Back catalogue: Drum And Bass/Jungle

Review: Proper pristine, technical drum & bass here from the Transmute crew, expending far more effort than most junglists in fleshing out the body, weight and polish of each constituent sound. Mostly forgoing sampled breakbeats, the 'DUOS' EP hears refreshingly unusual sound design choices dance over a more straight-up rollage in the rhythm section(s). From the opening washer pads of Abstract Drumz & Optimystic's 'Energy To The Universe', to the closing techstep clanks of Sicknote & Escher's 'Trouble Part 2', this EP brings a variety of emotions to a gestalt whole, unified by its consistently clean production.

Review: No matter your particular preference in the deep house world, this various artists' outing from Q1E2 Recordings is sure to have something for you. Mike Riveria & Marco Ohboy, for example, tap into an early sound on 'Euphoria' with its big, brash piano stabs and whistles, while A Soft Mist Production keeps it all cuddly and deep with languid chords draped over gentle drums on 'Upside Down Rainbows.' DatSIM brings in some space-tech vibes for a deft rhythm and neon infused sound on 'Influx' and The Rabbit Hole's 'Tail Groove' has a mad double bass sound jumping about beneath frantic jungle breaks.

Review: Does drum and bass get any better than this? Two of the finest names in the genre club together for "Run Away", met in the middle by the man like Fox who puts his vocal stylings into the mix. Rolling out smooth, it's that lulling bassline and softly-spoken chorus that takes the edge off punchy drums and signature Intalex-style strings from the pad section. Fans have been waiting for a release on this for some time now - finally, it's ownable. Showing that they can still deliver tastier goods for the dancefloor, "Something Heavy" is a funk-fuelled hips-mover with Fox sending out his raggamuffin sounds over down and dirty bass. You've heard it in the dance, now get it on repeat.

Review: Furthur Electronix's first two Furthur Journeys Into compilations tune plenty of heads and shift plenty of copies. The third one keeps the quality levels high with more explorations around the periphery of underground electronics. Chris Coco opens with a soothing synth sound before Jake Slazenger brings crystalline synths and abstract modulations to the mid-tempo '168B.' There is more pace and twisted acid energy to Global Goon's untitled contribution and then old school jungle comes to the fore on the super stylish and atmospheric Gavin Masih cut. Monika Subrtova's 'Alata' is a serene and widescreen ambient synthscape that brings things to a suitably poignant close.

Review: Four unreleased tracks from 1997 come back to the surface, recasting the luminant talents of Danny C and Mike Pears in a more contemporary light. Alleged to have been preserved on DAT for the last 27 years, there is still a consistent, clean quality to these four bits. Opener 'Blueprint' and its successor 'Dubwise' establish a utilitarian futuristic sound, betraying something of the now less popular sound that bridged jungle to techstep. The vibe on the former track lays down a mechanistic yet jazzy feel, with its semitonic Rhodes chords contrasting well to the track's outlying machinic qualities. 'Looking To The Future' and 'Groove Creator' similarly portray two death-driven, repetitious images of an automatic future.

Review: On a mission to "make d&b great again", Finland's Straight Up Breakbeat pass through once more with the second of three EPs formed to showcase modern junglism. Kicking off, 'Mystery Machines' sees Glastonbury's Dead Mans Chest slam down some deadly amen choppage reinforced by haunting vocal FX and paranoid drones. Aeon Four & FFF's 'Look Inside' is a jungle-tekno roller, served with chunky hardcore style amens and a side of warm old-skool pads. Keeping the mid-90s vibe alive, the tripped out 'Green Fields Forever ' from Fanu - which drops hot on the heels of his greatly received remaster of Source Direct's 'Stars' - delivers airtight amen trickery, weaving synth washes and blissful dubby basslines. Esc & Mineral round things off with 'Photosynthesis', a pensive stepper highlighting cut-up breaks waltzing with cheeky synth nudges and a wide, rugged bassline. If the pioneers had buried some beefed-up tracks in a time-capsule to inspire future generations, they would probably sound a lot like 'States of Art II'.

