Review: The indomitable Rex Club first opened in the 1930s as an art deco style cinema, and was later converted into a nightclub space in the 70s. After a healthy dose of acid (house) hit the club in the late 80s, nothing was the same. Some ineffable juncture saw the club transition from house into breakbeat and drum & bass, serving partygoing Parissiennes only the best rollers via its A dedicated Audiotechnik soundsystem. These were dubplates that would've otherwise only been on rotation across the channel. Reopening after the pandemic, Rex now celebrate a return to good business with a 2xLPs' worth of solid breakbeat goodness, etching d&b contributions from Aquarian, Phume, Tek 9, Goldie and Hidden Orchestra onto the marble of French d&b history.
Review: Unknown To The Unknown go full jungle as Shadow Child makes his debut on the label with two killer collabs with the bossman DJ Haus. 'Brain Rays' is a genuinely unique track as it goes full melty and woozy right down to the pitching of the beats. 'Computer Controlled' is a little more conventional but still whacks out with a slightly edgy vibe to it. Deep in the bleeps and mean with the beats; Shadow Child and DJ Haus was a collab we didn't expect to have on our bingo card, but we're so glad we did.
Review: Wipeout XL was a game changer for electronic music, video games and the marriage of the two and it no doubt, inspired legions of fans of both throughout the last 25+ years. This adrenaline-charged album - inspired by the iconic series - delivers six high-energy tracks, each contributed by two artists known for their mastery in electronic music, immersing listeners in a fast-paced, futuristic anti-gravity racing adventure. With thunderous breaks, atmospheric jungle rhythms and liquid drum & bass, the album captures the essence of 90s and Y2K video game soundtracks, while evoking the smooth vibes of artists like LTJ Bukem, Peshay and Soichi Terada. Each artist brings their own flair, contributing three tracks each to the limited-edition LP, which comes housed in a heavyweight 350gsm sleeve designed by the legendary junkboy, creative director at Mojang Studios. The vibrant artwork perfectly complements the album's energy, creating a visual and auditory experience that transports listeners to another world. Following a string of successful releases, this album offers a turbo-charged, nostalgic escape for fans of synthwave, jungle and drum & bass, while also appealing to those who cherish the golden age of video games.
Main Ingredient (feat Liane Carroll - Hugh Hardie remix) (4:06)
To Be Me (Conrad Subs remix) (4:35)
Review: A double LP of d&b goodness, London Elektricity has had an illustrious career through over three decades worth of jungle and d&b traversal. Tony Colman, also the founder of Hospital Records, is passing the torch on this new release to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his atmospheric, breakbeat-laden 'Billion Dollar Gravy' with a batch of remixes from fresh talent and new sounds. BDG itself sees a modern, hardcore d&b remix from Watch the Tide and 'Cum Dancing' gets blown out by Mozey after a gentle intro akin to Machine Girl's 'Reporpoised Phantasies' EP and 'Neon White Soundtrack Part 1 'The Wicked Heart'. The roster includes Zero T, Whiney & Unglued, Dogger & Mindstate, Kimyan Law, Hugh Hardie and veteran Hospital stalwart Logistics.
No Need 2 Be Sorry, Call Me? (feat Maverick Sabre) (4:40)
So Tell Me (5:04)
Conveniency (3:14)
Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall (3:22)
Review: Owing to recent appearances at festivals across the country as well as the world, Nia Archives is a rising star of the UK's underground hardcore scene. The Londoner's music fuses elements of grime, garage, and jungle with introspective and socially charged lyricism. Nia's latest LP, 'Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against The Wall,' naturally touches on themes of social justice and self-discovery, a reminder of afterparty headaches and familial estrangement, not to mention the confusion of it all. Tracks like 'Headz Gone West' and 'Goodbye' are energized analyses of mental health and toxically flippant relationships, set against the ever-present backdrop of jungle.
Review: Eusebeia returns, this time gracing Curvature with his diverse, breakbeat-driven sound following the success of Age of Awareness on Spatial. This four-track EP showcases his mastery in blending atmospheric depth with intricate drum work. A1 'Set In Motion' opens with soft melodic keys and delicate hi-hats, before clean breaks and a subtle female vocal introduce a soothing yet dynamic energy. A2 'In Perpetuum' ramps up the intensity with rasping, hyperactive breaks and chopped vocals. B1 'Flow State' offers melodic layers, while B2 'The Cure For What Ails You' closes with classic amen breaks and deep 808 bass.
