Review: Liquid Lab bring the soulful science into our lives once again with this crucial remix collection featuring an all-star cast of talented musicians and vibe maestros. Flaco takes things super deep with his twist on 'Blackeye' while Intrigue's Ben Soundscape gets us swinging our pants with his pristine breaks and big double bass action on 'All That Jazz'. Elsewhere Zar goes super deep and poignant with his take on 'Music Takes Control' and 'Chug' brings the EP to a dreamy finish with their take on 'Lose Control'. Cosmic.
Review: Forever keeping us on our toes, Oz returns with a juicy barbed soul curveball in the form of 'Troubled Mind'. Four tracks, each one delving deep into our emotional sides and tugging on the heart strings, vibes range from the dusty jazzy subtleties of 'Windy Roads' to the more cosmic, space-bound springs and steps of 'Tonight'. Elsewhere the title track rumbles with a funky, slinky darkness while 'Stand Your Ground' finishes on a windswept hypnotic one. Think old Spectra and you're bowling in the right alley.
Review: Kumo mashes up the maths for this wide-armed serving of D&B that covers right across the spectrum. 'Numbers' is all about the dreamy, cosmic side of the game. Think Toyko Prose but if he came up the unforgiving north east UK and not lovely sunny Australia. Deeper into the EP we glide to find more gold... 'Voices' is a rumbling slab of dark funk, all haunted vocal textures and rampant, funky elements while 'Future With You' sees Kumo linking with TomInTheChamber for a beautiful vocal-led lighter-raising moment. Finally 'Broken Trust' brings the EP to a startling, futuristic halt thanks to its high voltage textures and sci-fi sheen. Forget the numbers, this beats all odds.
Review: Ben Soundscape is superb at crafting rolling beats, sounds which straddle the spectrum between tough and softer tones. He does that on his own Intrigue Music label and he's doing it on Liquid Lab as well, as his Bronx Jazz EP takes the sample-based history of New York and blends it with the European liquid tradition. We especially love 'Get It All', which frolics along on the basis of a spinning, twisting bassline that's full of character and enjoyment. The title track is classic lounging stuff, with a charming double bass bassline and nonchalant sample touches to lift things up along the way. Beautiful work.
Review: Liquid Lab are coming into your ears once again with more lovely music, this time it's with Motiv, who has been in the game to know how to craft a proper liquid number. All five tracks on this EP rest comfortably within the funkier, more atmospheric end of the liquid spectrum, and they make ideal late night or early morning listening. The title tune is quintessential, with bubbling celestial synth lines that rest gingerly alongside a wonderfully subtle, rolling bassline that strolls along with the serious grace and decorum. 'On the Verge' features up and comer Charla Green on vocals and it has a main piano riff that's just superb in its soulfulness, a common and tangible theme throughout this release. Lovely stuff.
Review: Marvel Cinema is your archetypal underappreciated liquid D&B producer, in the mould of Furney, Lurch and others. His tracks always manage to emanate warmth, purpose and precision with their top-quality melodies and forward-thinking production, qualities which certainly aren't absent from his Console EP. Three slices of liquid ingenuity and characterised by an elegant simplicity, 'Oceanographic' is deceptive in that its apparent lightness is quickly contradicted by a forceful back end. 'Escape' is the other standout, a funky piano riff sitting beautifully over a rolling bassline and skippy drums. Lovely stuff.
Review: Heist is showing he can do it all and staying true to his name across five sumptuously deep rollers that will tickle the itch of any liquid head who likes things sophisticated. It's Liquid Lab, after all, and the standards are high. 'Watermelon Girl' is top quality, with gorgeously warm instrumentation that provides a backdrop of instrumentation to the soulful vocal sample and delightfully crisp drum work. It's a subtle track with oodles of character. 'End Game' is light as can be, with a touchin, rolling bassline that morphs into a wobbling sub bass, whilst 'Back To Hers' is more of the ethereal style we've come to expect from Liquid Lab. Gorgeous.
Review: Liquid Lab are one of the best destinations to get your funky fix and yet again they show us why. This time it's courtesy of Zar, who, with an expert touch, takes jazzy notes and stretches them out over 170. The title is apt therefore, and 'Rosa' is arguably the funkiest, with an arrangement of pure movement in its stabbing synth nodes. 'All That Jazz' lifts a lovely piano sample and lays it down over some drums, whilst 'Step Into' blends a myriad of yet more top notch sample work to the effect of a jazzy, liquid stroller. Lovely work here.
Review: Flaco is an old-hand on the liquid drum & bass tiller, with work on V Recordings and elsewhere, and this time he's on Heist and Benny Co-Lab's Liquid Lab label for a frollicking, soulful release that draws from the currents of classic liquid. Its title tune is the standout, as Fourier's vocal work provides the finishing flourish to a deft, well thought through arrangement that sees twinkling piano touches move through sparkling synth nodes and honest drums. 'Possession' is equally top class with its fluttering, 80s influences synth work, whilst 'Just In Time' packs the biggest bassline of the bunch, as it spasms and twirls through cyberspace in a manner reminiscent of FD. Truly lovely.
