Review: This is a first for all parties: JFB's first official mix, Ghetto Funk's first artist-fronted compilation and Disco Cakes' first ever long playing release. Needless to say each party has really stepped up; JFB has curated a mammoth 37-track adventure exploring every possible corner of Ghetto Funk's sprawling sonic scenery, ranging from wholesome, down-home country funk (Grinny Granddad "Good Girl"), slick ragga-swing (Stickybuds "Clean Air") bump-shuffling electro ghetto (Featurecast "Around The Block") and raw, teeth-clenching bass filth (Skullee - "Badboii"). Leaving no stone unturned, this documents the Ghetto Funk movement with immersive mischief, AND it comes with a killer DJ mix.
Review: Party on dudes! Award-winning, turntable-twisting, rump-rousting vibe maestro JFB returns to Jungle Cakes with more of his signature shindig sonics. "Brazil" is straight up samba with big instrumental elements and a warm party feel that's so bright it could lighten the mood in a funeral home. "Active Transmission" takes us to heavier places with an almost Aphrodite feel but with added Troutman style talkbox flurries and a Byrd-esque sense of playfulness. And all the while retaining that intoxicating funk. Transmission over? It is now.
Review: Two slabs of bonafide bass music on the Jungle Cakes imprint fresh for summer 2012. Kicking off no less than the fourteenth volume in the Jungle Cakes series, this one's fragrant and fresh as JFB does a grand job at pairing gentle, rolling breaks and jungle chirrups with more modern D&B production. Every bit of "Tequila Sunrise" is a tasty one with its shimmying rhythms, tooting horns and murmuring bass; this will have you moving and shaking. "Five On It" continues the story with enticing vocal, punchy drums and low-slung fervor. A big release, right here.
Review: The bright-light, groovy aesthetic of Jungle Cakes is back at the start of this year, so get out your Red Stripes and don ya wavey garms because JFB isn't messing around with this one. Two ragga-infused rollers are here for you, uplifting samples abound and suddenly it's not January - it's June, July and August and the sun is shining. This doesn't stop 'Shake It' from coming out the blocks in a moody way, though, and neither does it stop 'Worldwide Jungle' from attempting to knock your hat off. Jungle Cakes always manage to pull out the stops in a way that makes you nervously smile - this one is no different.
Review: A DMC champ and a very tidy producer to boot, JFB makes his debut on the Disco Cakes label with three bass 'n' breaks bangers, led by the raw funk drums and hyper wobbles of "Fizzy Bubla" and backed up nicely by the Herbie Hancock-assisted "Cantaloopoo" and the deadly hip-hop flow of "Rock Your Goldfish".
Review: The Disco Cakes label is always up for a bit of banter, and this this new three-tracker from JFB and DJ Angelo just about hits the top-end of the dial on the old fun-o-meter! "Scratch 2 This" is an insufferable breakbeat beauty, cut up with a little electro swing at its core, and filled with plenty of body-swinging sample for good measure. There's an instrumental mix which strips it right back for perfect dance floor use, and an accapella for you to mix up in your three-deck showdown.
Review: So, what a pairing we have here, as old comrades and legends in their own fields: JFB and Beardyman get back into the studio together for a breakbeat epic with a tonne of original remix features. The track itself 'No Requests', is a jovial poke at what some would call 'unseasoned' ravers, constantly making requests to DJ's for things that are never going to happen. Beardyman provides the vocal humour, with JFB laying down the perfect backdrop. Remixes for this one includes fantastic recreations from the likes of Father Funk, Jesswah, Slamboree, Fort Knox Five, WBBL and Crazy Daylight, giving this one a high profile placement across multiple genres.
Review: Brighton's JFB is the reigning UK DMC champion. In fact, he's won it so many times now he's probably bored of it. When he's not utterly rinsing the decks with his flashy turntablism, he's rinsing it in the studio, lathering up jams like the Wobble Wash EP. Here we get two tracks, one for each deck so he can mix the bejaysus out of them, mash-up style. "FunkATone" is ferocious pop-dubstep - all funky breaks and fizzy melodic bass (with a blues-rock breakdown!), and "Skys Falling" meanwhile, brings trancey synths into play fusing nicely with the more mellow vibes on offer. Boom!