Review: The Time Is Now label single-handed ushered in a new era of garage if you ask us. That was a few years ago but the label continues to lead from the fort here with a new EP from Samurai Breaks & Napes who make their label debut in explosive fashion. They are skilled studio talents who are nudging at the boundaries of the current UK bass sound and here they hybridise bassline, jungle and garage. You won't easily be able to fit these into one stylistic box but they will do damage on the floor, from the ghetto restlessness of the opener to the manic melodies of 'Correct Technique' and onto the turbocharged 'FrogMob'. Thrilling stuff.
Review: Chase & Status ride a new wave with their sixth album, honouring their long-held time in the limelight as two of the UK's most powerful bangercrafting hitmakers. While still managing to nod to times past, this limited new LP also works in brand new UK sounds - drill MCs Unknown T and Backroad Gee, for example, make standout appearance on the tracks 'Run Up' and 'When It Rains', while still retaining elements of creativity that are endemic to Chase & Status only. Meanwhile, UK dancehall maintains its strong standing, with Popcaan and IRAH featuring regularly throughout.
Review: Chase & Status and Stormzy coming together was always going to be huge. One rules the charts, the other the clubs, and between them they cooked up a massive single that got heard everywhere all summer long, including a special live performance of it in Ushuaia Ibiza. Now you can own it on a slab of vinyl that has been cut nice and loud, which is perfect for the tune - the bass is devastating, the bars from Stormzy are hard, the energy is dark and unrelenting and it's the perfect sort of jungle cross over sound that will continue to be heard everywhere well into 2025.
Review: All hail King Krust, a true totem of d&b innovation from his earliest days right up to the present moment. The Irrational Numbers series on Wonder Palace is doing a sterling job of combing back through his monumental legacy as a key protagonist in the Bristol-rooted Full Cycle crew and there's so much heat a third double-LP volume doesn't feel anything close to excessive. On this edition we're getting treated to unbelievable workouts like his Gang Related production 'Rukus' and the widescreen scope of 'The Resister', a staggeringly visionary slice of hi-tech soul from 1993. There's just so much invention and expression on here, rightly confirming Krust's place in the d&b hall of fame.
Review: By 1997 Photek had already marked himself out as a wild card in the rapidly evolving d&b scene. He'd had three years to carve out some frankly dizzying displays of break editing wizardry and such was the innovation on display there just had to be an album coming. Modus Operandi smartly stepped to one side of the dancefloor, offering a smoky reflection on where jungle and d&b had got to, highlighting the compatibility between half-speed downtempo and breakneck drums and bringing inherent jazziness to the forefront of the beats, which avoided all the usual cliches. It's a masterpiece which hasn't dulled with time and here it's getting a heavyweight reissue across three slabs to ensure the loudest cut. All the better to blow your mind with, all over again.
Review: Calibre's brand new drum & bass album Rudy comes in a minty-fresh contrapuntal breath, following hot on the heels of a new white label reissue of his earliest and most enduring works from the mid-to-late 1990s. The sudden time-warp back into the present day proves just how far he has come since then, yet also just how much he has retained what worked, too; Rudy begins in an orthodox liquid jungle fashion with the likes of 'Stunted', before breaking away into impressionistic vocal free-associations like 'The Game' (with Dominic Martin) and halftime reese-swellers like 'Heaven'. All the tracks originate from the same aetheric stratosphere - imagine if drum & bass had kicked off not on a terrestrial, but totally gaseous planet - yet Calibre still gleans enough variation from this potent condensate to either pack both more vacuumy punches ('Cousin') or more laid-back but cerebral inhalations ('Dumb Bum').
Review: Heads will know 'As We Enter' as the name of the Breakage tune that set the stage for many more things halftime to come - not to mention a Damian Marley & Nas song released around the same time - so we're more than pleased to learn that one next-gen producer has taken on the name as an alias. However, something in the aura of this release tells us this artist is no debutante; 'Lover To Lover' brings wubbing Reesebound rollage and summery fluting funk together in quick step, with complementary numbers 'So Gone', 'Come Again' and 'Shifting Gears' flaunting a respect for the many different facets of drum & bass, from techstep to early jump-up. This one gets more and more sinister as it progresses; despite the cover, whatever's entered the room feels more elephant than pigeon.