Review: With 'Vibes', Dutch drum & bass/jungle outfit Cat In The Bag temporarily let the feline out of the case, yet they still retain enough integrity, and rein in the shellage, to the extent that the cat is nonetheless seduced back in after a certain time. Such is the art of alley-cat drum & bass, comparable in mood to "rollage"; it's all about a fine balance of hard-hitting impactfulness and careful vibe-restraint, else the mog'll arch its back and dash off elsewise. No wonder the first tune's called 'Level Vibes'; Dial-M and Msymiakos achieve an intricate, intelligent mood of levity, a belief-suspensory dread zone in which level-headedness serves as a proxy for the execution of a skittish agility, as of a cat. Our feline reccy no less reliably scours the 'Frontline'; amens penetrate hard garrisons of bass and atmoss with relentless keratinous claws, proving retractable paw-blades really can break walls. The B-siders, 'Warehouse Dub' and 'Dub Rock', provide more novelty appeal, preferring to build sound(e-)scapes that both build upon and take flight from the warpath.

Review: It's time to sweat it out once more with the latest from the label of that name absolutely going for the big time with some classic vocal stabs defining the rip-snorting opener. And that is the extended mix of Luude & Bru C's 'TMO (Turn Me On)' (feat Kevin Lyttle) which is a big drum & bass anthem with ragga vocals, unrelenting and steel plated drum funk and naughty bass. A slightly more sweet and soulful Borai & Denham Audio remix also features as do Luude & Mattafix's anthem and festival friendly jungle anthem 'Big City Life' and similarly epic and accessible 'Oh My' with Issey Cross and some blissed out keys from one of Moby's classics.

Review: Mako returns with Oeuvre - Part 2, his latest record on Metalheadz, continuing the legacy of his acclaimed 2020 album Oeuvre. This 16-track collection showcases Mako's intricate production skills and deep connection to the drum and bass scene. His music remains a standout in an age where individuality often gets lost in the noise. The album features notable collaborations with long-time partners Fields, Hydro, Villem, and Mikal, alongside a special posthumous contribution from the late Marcus Intalex, adding depth and richness to the project. Tracks like 'Suspension' pays a sleek tribute to techstep, embodying Mako's versatility. "Come Closer' injects pure energy, a dancefloor anthem that has garnered praise from Goldie himself. Oeuvre Part 2 isn't just about the high-octane; it also explores reflective moments, with 'Overshare' weaving graceful melodies. This release reaffirms Mako's place as a masterful producer within the Metalheadz family.

Review: After its recent appearance on Hospital Records' 25th anniversary compilation, Makoto's superb D&B cover of Al Hudson & The Soul Partners' 1978 disco classic, 'Spread Love', has been released as a single. It's well worth picking up, specifically for the A-side 'Full Length Mix', which ekes out the life-affirming, mood enhancing pleasure by another minute or so. It's a terrific version - as is the original mix, which you can find on the flip - and features British soul man Pete Simpson, backed by a big group of backing singers, belting out the loved-up lyrics atop swooping disco strings, warm synth sounds, booming bass and skittish D&B beats. Bonus cut 'Contact' is worth a listen to, featuring as it does floaty ambient intros, aggressive post-jungle beats, wavy vocal samples and some seriously bowel-bothering sub-bass.

Review: Fresh drop on the Soul R imprint from label boss Marcus Intalex which fully demonstrates his recent endeavours under the Trevino alias haven't dampened his spirit for hard stepping drum and bass productions. It seems like the studio time concentrating on different rhythmic endeavours has benefitted Kaye, as "Sell Your Soul" is quite superb. Delicate strains of jazz-indebted instrumentation make for the perfect introduction, down trodden analogue touches signalling the onset of the drop. The moment those fragile vocals arrive and the rough hewn drums slip into line with the shuddering bass is inspired. To add some contrast, Kaye goes darkside on "Guillotine" with a bass line delivery that few people will be prepared for. Witness the sickness!

Review: Suburban Base honours their brother MC Duke, Kashif Adham, a true legend in the music scene and the alleged godfather of UK rap. This incredible limited edition tribute vinyl picture disc celebrates MC Duke's legacy. After becoming the most prolific artist on the Suburban Base sister imprint, Boogie Times, before establishing his own label Hard Disk, this picture disc features some of his rarest releases from the latter imprint which have never been reissued since their original pressings in the 90s. Meticulously re-compiled and remastered shortly before Duke's passing, the likes of 'My Sound' and 'Journey' bring raunchy amens and breakneck variations to an otherwise make-do bank of samples: yet what Duke crafts out of them is truly impressive.

