickly devolves into a rising mash of drum hits and repetitive but solid synth work, whilst 'Cloud Formations' has a stripped back percussive feel that sits perfectly alongside it's low-frequency warmth. It's the roughness, the lack of precision and the don't-care attitude that makes this release good, so if you're looking for 2018-esque brightness then it might not be for you -it's for the proper heads.
Review: It's been a while since we enjoyed a Jem One joint but he's making up for lost time with four absolute stinkers. In keeping with his brutal late 90s vibed style and production techniques, each of these cuts hits hard; the synapse snapping No U Turn steps of "Steel Edge", the breezy pads and loose breaks of "Breathe", the aluminium harmonies, sci fi purrs and sudden breakbeat flashpoints of "Damascus" and the pure grizzles and distorted bass funk of "System". And if that's not enough, he's got an EP coming on Headz soon, too...
Review: 'An Indefinite Period' starts the EP with a strong shot of nostalgia, loud crashing breaks make the backbone of the track which is adorned by a host of euphoric rave samples, from airy lasers to echoing cow bells. Washed in a fuzzy cloud of white noise and with an emphasis on minor notes 'High Rise' has a sombre vibe, which is occasionally lifted by the twinkling of piano. 'Soul Within Code' has an intensive jungle vibe from the break pattern to the distant tropical bird calls, to add to the intensity there are layers of deep shimmering reflections. 'Toxin' is dark and brooding; the deep, barely there sub is the subtle star of the track.
Review: DJ Vapour has long championed the sounds of classic, hard hitting drum and bass, consistently referencing the glory days, of dark and tough 170 while add present day vibes, makes for a killer mix. 'Nine Four Style' showers you in a cascade of crashing breaks and darker the mood with rough, loud, heavily mutated subs, think Dillinja. 'Do You Want Me' could have been released 15 years ago, washed in white noise and brimming with snare and bells, this is a wonderfull slice of nostalgia.
Review: Fast-rising newcomer junglist Vince Rollin makes his debut on DJ Vapour's 36 Hertz and confesses to six brutal murders. Crime scene highlights include "The Calling", a cut so atmospheric and full of sudden drum shocks it squeezes the breath out of you, "Watch The Ride", a slower banger that takes you back to 1991 with such a rude, broadsword breakbeat shock you never want to return to the present and "Black Out", the type of track you'd play backwards to scare the devil away. Elsewhere "Cydonia" twists the drums inside out with such subversion you'll wonder where one break begins and the other ends while "Defect" knocks and shocks with intense kick-heavy drums and delicious old school pads on the breakdown. Handle with care.
Review: Hasta la vista: 36 Hertz's most consistent and authentic jungle fusionist Jem One returns with two more ruthless industrial strength breakers. Taking off where his devilishly dark album The Infinite Circle left us, "Terminator X" is all about the big detuned riffs and neck-snapping switches while "Force Of Nature" is pure demonic drum funk where our full focus is fixed on breaks while trippy textures and layers of sonic paranoia whirl round in 360. He'll be back...
Review: Pow, right in the kisser: we're barely half way into the first month of the year and 36 Hertz are already on their second release of 2017. It's another essential release, too... "Dead Weight" takes Corona and twists her through the roughest, toughest amen assault course known to junglist kind while "Double Trouble" slams down with such an authentic, gritty 93-level vibe that's not dissimilar to formative Swift & Zinc or 94-era SS tracks. True to the roots.
Review: There's only one thing that can fill the craterous holes caused by Jem One's demolition session album Infinite Circle. And that's a supreme double header from Digbee. Usually running with SR, both "Red Moon" and "Good Times" see him rolling solo with two infectious jungle workouts that will leave you feeling insatiable for more. The former is all about the drum edit that's tantamount to spellbinding while the latter hits with more of a deeper, spaced-out charm where a bass melody does the driving while the brisk breaks do the steamrolling.
