Review: It's the summer! It's time to fire up the BBQ and spend sunny weekend afternoons in the garden... which means it's also a good time to be releasing laidback but still party-oriented lo-fi hip-hop grooves. Enter Alexander Norman and Dynamite MC, who've come up with 'Flamingo' - think the cream of the Bay Area lo-fi scene trying their hand at something along the lines of Jazzy Jeff's classic 'Summertime' and you're somewhere in the ballpark. Remixes come from Beatvandals, who up the tempo slightly, and Kenny Beeper, who serves up a more electro-fied rub, while an instrumental completes the package.
Review: A stellar partnership for this latest volume in Bombstrikes' series of funk 'n' breaks party weapons, which came about after Ali B called in on Nick Thayer during a recent Australian tour. The pair fuse together a wild set of influences and sounds, as on opener "Music" which evokes Cypress Hill, Jay Z and classic '60s soul whilst still staying true to their block-rocking breaks sound. "NE Way" dips into a riff made famous by Dillinger and pimps it out gloriously with heavy drums while "Back To You" samples a line from one of De La Soul's classics and adds a Moog-ish bassline and all manner of funky sampled breaks.
Review: By now, we should all know what to expect from bootleg specialists Bombstrikes - tried-and-tested mash-ups underpinned by floor-friendly breakbeats. This latest instalment comes from rising breaks star Badboe, who offers two soul-flecked groovers. Both are slightly less hectic and full-throttle than previous Bombstrikes releases, but that's no bad thing. "Shine Like A Halo" fuses a bouncing, midtempo break with wobbly (but surprisingly subtle) bass, the obligatory hip-hop samples and a dash "Son of a Preacher Man". "Masterpiece", meanwhile, takes a similarly soulful approach, contrasting Jurassic 5 raps with sweet soul vocal snatches at a dancefloor hip-hop tempo. The most cultured Bombstrikes release for some time - and that's a compliment.
Review: Oh! It's the one like Badboe back to cause some havoc on our charts this week, and his return comes in the shape of three tasty floor bruisers that'll no doubt appeal across the board. First up, "Get Your Boogie On" manages to balance a sweet r&b vocal with crankin, Ice Cube-style rapping under a rolling, electro sort of groove. Prosper features on both of the following two tunes; "How Funk Is Your Chicken" is a vintage cruiser, all flashy hip-hop breaks and 80s vocalism, while "Gimme What You Got" takes the tempo right down to true hip-hop levels, sounding a little like the Black Eyes Peas back when they were on form. Yessah!
Review: The latest in Bomb Strikes' series of party-smashing bootlegs and breaks sees Denmark's Badboe chop it up with France's Prosper over these two new cuts. The Fatback Band's "Gotta Learn How To Dance" acts as the basis for "Too Hot To Handle", with some hyped bass added to the funk as well as acapella cuts from Method Man amongst others. "Rock The Beat" sees the duo going for a full-on soulful vocal treatment, complete with some energetic filtering, while Mooqee and Beatvandals's accompanying remix throws on some Jackson 5 magic into the mix too.
Review: The Bomb Strikes team return on this one with another powerful slice of new school funk as they bring together this explosive two track project from Basement Freaks. We begin this one by saltering lazily into the stripped back grooves and rhythmic twists of 'Let It Be You', which features some fantastic additional vocal work from Everyman. On the flip, we are blessed with another smooth original, as 'Jungle City' descends with a bag of vibrant synthetic energies, matched by super punchy drum designs and the tracks expansive use of reverberations. An awesome pair of originals here.
Review: Last year Mooqee & Beatvandals celebrated the tenth anniversary of their Bombstrikes label. Here they maintain that momentum with a four-track party-friendly package from Basement Freaks. "Ladies Look Pretty" is a swaggering opener - all military rolls, hip-hop stabs and lairy chants. Elsewhere "Funkin' It Up" is beefed up 80s electro-rap at its finest, "Make It Clap" is an infectious Mexican/tropical trap hybrid and "Jamrock Bass" is moody reggaeton/bass jam.
Review: The 80s boogie/electrofunk force is strong in this one! 'Popular' itself features a half-sung, half-spoken R&B vocal from Mustafa Akbar that's reminiscent of early 70s Curtis Mayfield, but places it atop a background that's all about that early 80s synth squelch. If you really want to transport yourself back to the days of white socks, high-top fades and shiny Mr Byrite suits, though, then 'Your Love' is the place to head, a string-drenched and brass-flecked affair that sits right on the disco/boogie cusp, augmented by some killer Joey Negro-esque stabs. All you need now is a sticky carpet and some plastic palm trees!
