Review: Jaydan puts on the charm for this beautiful two-tracker on his Smokin Riddims imprint. Showing off his sensitive, emotional side, both cuts here rumble with grace and effortless cosmic vibes. 'Sacrifice' rolls out with a glistening star-lit arpeggio and deep yearning, soul-searching vocal while 'Mainframe' takes us deeper into dancefloor territory while still retaining a sense of emotional pull thanks to the breathy vocals and a super euphoric breakdown. Jaydan, the man who definitely can!
Review: Keeping us close to the ground at all times, Gravit-E's force is strong with the 'AI Power' EP. Wobbly, trippy and sleek, the title track is every bit as rousing as a Dall-E generated picture of an all-night naked party. It's in good company... 'It's About You' takes inspiration from your weird, dysfunctional way of life to create its off-kilter groove while 'Falling' (with Lovell) closes the EP with dreamy chords and a far-away vibe before hurling us deep into the stinker pit with its strange disarming bassline. Power to the people
Review: Lurking in shadows, ready to pounce, Jaydan strikes hard once again. 'Creeper' is your classic Smokin Riddims number; stripped back to the bare bones, loaded with a venomous bassline and topped with stern vocal dynamic from one of Manchester's most versatile talents - Diligent Fingers. It's backed by more dark energy as 'Anger' follows. Tense, sweeping and laced with danger, Jaydan hits the bullseye once again. Only sleepers miss this 'Creeper'.
Review: Jaydan has become firmly entrenched within the new school of jump-up, his dirty tones being present at raves up and down the UK as well as across the channel. This is the first instalment in a new EP series and it shows off his credentials properly, as he's roped in T>I, Serial KIllaz and more for a remix-heavy release. We especially love the T>I remix of 'Dark World', which is just pure attitude encapsulated in a 170 beat and some basses. 'Jaydan himself smashes it on his own remix of 'Outlaw', in a pummelling number that honestly doesn't seem like it gives any fucks. Banging stuff.
Review: Ever liked the flavour of some D&B so much you wanted to lick it? Well, now you can, with Smuggler's Smuggler & Friends EP. You can't actually lick it but you'll certainly like it, as Smuggler has gone for a classic rough sounding approach that seriously lends itself to some underground listening. Just check out 'Children of the Night', with a classic sample you'll instantly recognise and a bassline that'll shudder your bones, it's a neat exemplification of the rip-roaring approach that's been attempted here. The other tunes don't disappoint either, with a sick feature from Dani G on 'Selecta Tune'. Naughty stuff.
Review: Disgusting scenes from rising gnarl-master Enta as he makes his debut on Jaydan's Smokin Riddims; "Eediat" calls out the buffoons with a laser bassline that's strong enough to slice planets in two, breakneck beats and a roughhouse vocal sample. "How It Feels" shows Enta's deeper, more soulful side with a soaring, breathy vocal and dreamy piano-strokes. Talk about making an entrance...
Review: Smokin' Riddims long success can be linked to Jaydan's keen ear for balanced tracks, every track cuts a fine balance between, noisy, bouncing, rough and rolling and that means great dancefloor music. This new EP is a collection of co-labs, three of which are with the main man himself. 'Rubbish' is anything but, the aggressive track uses swaths and a stabbing bass to create an intense atmosphere. 'Good A Dead' uses jungle breakdowns in-between more modern drum patterns with grinding metallics and shadowy pads. '2049's rumbling bassline is the star of the EP.
Review: Hide your nudes! Aesthetics is out for revenge and it looks like he won't hold back on the punishment. "Out For Revenge" is a real rasping bass riff cut that maintains momentum until the momentarily floaty breakdown. "Assassins" shoots even harder with its sweeping growling bass while "Badboy Dubplate" strips us down with a Lynx-style focus and sense of groove (watch out for those amens midway, they'll take your head off) Finally we end with "Feels So". Rising and rising with a white knuckle build the Smokin Riddims mainstay hurls us into another brilliantly minimal drop where singular bass grunts and clever percussion sweep us off our feet.
