Brighton-based Onyx Recordings is an up-and-coming drum and bass label which holds particular emphasis on the weightier and darker side of the spectrum. Established in 2017 by Chris Wickens, Jack Stimpson and Elliot Croft, the label has seen the bulk of its releases come out from 2020 onwards. Onyx have so far released tracks from artists including: Manual DNB, Mofes, Kontakt, Thread, Jam Thieves, T95 and Enta.
Review: Winner of the Best Newcomer Label in the Drum&BassArena Awards last year, Onyx celebrate two years as a full legit label with this excellent 20 track retrospective collection featuring some of the most exciting and forward-thinking names in new-gen D&B. From Jam Thieves to Hoax, AC13 to T95, Trex to DJ Gaw, Invert Era to Lavance, the tracklist reads like the line-up of any contemporary D&B connoisseur's dreams and it sounds like one too. Highlights include Hoax & Skantia's electrifying 'Space Invaders', Invert Era's thundering 'LND' and Kontakt's sublime 'Shotcaller'. A great place to get up to speed or fill any gaps in your collection, Onyx deserve all the props they get right now.
Review: Onyx Recordings level up with their first artist album - 'Tokyo Nights' from one of their longest standing artists DJ Gaw. An interesting concept piece where all the tracks link or segue super smoothly into each other, it's one of those magic drum & bass albums that works perfectly at home while still kicking hard in the dance. Highlights come in all shapes, sizes, forms and flavours including the bulbous roller 'Kyoto Days', the sweet two-step delights of 'Feels Wrong' with A Little Sound and the devilishly stern and steppy 'Disillusion' with Madrush MC. These are just a handful of many highlights from this impressive and highly accomplished debut artist album. Big up DJ Gaw.
Review: Trex dusts off his shovel and tags in a whole team of Gs as they forage for gold in the grit. 'Undergrowth' is an instant treasure trove as Rider purrs over a stealthy but venomous bassline. Dig deeper: 'Scene' gets the oil drill out and strikes thick gooey bassline gold while 'Need U' goes fracking and pipes up an icy, shivering, breezy heads-down showdown. Deeper again: 'Answers' takes us to the core as heavyweights Teej and Pastry Maker join Trex to answer any queries you might have about the subterranean world while T>I rolls out the bulldozer for a final forage as he twists up 'Scene' into a high voltage excavation. Can you dig it?
Review: Take your head out of the stars and keep your focus on the critters; aliens are heading your way and Hoax has the ultimate battle plan. 'Space Invaders' is a straight-fire shoot-em-up with its rising riff cascading up and up like rifle fire. 'Pyramids' gives you something to hide behind as they return fire. Robust and rolling, it provides ample coverage. 'Big Up' is the ultimate return fire with its obscene bassline bending and lolloping all over the spacious breaks before Skantia comes in and cleans up the situation with his remix of 'Space Invaders', a track that doesn't just wipe out alien invaders but most planets in a 50 million light year radius. Big up indeed.
