Review: Man like Kublai returns to Total Science's label with some of his darkest, dankest, dirtiest designs to date. 'Big Talk' takes the lead with a big old b2b2b in the studio as Kubbie, TS and Minor Forms all get mucky in the action. Elsewhere 'The Imposter' goes for a classic wormy bassline tension, 'Trippin' is pure filth laced over scattershot drums (with more filth thrown in for good measure) while 'Sullied' closes the EP on a pranged out drone tone. Exceptional drum & bass craft here.
Review: Next up from the ever-ready Liondub International, a throwback filled to the brim with lethal flavours as Conrad Subs touches down to deliver four tracks of pure dancefloor fire. We open up with the unpredictable synthetic twitches and reesey rumbles of 'Rave Report', setting the tone of the project nicely before 'Dough' gives us a more minimal fusion of growling bass notes and sharpened drum designs. Next, 'Big Chungus' opens up the roof for an even harder hitting sub-line, upping the ante even further as we move forward, with Speaker Louis providing some additional work on the well thought out rhythmic arrangements of 'Shots Fired'. Another tidy collection from the Liondub dynasty.
Review: Usually known for more jumpier takes on D&B - especially with his 2Ton project - Corrupted Mind follows up the Jungle Jam single with a full EP of the same gully, uncompromised and blistering breakbeat jungle style. Each cut gnarlier than the last, Nuusic's signature fizzy energy has been reimagined in an exciting way as CM goes in on all the little details: 'Rinse Out' comes with serious tension, 'Murder Tune' is all about the militant percussion while 'War Cry' is just pure bassline aggression. What an EP!
Review: Buckle up, because Particle is taking us on one wild ride with his latest album "Pyro" on Critical Music. This 10-track juggernaut is a full-throttle excursion through the gnarliest terrain of jungle and drum & bass. Right from the jump on the opening cut, Particle flexes his funky bassline muscles to get things properly greased up. But don't get too comfortable - by the closing VIP remix he's dropped the hammer and has the whole thing redlining in the most deliriously unhinged way. This is an artist operating at the peak of his powers, seamlessly blending classic jungle/D&B fundamentals with meticulously futuristic production chops. There's something for the old-school heads and fresh recruits alike on this album. Longtime jungalists will get misty-eyed over the cavernous subs and proving garage-bred breaks of tracks like "Fooling." But Particle also caters to the new-age barneys on tunes such as "Assassin" and "Needles" complete with enough manic robotic contortions to have you rapidly evacuating your flesh vessel. Not one to rest on his laurels, Particle keeps things utterly weird too. "REM" is a deliciously unhinged descent into stuttering jungle psychedelia. And his link-up with Inja on "The Message" injects a taut, nerve-shredding atmospherics that'll have you sweating through three layers of merino wool. Don't sleep on this one, ravers.
Review: Electronic music superstar Anyma (aka one half of Tale Of Us) unveils his highly anticipated sophomore album, Genesys Part II - which follows the success of his debut, Afterlife LP. Showcases Anyma's evolution as a melodic techno producer, the album features 21 tracks split into two distinct components. The first section chalks up a chunk of original compositions, including standout singles like "Pictures of You" and "Higher Power," along with collaborations with Chris Avantgarde, PARISI, Rebūke, and more. The second segment offers reimagined versions of tracks from both Genesys albums, featuring notable remixes by Eric Prydz, Adriatique, and Cassian. With its diverse range of sounds and collaborations, an impresisve and fully comprehensive second edition promises to be a pivotal moment in Anyma's career, dropping amidst the excitement of Miami Music Week 2024.
Review: Northern banger brigade GTA are marking a big old decade in the game with this walloping collection of beats across the spectrum. Delivered in 10s over five different themes from classics to remixes to floor-scorchers, the end result is an excitingly varied and feisty 50-strong spread of drum & bass perspectives where vibes range from Conrad Subs' utterly gully jungle vibes on his remix of Sl8r's 'Facking Jungle M8' to the thundering dancefloor wallops of Cliques' remix of the label bosses 'Pico De Gallo'. No strong is left unturned throughout the collection as we're just as like to be refreshed by liquid (Pyxis & Maykor's 'Guardian Angel') as we are flattened by venomous, laser-kissed neuro blasts (ICU's remix of 'Rip The Roof Off') Crash bang wallop what an album.