Review: Yet another exciting name to add to Sao Paulo's seemingly endless supply of slick, sick drum & bass, Odbass follow up their Liquid Brilliants debut with two more on-point barbed soul jams: "Nebula" utilises a classic prog vocal with revolutionary effects as the stuttering bass licks and slaps with slight nuances of original early 2000s neuro. "I Confess" continues the timeless feel with a bass hook that's straight out of the mid 2000s Playaz play book - gritty, hard hitting and infectious - and a vocal that trembles with a Kosheen-style delicacy. Precision skills.
Review: Having topped and tailed 2016 with heavyweight EPs from Raz, Smokin' sparks up a new year with Raz once more. And this time he's rolling with the CEO. Together the two fuse a unique blend between traditional D&B and the contemporary European jump up sound with winsome results: "Hard" is all lazers and stabs while "Face Off" is more of a classical - almost Bristolian - Q&A bass riff with a skin-tugging spoken word sample. Face the music.
Review: According to dictionaries to envenom someone is to bite them or infect them with a poison. According to junglists, meanwhile, to Envenom someone is to hit them hard with the gulliest possible jump-up cuts and not stop until they've kicked two massive dents in the floor. Following high profile releases on the likes of Calypso and Multi Function this year we find him smashing down the doors of Smokin Riddims with two more jugular-aimed riff-heavy cuts. "On My Way" balances a sci-fi atmosphere with grunted staccato bass hits while "Run" thrusts with a riff that can cut through solid concrete. Infectious.
Review: He may have been around for well over five years but Klay's mania will never fail to spin us out. Imagine the devil-may-care rhythmic maths of Billain fused with the riff sensibility of Twisted Individual and you're on the right track... "Down The Spine" is all about the pranged out detuned riff, "Passive Aggressive" subverts the concept of triplets in a really strange way while "Bubbles" takes the crown as the most out-there track of the set with its minimal construction, alien voice processing and wonked out funk. Finally "Air" flips every switch in your house, brain and street with a really cosmic, clean roll-out that genuinely glimmers... Five years deep but still keeping us on our toes, too.
Review: Fresh from mopping up at the Drum & Bass Awards, Voltage lets rip with a VIP of one of his many past conquests.... Release late 2014, "Float Ya Boat" was a staple for many DJs with its tingling harmonic tones and simple-but-deadly bassline. VIP-wise he adds a little melodic complexity and punch in the drums while retaining the breezy rolls we all fell in love with. "Lose Life" is Voltage reminding us of his darker side with its distorted, grunting riff and heads-down mentality. Life-affirming.
Review: Building on the momentum of his comeback EP "Back On The Edge" earlier this year, Shifta returns with four more angular hurters. "Rubber Grip" takes us into the future with its techy bass texture, jumpy riff and sharp splashes of amen slappage while "Don't Move" takes us back in time to V's prime when Krust and Die dished out history-making workouts. "Going Down" continues the energetic tech-toned funk while "Leviathan" strip teases down to its flick knife two-step and 97-style paranoid drone bass. Clearly Shifta doesn't just have history, but he knows how to use it, too.
Review: Hey 90s gamers! Stop blowing into your cartridges and level up with "Level Up", a stupendously fun homage to original arcade adventures. Without getting too deep into nostalgia or novelty, Samy's having ball here... And so should you. Next up: "Forged Steel", another expertly executed party piece with a tubular bassline wider than the channel tunnel. Both cuts representing Nicks at a whole new level, this one's buy-on-sight.
Review: Usually when someone invites us into their "Nightmare World" we'd usually decline. Not because of the nightmares but because it's scientifically proven that people talking about their dreams is the most boring thing ever. Jaydan is the exception to the rule; every tale he tells is barbed and loaded with suspense. This new four tracker is no exception. From the grizzly, bet-wetting bass and slight tripletty swing of "Scary Movie" right the way through the Public Enemy homage "1983", Jaydan's dreamtalk is better than most people's realtalk.
Review: Razor-sharp Scottish steppery: Upfront and Aesthetics strip back the unnecessaries for two straight-up rolling damagers. "Gully" is reminiscent of Origin Unknown's mid 90s output with its crisp two-step, marshmallow subs and well placed (possibly Predator?) vocal sample. Keeping the mid 90s two-step vibe alive, "Nostromo" purrs a little softer with benign chemtrails of "Pulp Fiction" and a name that comes from Alien. Cool tracks and some nerdy film references... Upfront & Aesthetics know us all too well.