Review: One of the gulliest diamonds in 36 Hertz's rough, Jem One has been carving, dicing, splicing and sharpening for years now. You can hear it on every wall-of-sound dynamic, every rusty clunking break, every chest-press sub. Most importantly, you can hear it here on his second album Infinite Circle. A stark, iced-out exercise in dangerous jungle, it uses original roots colours to paint grave new warnings to the world and every element hits with real attention and authenticity; the unforgiving drum militancy of "Deeper", the spine-melting pads on "90s", the sense-blurring cymbal splashes on "Broken Girl". The list goes on. An immense album both as DJ material and as a whole body of work.
Review: Raw jungle fire: DJ Vapour continues his classically trained onslaught with two more shattered slammers. As always, there's great contrast throughout: "Let Off" is very cymbal heavy while "I Want You" is much more of a snare-led drum arrangement. There's heaps of contrast within the individual tunes themselves, too; the waspy, electric mids and hair-raising highs on the former, the dungeonist groove and sudden break into synth bliss on the latter. Precision bliss/bad balance.
Review: Where were you in '92? Well Berkshire's Indigo Virus was there sweating it out down the front of early Prodigy gigs and the like. He's been trying capture the essence of the 90s through his keyboard wizardry and production skills ever since. Here we get four such cuts for our listening pleasure. The speedy "Scotty Please" is all pitched up synth stabs and 145bpm mania, the happy hardcore of "Vital Signs" sounds like an off cut from The Experience and "Take You Back" is all about skittering breaks and ascending ecstasy melodies. Lastly "Shutter Us Down" is an SL2-style furious rave anthem.
Real Junglist (feat THE RAGGA TWINS - SR remix) - (4:41) 174 BPM
Review: Two of 36 Hertz' many sex machines, SR & Digbee return with two more outlandish slabs of genuine article drumfunk jungle. "Get Into It" daringly takes the most sampled man in history and still applies a sound and result that sounds like no other. Next up: SR goes solo with a junglised refix of January's breakbeat roller "Real Junglist". Slapped hard with classical Ragga Twin chats, the track lives up to its name more than the original did in many senses. Proper gear, this.
Review: Happy hardcore and rave in the house thanks to 36 Hertz Recordings! These four tracks from label faithful Indigo Virus sound like they could have come from back in the day; just take in the 909 hi-hats, chipmunk vocals and in your face synth action of opener "Caffine". There's undeniable rhythms and gnarly breaks on "I C 93" while "Rock The House" is a classic, straight forward raving techno. There's some deeper more introspective moments (during the breakdown) in "All Crew" - plus some classic piano sounds - and this final cut is an EP highlight. For real.
Review: 36 Hertz are like a dog with a bone this year. And when we say 'dog', we mean 'seriously on point jungle label'. And when we say 'bone' we mean 'loads of unparalleled bangers'. Hot on the heels of NC17's flammable four-piece comes a dangerous doublet from label founder Vapour. The hook and rowdy factor "Vicious" is reminiscent of Roni's "Friends" back in the day; all moshy sweatiness and tangible agro. "Turn Up" takes us much further back to the mid-'90s for some head-bending, cymbal melting drum fun. Think early Total Science or Digital for a flavour guide. Yum. And when we say 'yum', we mean 'banging'.
Review: With appearances on Playaz, Renegade, Drum&BassArena and Mainframe already checked in this year, the rampant rise of Canadian bass crusader NC17 continues on Vapour's Perennial 36 Hertz. As with much of the label's output, there's a strong sense of heritage without ever getting emotional about the past. Highlights include the hair-singeing murderation of "Crimewave", the simple-but-deadly stretches and detuned synths on "Mortal Relapse" and the grizzly amen slaps and tripped out reverse bass on "Twister". Sickeningly solid.
