Review: Shim Shimah who got the keys to the beemer? Probably Shimah himself judging by the state of these purring futuristic grooves. Taking us right into a new dimension with his debut album, Shimah shows us how far he's come since his early moves on Playaz around 10 years ago. Flexing a vibe that one part sci-fi, two parts heavyweight and fully unique, Shimah's sound hits with that cosmic vibe that could fit between myriad of D&B subgenres with ease and style. Highlights include the album's twinkling title track, the heavy emotion and autonomic style halftime intro on 'Levitation' and rich trance elements of 'Disintegrate'. Stunning.
Review: Drum & bass powerhouse soldier Heist looks back over 20 years of releases with this massive career-spanning collection of bangers. A reminder (if needed) that he deals strictly in timeless dancefloor weaponry, he's got every flavour your set could possibly need from the subtle jazzy class of 'Rum Goblin' to the high voltage nuclear outrage of 'Unicron' and everything in between. Whats more, they're timeless and whether they came out in 2005 (the sax-blasting pant-wetting 'Pum Pum Stabber') 2015 (the creeped out warbler '90% Rusk') or 2021 (the sweet soulful 'Watermelon Girl') they all hit with the same subversive and solid sense of funk. Big up Jim.
Review: Following the inaugural release of Heist's next-gen focused Proteges collection in December 21, 'Proteges Volume 02' maintains the message and continues to fly the future flag for D&B. Some names you might recognise, like Blckhry, DJ Zent and Steryx, while others are much earlier on their release journey but still already hitting levels high enough for Heist to put his name to. Highlights across the 18 track set include the space-bound cosmic soul of Entropy's 'This Moment', the lucid ragga-splattered dark funk of Jack Spencer's 'Bad Boys' and Lash Lams' high energy buzzy jump-up stinker 'Ill Shit'. And that barely the tip of the iceberg of this powerful new talent showcase. A Co-Lab co-sign has a lot of currency.
Review: Remix alert! US donnie Atlantic Connection gets the reboot treatment from some high grade talents on Heist's Co-Lab Recordings. Teej, A-Audio, Dunk and Sequences all get busy in their own unique and funky way. Teej opens up the EP with warm soundsystem rollage as he whips 'Columbia' into more of a UK vibe, A-Audio get dark and tense with 'Fidget', Dunk really hones in on the dubby flavour and warmth of 'Badman' before Sequences close the EP on a gritty, angular robotic flex. Get connected.
Review: A few steps ahead of the current new generation who are taking names and changing the North American drum & bass game, Flaco's been doing bits in the US scene for over 20 years now and here we find him coming correct with his precision debut album Balance. Delicately treading the line between dark, light, soulful and heavy, the album is a powerful snapshot of Flaco's skills and musical might. Highlights include the Detroitian ice of the dark stepper 'Logic', the burning Latin fire and full flavour funk of 'The Salsa Roller' and the understated subtle bubbles of 'Turnaround'. Massive album, this one keeps on giving on every listen and every play.
Review: What a powerful collection we have here as we see the one and only Jaxx land with almost superhero-like momentum onto Co-Lab Recordings, equipped with four rave-weapons for us all to enjoy. First up, 'Backward Never' is a wicked display of subtle percussive clinks and sub-rumbling basslines below, before 'Tinto De Verano' the steadily rising sweeps of 'Tinto De Verano' are let loose for a bit more of a stripped back adventure. We then dive into the growling, synthetic synthesizer belches of 'Tinto De Verano', which through a minimal drum backing becomes all the more potent the longer it extends. To round off, 'Darker Tunnel', a seriously stripped back crunchfest, focusing primarily on three elements, the uniquely squeaky snare drum curdles, the folded over kicks and of course a mind-numbing bassline below.
