Review: Belgian b-boy J Nomad makes his debut on Vandal with four tracks of break-busted mischief. "Diamonds" sets the scene with a bumping 160 juke-style stepper laced with sweet femme vox that wouldn't go amiss on Astrophonica, "Bounce" is your classic low rider that springs with a ghettotech edge balanced perfectly by sweeping blissful synths, "Bring Me Down" shows Nomad's sensitive side with soulful chords and sudden drops into slinky halftime while "Chrome Hydraulics" brings home the bacon on a venomous halftime vibe, all dark warps and twisted jungle elements. Diamonds are forever.
Review: It's safe to say that the Vandal LTD founders: SKS & Redeyes have certainly done themselves proud on this one as the label brings us the goliath Grand Royal LP. This selection is fantastic, incorporating everything from experimental hip hop to juke to the furthest borders drum & bass can find classification. The whole project just breathes originality, particularly on tracks such as 'Explicit' by NGHT DRPS, which is a very creative half time jungle roller. Another pair of instant favourites are Alerstorm's 'Bak' and 'Zero Caliber' from Balatron, both of which ooze electronic creativity and sound design prowess. This compilation is a phenomenal body of work from start to finish.
Review: Kabuki might not release beats as prolifically as he used to. But when he does, it's always worth paying attention. Here we find him on key French leftfield jungle imprint Vandal with a range of tempos and perspectives; "Mad" is a sludgy 150 jam with trappist tendencies while "Bounce" is the bites with a rolling ghetto attitude before dropping into the sweetest synths of your dreams. Deeper again we hit the barbed harmonics of Fox on the cosmic beat trip "Change" and conclude with the slimy-walled cave delving dub sojourn "Magic". Four tips, one crucial release.
Review: France's Vandal Ltd are never limited to one genre or style, that's just not the way they operate. Instead, they like to experiment across all corners of the bass spectrum and, from tripped-out d&b to militant dubstep, they always seem to call the shots. This right here is the third instalment of the Grand Royal series, and the cast is clearly up for causing a bit of damage through the lower end of the hertz range. Our picks from the bunch are Signs' gnarly bass stepper "Bluntwraps", Hast's neo-grime escapade called "Badder Than Dem", and Stayhigh's closing tune "Don't Leave Me", a futuristic jungle bullet wrapped in an r&b flow. Another fine Vandal release.
Review: French D&B finesse: Vandal update their "All Cities" series with another sweet set of international groove luxury. Soul:Motion leads the charge with a roll-out of liquid twinkles. He's instantly contrasted and complemented by Joakuim who lays down a dangerously sharp stepper that recalls the most formative days of proto D&B. Digging deeper and we strike amen gold with Tim Reaper's "My Own Flying Island". Rolling at a slower 160, it's an emphatic headnod to the legacy left by Moving Shadow and the drum-sample science of artists like Paradox. Ending this spotless collection on a trippy jazzy flex, Austria's Protone and Roygreen give us "Laser Cats"; a sexy, spaced-out groove that's powered by the wonkiest triplet you'll ever hear, it will instantly whisk your floor to a faraway dreamlike state where both lasers and cats couldn't be further from your mind if they tried.
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