Few record labels can claim to have changed the face of their respective scene. However, V Recordings, started in 1993 by Bryan Gee and Jumping Jack Frost, can confidently say that they have done just that. Never swayed by fashions, fads and sub-genre divisions, V Recordings has been a benchmark for quality since the very beginning, and have bought through artists such as Roni Size, Krust, Die, Dillinja, and most recently L-Side, Alibi and Sl8r.
Review: V Recordings slide into their 25th year with another Sao Paulo salute as Simplification returns to the label with four absolute stunners; "Analogy" is a pneumatic stepper with crisp punctuated drums and a vibe that nods to the "Untitled Horn" vibe. "Venus" continues the dark cosmic feels as fellow Sao Paulians L-Side join the moody, spacious fray. Elsewhere "Hold On" slips into something slower as we're shown how things are done with space-age 140 breaks while "Free Me" shuts us all down with a swaggering, riff buzzer, all electrified, waspish and devilishly funky. Hold tight.
Review: One of the US's finest D&B-minded MCs, NYC's T.R.A.C is a genuinely unique mic-man. Armed with the perfect balance of a rap style and a junglist flow, he understands the craft and has smashed it over the years with most of V's talented roster. Now comes his debut album and it's a work of art. Featuring the likes of Calibre, Submorphics, Lenzman, Random Movement, Serum and even CoOp dons Mark Mac and Daz-I-Cue, it's back to back vibes with an energy and spread as hyped as its rollcall. Highlights include the jazzy hip-hop bruk of "The Avenue", the Detroitian light-footed jazz-steps "Late Night Connection" and the smoked-out brushed drum breaks and lonely pianos and sudden soulful flashes of "The Making Of" but that's really the tip of the iceberg - this is a massive project.
Review: If you know anything about jungle and D&B, you'll know Boomah... Arguably one of the most distinctive vocals in the game, his harmonies are so warm and genuine they pretty much hug you as they fly out of the speakers. Here we find him at his most emphatic and eclectic, covering all bass bases in true style. Highlights include the sprightly summer roller "Spread A Little Love" the classic hardcore rave breaks "Forward Ever" and the gritty, metallic dubstep joint "Unstoppable", but to be honest this is best enjoyed as the full album it's written as: a shiny mirror reflecting the most exciting sounds of bass music's never-ending narrative.
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