Review: Jaydan's label comes correct with its first ever multi-artist album featuring some its most exciting artists and affiliate and a widescreen snapshot of where both Smokin Riddims and underground D&B in general is at right now. Highlights include the Mind Vortex style electricity of Shifta's "Deadfall" Leaf's skippy, twisted roller "Dis Style" and the abyss-level sub bass depth plunges on Upfront & Aesthetics' "Touch" but that's just a small selection of what's on offer here. Jaydan doesn't do things by halves, Serious Selection is proof that lives up to its name.
Review: Despite producing under the name DJ Limited, Norwich bad man Billy Smith has proved himself to be anything but that, with a strong line of releases dating back to last November which have seen him work with Biological Beats and Life Recordings. Next up is the Bass 12 EP for Jaydan's long-running Smokin Riddims label which comes with the all-important DJ Hype seal of approval. Both "Badman Champion" and "The Sound" have got an airing on the Hype man's legendary Kiss FM show of late, but you can forsee the whole EP nicing up the dance for months to come.
Review: Last spotted on Smokin Riddims around 2009, Shifta returns from a lengthy swim in the dubstep seas with a five track reminder off his on-point D&B production skills. All in-fitting with Jaydan's Smokin remit, each cut tickles the jump-up underbelly without being too over the top or crude. "Prefrontal Cortex" goes for an old rolling Ram Trilogy vibe, "Baby Got Back" stabs with punctured strings and a Playaz level bassline, "Changing Worlds" is a darker, more ominous roller while "Back On The Edge" is straight up Original Sin-level slappage. Finally "Bring Some Lovin'" brings us back down to earth softly with soulful vocals, gentle string plucks and soft focus hazy horns. Welcome back Shifta!
Review: Up-and-coming UK drum & bass artist Raz comes correct with his Smokin Riddims debut. From the moment the swooning strings and Simonesque vocal on "No Grudges" ignite you know you're onto something special. Dig deeper for percussive mischief ("Strictly Drums"), angular teeth-baring jump up ("Lose It") yearning, space-age vocal steppery ("A Reason") and emotion piano tickling ("Bitter Love") Few EPs cover D&B's wide-ranging remit quite so consistently than this; something tells us Raz has a big 2016 ahead of him...
Review: He may only release, on average, an EP a year, but you can always rely on Scottish artist Aesthetics for premium all-corner escapades. Often grizzly and unruly, always fine-tuned for floor flattening, each cut hits harder than a judge with a titanium hammer. "Ghetto Shit" is all about the Tyke-flavoured bass, "Soundman" is all about the classic mid 90s Headz vibe while "Night" is all about the similar era on Goodlooking. "Honeycomb" maintains the classic dynamics with overwhelming sub pressure, a surging vocal sample and classic breaks. Finally "Galaxy" brings us back to earth with a precision balance of reese charged bumps, softened by breezy, floaty pads.
Review: Scottish sonic sorcery: Upfront returns to Jaydan's Smokin Riddims with five more cross-section compositions. "Another Dimension" conjures up the ghosts of raves gone by with its planet-aligning pads, "Another Place" is a slice of cold soul that nods towards the work Artificial Intelligence have done with Steo, "Murder Squad VIP" sees him flipping is '14 Smokin Riddim anthem with even more menace, "Sic" takes the tech route with subtle alien-zapping neuro modulations on the low end while "Deep Intentions" closes the show with wafting pads and far-away vocals tied down by restrained growls. A comprehensive showcase.
Review: Smokin Riddims head honcho Jaydan celebrates 10 years of professional D&B privateering (and probably just as many years as a fan before that) with his long-awaited debut album. If you?ve followed Jaydan or his label for so much as a minute, you?ll know that this was never going to be a straight-up banger collection. Quite the contrary; it?s his own personal document that pays homage to every aspect of the multiflorous genre with nods to all areas: dark SS-style rollers (?Follow The Rules?), emotional soully rollers (?Dreams?), hurricane Technimatic-level amen assaults (?The Moment?) and all-out shredders (?Bad Juju?) all play a role in this widescreen love letter to the game in which he continues to help carve. Decade Of Industry? Decade of industrial strength awesomeness more like?