Review: Selecta! Sub-liminal bossman Agro rolls his sleeves up and gets stuck into his label vaults, drawing out persys and reminding us just how on it his label has been since morning. Ranging from the twisted bass bubbles and trippy warped sounds of Warhead's 'Tread Carefully' to the interplanetary bleep drama and sweet bubbling subs of Kumo's 'Trick Shot', Agro is explicitly telling us how versatile and timeless his label has always been. With some of these cuts going back to the 2016/17, he's proved it. Get stuck in!
Review: Fresh off the presses of Jungle Cakes Records comes the "Survival" EP, a four-track journey guided by the skilled hand of Gold Dubs. No stranger to production, Gold Dubs leverages his years of experience and diverse influences - from bassline to DnB - to craft a dynamic and electrifying listen. The EP kicks off with the aptly titled "Survival," a collaboration with Kalum featuring the distinctive lyricism of Rider Shafique. This track hits hard, both sonically and thematically, with pulsating basslines, warped sub frequencies, and expertly layered FX. Next up is "Infinity" a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a distinctly 90s vibe. Think sharp sub bass, heavy percussion, and vocal samples and synths that evoke a bygone era. Offering a stark contrast, "Bliss" lives up to its name. Soaring, spacey risers and futuristic basslines create a sense of weightlessness, perfectly complemented by the mesmerizing vocal effects. The EP closes with "Too Late," a showcase of Gold Dubs' mastery of the bassline genre. Warped subs, pulsating basslines, and tastefully sparse synths combine with captivating vocal samples to create an infectious groove. This is a track that will leave you hitting repeat and craving more.
Review: Throughout their decade-long career, Alma Negra has combined their love of disco and deep house with percussion, instrumentation and ideas excavated from African, Caribbean and tropical musical cultures. On this EP, they largely ditch the latter inspirations, instead delivering full-throttle revivalist disco sounds where the Basel-based band's organic instrumentation and vocals combine with colourful synth sounds and heady horns. The headline attraction is undoubtedly 'Madrugada', a warming and thickset, subtly deep house-influenced take on the turn-of-the-80s NYC downtown disco-not-disco sound. It comes backed with two revisions - an extra-percussive, dubbed-out Yuksek tweak and the band's own dub disco-goes-deep house 'Dub Mix' - and the riotous, party-starting brilliance of 'Funky Fever'.
Review: Oh gosh! Every Welcome To The Jungle collection is a big deal but this latest edition from Euphonique and Dazee is a whole other rain forest. 96 tracks and a mix that weighs in over two hours, this is the sound of two of the most foremost and inspiring Bristol-based DJs going IN in every single direction. Loaded with a great range of classics, exclusives and left-of-centre vibes, highlights across this massive collection include Aries and Euphonique's massive 'Amen', Dazee & Jinx's 'Shake It Up', Sweetpea and Chickaboo's 'The Jump Off' and the recent skat-dancing fire-up 'Skip De Du Dat'. And that's not scratching the surface. This is an epic collection. Essential.
Review: Long live team Alpha Pup, an excellently organised project that have moved onto the third edition of their epic '20/20' compilation series, exploring the most lethal reaches of underground bass music. Featuring hard hitting originals from the likes of Ivy Lab, Dismantle, Rocks FOE, Bakey and more, it's clear that the team have gone all out on this collection, with sounds ranging as wide as the hardcore inspired mysticism of 'Naananaana' from Rohaan, to the industrial techno-flavours of Ila Brugal's 'Cynical'. The whole project packs a punch, but our highlights would have to include both the intense metallic madness of Deft's 'OKURTHEEXPERT', alongside Manni Dee's monstrous 'Wet Slide' creation. Top work all around!
Review: Melinki and Shodan on Rebel Music? Now this is a serious meeting of the minds! Proper adult tackle, too, as you'd expect. 'Revenant' is all about the boa constrictor like bassline slugging around the gaff, prone to crush at any minute, while 'I Don't Need' takes us more of a rampant junglised spree, all turbo breaks and a gritty sense of urgency. Finally we hit the sonic skids with 'Bleak'. Proper grumbly, grizzly moody drum & bass for late night basements. High grade.
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