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Critical Music
I'll Wait, I GuessPREORDER
Better On My Own / DarlingPREORDER
Sing To ItPREORDER
Review: As you can imagine, Hyroglifics landing on Critical Music for a full three track display is always going to cause somewhat of a ruckus. This collection is a perfect example of understanding the room as the chiming vocal repetition and tweaking 140 synthetics of 'Sing To It' open us up with a fiery feeling of originality. From here, Deft arrives for a slightly quicker paced episode as the crunching synthesiser pounds and the bubbling subs of 'Two For Two' give us another gutpunching original. Finally, we skip back into the 170's with 'Albany Road', a synthetic slapper, switching and alternating between gnarly bass textures and well processed drum punches, giving us the perfect closer to this already intense collection.
Review: Bringing serious funk to Kasra's imprint one banger at a time, Particle fires up the groove machine once again with 'Let It Go' and 'Double Stack'. The former takes reference from UKG in both its vocal style and chord progressions while the latter goes on more of a cold and spacious sense of groove magic. Both absolutely shatter up all dancefloors within a 50 mile radius. Is there anyone funkier on Critical Music than Particle right now? We don't think so!
Review: The Critical Music team have pulled out all the stocks for this latest outing, welcoming both Hyroglifics and Deft to the table for an explosive two-track display, readying the ravers for a raucous affair. Firstly 'Two For Two', combines gnarly reese-bass inspired textures with glittering soundscapes to give us an absolute rollercoaster of sonic mastery. From here, we then jump into a more classic sound Critical display as the pair once again combine, this time for a neurotic excursion, doused in lethal synthetic design and sharpened drum textures, giving us a fiery display. Once again, the Critical team impressed!
Played by: Juno Recommends Drum & Bass
Review: Neurofunk was always an enviable art, but for far too long it remained in the strict purview of artists deserting pop drum n' bass - and in turn trying to prove who was the cleverest sound designer on the scene. En Vy's new EP for Critical Music signals we've had an attitude change; this is 'neurofunk' that approaches the sound from a much more measured stance, swapping out all the crazed sound design turns and out-of-place Reese womps for more meditative and critical musicianship. The EP shows off a good ear for subgenre knowhow; 'UFO' has a jump-up feel to it that is nonetheless nicely skippy and pure, while 'Beautiful Dreamer' is by far the standout - with dreamy vocals compelling a tonal lead rhythm to produce an overall sub-heavy dream-vibe.
Review: Is it a small album? Is it a big EP? Who cares? It's Waeys doing bits on Critical Music with his most substantial and explorative body of work so far. Already preceded by big soulful singles like 'Set The Vibe' (with the inimitable flowanastasia) and 'Nothing' (with the equally brilliant Patch Edison) now comes the full showdown as the Dutch don delivers some of his best work to date... The jazzy introspection of 'Familiar Face', the dusty hip-hop feels of 'Five After' and the slower tempo of 'Your Eyes' are just some of the highlights here. What an exceptional release. Big love to Waeys.
Review: Binary badness from the Critical camp as they welcome Visla to the fold with this mighty four track collection. Sizzling, rolling, murky manoeuvres all the way; from the airy, skippy drums on 'Vandal' to the hurricane reese brutalism of 'Morpheus' by way of the disco stabs and slinky, slimy funk of 'Flashbang' and the all-weather build and sportsman mood of 'Nike Tech Windbreaker', Visla has set out his stall with Critical precision... We can't wait to hear more!
Played by: Kumo
Various
Review: Reload, reboot, re-up... Critical Music shutdown their 20th anniversary sonic shenanigans with this humungous remix collection that features pretty much every respected and hugely talented artist Kasra's label has ever worked with. 23 cuts fresh for 2023, every single track is guaranteed to slap and tickle and dancefloor right the way through to summer, especially the likes of Foreign Concept's synth-twisting take on 'AYO', Particle's contemporary jungle take on 'Grave', Buunshin's emotional take on 'Sane' and Hyroglifics' deep and smouldering take on 'Wingwalker'. All this and so much more, this is why Critical Music are at the top of the game right now. Exemplary.
