Review:
Agro - or Mr Aggravation if we're going to be all formal - returns to DJ Hybrid's Audio Addict with a walloping all-style five-tracker. Ranging from deeper, classically informed jungle shock-outs like "Bust Dis Ting" to creepy, toxic groaning rollers such as the Serum-style "Teasin'" and the loose-pants Full Cyclist wobbler "Culture", once again Agro is cooking up some truly authentic flavours that will work across both the jungle and jumpier sides of the dance. And that's before we even get to the killer remixes. Addictive. As always.
Review:
Oh gosh. DJ Hybrid has been bang on point with every plate he's dropped in the last two years. Now the men who've benefited from his bullets in their sets return the favour with this first volume of remixes from last year's album Mixed Origins; Callide takes us right back to early 2000s Fresh-style savagery on "It's Murder", Ray Keith polishes up his amen knuckle dusters on "Run Away" while Benny L adds a whole new level of floating charm to "Bring It Back". Deeper into the collection Livewire and Samurai Breaks take us right back to 92 with new school techniques, DJ LAB lays down some superlative subs on "Boom In 93", Schematic twist "Beyond My Control" into a fuzzy distorted grizzler while finally Section busts up the drums in his faithful twist on "Lost In The Music". Album remix packages really don't come broader or badder than this.
Review:
Now this is interesting... DJ Hybrid is releasing his second album across two EPs on both of his labels. Here we find "Addicted To Audio" on his flagship imprint Audio Addict. A dedication to the foundational D&B bug he was first bitten by, this collection shows his dancefloor side with raw, unkempt energy and riff dynamism; the low-end grunts and wry MC samples of "The Lurker", the logistical shades and euphoric thrust of "Forever" and beehive bassline and sudden flighty switch on "Boom Ting" are just three examples of Hybrid's high level addiction here. Now go and seek the second half "Deeper In The Jungle".
Review:
Multiple label mogul, card carrying junglist and all round badman DJ Hybrid shares the parts of last year's piano-laced roller "Love The Vibe" to five expert new-gen speaker smashers; Stompz takes us down a guttural tech-twist path only showing shards of the original's euphoria, Kumarachi goes mental with rattling breaks and dub sirens galore, Damageman maintains the uplifting pianos while switching up the bassline into a stripped back growler, Sl8r brings is signature devil bass while Furniss closes the show with a bass riff so ugly all mirrors in the club will shatter when you drop it. Vibey.
Review:
After a very impressive 2017, the Audio Addict collective are back with another heavyweight release package to kick off 2018 with a bang. After a fantastically well received release of DJ Hybrid and Haribo's heavyweight collaboration 'Raised In The Jungle', the Audio Addict imprint have put together a phenomenal selection of six official remixes. Our favourites have to be smooth subs of Swerve's rollers rework, the techy arrangement and vocal manipulation of My Selectas redesign and Drop Out's classic hip hop remix, complete with scratches and vocal breakdowns. This is a great start to the year for Hybrid's ever impressive imprint.
Review:
One of the savviest axis-flexors in the D&B / jungle game, DJ Hybrid has an all seeing eye across the soundboy spectrum with his two labels and mixed-style signature. Here the full focus is on his flagship label Audio Addict with his first exclusive-powered mix album that covers all the crucial corners. Every track rattles and shakes with energy and subversion: the jungle chaos of his own "Mix & Blend", the iced-out atmos and toxic drop of Swerve's "Massive & Crew", the gunshot bass holes caused by Lost Dynamics "New Funk", the jaw-dropping ruthlessness of Ray Keith's take on "Badboy", the list goes on... DJ Hybrid levels up once more.
Review:
Euphonique lands on Audio Addict with a fiery EP. Kicking off with 'True' is crunching halftime drums that skitter away into a drop of rattling percussion that fills up the range in a full-throttled run of high quality energy. 'Siren' carries on the trend of pummelling kick drums and suspenseful ambience, with a sick vocal lead and wicked little drum switch ups. 'Gangster' brings the pulsating low-frequency wobbles at the bottom of the range as skippy, pacey drums lead out over the top - you'll recognise the sample on this one. The ragga vocals on 'Booyaka' smack of that classic Manny sound as a Serum-esque switch-up bumps into stabby bass bounces that scream character. 'Killah' ties things up with a clean drum line and diving bass pulses and yet more sublime wobbly action - a real stinker to finish off the release.