Review: We're not sure what his initials actually stands for but Serious Rave is a high contender. Proof? These heritage-rooted 140-60 BPM breakbeat workouts. "MC DJ" bumps and flexes with an array of recognisable samples and cool drops into half tempo grooves. "Tremor" is straight out of 92 with its well-crafted drums and rush-riddled pads. "Winged Sapphire" strips things back on an Omni Trio vibe, all snares and sharps teeth snapping louder and louder as the track develops. Finally, we hit "Vampire", a blood-sucking slower cut with a bassline so crude and slimy you can almost see it falling out of the speakers.
Review: When it comes to authentic retro/future jungle no one is doing it like Jem One. A consistent mainstay on Vapour's 36 Hertz imprint, the UK veteran chops breaks like you might chop your veg. Spliced, diced and full of spice, each cut takes us deep into his junglist psyche: "Damned If You Do" is all about the distorted rubber ball subs, "Ghetto System" is a Reinforced flavoured slapper with cymbals so brash you could shave limbs off with them, "Jungle Soldier" does that classic drifty spine-melting synth thing while "Spirals" is a whirlwind wall of sound where the drums have a life of their own. Properly proper.
Review: Usually spotted alongside his compadre in grime, long standing 36 Hertz solider SR goes it alone with two disgusting slabs of industrial strength modern day junglism. "Drop It" is all about the nasty with its well-known Meat Beat Manifesto sample and twisted drumcraft. "Robo Story", meanwhile, is an off-beat romp into experimental tech fusions where the humanised basses touch places that they're really supposed to and the wound up tape FX sounds like people laughing about you behind your back. Hey, perhaps they are?
Review: Fresh to 36 Hertz but clearly not fresh to classically trained jungle, Sanz's timeless amen-ravished breaks are the perfect fit for DJ Vapour's label. "Square" is an all-out assault of the senses with total drum chaos and evil incarnate bass poking its head through the kicks whenever possible. "Rasta Love" is a little softer round the edges with an early Krust feel to the groove but still punching hard with full drum muscle flexery.
Review: Barely a month passes without 36 Hertz badman bossman Vapour blowing sonic smoke up our senses. This month is no exception as he packs two knock-out jungle punches with "Rhythm Flow" and "Bunker Buster". The former rides with a classic hip-hop vocal sample, flexing it in a similar way that Aphrodite may have done back in the Urban Takeover days, while splashy cymbals soak the breaks with showers of attitude. The latter swallows a techier pill as we're flattened by a devilish two-step and gutter-chomping distorted bass that's simple but viciously effective. Hold tight for the amens that start to rumble and shake midway. Powerful.
Review: Deep in the underground there's an ancient jungle bible written in a language older than Sanskrit. Only a small collection of the elders can still read it fluently and even fewer new producers. Jem One is one of the text's closest, more meticulous readers; not only does he understand the ancient drum sermons and dangerous messages of physical sonic bombardment, but he relates them in a way that makes total sense to the present and indeed the future. Having demonstrated this at 140 late 2015, he now returns with a reminder at how volatile and exciting these dynamics are at 172: "Virus" rolls with overwhelming drums and a gritty bassline that gurgles relentlessly. "Dubplates States" takes a similar approach but with the bass brought closer to the fore and a subtle vocal wrapping itself over the heady mix for added rave pleasure. Long may Jem's readings continue.
Review: More 140 jungle flexery from 36 Hertz trooper Sergeant Virus. Rooted in 1993 but focused on 2023, his sound is a celebration of everything that has passed and is yet to come. "Acid Tongue" is all about the iconic detuned pads that breathe ominously, waiting for the smoke machine and strobe lightning of the drop. "Metropolis" is all about the crash cymbal-snapping breaks, each one edited to smithereens, while "Cerulean" updates a classic acid house riff with occasional switches to stompy 4/4 danger. Finally we hit "Detonate". The name really does say it all; swashbuckling drums, grumpy subs and insistent vocal rhythmic techniques, this will cause a lot of trouble in the dance. Visionary.
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