Played by: Juno Recommends Drum & Bass
Played by: Juno Recommends Drum & Bass
Review: First there was 'Machines', then there was 'Rituals', now comes Enei's third album 'Humans' and it's quite possibly his best and most accomplished one so far. Flexing from all-out rave fire ('No Man', 'Acid Shot') to slinky heads-down bubblers ('Move In Silence') to purring soulful vibes ('Show Me') to percussive hypnosis hurters ('Falling') and back again via massive grizzly dancefloor blow-outs ('Calm'), the London-based Russian maverick has delivered a serious trip that keeps things 100% dancefloor, fully heavyweight, fully DJ friendly but totally sick to listen to as an album experience. Nine thumbs up.
Played by: Juno Recommends Drum & Bass
Played by: Rude Awakening UK
Played by: Juno Recommends Drum & Bass
Played by: Harley D
Played by: Xyde
Played by: Mauoq
Review: Critical Music bring back their Binary series with this powerful session from man of the moment... Yaano. Taking off where he left us on Overview not so long ago, he's back with more twisted bash-abouts. 'IDK' is a really techno-inspired shaker, 'Get It Like' hits with a different style sexy while 'Christian Dubstep' is nutty slammer that's relentless in his humanised stabs and tunnelling bass and 'Like This' is all jiggy, scratchy and very very twisted. What an EP. Yaano's sounding like no one else right now.
Played by: Harley D
Various
Review: Celebrating two decades deep in the game, Critical Music deliver this exceptional 22 track collection from some of the most innovative artists in the bass field. From old label mates such as Sam Binga, Mefjus and Ivy Lab to exciting newcomer talents like Spectral, Able and Cauzer, the entire collection is a blistering jolt of futurism that ranges the full Critical spectrum. Highlights range from the introspective tones of Buunshin's 'Forget About Me' to the dark, tense minimalism of Calibre's 'Verstat' by way of the barbed soul of Halogenix's 'IDGAF'. Here's to another 20 years...
Review: With releases on the likes of Overview, Flexout and Four Corners, Klinical levels up once again with this premiership EP on Critical Music. Always keeping us on our toes, the vibes remain exciting, unique but also true to the signature and reputation he's been developing over the last few years. Every track is serious hooter but key highlights include the ever-mutating twists and turns and the soulful moans and groans on the title track 'Constant' and the sweet soulful finale with Sydney Bryce and Duskee 'My Own'. Keeping things consistent and constant, Klinical has smashed this one out of the park.
Review: Morgan Freeman drove Miss Daisy, Robert De Niro drove a taxi. Now let Particle drive you crazy with one of his best tunes to date. 'Drivin' Me Crazy' takes off where the likes of 'Fall 2 Fast' left us with its purring, sultry sense of dark funk. Soulful but in a twisted 2022 way, this is the sound of Particle really finding his groove. Continue for an equally charming bubbler from Particle and fellow new-gen badman Molecular. Excellently titled 'Switch Hunt', it's the moody yin to the title tracks vibrant yang. Crazy good.
Review: Man of the moment Coco Bryce returns to Critical with this walloping widescreen session. 'Dial M For Myor' is a unique slab of halftime rave while 'Daktari' has breaks made of elastic, jazzy keys and a set of amens you'd leave your significant other for. Elsewhere 'Change Of Heart' takes the breaks to Photekian levels of iciness, space and swing... before getting not one but two remixes from the mighty Sam Binga. Call the Daktari, we got a serious case of sickness right here.
Review: Volcanic scenes! Two of the new-gen's brightest stars The Caracal Project and IMANU link up on Critical Music: 'Neiges' takes the lead with its haunting vocal refrain and endlessly morphing harmonics and decaying tones and textures while 'La Fournaise' raises every single lighter in the world. Epic yet underplayed, there's a defiance and triumphant theme running throughout (especially with Josh Pan's beautiful vocals) but nothing ever feels too dramatic or too theatrical. A masterclass. Lava-ly stuff.
Played by: Juno Recommends Drum & Bass
Played by: Juno Recommends Drum & Bass
Review: Sam Binga and Particle open up a whole can of party whoop-ass on us with this powerful new Critical EP. 'Rude Girl' with OneDa instantly steals the show with on-point lyrics from the rising killer Manny MC and bassline bubblier than a clown in a champagne factory. The whole EP maintains the same unruly pressure; 'Skrrrrr' is cantankerous like a fourth lockdown, 'Stand Tall' sees them link up with Redders for a fast-lane slice of sci-fi rompy-stompy while 'Business Jungle' closes the EP with a tongue-in-cheek tribalistic take on 4x4 music. Skrrrrrrt lush mate.
Played by: STRICTLY RAGGA JUNGLE