Review: Not content with heading up the best live drum & bass band you could possibly imagine in the genre, Dr Meaker is also responsible for some of the bubbliest, purest party productions. Take this badass fusion 'The Siege'; his first track of 2022 and it's an absolute timeless howler. All mid 2000s Playaz energy but with mid 2020s funk and production standards, drop this in the mix and it will cut through any blend with all the frolics and finesse you need in these topsy turvy times. Essential.
Review: Now here's a rollcall you can set your watch by... Jeopardize, Disrupta, Atlantic Connection, Dunk and Oz all on one release dicing and splicing, chopping and popping with some of Warhead and Teej's releases on Co-Lab. The results spea for themselves and range from big 3am drone horns (Jeopardize) to theatrical breakbeat rattlers (Atlantic Connection) to classic mid 90s sounding vibes (Oz) Bangers o'clock!
Review: Jack Gilbert aka J:Rover makes his debut here on Co-Lab Recordings, after some promising releases on labels like Sine Audio, Transparent Audio & Midas Touch. The Mojo EP is another great example of this rising producer's great potential and features the seething neurofunk steppa "Understand" (feat Polarized), the back to '94 junglist roller that is "Killa" as well as "Nasty" (feat Chamba) which is reminiscent of Calibre's classic material on the Soul:r imprint. He closes out the EP with the dub-infused low-end theory of "Irie".
Review: Fresh from their recent heaters with man like Diligent Fingers, Manchester duo Shadre & Salvage return to Co-Lab with two space aged funk-ups. 'Ascend' is a real dark soul number with a prowling cat-like bassline, soulful vocal and musical elements laced tightly into the mix. 'Calling' takes us deeper again with a rumbling minimal vibe, gruff harmonics on the bass and a twisted, trippy vocal sample. Proper 3am bizzle, we reckon Shadre & Salvage are going to have an excellent 2022.
Review: After making a very strong impression with their first release on DJ Trace's DSCI4, Clearance continues to impress their debut on Heist's Co-Lab. Deep but bubbly and plenty of bounce, each cut puts real focus and emphasis on the warm, fat basslines. 'Golden Triangles' is pure spring and all win while 'Move Like That' wriggles and tickles with a slightly dreamier charm which could be compared to a young Break. Deeper into the EP we have the darker vibes and sterner bass tones of 'Different Ways' while 'Foreign Groove' finishes the EP on a lamenting vocal soul tip. A very interesting release from a promising new talent.
Review: USA representing! Long-time Stateside operator Atlantic Connection steps up to Heist's Co-Lab Recordings with a homage to his new home - Colombia. 'El Dorado' weigh in at four tracks heavy and there's a wonderful breeziness of sense of space running throughout the EP as he celebrates his new location. Highlights include the crisp drum work and jazzy vibes of 'Fidget', the Zinc-like bongo bubbles and infectious bassline of 'Robust' and the dubwise heat of 'Colombia'. Bring on the next chapter!
Review: West Midlands / Essex joint venture Co-Lab Recordings UK is run by Benny Colab & Heist who present their latest release by Manchester's Motiv, who follows up a great collaboration with Collette Warren on "Cloak & Dagger" a few weeks ago. The track acted as a teaser for his much anticipated full-length release here, titled Meraki Music. Featuring a dozen impressive tracks, all in collaboration with other talented producers and vocalists. Highlights include the emotive liquid drum 'n' bass of opener "Halcyon" featuring lovely vocals by Anya Asia, the seething neurofunk trip "Twister" with Dunk, as well as the darkside techstep of "Air" with Teej and the bittersweet beats of "Take Me Away" with singer Charla Green.
Review: Co-Lab Recordings is a joint venture by Benny Colab & Heist, run between the West Midlands and Essex respectively. Their latest release comes from London's Collette Warren, who collaborates with Motiv again to bring you a liquid drum and bass roller in the form of "Cloak & Dagger" in the tradition of legends like LTJ Bukem or Marcus Intalex. The tracks' soulful and emotive elements are the perfect backdrop for the breathtaking vocals that play centre stage throughout.