Review: Aside from having a name like a badass cowboy skiffle band, Smokin' Riddims happen to release some of the weirdest, wildest drum and bass out there for general consumption. Harder than your average dancefloor fodder, odder too, but with a definite nod towards a twisted sense of humour, Kent based Freek manipulates his sounds into anything he damn well pleases. That's what makes this EP so good. Work your way through and you'll lose that grin and start seeing the seriousness of the situation. He's going to take over the world. Not so funny now, is it?
Review: Jaydan is back to the grindstone again for another crack of the dancefloor whip, and the hardest working man in D&B is not letting up. Blasting to the fore with "Dark World", a bleaker, heavier sound emanates from the speakers, pushing more intensity than his usual dancefloor dashes. "Higher and Higher" is more like the man's usual dark-edged dancefloor filler, and "The Hard Way" begins with strings like a Hitchcock classic before launching into a full-on assault of bass and stepper beats. "Sensations" rounds off with a more technical approach, adding depth and weight to odd vintage film clips. Total smasher.
Review: Hungarian producer Klay breaks out his darkest nightmares from his hometown of budapest and this time he's been picked up by Jaydan's Smokin' Riddims label to inflict pain and confusion. "Get used To It" does exactly that, with a homewrecker of a bassline tearing straight through tight snares and minimal interruptions from b movie samples and nightmare-style sound effects. "String Theory" follows things up with sick and twisted synths and hard hitting beats, showing off this guy's talent for creating the most corrupt steppers out there right now. Proper darkness, none of your mockery stuff.
Review: Voltage has been settled in the Innerground fold for a few short months but already this new chap has had his beats snapped up for use in darker circles. Jaydan's Smokin Riddims has come to knock at his door, and who could resist that face? "Out Of This World" kicks off as the EP's namesake pummelling edgy diva vocals into wide open space, sweetening the deal with tech-stepper beats and dark synth bass. He brings more of that same razor-sharp ice coldness to the fore in "Float Ya Boat" and "Wild Animals", where hard-hitting jump-up beats break the cool calm exterior for some serious noise making. Finally he rounds off with "Bitch Don't Kill My Wobble", a ridiculous name for a Hammer Horror track complete with hammy drama and dark, mysterious interludes. Bring your flashlight!
Review: Featured on Haydan's Smokin' Riddim's podcast back in May, Edinburgh-based production powerhouse Upfront lives up to his name with an EP filled with shape-shifting, colour-changing d&b designed to move and abuse. After the wrecking effects of "Murder Squad" the release takes a spin down old-school avenue in the excellently-named "Bru Dub" with classic ragga sampling and scattered breaks laid out over darkly rumbling bass."Things You Do" picks up the vibe with an anthemic vocal and systematically drops into nowhere with the bare minimum of a backdrop to the clank and click of percussion and pulsating bass. "Feel So" is the EP's nod to neuro-tinged nastiness and finally "Skank Riddim" takes the lead on a jump-up track so perfectly honed it's like this comes easy to him. Mindblowingly diverse and accessible at the same time. Looks like the badmen have got some serious competition.
Review: Jaydan and Upfront are a monstrous partnership. Both highly skilled in the heavy, show-stopping jump up dynamics, the pair complement each other perfectly. "Mirrors" is a composition of true contrast as the floaty ravey synths give way to a crude, potty mouthed bass lick. "Blow Out" lives up to its name with a vicious midrange bass lead that swipes and swathes with undiluted menace and neat switch ups on the fills. Further on we hit "Empty Threats", a track that swings with more of a triplet flavour and a much darker, deeper bass texture that groans ominously over the funky drum dynamic. "Fear Nothing" finishes the set on a stark steppy note. Armed with yet another concrete-ripping bassline, the real action can be found amid the subby bubbles on the fills. Heavyweight.
Review: Scottish D&B rogue Aesthetics continues his good work on Jaydan's Smokin Riddims imprint with his most extensive release to date. Flexing from the madcap strings and triplet funk of "Villains" (think a modern day "Disco Dodo") to the darker, eerie vibes and hypnotic clicks and claps of "Old World" via the stark stabs and insanity-coded riff and pneumatic beats of "Kush", it showcases Aesthetics as a serious producer who understands the need for funk and character in productions. Complete with a running film noir theme, there's a great sense of fun and a consistency that's seldom found on D&B EPs. Essential.
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