Review: After the immediate success of his high profile collaboration with Dynamite MC, Bazza Ranks returns with another box of breakbeat goodness on "That Stuff" in collaboration with Imagine This. This one if for the singalong fans, combining funky breakbeat riffs with catchy lyricism to great effect.,On remix duty The Allergies rework the track with some soulful backing, whilst WBBL throw together a complete dubstep infused electro refurb.
Review: This batch of Beatvandals floor fillers initially surfaced 7 years ago on wax and has been long deleted on the format. It finally gets a digital release as a 3 track download which gathers the vocals and rhythms of the first lady of freaked out hip hop, a certain infamous rock band who just called it quits, the Bussa Bus and even a Toots tried & trusted classic all to be reworked with Beatvandals mash up treatment .It ultimately delivers a fun release that is basically a no brainer for a packed dancefloor.
Review: Two masters of bootleg-style, hip-hop/funk mash ups team up for this latest instalment in Bombstrikes' series of party rocking tuneage. A Skillz and Beatvandals play a blinder on "Sunshine" - speeding up Roy Ayres' bonafide classic "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" with a tight beat layered underneath and chopped up respectfully. "Slapdance" however sees the pair take the beat from NERD's debut single "Lapdance" and cover it in well-crafted acapella cuts to make it a heavy-hitting floor filler.
Review: Old Rummy returns to the Bomb Strikes stable with three more essential party jams. "Work Signs" takes Justin Timberlake back to the early '70s on a Parliament-charged funk train, the epic sample session "Funky Vibrations" flips us back to the early '90s with a focus on the De Le Soul's "Roller Skating Jam". Finally we get lively with a muscular big beat jam that features the distinctive vocal tones of DJ Kool Marva Whitney's evergreen horn hook from "Unwind Yourself". Show us a sign!
Review: Beer-breathed breaks baron Tom Booze lays down two more cheeky bootleg blends. "Never Knew" goes back in time, kidnaps Fatman Scoop and brings him kicking, screaming and chanting into the future; taking Fatman's classic remix of Faith Evans, it's an instant bass-caked showdown. And if you think that's funky then check "Get Off Yo Ass": blending Funkadelic's outrageously funky "Get Off Your Ass And Jam" with Tom Browne's "Funkin For Jamaica", KRS-One vocal chants and a ridiculously ugly bassline, he's created an absolute party monster. You best do as the Boozy one says: Get off your butts... and get down to this!
Review: The Bomb Strikes label project have really solidified their position throughout 2018 as one of the leading forces across the breakbeat expanse, consistently supplying their fans with high profile fire. Their latest release alongside Bryx is a perfect example of that as we kick off with the super groovy tearout electronic riffs of the title track 'This Is It'. From here, the project strips back a tad as the more smoothened grinding bass leads and unpredictable beat scratches of 'Up In The Place' take the lead, followed by the dubstep inspired bass jolts and drum punches of 'Heads Up' alongside Audiowrx which finishes the project up.
Review: Canadian nu-funk upstart Bryx returns to Bomb Strikes after a brief hiatus with four more floor-shredding slammers. First up is a daring twist on Portishead. Taking the original's haunting undertones and ripping them into pieces with searing bass, it's a bold move but one that pays off. Elsewhere we get itchy and scratchy to the sawtooth heavy "Pop That", we get psychedelic and soulful on "Check It" and end on a raucous bass-ravaged high with "The Fool". Four big bass blasters, one cheeky release, Bryx is back and he's not taking any prisoners.
Review: And now time for some Canadian country glitch. Bryx's beats are so rich yet so spacious there's heaps of groove and space for fellow countryman Corb's vocals and guitar strums. The result is a hoe down that hits so hard you'll either take up line dancing or be incompetent of walking in a straight line for the rest of the night. Either way; total party carnage delivered a truly unique way.
Review: Its mash-up central on the Here We Come EP, and just in time for the Christmas party season too! The tunes contained on this single ain't gonna win Ivor Novello awards, they will, however, have you wearing clip-on antlers and swinging from the rafters having drunk too much punch. The title track fuses a Duran Duran (or James Brown?) guitar lick, big beats, and the Fugees. Elsewhere "Bring That Beat Back" is a bouncy Missy Elliott rework and "Bounce With Me" takes a De La Soul classic and give it a tropcial/baile hype-up. Party dynamite!