Review: Ahead of his debut album Motiv unleashes this warm and toasty roller - 'Acting Up'. Loaded with house-inspired sounds and flavours, there's some lovely organ style sounds on the bass, a big belting vocal and a funky groove that we guess would be described as liquid but it's got much more beef on the bones and spirit than a lot of liquid tracks do. Think Sl8r, think Marcus, think Manchester - this is proper soulful drum & bass.
Review: Bonjour! Paris's FX909 makes his debut on Heist's Co-Lab with four proper breakbeat bubblers. Each one tickling a different corner of the dance, he's treated us to a wide spread as 'Rock Dem' nods at the early 2000s, super-driven dancefloor style of jungle while 'Run It' pays homage to the mid 90s with a much bubblier bassline jam. Elsewhere 'Velizy' is all about the rattling breaks and big, dubby ghostly vibes in between the elements, 'Put It Under' has a classic late 90s Bristol vibe with added Detroit pads before 'Bring It Up' brings the keys and the feels for a powerful jazzy finale. What a well-rounded and highly vibed-up EP.
Review: Flaco is one of the most versatile and experienced producers in the game, and he's working alongside a label with this EP that shares an equally illustrious pedigree. This EP is what it says it is - Classy - as Flaco rolls out with abandon across several different cloths and textures, a diversity that really makes all five tracks shine. 'Breezy' is the gulliest of the lot, a growling, flowing number which moves and sways with relentless melodic progression, each bass sound gently yet destructively moving through one another. Teej steps up with a minima, finger-click remix of 'Furnace', and 'Jungle' scratches an itch for all of you who like things rough and breaksy.
Review: Shimah is one of the most consistent purveyors of rolling damage around, and this time around he's landing on Co-Lab Recordings. He's back with the Transhumanism EP, another drum-focused, gritty piece of music that relies on the barebone essentials to do the talking. There are diamonds among the rough and 'Flux Ropes' exemplifies his sonic approach perfectly; its whispering waves of synthy leads build and rise, breaking on the drop into a skipping, bouncy arrangement that's as infectious as it is creative. There's low frequency mayhem on 'Transhumanism', and 'Fallen' ties up the EP perfectly, with clattering drums and pummelling walls of low frequency energy. Unstoppable.
Review: Warhead is back on the warpath! Not content with tearing Co-Lab up with his and Teej's 'Activate' EP earlier this year, he's back with another four-piece suite of slap-downs and blast-ups. 'Gobsmacker' says it all. A slithering percussive wriggler, all steppy and stripped back and laced with a tense dark funk, it's the type of tackle you'd expect from the Eneis or DLRs of the world. Elsewhere 'Real Bad' is a Harley Davidson of a tune that revs up behind you menacingly with its lamp on full beam, 'Battering Ram' is a roundhouse kick of chaos, all scratchy and grizzled and 'I Want More' is another minimal mission where the percussion does all the chatting... Before that killer sample kicks in. Wow. We want more, too.
Review: Dunk is one-half renowned duo Jam Thieves, and his new excursion into the solo game is already beginning to bear some significant fruit. He's an absurdly prolific producer and has several released out and forthcoming already, with this four-tracker on Co-Lab the latest to see the light of day. It's classic Dunk, whose trademark blend of stripped back percussion, powerful subs and jump-up touches has been finely tuned over the last few years. 'Iceberg' is the perfect example, as a settled groove falls into place beneath oscillating, fluttering lines of gravelly bassline textures. 'Zombie Dog' flows with abandon and growls into its muzzle, whilst 'Dark Soul' featuring Illament is a skipping roller with deadly precision and a gungho set of jump up stabs. Big, big stuff.
Review: Bumpa car. Bumpa clart. Bumpa package right here from one of 2020's finest D&B success stories Disrupta. Following the heat of his Born On Road EP, now the young Londoner makes his debut on Heist's Co-Lab with four more slabs of unabashed D&B fun. Highlights include the tongue-in-cheek wriggliness of the title track "Bumpa" and the junglised bashiness and forthright gulliness of "Cali Burn". But that's just scratching the surface; Disrupta by name, disruption by nature.
