Review: Previously the sole preserve of limited vinyl, Nitri's Circles album sampler finally enjoys a digital release. Featuring three of drum & bass's most prominent voices; Lucy Kitchen, Visionobi and Tayah Ettienne, each cut shows us a different side to the Sao Paulo artist. The title track tips a nod to the early 2000s heads-down tech tactics while "Homage" plunges us deep into the abyss with Visionobi breaking into full song on the chorus. Finally "Voyager" closes the sampler on a floating cosmic trip with pristine breaks cracking the whip under dreamy pads and vocals. The "Circles" of life.
Review: Make the most of Serum's incredible output because at one point he's going to get arrested for murderation. And with this level of killer material, they'll throw away the key. "Black Metal" is the ultimate doom monger with its indecent drone texture that just groans malevolently over Serum's trademark rolling beats, "Ramparts" riffs on bag-rustling double bass while "Skeleton Key" strips the vibe right back to its essential ice-cold oscillating elements. Three more absolute killers from one of drum & bass's most respected artists right now.
Review: Eleven years deep and "Yearning" still sparkles with enough emotive power to stop an entire army in its tracks. Mystical and laced with detailed twists and an ever-developing bassline, this remaster brings all the elements to the fore with serious weight and clarity. The same can be said for "Midnight Special" as its cloud-bursting pads roll out like a hurricane all around you and the deep dream vocal fixes you in the eye of the storm. Timeless.
Review: The man, the myth, the groove magician: Beta 2 returns to Horizons with three more eternal heaters. "Manufacturism" rolls like its 1999 all over again with its restrained but ominous themes but latent sense of funk, "Voices In The Sky" stays in a similar era with its dark rainbow of basses that interplay and swirl around a precision break and classic humanised chords and "Sans Swing" is the grimiest piece in the puzzle with its Dispatch-style distorted, shapeshifting lava bassline and rolling heads-down drums. Supreme quality as always from both Beta 2 and Horizons.
Review: Following their divisive rock-spiked slammer on Hospital earlier this year, Need For Mirrors and Reprazents' Onallee collide once again for something a lot more consistent with their previous output; the ice cold introspective space soul of "Dead Poets". Restrained and loaded with a mean drone, it's an instant keeper. As are "Virage" and "Tempora". The former is a slinky stepper laced in churchy echoed-out strings, the latter tricked out in stark safari sound design and big clouds of sci-fi funk. Superb.
Review: Renowned for their consistently dark, stark production power Amoss never cease to deliver. "Bumbaclart" pulverises from the off with its industrial strength kick drums and droning, warped riff. Rising with uncompromised menace, it's like an orchestra of steam-powered machines, slamming and drilling in perfect harmony. "Dilate" is a much more brooding affair. Lolloping on a slimy halfstep laced with a series of processed croaks and slurs, if you're looking to prang out your floor, this guarantees chaos.
Review: Tag-team dynamite, Villem and Phase follow up their Metalheadz EP last year with this heavyweight three-tracker on Horizons. "Uno" says it all... A droning, scuzzy bassline flexes up and down over brisk rolling breaks while some beautiful ambient pads creep in from the background, "In Search Of" takes us much deeper down the rabbit hole with a shark-like tech bassline and ghostly vocals. Finally "Tell Me" seals the deal on a springy jungle fix, complete with a breakdown sent direct, recorded delivery, from heaven. Immaculate.
Review: Fresh from his recent Metalheadz muscle flexing, Tangent makes his Horizons debut with three slabs of restrained, rolling dynamite. "Have Faith" hits with a similar air as Artificial Intelligence thanks to the ethereal vocal and its placement in the mix. "Crestfallen" is a real slinker of a tune, all slippery and jittery and coated with a downpitched vocal while "Procrastinateur" makes an art of our time-wasting thanks to its oceanic pads, keys and spacey textures. Stunning.
Review: His third proper studio album, Corners comes barely a year after Naibu's self-finding musical odyssey Case Study. Here we find him back on the roots; gently layering the traditional elements and tones with two eyes firmly on the winning formula. The breathy soulful yearns on opener "Corners", the glitchy machine percussion and deep sea sustains on "Help Computer", the lullaby-like vocal lilts and gentle instrumentation of "Heartgold", the soft harmonies and purring vocals on "No Return". This is Naibu at his most stripped back and focused. Ageless drum & bass soul.
