In-Deed - "The Flavor" (original mix) - (5:31) 172 BPM
Review: Vandal's Modern Soul series of LPs has for a long time been a breeding ground for a wide variety of drum & bass, including formative tracks from Shield, Monty and others. This time around it's number five and the quality continues, kicking things off with a gorgeously light liquid number from Phase and Lameduza that brings old school vibes right to the forefront. Tech wizard Rizzle is known for his liquid depth too as 'Levitate' has a sumptuously mystical back end that falls and falls, whilst fellow minimal heads Invadhertz equally try their hand at wispy pads and far-off vocal samples. Monty makes an appearance, as does Amoss, SKS and Arcatype. A tour de-force.
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 vibe o'clock at Vandal HQ this season as they gracefully lay down a brand new Modern Soul collection from their nearest and dearest... And every track is a total gem. Shield provides the ultimate opener with the jaunty horn-hazed "Skippy" before a rainbow of softer, jazzier and deeper tones continue to assault our souls... Bossman Redeyes gets a breezy flip from erstwhile Headz running mate Lenzman on "What She Wants", veteran break sculpter Kabuki lets his hair down on the hip-hop jam "Home Run", Satl cosmicifies his step arrangement on the dreamy "Miss U", Monty brings some warm textured keys, Gerra & Stone add a little murk to GLXY while Arkiak cooks up some kicks that are wider and heavier than your house. And they're just some of the many highlights.
Review: Vandal's Modern Soul compendiums are now a summer essential. Writhing in the softer focus hazier feels of their family's output, it's a chance for guys who usually roll out, roll up instead. And no one's rolling looser than the fast-rising Shield who's "Skippy Vinyl" is a horn-squeezing, day dreaming neo soul, bottom-heavy jam of the highest order. Lenzman, meanwhile, adds a little Dutch magic to "What She Wants" by re-focusing the vocal and adding a little more weight behind the harmonies. Good for the soul.
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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