Review: Heist's forever consistent Co-Lab invite Warhead and Teej over for a bit of musical mischief. Two of the most exciting new names to emerge from the underground in recent times, naturally they hit the spot with two link-up tracks and two solo originals. "Activate" packs a heavy punch with a bassline sludgier than quicksand mixed with treacle while "Eclipse" is a heads-down gritty one with an almost techno flavour to its bass warps and loopy percussion. Elsewhere Warhead goes full-on rudeboy with the savage "Rasclart" while Teej hurls us into a dank slimy-walled dungeon with "Osiris". If you can find a more on-point new-gen collabo this month we'd like to hear it.
Review: Co-Lab have always been able to push music that's made for the dancefloor but whcih draws upon disparate strands of the genre's stylistic heritage, from the rawness of jump-up to dabbles in the lighter side. Teej also has that flexibility and his Chaos Theory EP shows that he knows his way around a minimal tune, as all four tracks flex their muscles in a subtle manner that's not right in your face but still makes its presence known. 'Escalation Protocol' is just that, with a withering, stabbing sub-bass and snapping percussive line that just rolls and rolls. Top stuff.
Review: Heist and Benny Colab have been teasing this album for several weeks now with a string of samplers, and the full thing is finally here. It's punchng percussive madness the whole way throug, a no-holds barred album which knows when to go all out and when to take a step back. There's luxurious instrumentation blended with grittier tones and 'Green Lane' is exactly that, as harp strings tug on your heart strings above a gully concoction of dusty basses and knock-back drum loops. Carasel features on the excellent 'Look Down' and it's another highlight from a super cool album.
Review: We recently covered the first sampler from Oz's forthcoming album on Heist and Benny Colab's Co-Lab Recordings and this time around it's the second sampler. Oz is back and it's more heavyweight beats, as 'Caught Up' rolls out with abandon amidst a plethora of shakers and some seriously banging low frequency stabs, all of which come together to produce a track of big club sized proportions. Wicked.
Review: Heist's Co-Lab Recordings is a prolific outfit that releases music from a range of small-but-sweet artists, and this time it's the turn of Oz to step up to the plate and deliver his contribution to Co-Lab's burgeoning back catalogue. 'Bitter & Sweet' is the first track from a forthcoming album project and it's a percy, with a crisp, penetrating drum line that underpins a murky yet harmonic bassline and some floaty, soulful sampling. It's a true crossover tune that sounds big and yet walks lightly on its toes - lovely stuff.
Review: Heist is always chipping away at the background doing his bit, just focusing on what he does best: producing and releasing sick music. His own Co-Lab Recordings is once again the destination for this newest concotion and it's a badboy single track release called Cloak. Heist's usual production wizardry is at place and there's a reason he has such a big reputation for sound design, with suspenseful pads echoing up into groans of low frequency force before being forced back down by its mechanic, snapping drum line. It's a crafty piece of work and one that will please all those who like their music rough and ready.
Review: Bang! Two weeks after his "90s Dreamer" on Born On Road, Manchester murker Kumo gets busy on Heist's Co-Lab imprint with "Blood Pressure". More dark, dank stinkage; each cut hits the soul hard. The title track takes the lead with its switchy drums, laser bubbles and grumbling, knuckle-dragging bassline, "Millionaire" is a classic old school hummer (think old school Dread business) with a sub that could eat you alive, "Stay For Me" is pure heads-down rolling bizzle while "Talk Fi Dem" closes on a big old ravey blast. Full pads, full euphoria and a nasty little slinky drop. Feel the pressure!