Review:
More down to earth flavours from the fast-rising new-gen soundboy Gravit-E as he returns to DJ Hybrid's Audio Addict label with six provocative stinkers. Sitting pretty in that fertile melting pot between tech, dark, jungle and jump-up, each cut will appeal to DJs across the board. You need highlights and you need them quickly, right? Deep heads will enjoy the rippling poignant drones of "Wormhole", fun lovers and 23rd century disco steppers will slurp up every last drop on "Sexbot" while "I Can't Feel Your Love" will sweep kick you off your feet with its purring bassline and sultry rave vox. And that's only half of it. Don't sleep!
Review:
You can say a lot of things about Uncle Grav but one thing is undeniable; he brings you down to earth with his every nature. It's the law. Making his debut on DJ Hybrid's ever-on-point Audio Addict imprint here he delivers some serious matters of the day: "Space Exploration" is hookier than Serum's riff-filled coin purse, "The Life Stream" groans like its OD'd on a fog horn collection while "Chasing Clouds" flips for a breezy uplifting Hozzy-circa-2007 vibe. Audio Addict badman-in-residence Kumarachi joins the fray for the finale: the warped and weirded-out bassline bender "Get Up". Get down more like. Time for a slice of good life (stream).
Review:
On-point future feels from Audio Addict pillar Kumarachi as he teams up with Shy FX and Chase & Status collaborator Liam Bailey: "4am Where Are You" is an all-out vocal soul record with the big hooky emotion. Armed a warped, slightly trippy edge to the musicality, it's a subversive twist on a classic formation. "Shifting Sands" is more of a heads-down roller that pummels with same disregard for your health as Renegade Hardware tracks did around the early 2000s. Again, with some creative techniques applied to the vocal aspects, it's clear a lot of attention has been invested. More of this please Kumarachi.
Review:
Danger danger danger: Kumarachi returns to Hybrid's Audio Addict with his largest body of work since his debut album Flashback released exactly a year ago, it's clear the young talent is still on serious rampage. Five firing originals deep, each cut is anchored with deep groaning bass weight and superb drum arrangements and clarity with highlights blurring your senses on every track... The filthy swing of "Flow Drop" with Octo-Pi, the electroid sizzles of "Straight Up", the tripped-out bass textures and subtle jazzy stabs of "Open Door" with Agro, the pure positivity and breezy soul of "Played Out" and the murkier, dark-dream shaker "Return To You" with US G Jaybee. Primed with an outstanding Section remix of last year's successful Liam Bailey-fronted banger "4am", this really is an exceptional package. Sleeping on this is a mug's game.
Review:
If you ain't misbehaving, you ain't worth saving... Hybrid's Audio Addict return to the ravey series they set in 2016 with another hard-slapping six-piece. Do-no-wrong Kumarachi reminds us why he's boss with a stuttering jungle roll and demonically pitched vocal samples, Conrad Subs calls on everyone's favourite macabre aged WWE wrestler by way of twist think break devilry while Hybrid fine-tunes his 20/20 vision with a stinking halftime romp. Elsewhere Riffz lashes out on the razz snares, the mysterious Scartip skins us alive with his rim shots and Habitat strips things back with some beautiful time-stretched drum work. Be good now.
Review:
Previously appearing on DJ Hybrid's Audio Addict Volume 1 mix and the label's 2017 annual, relative newcomer Lost Dynamics finds himself on this all-spanning debut EP. Four pieces of fire ranging from deliciously minimal piano-tickled two-step ("Let It Roll") to groaning gully skankage ("Gun Finger"). In between we have grizzly damagement in the form of "The Arena" and a crucial early-Break style romp that blends spine-trembling soul with think break venom in the form of "You Make Me". Time to get lost...
Review:
Some say he got his name because he's as driven by detail and as ruthless as a tax inspector. Others say he got his name because he's so hard you can stick tacks in his neck and he doesn't even notice. What we do know is that he's responsible for three precision productions that get right to the gully heart of the matter... "Midnight" is all about the power bounce, "Labyrinth" is a shaken-and-stirred roller with a really cool, almost Skeppy-like vocal twist up and dreamy pads, "Snide" is all about the late 90s Ram sound with its vicious riff that twists in and around the beats in a kind of Shimon-esque style. Complete with a killer VIP from the label boss Hybrid, you'll be playing "Midnight" round the clock.