Review: Three years have passed since Horizon last rallied up the troops and embarked on a dead-night brain-burgling Dreamthief parade. As always it's an all-star cast with the likes of Amoss, Break, Naibu, Digital, Mikal, Mako, Need For Mirrors and many more cooking up some of their starkest, uncompromised and innovative cuts: the tight conga hypnosis of Breaks "Headway", the turbo piano rolls of Invaderz "Dukes Drift", the sublime cinematic jazz soul of Hydro & War's "Jam", the cascading, twinkling textures of Naibu's "Time Out", the neck-snap amen mechanica of Digital's "Spark Cut"... If this is the soundtrack to our innermost stories being syphoned from our heads at our most vulnerable sleeping states then sign us up and take the lot. Sweet dreams of thieved of this.
Review: Zero T and Steo: collaborations don't come any more soulful in D&B than this. Steo's delicate vocals complement Zero's cushion-like keys and soft sub bass. Restrained and understated - at a time of ballistic bangers, it's the perfect anti-anthem. Ever one to tell a deeper story, Zero T follows it up with an iced-out Krust-leve burner that slowly evolves from dark to light and back again with grace. Finally "Overdue" winds us up with a perfectly tuned drum set, a unique roomy halftime arrangement and basses so unforgiving you'll need a new wardrobe by the end of the night. Sweet dreams.
Review: Currently colouring 2016 a cool soulful blue with Bcee as Vanguard Project, Villem returns to work with his old sparring partner Mccloed with three fresh pieces of restrained-but-raffish drum & bass jungle. "Wonderful" hums with a human touch before a wasp nest bassline buzzes into action, "Spiritual Value" raises the groove currency with a sub/lead bass Q&A, drifting choral textures and an arpeggio that lures you in without realising. Finally "Mystic Ritual" closes the show with a delicate jazz chord structure and a tightly rolled break. Drop at the right time and watch the floor melt. Beautiful.
Review: He might have one of the most unGoogleable names in D&B history, but that really is about the only slightly critical thing you can say about Manchester-based artist Release. With tracks across a wide range of trustworthy and innovative labels (DSC14, Switch, Proximity, Viper, Celsius) here he returns to Horizons with four more superlative sonic spells: "King Stays" is a piano-pressing stepper that starts off Technimatic but drops into some much more NFM. "Make Me Feel" oozes dreamy soul with its wah wah rippled intro and deep techy pay-off while "Giving Up" takes us much deeper into his range with big splashing cymbals and icy Total Science style synths. Finally "Iron Hand" is a straight up drumfunk cut that will leave you punch drunk. How do feel you about this?
Review: London's Need For Mirrors (aka Joe Moses), like to boldly go (within DnB) where no man has gone before. Ok, well maybe some have, but not many like to get as deep and considered these days. Here though we get four forward-looking slices of cerebral, but still beat led, tunes. "Wow" starts things with brooding clouds gathering before dreamy and soulful beats and melodies flower up, "Down Time" is both speedy and chilled at the same time, whilst "LVRS" is like a sub aquatic DnB romance. Lastly "Curve" wraps things up with some moody, percolating funk. So hot it's cool.
Review: Hailing from Sao Paolo, Brazil, Luciano Nitri is a producer with a different, some say deeper, take on DnB that's propelled him to the top of respected DJs' playlists everywhere. Here he presents "Enough's Enough", an EP packed with four of his unique cuts. The title track is a genre-melting dark synth grinder, with trap influenced beats and a grime-style flow from DRS. Elsewhere "Poltergeist" is haunted tropical dub, "Torment" is aerodynamic, snake-like DnB jaunt and lastly "Ghostz" sticks with the lively beats, buts tonnes of super creepy atmospherics.
Review: Heist's beastmode is still in full effect as he continues to bombard the scene with versatility vibes. "Rejected Love" shows him at his deepest side with a measured halftime arrangement and pads that come straight from his time lurking in the studio with Goldie. "Charybdis" lives up to its mythical monster title with its crunching textures, crushing drums and crucial robo-funk. Finally "Soul Food" sparkles with so much liquid majesty and dream-laced space it could make Bcee or Makoto blush. Each style smashed with skillish charm; blinkered subgenre purists take a leaf out of Heist's book, please.
Review: Long standing Bristol repper Hydro continues his thirst-quenching sub assault with three shadowy collaborative rollers. Drenched in mood, "Film Noir" is as smoky as a stressed out Sam Spade. "Mistrust" cuts through the haze with steppier, pneumatic beats that perforate the iced out pads in the background. Finally "Ephemeral" is all sub, kicks and rattling snares. The louder you play it, the better it gets.
Review: Now officially a solo act, NFM continues his consistent slew of heads-down rollers. Returning to Horizons, here we find Joe Moses on fine form with three far-reaching bass escapades. "Curtains" (penned with Concord Dawn) rolls with a filter chord sequence that fluctuates softly and soulfully while "Chandelier" is an example of NFM's lean fusion of jungle drums and unnerving bass adorned with warm Detroit-style synth tones. Finally we hit "Monument", a sleazy swinger with a jazz bassline and woozy, dreamy chords that wouldn't have gone amiss on Full Cycle back around 97 or 98. Beautiful.