Review: In characteristically fast and loose fashion, the June 2024 split release between Burial and Kode9 finally hears a 12" version only the following November, which also compounds the London label's habit of timing new Burial releases with misty year-end Brumaires. 'Phoneglow' and 'Eyes Go Blank' are complementary cracklestep and aggro jungle-juke numbers; both get at the wistful chills and phantom pocket vibrations endemic to the modern urban lifestyle, these being sensations that mask much deeper, dare-not-go-there collective emotions. Burial's A-sider is as tender as ever, typically stilted between neurotic beat-switches and fizzing breakdowns. But this time, the more beat-driven moments dart between haunted, charity shop haul Christmas compilation garage vibes, and hollowly hallowed, filtered Eurorave, continuing Burial's recent penchant for sweetness below the sonic silt. Kode9's is a much tankier yet tricksier tune, traversing glossolalic masc vocals, warring tuned Reeses, and gamey ringtone clatters.
Review: Three years since this formidable French troupe turned lead to gold on their debut, Visages' alchemy continues to bubble over with this utterly exceptional sophomore. Spanning the whole rainbow of styles from neo soul to grime to dubstep and a pungent range of dnb strains, this really is a unique and beguiling universe of sounds, themes, brutalist moments and poignant motifs. Complete with lyrical guidance from the likes of Strategy, Verbz, Chimpo, Snowy and others, there's a powerful adventure to be had among these tracks from the furious futurism of the opener 'Transhuman Music' to the woozy jazzy echoes of the closer 'Kintsugi', this is nothing short of outstanding.
Review: One of the UK's wonder-children of music production, Eusebeia, returns for a cerebral new drum & bass EP, 'Snakes & Ladders', homing in on vibes of barren atmosses and desert drumfunk. Opener 'Snakes & Ladders' is Sub-Saharan enough, opening with a bullhorned call to arms over a figurative, dust-laden sonic dune, all while a rallying 808 booms underneath like the distant underground squirms of a sandworm. Things then take an unexpected turn, however, as the producer takes brooding refuge in a nighttime cave on 'Morality Lessons', cleverly traversing an odd time signature and a nocturnal texture. 'Ladder To Salvation' embraces the desert dawn, relishing the misty morning, while 'Vice & Virtue' rounds off the B-side with an impeccable ambience and movement through several competing kettle-breaks and versions of the same atmosphere.
Review: Photek's masterpiece for the new millennium Solaris catches a repress on Proper recordings. From propulsive, metro-setting opener 'Terminus' to the elegiac, trouble-in-paradise closing synth meditation 'Under The Palms ', Rupert Parkes casually shakes off all expectation with a flurry of infectious head boppers channeling everything from the fragmentary half-step of the nascent broken beat stylie- read: 'Juno' (sic), to the snarling Valve-era techstep of Dillinja and Lemon D on 'Infinity' via Larry Heard's late 90s deep lounge leanings on the peerless 'Mine To Give' (note the similarity in artwork with Heard's Genesis). Solaris is very much a product of its time, the highest praise possible given the early 00s was one of the most amoebic and fluid periods in UK dance music history. It speaks to the undying british dancefloor tendency to allide tempo and atmosphere, casually felling boundaries in genre to create something as reverential as it is innovative. Classiq.
Review: Scene veteram - if not downright originator - Nookie returns to Metalheadz with his latest offering, which as the title suggests, finds the London-based d&b producer embracing the creative process as a means of surprise and discovery. Nookie himself calls the tracks on Improvisions "the best I've ever written," and we'd be hard pushed to disagree. Ruth Royall becomes a central figure within the record's story, her voice ringing out over Nookie's jazz-laced, soul-drenched production on 'Part Of Me' especially. There is plenty of dancefloor energy to be found on the likes of 'Over & Over' as well, but vitally this is a d&b artist album from someone whose inspiration continues to flow prodigiously.
Review: ASC's Reflections is a masterclass in drum & bass and ambient music. The album is awash with deep, melodic soundscapes and old-school 90s beats that will transport you to another world. From the gentle pace of 'Glaciers' to the more upbeat 'Prototype' each track on the album is a sonic journey that will leave you wanting more. ASC's production is impeccable, and his use of samples is nothing short of masterful. The result is an album that is both nostalgic and fresh, with a sound that is uniquely his own. Whether you're a fan of drum & bass, ambient, or simply good music, Reflections is an album that you won't want to miss. In addition to the stunning music, the album's packaging is also top-notch.
