Drum & Bass Recommendations June 2012

Review: Manchester lynchpin Dub Phizix has already had his hand in one of this year's standout tracks in the monstrous Skeptical & Strategy collaboration "Marka" and his debut on the Critical Music imprint has him pitching up with some comparable heat. "Never Been" sees him team up with another regular on the Manchester D&B scene in Fox, and the interplay between the stripped down hyper flex and micro drum edits of the producer and the sick delivery of the vocalist has badness written all over it. Complementing this is the obese sounds of "Codec" with a huge square bass flex pressurising the simple steppah groove to the outer reaches of your attention - super fresh sounds on this one!

Review: Delta Heavy have been making a name for themselves thanks to the trusty Ram Records, bridging the gap between post-pop and jump-up. "Get By" is all snares and guns ablaze, broken down thanks with some lyrical voices and luscious chords. "Turbine" is just downright Ram dirt, with its pounding bassline howling away like there's no tomorrow. "End Of Days" is another peak-time romper stomper complete with long, swaying bass oscillations, but it's "Make It Rain" that tears everything down to pieces - menacing, full-on dubstep wobbles here - BEWARE!

Review: Nightrider marks a long overdue return to Nu Directions endeavours for Swedish producer Seba! The Secret Operations boss first graced Tricksta's long running imprint back in 2003, but it's not like he's been slouching in the subsequent period so we can forgive the belated return to Nu Directions. The title track has long been a secret weapon in Seba's armoury, effortlessly gliding forward on a slick sheen of contemporary liquid funk aided by some shexy vocals dipped in just the right amount of delay. Those seeking something with a bit more edge to it should head straight for "Sharkskin" on the flip where Seba goes deep into the darkside.

Review: S.P.Y makes his highly anticipated debut on Hospital Records with Love & Hate, a four-track journey into the darkest depths of D&B with plenty of old skool influences, marking a return to core values and a pure sound. The title track is dominated by pounding sub bass stabs with moody atmospherics and twisted diva vocals. "Clouds" blends brooding virus synths with machine funk for a techstep banger, whilst "Sleepy Hollow" sees S.P.Y strip back production to a Detroit influenced sound with epic synths. The S.P.Y remix of Submotion Orchestra's "All Yours" rounds things off in style.

Review: Mirador makes for a fresh drop for the steadfast UK drum & bass icon that is Cyantific. Any D&B fan worth their salt will be more than familiar with the stylings of Jon Stanley, whose production retains an undeniable freshness despite racking up a decades worth of releases. This twelve is only the third release on Cyantific's self titled label endeavour and hopefully the momentum will build from here, with both the title track and flipside production "Defect" bursting with Stanley's signature production sharpness and mastery of devilish bass! Check the vintage junglist rinse out "Defect" in particular.

Review: The Siren Records initiative comes forth with their first twelve inch offering, and it's a big one! Vicious Circle and Ruxspin return to the scene of Broken Silence, their criminally good 2010 joint LP as Siren to shine some more light on the album's definitive track "Snorkel." Still getting plenty of airplay and club rotation some two years on, the track is infused with all new life with the much talked about (and rather nasty) remix from S.P.Y. finally getting released for us mere mortals! Complementing this, Vicious Circle lines the flip with an all new solo production in the form of the rippling, grimey jungle badman riddim "Solitude".

Review: Scene stalwarts Blu Mar Ten can always be relied up on to deliver quality underground D&B so it comes as no surprise that these remixes in part one of the "Love Is The Devil" remix package are top notch too. Bringing in the talents of Exit boss D Bridge and Soul:r's head honcho Marcus Intalex, this one's a winner. First up, D Bridge lends his hand to the sublime "Sweet Little Supernova" and ramps it up with deep, undulating bass, chiming atmospheric sweeps and plenty of dark, brooding flavours. Accompanying this is Marcus Intalex's re-lick of "All Thoughts Are Prayers" which charms the soul with its intricate melodies, shuffling breaks and murmuring bassline. Highly recommended.

Review: Far Away sees Mars Recordings welcome back Dramatic & DBAudio for the label's fourth release, which is understandable given the critical reception adorned on So Strong, the debut Mars release from the Nottingham duo last year. Both the title track and flipside "Take My Hand" are complemented by the dream like vocal meanderings of Canadian vocalist Grimm, and it's nice to see the juxtaposition at play between this element and the various strands of production from Dramatic and his studio partner. "Far Away" cleverly weighs out the jazzy elements - intermittent piano tinkles and well placed bursts of sax - with the tough stacked drums, while the flip is all about those amen rolls!

Review: Drum & bass don Break comes through with the 11th release on his own Symmetry imprint, splitting duties with newcomer Emperor on the crucial double "A Condensor/Network". Calling shotgun, Break drops a perfect example of why he's so revered in the current climate when the epic "Condensor" is in full flow - few other producers out there possess the craft to make a track with such bewitching levels of detail to the drum textures and deviant strains of bass that snake forth with dark intent. Complementing this, "Network" has Emperor in expansive mood, darkside glitches disturbing the calm of a bristling soundscape and forcing the track into stilted progression, this new name on the scene demonstrating his talent for micro drum edits and low set bass lines.