Juno Recommends Drum & Bass October 2021

Review: Special tunes require special treatment and so it is that this monster drum & bass remix comes on its own light blue marbled, hand-stamped, one side and limited edition 12". The artist is unknown but the tune won't be. It is a throwback jam with a hefty piano line dropped in over a rugged bassline. The pitch shifted vocal soars and tugs at the heart strings, while low end wobble really minces your grey matter. The hoover sounds, sci-fi twitches, snatched vocal yelps and snares so sharp they pierce your ear drums all make this an absolute bomb.

Review: Suburban base continues to bring the goodness to the drum & bass scene with this new concept EP. It finds the label serve up some of their most vaunted tunes and reissue them on a transparent splattered vinyl 12". First up, Remarc's 'In Da Hood' is reworked in style by Shy FX, who lays down some lively bass that darts about the mix. DJ SS & EQ's remix is all about a big, pitch shifted vocal and the precision drum work that takes you in to a world of madness, Roni Size & Krust then get super silky and soulful on their nice slick and rolling take on 'My Soul' while M-Beat goes for the jugular on his hardcore and clattering take on Q Bass's 'Gun Connection.'

Review: Sweet sensation! 3rd Party reissue this formative 92 quartet of jungle / hardcore crossover anthems from one of the most important pioneering acts of the movement - Noise Factory. Each one of these cuts still hit hard almost 30 years later: 'The Fire' is all about those Quadrophenia-style stabs and that classic vocal, 'Skin Teeth' is pure dub pressure and rattling breaks, 'Set Me Free' pays homage to both whistle and horn crews while 'Breakage #2' is pure blueprint jungle. Party time.

Review: 1985 Music have assembled another of their carefully thought out Various Artists releases with a view to platforming a wide range of talents. Both newcomers and vital vets are all represented here on the third volume, as well as label staples and label newcomers. Numerous styles and tempos are explored from some of bass music's most exciting talents with the likes of Deft opening up with the haunting glitch-step of 'Scars', Alix Perez laying down a soulful roller with 'Blank Pages' and Visages twisting melons with 'Nibiru'. A jam-packed comp for sure.

Review: Lenzman's last project on The North Quarter was four years ago, so his return to the label is welcome indeed. On this super double 12" which was written over the course of three months, the artist tackles the emotions and challenges of a total change of rhythm and routine. Having overcome a void of inspiration he excels here with a mix of old recordings and found sounds, collaborative tunes and fresh new bespoke piano recordings. It is a warm, rolling album full of soul, with hip hop and drum & bass coming together in perfect harmony.

Review: Woi and indeed oi, V return to their vinyl-only Legends series where they dig deep into the vaults and pull out key dubplates that never saw the official release light of day. Key dubplates like these two big Bristol bruisers from DJ Die. Both written in 96, Die's Full Cycle rawness and innate sense of groovemanship is present and correct on both sides - the jazzier, busier work-out 'Capers' and the heavier, stripped-back 'Inside' which you can imagine was made in response to some of the game-changing sounds Krust was making at the time. Legendary business.

Review: Still riding high off the success of their album with Charlotte Haining back in May, BCEE now come back strong with a powerful EP on Dutch label Fokuz Recordings. It's 'Crystal' that opens in thoughtful fashion with bold bass notes and a crisp breakbeat that meanders as you get lost in a day dream. There's a more raw energy to 'Poodle Dub', while playful horns bring some colour. You head will be amongst the clouds as the lush chords of 'Love Drunk' are draped over a rolling break and airy vocals soar up top. 'Stitched Up' closes out with more crisp beats, and this time tumbling melodies that fall like rain.

Review: Etherwood re-confirms all the promise he has shown in recent years with this super new album on the legendary Hospital. It is his fourth long-player in all and shows off his knack for rolling drums and majestic melody while serving up some sweet vocal collabs. Next to the timeless drum &bas sounds come a wealth of influences from rock, indie-pop, techno and downtempo, with lots of lush ambient designs and plenty of hummable top lines. His own vocals also feature on tunes like the heartbroken Fall Awake, while legendary mic man DRS is in fine flow on 'The Current' where he muses on self-medication and more. Neon Dust is another complete album from one of the scene's finest.