Review: Rasta Vibez is a focused outlet for fresh twists on the ragga jungle tradition, with a generous dose of feel-good flava thrown into the blender to reach across the divide and get everyone skanking hard. 'My Sound' is an insanely catchy, chirpy flip on the usually moody approach to ragga jungle with raw fire toasting and some anthemic chorus licks to get hands reaching skywards, just in time for the late summer stretch of festivals. 'Another Hit Song' is a rolling workout which keeps things punchy and on-point, teasing the energy on the breakdown before ripping back into the jump-up styles that get bodies popping off.
Review: Wilkinson is a big name when it comes to the contemporary drum & bass scene. He is someone whose name you will find on all the line-ups of the major clubs and festivals around the world and is no stranger to bringing the noise to Ibiza, either. He has a multi-genre approach that finds him playing effective and eclectic sets that appeal to all manner of crowds. Back in 2013, he dropped his debut solo album Lazers Not Included on Ram - where else - and set all this success in motion. This tenth anniversary edition comes on yellow vinyl with UK number 20 single 'Dirty Love' and many more gems.
Soulox & Soeneido - "Lavish" (Comfort Zone remix) (4:56)
Soulox - "Dizzy" (5:36)
Review: It's an Oakland thing! Soulox & Soeneido's 2023 Future Retro release enjoys a re-up in all its ravey glory. A real homage to these cuts takes us back to that golden era crossover point between hardcore and jungle. Big pads. Bigger rushes. 'Lavish' lives up to its name in feels, drums and arrangement. A timeless corker. Soeneido's original has a chimey/Horizons feel as it builds up and hurls you into its own universe. Elsewhere Soulox's 'Dizzy' takes us even deeper for a laid back, sensual finale.
The Tree Knows Everything Revisited (feat Kirsty Hawkshaw) (8:04)
Circles Revisited (extended) (5:35)
Mother Earth Revisited (5:01)
Dirty Harry Revisited (5:34)
F-Jam Revisited (feat MC Conrad) (5:41)
Aromatherapy Revisited (6:57)
Review: Colours Revisited isn't just a nod to Adam F's 1997 Colours but a wholly reconstructed journey that blends the echoes of late 90s drum and bass with new layers of live instrumentation. Rather than dusting off the original, Adam F digs deep, pairing soulful grooves with UK jazz virtuoso Julian Joseph's keys and the rich textures of re-recorded vocals by Kirsty Hawkshaw. A standout, 'Metropolis' channels the Metalheadz-issued original's punch with a vivid, rhythmic pulse, while 'Music in My Mind' echoes Herbie Hancock's influence. The album pulses with both reverence and reinvention, casting classic tracks in a fresh sonic space where analogue warmth meets carefully layered modernity. This is Colours, all brilliantly retold for a new era.
Review: Forest On Stasys takes the plunge here and launches a new label, Aura Sonora, which debuts with a hugely limited and high-quality new 12" from the boss. The imprint will be "a platform designed for sound experimentation" and the first missive backs that up with a great blend of drum & bass, half-time and techno. 'Magnetismo' is a prickly opener with slippery rhythms underpinned by bold bass. 'Domo' is a darker sound with menacing low ends and prickly percussive patterns while 'Sideral' is another late-night prowler with low sling sounds, eerie atmospheres and a real sense of futurism. A great start to life for Aura Sonora.
Review: Hardcore drum & bass flavours lent an ethereal, darkside sonic twist. Welcomed to the Samuari Music shogunate for the first time ever - despite a longtime, shared presence on the scene - Pugilist, Tamen and Onyx make for a thoracic, thudding collab. Suspensory pads lock us in vial-pods of stasis on the opening 'Conquer', on which our somatic reserves end up totally vampirised by precision shellage. Scapular breaks break our kneecaps on 'ESS', which comes squared off by tweezed hats, while 'Resu' and 'Mise' go on to bloodlet a jungular jugular, with the final track meliorating the soul with its tuned 808s, sculpted distortion and pulsate, futuro-spa ambiances.
Review: Samurai sign out of 2023 with this stunning expedition from longstanding craftsman ASC. One of the deepest to do it, here on 'House Of Leaves' he whips up a beguiling sense of atmosphere as we gradually ramp up the intensity from the tense and stretched out title track opener to the savage cymbal slaps of the finale 'Exploration #4'. In between we find our souls soothed by the relentless drumfunk of 'The Navidson Record' and our brains shattered by the cosmic turbo zaps of 'The 5 1/2 Minute Hallway'. Far out.