Review: Destination Japan: Metricmania pays homage to the motherland with this EP named after one of the country's biggest national parks. As with previous explorations, the vibes are far-reaching, star-gazing and steeped in jazzy motifs. Highlights include the woozy vapour trails and loose off-grid breaks of the title track 'Daisetsuzan', the Detroitian marching jam '33.a- Vero' and the tightly-coiled spring energy and jittering drums of 'Www.arai'.

Review: Okbron Records carry out the divine task of reformatting an early yet rare Micky Finn and Aphrodite tape cut onto vinyl. 'AWOL' is a clever pun, serving as an acronym for both the wartime connotations of the phrase "absent without leave", and the spiritual paths implied in the phrase A Way Of Life, which also happened to be a leading early jungle night that produced multiple Micky Finn tape packs recorded in East London. 'AWOL' and 'Dark Selector' have likely existed for decades, serving as lost tunes from the rough point in time when Finn and Aphrodite laid down their timeless Takeover Bid mix for Mixmag. Packed with funk licks and gulping basses, all tunes heat the dancefloor stovetop in no time.

Review: Manc drum & bass collective MIST (made up of legends the late Marcus Intalex, ST Files and, at one point, Calibre) first released 'Clockwork' and 'Entropy' in 2009; the dual single instantly garnered acclaim for its high-octane rollage and clean drumwork, topping up the reputation of its label Soul:r. Now reissued for the first time, we're once more reminded of the two tracks' enduring impact on the dum & bass scene at large, with a vocal appearance from DRS on 'Clockwork' cementing drum & bass's lineage from and to ragga, as well as the tidbit that 'Entropy' is, a solo detour from Intalex alone.

Review: New York-based minimal electronica artist Brendon Moeller takes cues from drum & bass and lowercase on his latest record for ESP Institute. Like a sonic Hockney painting, just six generous tracks span a curtly two sides on 12", as classy deluges marry with designer percs, conspiring to make a large but radially controlled splash. Every experiential stylistic base Moeller has passed so far, such as IDM or ambient dub, is revisited and checked off, and combined to form a wet emulsion here. 'Vibrations', the highlight of ours, pays special attention to fricative, stimulant audio-exploits in the sound design, with its synthetic mid-claves and potent rubber basses sounding like the reflex responses it predicts and expects from us. No wonder ESP liken the entire record to one big tingling sensation.

Review: Esteemed musical chameleon Brendon Moeller, renowned for his highly respected work in deep ambient, dub techno and myriad variations on such themes - turns his hand to 170 for Samurai Music. Centring on the iconic tempo as a key formal constraint - one that binds and defines drum & bass and halftime at its very core - Moeller is nonetheless able to articulate many new stylistic horizons with 'Vacuum'. As if to resist the banalities of content that plague drum & bass - overwrought amens, lasery one-shots, ragga voice echoes, you name it - Moeller instead leans into a purely formal atmospheric exercise, with 'Can't Run Away', 'Perspective' and 'Agitate' forgetting the concatenative associations of 'drum & bass' (TM) and instead fleshing out the less fetishistic contours of the metre, albeit also keeping up a squarely moody aura throughout.

Review: 'Born With It' by Mungo's Hi Fi, featuring Aziza Jaye, Gardna, and Eva Lazarus, is a high-energy anthem blending UK Garage and 90s rave vibes with a powerful dose of Drum n Bass. Aziza Jaye's searing vocals, Gardna's dynamic delivery, and Eva Lazarus's fierce dancehall attitude create an explosive party track. On Side-2 'Back in the Dayz', adds nostalgia with a deft rap over rave-infused breaks, sure to evoke memories of old-school rave scenes. This 2024 12" vinyl, eco-friendly and pressed in Scotland, includes unreleased instrumental versions and a dub mix of 'Back in the Dayz', making it essential for summer festivals, clubs and sound system parties.

Review: With previous releases on Tombolo, Natural Sciences and cassette label Gin & Jazz XX, Mutant Joe is back with a new one this week on Los Angeles-based Evar Records. Since his arrival on the scene back in 2019, the Aussie producer's output has spanned diverse genres. There's four tracks featured on Wrong Way Out; he builds on earlier work with underground trap artists on opener 'Bangin On', the ketamine-laced electro of 'Static Effect' had us equally impressed as did the gnarly jungle deconstructions of 'Eyes Without A Face' and the brooding beat contortions of 'The Living Dead'.