Review:
It's safe to say that Audio Addict have become one of the most consistent drum and bass imprints in recent years, consistently releasing high quality material for the masses. This release sees Replicant return alongside a bag of remixers on "Ruff & Tuff", including Agro, Too Greezy and Veak. Our highlights have to be DJ Hybrid's old school refunk, Section's subtle rolling refurb and the super chops and piercing bass stabs of Conrad Subs' recreation.
Review:
This is a nice collection of tight rollers, which will work across a variety of floors. Our favourite track of the release has got to be 'Right In Front Of You' with is twisted, itchy and glitchy vibe, the vocal shines stunningly bright against a dark and mutated soundscape. Classic vocals seem to be a theme of this release, amongst the crashing drums and slowed sax of 'Back To Reality' we hear the ever recognisable refrain from Soul II Soul's 'Back To Life'. 'Pump This Party' is another highlight of the EP following suit with another catchy and widely recognisable vocal sample.
Review:
RMS lowkey makes some of the dirtiest rolling D&B around and My Generation is only a confirmation of that fact. The intricacy with which he blends various strands of bassline is shown clearly in 'Outta Here', which after a soulful intro switches on the drop into a mash of jagged basses and diving since wobbles. 'My Generation' stutters and rattles out of the intro, its punching low-frequency stabs land like a tonne of bricks on the drop and you can tell it was made for the dancefloor. 'Liberation' might just be the best, as its pacey drums and reggae samples fade into a sonic explosion of glitching, sine combinations and stitched together basses. The final two - 'Getting Down' and 'Woke' - end the release on a jungle-influenced high of knifed in energy and monstrous low-end groans. What an EP!
Review:
Back to life, back to reality, back to the future, back to basics: RMS & Dcision let rip with the second part of their "Live The Life" project and it's another authentic drum & bass adventure. "Reachin Out" contains a vocal that all heads who live the life will recognise, "One Ting" is a timeless Bristol or Manchester roller the likes of which you could imagine in a Krust or Sappo set at any period since 1996. "Got Your Pleasure" nods towards the juke influence of jungle with serious ghetto attitude, "Hurt My Love" shows the duo's deeper side while "Foundations" smoulders slowly with dubby percussive build before dropping into a Spirit-style hook. Life affirming.
Review:
Both spotted on DJ Hybrid's Deep In The Jungle imprint, the ever-sharpened sonics of RMS and Dcision appear in full widescreen EP form on his flagship label Audio Addict. The outcome is every bit as gully, necksnappy and happy slappy as you'd want it to be: "Feel The Melody" taps deep into the timeless rave aesthetics, "This Is My Sound" loops up a sultry Riya-style vocal with savage soul results while Shotz joins the fray for a KO finale where the bass tears everything within a two mile radius a new one. For added kicks, RMS throws in the solo sampler salute "Back To Reality", a bumper so heavy in reference points you might just singe your whiskers. Living the dream.
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:
London's Rob Blaze steps forward on continuously impressive Audio Addict imprint with a box of impressive weighty rollers for the label's fifty-first official release. Blaze displays fantastic versatility and finesse across the breadth of the EP, navigating effortlessly between the techy styles of the title track into the more subtle liquid inspired arrangement of 'Don't Take It Away'. From this we move into a super subby roller by way of 'Seen You Before' which holds crispy drum layers in pleasing unison before we land onto the final track, a tearout titan entitled 'Stop It'. Finally, the ever dependable DJ Hybrid emerges on remix duty with a minimal neuro rework of 'Under Pressure'.
Review:
Last spotted on Audio Addict's impeccable Ravey Misbehavey collection, midlands murker Scartip returns with a full EP loaded and coded with danger. With "Bipolar Musique" the title says it all as we float from a cloud chowing break into a savage paranoid step with complete showstopping contrast. "Chung" continues the mean message with techno-like momentum and tripped-out loopy FX while "Mistakes" is a space-aged homage to hip-hop bangers of the 23rd century. "Free Entry Tactics" saves the most experimental ideas to last as we're taken down a futuresque jungle rabbit hole where things are not what they seem. Serious and unclassifiable, Scartip's sporting some proper innovation here.