Review: Dutch label Cat in the Bag builds on early momentum with a fourth EP, this time featuring label regards as well las newcomers. The main man Tommy The Cat takes care of the a-side with a brace of brilliant throwback jungle cuts. 'Purple Sky' pairs deep basslines and kinetic breakbeats with thoughtful pads and smeared cosmic ambiance that makes for something perfectly heady yet hard-hitting. 'Way Back When' is a brief but brilliant hip hop joint that you will want to last way longer than it does. Duburban & Jahganaut then bring the menace with a darting, ducking and diving d&b bomb steeped in classicism and newcomer Zoomie takes you into a world of deep hip hop beats with 'Time Travelling At The Speed Of Life.'

Review: It has been a couple of years since the last full length from Rudimental. Their fourth, Ground Control, features big dance names like Skream, MJ Cole and The Game and across 16 big tunes takes in myriad different styles, Pop, garage, house and bass all feature with plenty of big hooks and singalong vocals that will work for daytime radio play and main stage festival fun alike. Plenty of the horns that defined the band's early sound are present and correct and tunes like 'Ghost' with its catchy 2-step sound and pitch shifted vocal are sure to be huge next to big and silky d&b rollers like 'Remember Their Names.'

Review: Meditator Music's 30th release is the second volume of their Deep Ones series. Again it taps into the best jungle and drum & bass sounds around, with four different producers offering up one tune each. There are healthy servings of 90s nostalgia throughout but also plenty of fresh ideas. Lavery's 'Shadwell Shuffle' pairs thrilling, floating drum work with celestial pads for a super suspensory sound. Duburban's 'Inferiority Complex' keeps up the silky, punchy drums and low-slung bass vibes, this time with angelic vocals adding extras sweetness. Subreachers's 'Paradise Junction' manages to be both emotive and spiritual yet visceral for the way the kinetic drums and floating synths and vocal pair off before Rundr strips it back to a nice liquid roller.

Review: Come ye and be seated. Let us pray. Longtime bosom buddies Response and Pliskin continue their turbo technique with this skin-singeing four-piece on DMC's Western Lore. It begins with a wholesome gathering in God's house as 'Drug Church' lays down a pulverising and haunting 4/4 sermon. Elsewhere 'Black White Red All Over' continues the marching vibe but with more of a locomotive roll and big emotional pads lapping away over the top. 'Rent Boy' finishes their trio of originals with a turbine 4x4 thrust and more choral voices than a royal funeral and more acid than a 1991 squat party. Throw in a superb tear-up from the unstoppable Tim Reaper and you're 'More Disturbed' than ever. Amen.

Review: Iconic hardcore / jungle imprint Suburban Base return to the vaults once again for the latest edition of their Sub Plates series. Once again, it's all previously unreleased business but there's a twist... One of these tracks is actually brand new as Marvellous Cain links up with new producer Sound Shifter for the Good Looking-esque 'Light Source One'. Elsewhere we have Cool Hand Flex's signature choppage and funk on 'Get Down' (a tune which only he, Randall and Hype ever had on dub), we've got more excellent choppage on a very rare DJ Phantasy remix of Sophisticated Bad Boyz 'Feel The Magic' before Dead Dred's Asend digs out the badboy fire of 'Intelone', a track he only ever played once on Kool FM way back in 96, never to see the light of day... Until now.

Review: Currently neck-deep in Blueskin Badger reissues and brand new productions, Syko takes time to reflect on the contributions he made to that golden transition between hardcore and jungle with Mak. Also known as Persons Unknown, their tunes were championed by the likes of Bukem and Rider and played a huge role in the phenomenon that was happening at the time. Here, spread generously across two 12"s are eight examples. Three from 92 ('Urban Sunrise', 'Journey Into The Nebulous' and 'Here & Now') and five unreleased dubs from a little later in jungle's progression, all of which have remained on DAT until now. Grab a slice of fresh history.

Review: Loxy & Ink on R&S... This is a major moment right here and the music backs it up in every possible way. 'Manifested Visions' brings a bit of old school UK hip-hop flavour as both men touch mic and deliver fire lyrically as well as beat-wise. Deeper into the EP we're pummelled with turbine jungle on 'Phoenix Rising', we're tripped out by wild beat designs on 'Give Me A Dubplate' (with Resound), and soulfully soothed on 'Embrace The Meaning'. Last but not least 'Get Back Up' (with Tha Lion) brings everything back to the source as we close on a rootsical tip. The full spectrum.