Review: Digital returns to Horizons for the second time in 2014 with a fresh EP of deep, dark explorations. "Deathwish" kicks things off with deep, dubby sounds pared back to a half-time tempo halfstep, while "My World" changes track, taking things in a sweeping, almost uplifting direction, very liquid but still with that Digital edge. "Damage" sees Outrage joining Digital in the studio for some dangerous break chopping and old school synth work, providing the EP's most dancefloor-driven track. "Joker" sees Spirit bust in for the collaboration, blending acid synths, frantic syncopations and dubby echoes over a solid backbone of bass. Last but not least, "Cold Case" takes things dark and minimal, with recorded samples, unorthodox percussion and an edgy atmosphere that leaves an uneasy feeling in the air long after it's over. Solid, experimental D&B from one of the best.
Review: Whether you've been following the artistry of Horizons Music's endless supply of incredible artists for years or you're new to its way of running things, this selection of the freshest 2014 cuts is going to float your boat. Featuring lush tones from Calibre and Grimm, pared-back ferocity from Digital and huge underground anthems like "Nevada Ghost" and "Half Truth" coming from Cern and Overlook and need For Mirrors, Dabs and HLC, it's hard to believe this much came from just 12 months. Not only that, but it emanated from just one label powerhouse. Horizons, we salute you.
Review: If your immediate reaction to the news that Horizons have released a 17-track behemoth to celebrate their tenth year in existence wasn't total joy and amazement, you might not have a pulse. As a heavyweight label at the centre of the darker end of the scene, this LP has attracted mainstay names to come and show support, resulting in the most enviable roll call of the year. Kicking off with Break, artists as diverse and as legendary as Mako & Hydro, DLR, Need For Mirrors, Skitty and NickBee all come forth to spread the deep, dark, and at times industrial, love.
Review: Since making their debut on Dispatch Survival and Script have gone on to genuinely scar the D&B landscape with their unforgiving, unrelenting dynamics. "Palermo" is the latest chapter in this next-level narrative; all bendy bass that groans and moans with disturbing demonic textures, it's one for the latest of hours. "Over Easy" is a little deeper as the bass sits back a touch and allows the crisp drums to take up a little more of the spotlight. Finally we hit "Screen Test", the most subversive track of this razor-sharp trio, the drums switch and step with pristine precision while another demonic bass message makes itself clear. Massive.
Review: If you get the tummy butterflies when you see Horizon's name mentioned, then you're in for a stunner. As per usual, Cern and Overlook call in all their special favours to bring a two-parter worthy of Noah's Ballroom. "Nevada Ghost" is stunning; dripping with atmosphere it sweats out the darkest bass only these two could concoct, bringing with it devastating beats that could rock Fort Punta Christo to rubble. "Decoy" brings more of the same pain, but darker and more stealthily. Sleazing its way into your psyche, it's a cold-blooded killer created just because they can.
Review: We're only waist deep into 2014 but we'll say this: NFM's proliferation this year deserves some serious medals. Not because of quantity. Not because they've appeared on such a wide range of well-respected labels. But because the quality is of an unnerving consistency that there are rumours Joe and Emilio are actually Terminator-like machines. Each of the five cuts on offer here are perfect examples: from the pneumatic steps and throaty gurgles of "Oscillator 3" to the matchless warped wobbles of "She" to the seat-of-pants speedway sub rumbles of the decade-bounding "Pedestrian" , this is the duo at their most demonstratively sharp, timeless and produced with pristine roughness. We'd complete this "Food" salute with a gambit about the entire EP being tasty, but D&B like this commands so much more than silly word play. Unarguably essential.
Review: Delivered on Horizons' Dreamthief 4 album last year, the original version of "Bleed It" punched with a sharp pneumatic step riddim. Stepping up with a cheeky variation-in-production twist, Amoss have completely switched the drum dynamics to a darker, more pensive halfstep hybrid (the likes of which you'd usually find on an Om Unit or Sam Binga track) that allows MC JC's delivery to really cut through. "Calokan", meanwhile, is a darker, heavier cut. With unrelenting, Phace-style beats and nuances of neuro in the heady bass textures, it's an industrial strength cut that will freeze any floor in its tracks. Bleeding awesome!
Review: Ah Break... Will you ever cease to deliver genuinely unique grooves that echo with all corners, shades and styles of D&B? We truly hope not. "Moving On" instantly slaps with its distinctive snare rolls and fuzzy purring bassline. The second those trumpets, flutes and soft key dustings ooze gracefully into the mix, you're putty in Break's hands. "On The Off" shows the Bristol producer's darker command as we grind and grimace to an ugly, jaunty off-beat bassline and another solid set of perfectly produced drums. Naturally both kill it. You won't be moving on from these for a long, long time.
