Review: The most prolific man in drum & bass, Conrad Subs returns to Ray Keith's Dubplate Dread for the first time since 2020 with a humungous wedge of wallopers. Seven cuts in total, each one of them tailored for those magic 3am moments, big moments range from the gruesome growls and grizzles of 'Octavirus' to the pure raucous shreds and slaps of the title track 'Real Dread', a cut which really does live up to its name. Oh boy, this could well be Conrad Subs' mightiest EP so far, which is really saying something. Real talk.
Review: Wu homages don't come much classier than 6Blocc's recent all-genre bass chamber explorations. First came the full vocal refixes, now come the leaner instrumental twists where the Wu Tang love is still abundantly clear thanks to the fact RZA's sample craft is as sharp as their lyrics. Some hit hard from the off such as The Charmels hooks on "Ca$h Rule$" while others take a while to tease such as "Wwo" where 6Blocc's classic jungle breaks roll and flex before Method Man's smoky croaks are used as a percussive device. From dark dub ("Suicide") to breezy footwork/jungle ("Wrek Room"), 6Blocc has repurposed Wu Tang with well-crafted style right here.
Review: 6Blocc's inexhaustible output continues... And it does so while poking and prodding new exciting areas. Here we find him paying homage to the mighty Wu. Unravelling their mysteries and messages and building them back around the breaks, Blocc busts a range from dubstep to D&B by way of prototype 160 jungle, paying respect to The Clan with authority all the way. Highlights include the added drama of "Chessboxin'", the classic jungle subversion theme to "WWO" and the really clever twist of Method Man's "Release Yo Delf".
Review: In 2010 London/Kent based label come agency come promoter Digital 6 started from the bottom, fast forward 7 years and they have built a solid following and are well respected by peers, critics and most importantly fans of music. This mammoth album show cases the 'Best Of' the imprint with a massive 36 tacks. Ranging from the gloriously sun-kissed, ragga jungle tips 'Let's Go This On' and 'Stay Strong VIP' to the hard hitting hip hop dipped 'In The Hood' and 'Gotcha Back'. The album also comes with some interesting remixes like the dark and brooding jungle remix of '50,000 Watts and the beautifully sinister remix of Portishead's 'Humming Darkside'. If you're into eclectic, well-crafted quality drum and bass, this album is well worth the long listen.
Review: South African Warrick Sony is a ground breaking composer who was behind the Kalahari Surfers project which now gets a vital spotlight courtesy of Emotional Rescue. This compilation shows how effortlessly eclectic his sound was, from jive rhythms to jazz, tabla to political speeches and much more in between. A Hindu pacifist who was once conscripted into the South African Defense Force, he founded this group as a way out getting his ides out there, calling on other musicians as and when he needed them. It was the first radical white anti-apartheid pop in South Africa and as this vital collection shows it explored polyrhythms, slow motorik, dub sound collage and even a goofy cover of Nancy Sinatra.
Review: The ever-elusive Black Pearl crew return to centre stage after a summer of debauchery to release Old School loving crisp-n-dirty production team Lost City's "Mad Dem" EP. Lighting up dancefloors everywhere with "OG Roots", a foot-stomping call-to-action that splices old with cutting edge, it sets a precedent of the extra-ordinary for the whole release. Reworking classic sounds in "Mad Dem" or reaching back in time to pull out stone cold classics from the vaults and burning it up with "Run It", each tune is finely tuned for your mixing pleasure. Junglists unite!
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