Review: Breakbeat specialists Dubra and Arteo return to launch some aerial strikes on the Bomb Strikes imprint, and it sounds like these two have been busy chopping samples away on those machines! "Milk" adds a little milkshake from Kelis' timeless hip-hop mashup, the pair adding in more beat power to the equation, and this is followed swiftly by the moreold-school, siren-ready rave experiment by the name of "Bubble Baby". Last but certainly not least, "She Goes" goes for something a little more exotic thanks to a little injection of Eastern melodies to its outlook.
Review: The one known as Electrogorila is back at it again, this time touching down on the legendary Bomb Strikes imprint with two brand new creations, kicking off with the well thought out sample time-line and sharp drum designs of the title track 'Love Me'. It's safe to say that when it comes to breakbeat sampling, Electrogorila is up there with the best of them, as he continues to prove on the flip-side with the expertly dispersed vocal slices and bass slides of 'Milky Way', giving us a fantastic alternative to the A-side and rounding the project up in style.
Review: The latest in Bombstrikes' series of mash-ups and breaks-driven party bootlegs sees accomplished remixer and turntablist Featurecast drop a pair of bulletproof bangers. "Stomp" sees The Game's "Break Him Off" a cappella going up against Red Hot Chilli Peppers' "Can't Stop", with a little help from The Chemical Brothers along the way. "One More" on the flipside rocks Chic's venerable classic "My Forbidden Lover" while adding a cappella loops of Public Enemy's Chuck D over the top. Guaranteed funtimes.
Review: Switching up formats from their trusted Bombstrikes mash-up series to this new Into Battle set of releases, this label still have the freshest breaks-led bootlegs on tap, as evidenced by this split release from Featurecast and Pimpsoul. While Featurecast's "Stick 'Em Up" takes a Lenny Kravitz classic as its sample source, adding a slew of hip-hop acapellas into the mix for good measure, Pimpsoul does a mighty treatment with a Nirvana acapella on the heavy-rumblin' "The One".
Review: Originally released on Freshly Squeezed, erstwhile Soul Of Man partner (and awesome graphic artist) Jem Stone teamed up with Foxy Cheex to give us the steamy, sultry "Lick The Spoon" exactly a year ago. Now updated in remix-form, both Funkanomics and Rory Hoy give it a brand new wardrobe... The former goes deep into nu funk mode with a sleazy groove and grizzly bass textures while the latter gets jiggy on a skank-wise big beat format. Party time in both directions, once you've licked this spoon clean you'll be raiding the cutlery draw.
Review: Having previously impressed through collaborations with Bomb Strikes boss Mooqee, Herbgrinder returns to the party-hearty imprint with a three-track assault of bassbin-bothering badness. Opener "The Nod" takes ghetto funk and gives it a colossal kick in the nuts, layering hip-hop vocal samples and occasional p-funk synth squiggles over a gigantic wobble bassline. "The Snake" offers more of the same, adding more talkbox and electrofunk synths for even greater P-funk flavour. As for "The Rumble", it slows the pace, allowing the winding synths and late night electronics to ride roughshod over a typically boisterous, bass-heavy groove.
Review: Steeze sees Bomb Strikes deliver another dynamite-fuelled beat workout from J Roc The label has been on fire as of late and they're certainly packing the punches, ranging from hip-hop to broken beat to all things crunchy, they've established a name for themselves within the sample-heavy domain. "So Much Steeze" mixes elements of dubstep together with classic rap battle-style vocals, whilst "Keep It Gansta" is funkier and more melodic with its total beat mash-up. Finally, "Piano Skank" brings the tropical heat over and rounds up this fun, booty-shaking EP for the imprint.
Review: Another vital release from the Bombstrikes crew as Canadian mash-up star J Roc fuses a sack full of tunes on this new EP - led by "Nickelodeon", which samples jaunty '50s tune "Music Music Music" by Teresa Brewer and blends it with a hip-hop sensibility. Bombstrikes boss Mooqee joins J Roc on the club-rocking electro swinging "Better Things", while Sam Cooke's "Shake" gets a radical D&B overhaul.
Review: The title track to Kenny Beeper's Crown Jewel's EP is a good taste of what's to come. Infectious, flute-based funk rolles down into hip-hop influenced movement that's eclectic yet solid. 'Funky Party People' takes things in a more distinctly funk direction, composed of 80s-esque synths that'll almost force you to get moving, tinged with an acid house influence that injects an element of edge - just ridiculously happy. Finally, 'Let's Get It', which has a mellow, subtle introduction that doesn't stop it from quickly becoming a riot with yet more heavy-weight synths that'll delight the outspoken. A banging finish to an especially good release.