Review: Filthy Habits and Jeopardize - two savagely on-point basssmiths usually spotted lurking around the G13 camp - land on Heist's Co-Lab imprint with this absolute barnstormer of a banger. Running drums, big flabby basses and a drive that can cut through any mix and knock crowds off their feet; both acts' longstanding collaborative history can be felt in every detail here. Tracks like this are built to last. They got the key... But what is the secret?
Review: Heist & T>I are two of the best guys around for the dirty, attitude filled side of the scene which blurs into the techier bits on the one hand and the pure jump up bits on the other. This release fills in the gaps in all the right ways and it comes on Heist's own Co-Lab Recordings, a seminal imprint. 'Ointment' is grating and harsh in its guttural funk and approach to destruction, with an array of stabs and basses all mashing together in harmony. 'Packet Monster' is more classic T>I sounding basses, laid over a snapping, snarling drum line. Excellent stuff here.
Review: Co-Lab Recordings is Heist's label and is accordingly renown for putting out hard-hitting beats faster than you can say 'f**k off', a testament to the production and curation skills of the man himself. This time the focus is on Oz and the wider Co-Lab crew, as Oz gets his Abstract EP remixed and updated with some fresh new twists. The Teej remix of 'Assassin' is definitely up there as one of the best on the EP, a deeply growling track that is packed with attitude and foreboding notes of synth and sample-based power. Heist himself steps up for the remix on 'I.C.Y', flipping this one into a wobbly number with a wide, slapping snare drum and plenty of angst. Bangers galore here.
Review: Jaxx has killed this EP. It's called Live Your Life and consists of four sharp-edged but nicely melodic dancefloor numbers that are aimed at causing destruction, but not indiscriminately. Our favourite is 'Zoots' featuring Wednesday Amelia, a long-time D&B vocalist who has worked with some of the best producers around, who appears on this track over what begins as soft tune with lovely guitar licks, but which descends into a bassy, wobbly number. The rest are harder, with 'Pressing Buttons' standing out for its snapping drums and grating, industrial bassline. Wicked EP therefrom the Co-Lab crew.
Review: Heist's Co-Lab Recordings always tends to put out music that rests on the foundations of UK underground, the cross-over influences of soul, reggae, jungle and D&B. it's always a fresh sound and it always brings up connotations of Boomtown, free parties and sunny afternoons. Two legends of the scene - Aries and Nicky Blackmarket, have teamed up for a dual EP and it's wicked. 'One Part Jungle' is best of the four, with a bright and cheerful introduction that's laden with samples and flipped into a wobbling, subby roller with oodles of energy and momentum. 'Jack It Up' goes down a more jungle direction and is packed full of punchiness and sharp edges - banger.
Review: Exile is most definitely NOT in exile. He's flipping everywhere! This year alone has seen him drop fire on the likes of Formation, Technique and Serial Killaz. Now he's on Heist's Co-Lab with three savage burn-ups. "Process" has that great riffy vibe where you'll be humming the three cascading notes for days. Simple but really really effective. "Back To The Funk" balances a lush mid-2000s soulful vibe before dropping into chunkier contemporary bassline business before "Command The Vibe" comes running up all sweaty and brazen and attaches itself to you like a middle age spread. Good old whole some flabby bass fun, Exile's on a roll over here.
Review: Two highly respected members of the new-gen gentry collide on Co-Lab for this perfectly symmetrical release. Two tag-team cuts, one solo piece each, Warhead and Teej go in from every angle; "Gyaldem" takes the lead with a classic Bristol rolling vibe with hip-hop samples but for a weeping bassline literally cries into the mix. Their second collaboration "Cloaked" continues the wry sample theme and baggy space in the groove, but this time with a much sterner wobble to the bassline. Elsewhere Warhead's "Soundboy Slaughter" rolls its sleeves up and dusts off its pneumatic kick drums and timestretched break fills for a white knuckle 23rd century dancehall jam while Teej's "Fatal Attraction" gives us a deep breathing introspective cheerio. Cloakers gotta cloak
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