Review: Burnski's Instinct label is back and coming correct for the new year with another salvo of bassweight rudeness for the UKG revivalists. This Various Artists EP welcomes Holloway back to the label with the technical, nuanced flair of 'Acme' and Ease Up George's eerie, nerve-jangling 2-stepper 'Wicked'. Daniele Temperilli brings an edgy, looped up energy to his wayward stepper 'Smog', while Raynor smooths things out with the refined, heads-down roller and dub techno-speckled 'Round Off'. Demonstrating the exciting new pathways the current wave of garage is opening up, this latest Instinct EP is a must.
Review: Sam Binga and Hyroglifics represent two of the most ingenious beat makers in the drum and bass, a pair of producers who, through their work on Critical Music amongst others, has pushed the boundaries of the genre. Wicked & Bad represents further encroachment onto the territory of neighbouring genres, including garage and grime, and the pair have managed to stay true to the formula of drum & bass whilst expanding on it with serious finesse. 'Wits End' embodies this mission statement best, as robotic vocals machinate alongside a bouncing garage beat and wallowing low frequency notes to form a technoid funk that's both heavy and sophisticated. There are more traditional jungle flavours on the title track, featuring Riko Dan on top form to provide a vocal overlay to the tune's rambunctious drums and pummelling bassline. More genre bending stuff from the Critical crew.