Review: The cleanest, clearest way to destroy the dance, plain and simple. Rocking in harder and darker than anything else on the market right now, Horizons have played a blinder picking up Dabs' latest - has he ever steered us wrong? "Stentah" takes MC Kwality's hypnotic vocals and weaves them on, around and under tribal drums so crispy they'll bring the house down anywhere. Play this out loud and often - the world needs it. On the other side, "Half Truth" also features the production talents of HLZ and Need For Mirrors, rolling rapid and smooth, glistening and fluid like liquid mercury. A seriously high quality release, get both in your repertoire, they'll be requested all summer.
Review: 2014 seems to be serving long standing D&B producer Steve 'Digital' Carr very well so far, with the "Mini Cooper" contribution to the fourth Platinum Breakz compilation from Metalheadz complemented by a release for the Rupture label and now this debut for Horizons! It's not hard to see why "Figjam" is the lead track here with a knee shattering combination of razor sharp reeeses, crisp amens and heavy basslines making it a contender for moody anthem of 2014. Don't sleep on the B-side though, as Digital drops a sly 23rd century stepper with hints of Detroit hi-tech jazz on "Waiting", whilst "Therapy" weighs in with a more dub-focused sound that will appeal to fans of dBridge.
Review: Survival and Script inaugurate their new low end driven D&B project Scar with this killer two track transmission for Horizons Music. Lead track "Fair Game" demonstrates Survival and Script operate in perfect studio harmony, focusing on a tight rolling sound that squeezes new forms out of a bass line and will make any dancefloor stand to attention! Whilst it has dark undertones, "Fair Game" sounds positively summery in comparison to what Scar are holding back for afters. Horizons state "Later" sounds industrial in its execution, and it's easy to see why, with a tangible sense of weight and grinding metallic tones to the arrangement that sounds overwhelming enough on headphones - just imagine the punishment it can do on a Funktion One!
Review: No self-respecting drum & bass fan passes up a new Calibre remix and this one is a doozy. Kicking off with Nitri's original "Going To The Sun" featuring the unmistakably smooth and sultry vocal talents of Grimm, things get deep and classy for the velvety depths of "Lies" and then a perfect instrumental mix of techy masterpiece "Going To The Sun" picks out the subtle melody in the bass. Of course the heads don't need us to tell them to pick this tune up - they'll have been waiting for it already. So what are you waiting for?
Review: Taking Brazillian funk and European sharpness and fusing the two, Nitri returns to Horizons Music with the type of release that brings the night crawlers out of hiding. Deeper and darker than ever, he's gone in on a bassline and quirky, bone-chilling vocals to create a tune already used as part of every good dancefloor's staple diet. The instrumental version is ideal for when things get murky on "Strange Side", an oddball throw-down of scattered beats tumbling into gargantuan bassy caverns. Put the two together and you've got another instant classic from one of D&B's most consistent labels.
Review: Bringing their Zoltar sound back to Horizons alongside ex-partner in crime HLZ for this particularly dark slice of D&B, NFM continue to step up. Starting as they mean to go on, "Rotor" is a cold techy stepper that pushes minimal to breaking point with humming basic bass and the whirr of a lonely hi-hat. "Pantheon" plays far more to the dancefloor, with a heavy stomping beat and addictive-as-hell bassline. "Actress" is a deep and raging old-school roller that plunges through creepy atmospherics and final track "Broadwalk" is the payoff for all the upfront skanking crew junkies who will forever lust after a classic NFM bassline. Don't worry - it's all here for you. Take a hit.
Review: We probably don't need to convince you of the quality of this LP, since Horizons have been calmly showing everyone how things should be done with their Dreamthief series since 2008. Pitching together to create one mindblowing collection of tunes, the likes of Gremlinz, Nitri & Release, Need For Mirrors, NickBee and Utopia Music's own Mako bring the vibes in strong. Need we go on? Not really. Should you buy this album? Almost definitely.
Review: Brazilian producer and prolific tune-making machine Nitri has been busy again - what's new? - creating an EP for Horizons which bridges the gap between sweet, musical, jazz-influenced drum & bass from the beautiful South American coast and dark, stepping rhythms that belong somewhere far colder. Featuring the soulful vocal talents of Canada's own Grimm and a heady, break-fuelled remix from Dispatch regular DLR, this EP isn't your usual collection of liquid rollers. Representing the finest in the current sounds of Brazil, this is fresh from the ever-changing scene of Sao Paulo direct to your system - you can't say fairer than that.
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