Review: What a treat we have for you here as we unveil the return of the now legendary Bomb Strikes imprint, a label project synonymous with breakbeat's extended longevity in recent years. Here they gather up a vibrant project from Kenny Beeper, kicking off with a look at 'Toasty', which of course throws the classic vocal sample into the mix amongst gnarly synthesisers and punchy dum creations. This is then followed by the title track 'Wildstyles', which pushes together groovy rhythmic twists and a selection of catchy vocal samples layered precisely above. Finally, we finish up our excursion with a look at 'Exciting Emotions', an original creation packed with unique melodic sound structure with a couple of cheeky themes running throughout.
Review: Bomb Strikes are back with another belter as Kibosh steps forward with this ferocious two tracker. We begin with the delicious grooves of the title track 'Spinning Wheel' which combines squelching bass instrumentation with classic soul sampling with fantastic results. Then we are blessed with the glitched out arrangement of 'Pep Squad' with folds funk.
Review: Next up from the incredibly consistent Bomb Strikes imprint, we have Kibosh joining the party for two tracks of neurotic twisted magnificence, kicking off the title track 'Loopback'. This one unleashes a vibrant, unpredictable bass lead with writhes and evolves alongside the track, alongside super punchy drum licks and vocal additions. On the flip side, we dive into the funkadelic flex of 'Fire'. This one is seriously groovy, with catchy wah wah riffs and smooth horn lines to match. Very saucy stuff indeed from the Bomb Strikes team.
Review: Bomb Strikes are back at it again, welcoming back the infamous sounds of Krafty Kuts for a brand new single, bringing some much needed good vibes into the world during this unusual time. Right from the off, the levels are high as we are greeted by smooth percussion based introductory rhythms, leading us rapidly towards an extremely vibrant breakdown. The drop itself consists of rapidfire synthesizer slaps, unpredictable horn lines and the occasional vocal inflection, all wrapped up within a bag of super energetic drum designs for good measure. This one is definitely a party starter!
Review: What a link up we have on our hands here as we see the mighty unite in this incredible collaboration project between Krafty Kuts and Bomb Strikes. What more can you ask for? We kick off with the very well thought of drum slaps and groovy horns of 'Right There', before the funkadelic bass flips and euphoric synthesizer chords of 'Wandering' run riot. Following this we land inside the more up-tempo bass booms and rhythmic switch ups of 'Speaker Buster' before the sound design department are let loose on the final track 'You're The Reason', which also features some seriously catchy vocal sampling.
Review: Krafty Kuts means exactly that - a certainty that you will purchase a couple of tunes that will get those heads turning and saying "hey mate, what's this!?". The dude returns to Bomb Strikes with nothing but vibes, launching a funky attack with the sample-heavy, mash-up-ready flow of "Back To Flow", an instant body-shaker of the highest calibre. "Get So Ill" is similarly seductive from the get-go, except that old-school boogie and electro are the main ingredient here, bursting through the place with a almighty funkiness. Yes, dawg.
Review: Next up, from the ever-prepared Bomb Strikes, we see them welcome in a legendary selection as Krafty Kuts returns for a new collection of breakbeat goodness. We kick off with the title track 'Masterplan', alongside the rave-ready sounds of Dynamite MC, who lets loose a barrage of party starting verses with typical efficiency. Next up, the soiree intensifies as 'Boom' lands with a major impact, delivering big room synthesizer bangs and bouncy drum arrangements, before the uber groovy soul sampling of 'Superbad' sees the EP round off with a dash of serious finesse. Lovely stuff!
Review: Krafty Kuts & Bomb Strikes, two names that when combined leave us with potentially incredible results. They join forces here to curate and design the fifth edition of 'Bass Funk', showcasing some of the most prominent faces across the entire breadth of breaks. The tracklisting for this one looks pretty monstrous, featuring the likes of A Skillz, Dubra, Arteo, Fort Knox Five, K+Lab & more. There are a couple of immediate stand outs however, with the latin horn melodies and vibrant rhythms of Ninjula's 'Spanish Princess' and the pure rawcus devilry of 'AI' from the legendary Delta Heavy both standing out!
Review: Lack Jemmon steps out of Breakbeat Paradise and lands firmly on the Bomb Strikes with, ironically, a three-pack of utter bombs for the dancefloor! The breaks and electro blender kicks off with the grizzly bass of "Forbidden Pleasure", recalling the dirtier side of bro-step, and that's followed by the even gnarlier sub-tones of the bubbling "Spirits". "Loops Of Prime" heads out into the ether, coming through with all sorts of spaced-out bass flavours from the deepest, darkest corners of the sci-fi kingdom. Bangers.
