Back catalogue: Drum And Bass/Jungle

Review: Andy Odysee continues to spellbind us 30 years after his label Odysee Records was launched. Here he dazzles the senses in two different ways. Spine Chiller takes us right back to the roots of the label; ice cold jazzy spectral sparkling in all directions. Think a deep Krust or a jazzy Paradox. Flip for a slower mood as 'White Widow' sparks up a fog wave over cool and moody 140-ish breakbeats. Ice cold.

Review: Building on more than 20 years in the game, recent times have seen London-based junglist Opius exploring album formats and deeper strains within d&b and jungle on labels like Silent Force, Time Tunnel and his own Ballpark. Now he arrives on AGN7 Audio with a blistering exercise in experimental d&b that takes a broader look at what a breakbeat can be. The emphasis here is on jazz, as blasts of post bop drumming get sliced and diced into head-rushing constructions that feel as fresh as the first time you heard someone getting busy with an amen.

Review: It was only a matter of time before Andrew Ferguson made his debut on 2 Bad Mice's Over/Shadow; his tenure in the game, his authenticity, his lack of compromise and his timelessness as an artist (both as Outrage and his more 140-oriented alias Nomine) is a perfect fit. Here are two examples; 'Goodbye' says hello with oceanic waves of disarming pads, bellowing subs and spacious breaks while 'In The Dark' brings a little more 1990 unity vibes thanks to the sensual vocal and subtle piano charm. Outrageously good.

Review: Overlook continues to bolster UVB-76's position as one of the front-runners in junglist innovation with this latest single. There's many sides to the Bournemouth producer's sound, as 'Mima's Room' guides us through deft breakbeat interplay, hazy jazz samples and fathoms deep atmospherics and pads which somehow sidestep the usual Good Looking reference points to head somewhere else. It's mellow and meditative, but speaking it's own truth thanks to Overlook's precise and potent production style. By way of contrast, 'After Hours' is a rasping D&B variation shrouded in nihilistic tones and powered by hard edged drums. It's a split personality of a record, and that makes it all the more exciting.

Review: Last spotted on Droog with Loxy by way of the despicable 3AM growler 'The Harbinger', Overlook returns with two brutalist jams. 'Tarot' is a classic breakbeat workout. Full force dynamics, uncompromising drumwork and a pressure heavy enough to flatten the seabed. 'Detour' goes a little deeper. Flexing on more of a Headzian two-step, there's enough space for a little subtle shade of jazz in the stabs. The funk making it even darker. Handle with caution.

Review: Jim Coles' decision back in 2010 to implement a swerve in his sonic trajectory away from his hip-hop past as 2tall in favour of a more all-encompassing approach that touches on various strands of bass culture as Om Unit has paid off and then some. Subsequent releases on Exit, Autonomic, Civil Music, Metalheadz and his own Cosmic Bridge imprint have all shown Om Unit eminently capable of tempo shifting productions that appeal to fans of Bass music, Drum & Bass and footwork alike. The latter has been explored further while the Dream Continuum collaboration with Machinedrum on Planet Mu and his Philip D. Kick alias where the link between Chicago's juke heritage and UK Jungle was explored. All this and more is included on Threads, a debut Om Unit LP for Civil Music that deftly collates various strands (or threads) of his production career over the past fifteen years for a cohesive 15 track set that veers through of hip hop, dubstep, jungle and even house.

Review: London-based producer Otik releases his first album Cosmosis on Martyn's label 3024. The 11-track LP signifies the fourth album on the imprint across its ten-year tenure, showcasing a more introspective side to Otik's musical output. The album leans into delicate melodies, hazy atmospheres and lush analogue sounds, often evoking blissed-out feels and ripples of brilliant colour. Produced three years ago during lockdown, Cosmosis comes after a period of spiritual struggles, where Otik questioned his faith, religious beliefs, and the concepts of right and wrong. While the pandemic allowed ample time for reflection, Otik translated these thoughts into music from his Peckham-based studio, later finding a home on 3024's evolving discography. Keen to release a body of work that explores the journey of enlightenment and the struggles to get there, Otik drew inspiration from the luminary filmmaker Terrence Malick and how Malick portrayed ideas and philosophies in films like The Tree of Life and Voyage of Time. As a result, the record conveys a compelling narrative of rebirth, told through exquisite sound design and a push-pull pace that oscillates across the album.