Review: Heist is landing on him and Benny Co-Lab's Liquid Lab Recordings, an offshoot of Co-Lab which seeks to push the lighter side of things. It's a mission they've more than accomplished over the years and Candlelit is next in a long line of releases from the pair. With this release Heist shows off his envious ability to move across subgenres, and all four of these tracks are dripping in soul. The title tune is the standout, as a frivolous piano riff dangles its haunches in sultry fashion, embedding a funkiness into the arrangement that's easier on the ears than a baby's laugh. 'Blue Thoughts' is lovely and deep, whilst 'Bootycall' stretches out into gorgeous synth wave territory. Wicked stuff.
Diligent Fingers, Jam & SKNGL - "Still Of The Night" - (4:59) 170 BPM
Review: Liquid Lab essentially do what their name would suggest: they make deep music that touches your soul. It's one of the best small liquid labels out there and it'd definitely be worth your time to check out their stuff, starting with this EP from Diligent Fingers. This release is certainly deep, the title track kicking you off with a lovely combination of funky jazz samples and more melancholic ambience. It's a trend that repeats itself over and over, especially on 'Slow Down', which has a gorgeous depth yet feels rooted right in the moment. 'Still of The Night' is the is all about the jazz vibes and it does this very nicely, stretching piano vocals out over a rolling beat.
Review: Atlantic Connection has been releasing liquid drum & bass for a very long time and has built up a concurrently extensive reputation for excellence. This is his first EP for a little while and its coming on Liquid Lab, and instead of the usually sample focused sound it's a tad deeper, a just that bit more on the electronic side of things. That's expressed in the title tune 'Hey Jenny Hey', which drops off into a bouncing array of low frequency energy in lovely style. We're also fans of the slightly heavier touches of 'Gravity' and the rolling funk of 'Something In My Soul'. Banging.
Review: Liquid Lab essentially do what their name would suggest: they make deep music that touches your soul. It's one of the best small liquid labels out there and it'd definitely be worth your time to check out their stuff, starting with this EP from Motiv. This release is certainly deep, the title track kicking you off with a lovely combination of funky jazz samples and more melancholic ambience. It's a trend that repeats itself over and over, especially on 'Clap Your Hands', which has a gorgeous depth yet feels rooted right in the moment. 'After Hours' is the is all about the jazz vibes and it does this very nicely, stretching piano cords out over a rolling beat.
Just One (feat Lady Soul & Diligent Fingers) - (5:07) 58 BPM
Review: Young Manchester groove weavers Channell & Zar lay down a seriously soulful sermon on Liquid Lab in the form of "Rare Groove Volume One". Four tracks in total, each one is laced with restraint yet high in vibe. "Breathe" opens with a big dreamy salvo, "Let You Know" is more subdued and heads-down while "Black Eye" is so packed with jazzy flourishes it wouldn't go amiss on Liquid V back in the day. Finally "Just One" rounds off the set with a mood that you could imagine Lenzman getting behind. Featuring feat Lady Soul & Diligent Fingers, there's a far-reaching sense of thoughtfulness and emphatic soul running throughout. Rare.
Review: Everyone loves a soft, swelling liquid EP right? Right? Maybe not, but we certainly do and Chug's efforts over on Liquid Lab definitely fall into that category. We don't know who Fat Pauly is, but we thank him, as his EP is four cuts of flowing, ebbing musicality spread over 170bpm. 'Dare to Dream' is, as the title would suggest, absolutely dreamy, with a nicely long introduction that flips into a funky, upbeat piano number that smacks of Random Movement or Marky. Things get stripped back but no less funky on 'Best Foot Forward', with Perez type drums and a melancholic sense of ambience that rolls right the way through the tune. Excellent stuff, we highly recommend this release.
Review: Everyone loves a soothing liquid roller. Well, maybe not everyone, but lots of people do and I guess that's who Shimah is playing to with this EP. A rolling, atmospheric journey through the horizon of 170bpm possibility, a wispy and ambience-infused frolicking of fun. 'Hide Away' is our favourite, with lovely arrangements of synths and deep, all-encompassing bassline that would sound wicked through a sound system. This release is deep, celestial and just generally really damn nice. Pick it up!
Review: Jeez! Straight off the back of his album, Heist flexes right back to his earliest jams "Philly Styler". It's every bit as restrained, jazzy and straight up cool as it was 15 years ago but now comes with a few wry updates. Heist himself goes first with beefed up elements in all the right places while retaining that slippery car chase through sleazy cities vibe the original had. Elsewhere US groove professor Random Movement kicks it up into the stars with a deep space funk feel and some expertly placed wobbles and pads. Finally Junior Cartel gives it a 2004 Liquid V sheen. Close your eyes and you could be at Movement. Styles.
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