Review: JFB comes storming at us on the Radical Mixtape imprint with these couple of belters. Getting things off to a cracking start is title track "Modern Past" with its warping synths, chiming SFX and gritty drum work, all the while a murmuring, irksome bassline glowering below. It's compelling stuff that will attract fans from across the bass music spectrum. Continuing on, and we have "Across The Pond" with its purposeful, striding beats and upbeat aesthetic it's full of hands in the air potential and will be a killer in the dance. A great effort here from JFB.
Review: Fresh-faced nu-funk crew Rise Above call in some big names for their debut quadlet of bass-bitten buzz cuts. Tonic takes the Beasties and drags them into a post apocalyptic future where ugly basslines reign supreme. Howla switches and slams with a series of tightly edited horns and a blisteringly heavy groove. JFB, meanwhile, lays down a bed of rusty bass, sharp breakbeats and an array of cool scratches before dropping into Hendrix's "All Along The Watchtower". Last but definitely not least, WBBL finalises this big debut release deal with a show-stopping disco twist on Mariah Carey. Launch releases don't come any bigger than this.
10 construction kits with bpm/key information featuring the deconstructed drum kit (kick, snare, hat, perc) for a 4-bar groove plus a 1-bar fill (they also include a mixed version of groove and fill) and another folder with the component loops (bass
Review: This album represents a collision of worlds: on the one hand, the fact-paced and furious drum & bass tradition of Jungle Cakes; the other, the seminally classic reggae, dub and ska tones of Trojan Records. These worlds are connected, of course, as the latter was a key part in the evolution of the former, and this album celebrates that connection by giving a fresh, 170 spin on a load of Trojan classics. The Serial Killaz and Deekline remix of 'Reggae From the Ghetto' by John Holt, the recipient of Benny L's infamous 'Police in Helicopter' remix, is a fantastic blend of hard-hitting sub bass and funky reggae sampling, as the pair concoct a superb number with an infectious heart. Ben Snow adds jump up grit to 'Uptown Top Ranking', whilst the Ed Solo remix of '007 (Shanty Town) is another top class highlight. Incredible stuff.
Review: Can we get a 'wicked?' Jungle Cakes continue to team up with some of the biggest donnies in the game with this latest Welcome To The Jungle collection. This time curated and fronted by the General himself, as you'd expect this is a full-on jungle assault that covers every single angle and every single era. 47 tracks and one killer mix, hosted and toasted by Levy himself, this is one of Jungle Cakes most comprehensive collections to date: From the foundation-setting, historic vibes of "Incredible" through to contemporary bangers from the likes of Kursiva, DJ Hybrid, Jam Thieves, Benny Page and all things in between, everyone involved has delivered something special. Massive.
Review: Allow jungle revival pioneers and Jungle Cakes bosses Ed Solo & Deekline to present the much anticipated follow up to "Welcome To The Jungle". On this second edition of "Welcome To The Jungle", Ed Solo & Deekline delve deeper into their roots, and influences with a heady brew of jungle cuts old and new. From stone cold classics like Ray Keith - Chopper and DJ Hype ft. MC Fats - Peace, Love & Unity, also featured are remixes from Chase & Status, and Sigma. Mixed live by Ed Solo & Deekline over 2 continuous mixes, and crammed with 28 upfront exclusives, VIP mixes, classics, and fresh cuts from Jungle Cakes, Welcome To The Jungle Vol. 2 is all you need.
Review: It's 2017 and you can finally have your cake and eat it. It's all down to Jungle Cakes head chefs Deekline and Ed Solo who have been working hard in the bass kitchen since the foundation days. Here we find them in five Michelin star mode as they serve up a banquet of creations both from their own and their peers' menus. Highlights across this incredible D&B banquet abound from the moment Craze and Infiltrata's (aka 12th Planet) classic "Things Just Ain't The Same 4 Gangstas" opens the collection and Firefox's (aka Roni Size) seminal "Keep It Raw" headbutts us a few tracks later. Elsewhere the Jungle Cakes dons treat us to skanked-out banger after skanked-out banger; Spyda's iconic vocals and the hornets nest b-line on "Soundsystem Entertainer", Tippa's harmonic heaven on "Pass Me The Dubplate" and one of the nastiest remixes Deekline's notorious "Don't Smoke" has ever experienced. Loaded with an array of cool FX and two continuous mixes, this is a true jungle feast. What a time to be alive.