Review: Marc Hype, boss of German 7-inch label Dusty Donuts, mixes up this seventh volume in Bomb Strikes' 'Funk N' Beats' series. It's an eclectic, funked-up selection that ranges freely through hip-hop from The Nextmen and Red Astaire, 'new old' funk and soul from Speedometer, Soopasoul and the Hot 8 Brass Band, nu-jazz from Nicole Willis and Jazzanova and more besides. Highlights include The Traffic's funked-up cover of Daft Punk's 'Harder Better Faster Stronger', Speedometer's cover of The Chi-lites' 'Are You My Woman?' (AKA 'Crazy In Love'), and Hype's own take on electro classic 'Al Faafyish (The Soul)'.
Review: Back with more essential breaks and party-flavoured cuts, London's Mooqee drops the 8th volume of his series for his Bombstrikes label. Working together bits from Wreckx-N-Effect's "Rumpshaker" and a host of other classic accapellas, "Polar Crunk" is a slow, bassy funk-meets-crunk joy, while the more uptempo "Rippin Up" mixes a nu-funk backing with some classic UBB cuts and some old-skool focused accapellas.
Review: Typically party-storming stuff from Mooqee and his Bomb Strikes label, with this episode of his Bombstrikes series hitting home nicely with "Funk Machine Man" blending DJ Shadow's "Organ Donor", Nas's "Made You Look" and some smart juggling of James Brown's intros all balanced together just right. With a dub and a clean edit also available, as well as "Are You Gonna" - a blend of Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Charles and The Prodigy - this is party fodder of the highest calibre.
Review: More party antics from Mooqee as this latest in the Bombstrikes series of funky mash-ups takes in KRS-One jammin' with Bob Marley on "Supacat Police", while acapellas from Tupac's "California Love" and Stetasonic's "Talking All That Jazz" butt heads with each other over a flute-led hip-hop beat on "Jazz Talkin". The "Mustapha Dance" instrumental mix of The Clash's "Rock The Casbah" also gets a good seeing to on closing track "Hypnotic".
Review: Bomb Strikes boss Mooqee doesn't pretend to be interested in deeper, stranger or more alternative sounds. He's interested in smashing any party into tiny little pieces, getting punters going with life-affirming breakbeat funk and misty-eyed rave revivalism. There's much of the latter on this two-track EP, which opens with a thunderous fusion of wobble bass, gnarled electronics, Orbital-ish synths and a gargantuan piano riff - all, of course, riding a bustling breakbreat rhythm. Despite its' title, "Discothing" offers much of the same, with vocoder vocal hits joining snappy beats and fuzzy electronics on another tried-and-tested dancefloor smasher.
Review: For the 20th instalment of the happy-go-lucky Bomb Strikes bootleg series, label regulars Moquee and Pimpsoul join forces. Those who've enjoyed their previous work will no doubt be salivating already - or at least dribbling profusely. "Keep Pounding" is typical of their cheeky, party-hearty style, turning shuffling classic "The Beat Goes On" into a snappy, stepping, glitch-laden breaks banger. "Let It Pop", meanwhile, wobbles and raves in all the right places, lacing a familiar hip-hop vocal over a typically pounding backdrop. Closer "Do It" sits somewhere between the two tracks, cutting up Chic's "Le Freak" and adding a silly, rectum-slackening bassline to propel things forward.
Review: Mooque teams up with Pimpsoul on "Feeling Good", with soulful, uplifting vocals courtesy of Bianca Gerald. It's party vibes all the way here, with parping synths, pumping beats and catchy melodies a-plenty. The Tantrum Desire remix is a predictably rambunctious affair, full of synth screeching mayhem, gritty bass and Flux Pavillion style bellows and beeps. Other remixes in the package include the Rory Lyons tweak, which is buckets of fun with simmering bass and soaring strings, and a re-lick from Herbgrinder, who strips back the vocal and adds a funky swing to the original.
Review: A pair of collaborations between two of Bombstrikes' leading lights, this pair of cut 'n' paste mash-ups sees Mooquee and Beatvandals marry the Jackson 5 with Kool Keith over a driven bassline on "Back Up", while an Al Green-esque '70s soul sample acts as the basis of "Rock Y'all" - with a weight of acapella shots and hefty drums thrown into the mix on this rollercoaster ride.