Review: Bomb Strikes are back again with a potent punch as they bring forward the return of Shaka Loves You with his groovy new EP project entitled 'Boogie'. The title track is a smokey bag of grooves alongside Fullee Love, with 'Livin For Tonight' with NattySpeaks & Profit providing us with a more stripped back soulful feel. Following this, JFB joins the party for a super uplifting horn driven madness on 'So Funky', before we take a second to round the project off in style as Ant Thomaz joins the party on 'Flippin' Ya Mind', a slower soul number, driven by it's smooth vocal leads and expressive guitar riffs.
Review: A lot has changed in the world of music since Freshly Squeezed dropped the first installment of their eponymous label compilation back in 2013. For one, the term electro-swing has become a household name with even the UK Eurovision entry adopting this musical style. Still, this label is where you get the real stuff and here we are treated to another 15 examples. Highlights include the attitude-heavy, dubstep-flecked "Swing Ya Beard" by JFB & Beardyman, Jem Stone's big beat bouncer "Be Bop 2 Hip Hop" and the tough house slammer "Lick The Spoon" by Foxy Cheex & Jem Stone.
Review: Floor-pounding electro-swing from UK crew Dutty Moonshine, who bust out the jazzy licks on their new "Rauchestra" EP in style, mixing breakneck beats and dapper rap on "Fancy a Tipple," dubstep wobbles on their collaboration with Brighton's JFB and swing-era crooning on "Elephant In The Room".
Review: The HZ crew come correct with two rock solid originals: "Ah Yeah" fuses glitch, bass, trap and raw funk with dynamic attitude as a cool build up drops us face first into a high-end riff and steaming 808 beats laced with so much sub bass we're almost drowning in low frequencies. "Hear Me Out", meanwhile, takes a Ragga Twins style vocal and lays it over a full-bodied bump n' shuffle beat. Rude and raucous with a cool organic swing to the drums, it's an instant party throw-down. Finally JFB steps up with almighty D&B refix of "Ah Yeah". Peppered with 8-bit flurries and enormous tears and wobbles, it's a whole new adventure for those who love to flick the tempo switch.
Review: 10 years ago, Ed Solo & Skool of Thought's debut album 'Random Acts of Kindness' made a sizeable impression. Its bottom heavy, vocal laced, feel good affair of varying tempos ducked and weaved through the genres of dubstep, breaks and drum 'n' bass. Label manager Skool of Thought (who is also boss for the now Australian based Against The Grain label) and Ed Solo have decided to invite a small group of talent who they greatly respect to rework the key tracks: and keep the momentum going. Best known for its upbeat collaborations with MC Darrison, the album has some real party friendly moments, but also had its deep and dark moments. Highlights for us this time around were the hip-hop party starter "We Play The Music" (feat Darrison & JFB), the Jazzamatazz style street language of "Sometimes" (feat Bukue One & Pimpernal Jones) to the ska influenced block-rocker "Life Gets Better" (feat Darrison) and the jump up drum and bass destroyer "Always There".
Review: Not only does this hashtag-brandishing banger sit neatly amidst the playlists of trap, breakbeat, bootybass and ghetto-funk, it's something of an all-star cast, too. To make things even more appetising, Rat have called up JFB, Afrowhitey and Dancefloor Outlaws for an array of equally heavy genre-bending rubs. JFB smelts notions of dubstep naughtiness with tight rolling beats, Afrowhitey throws down a series of massive trappist drama hits and licks while Dancefloor Outlaws opt for a more subtle, jacking house angle. In true Rat fashion each one tickles a totally different corner of the dancefloor with aplomb.