Bun Ya Too (feat Marcus Intalex, Chimpo, Rolla, Skittles & Strategy - Enei remix) (4:31)
Review: Hugeness: "The View" was one of the small selection of D&B tunes that really brought all DJs from all subgenres together last year. Now under the crafty scalpel of Calibre, it's been subtly polished for the new year. Flip for a mechanical funk shake up of "Bun Ya" by Enei. Loaded with some of the funniest and sharpest lyrics DRS, Skittles, Chimpo, Rolla and Strategy have ever penned, Enei has paid full respect to the elements while upping the aggy factor by at least 50.
Review: Bless up Marcus Intalex! Whilst he's engaged on delivering techno tools of the highest order as Trevino, the Manchester man is not letting his Soul:R empire slack one bit. Here the prospering Fourfit series returns and it sees a full release from the excellent LSB, who delivered a soulful highlight of the last edition. Much the same can be said of the four tracks here, with LSB really showcasing the breadth of his production palette. Lead cut "Snap Funk" rolls with an alluring darkness, whilst "Mist Of You" possesses some quite beautiful piano tones. Deep junglist vibes run through the pensive roller "Walking Blues" whilst "Omega" stands tall with brushed steppah vibes and industrial strength basslines.
Review: He's back! It's been a while since Bungle last graced our turntables; his 2011 album Memories to be precise. But he's returned. And he's done so with a double-sided disc of pure D&Beauty. "Aura" is an emotion soaked stepper laced with all the grace of an early 90s ambient record but beefed up with Autonomic standards. Already being pimped as an 'impossible to top' tune of the year by some of the biggest names in the game, it's unarguably essential. "Astral Travel" is equally stunning. Rolling with a heavier rhythm but dosed with the same amount of star gazing whimsy, it's another faultless moment from the Brazilian DJ. Welcome back Bungle.
Review: It's about time... Fresh off the heat of his Trevino album, Marcus returns to the D&B source with a full-fat foursome on his label's spotless Four:Fit series. Each cut a 24 carat diamond, shining in its own special way: "Mixed Bag" is a DRS-polished soulful addition to the ever-growing halftime annals, both "Step Forward" and "Stingray" are brittle two-step heads-down headbutts while "Jupiter" is an amen-rattled jungle shake-up. Timeless, deep and spacious; Marcus never fails.
Review: New Jersey's standout drum & bass star JLM Productions is a releasing powerhouse, having gone strong since at least the mid-90s with his Reinforced alias - and now with a return to his JLM name, here releasing under ASC's Spatial Recordings. Implied to be a pioneer of a certain subset of atmospheric drum & bass, this new album, Variations On Being, harnesses this credo to brilliant effect, rightly representing Jamie Myseron's craft as one that brings with it a deep spiritual fecundity. With Buddhist, Vedic and Hindu titles like 'Dharma', 'Artha' and 'Kama', backed up by a Hellenic haul of tunes on the B-side with titles like 'Physis' and 'Hexis', each track here riffles with a pulsive energy and exquisiteness, as if to suggest the movement of a pure font of spirit, not bound by the formalisms of much drum & bass (the sound is unashamedly expansive, unafraid of giving way to pad and synth wash at the relative expense of heavy-hitting drums).
Review: Vibez 93's Flights Booked EP brings a fresh take on drum & bass with a blend of melodic rhythms and distinct vocal styles. The title track, 'Flights Booked,' opens the EP with a downtempo groove that carries a futuristic vibe, enhanced by a unique hip hop lyrical flow that sets it apart from typical drum & bass tracks. 'All I Need' follows with an energetic burst, maintaining the EP's momentum and showcasing Vibez 93's knack for dynamic beats and engaging melodies. On Side-2, 'Blue Dream' stands out with its rhythm and blues vocal flow layered over crisp drum & bass production. The smooth vocal performance contrasts with the energetic rhythms, creating a great party track, before the EP closes with 'Selfish,' continuing the exploration of diverse soundscapes while staying rooted in the drum & bass tradition.
Review: KRaeK steps onto Flexout's main label with a striking debut EP, collaborating with Ukrainian artist NickBee. Their music emerged from an intense creative connection forged in the chaos of war. NickBee's contributions, crafted amid the turbulence of his homeland, give each track a visceral weight, charged with survival, anger and flickers of hope. This EP stands as a raw, uncompromising expression of friendship and resilience, capturing an experience that transcends beats and basslines. It's a sobering reminder of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and a show of solidarity with those still enduring.
Review: Polish dub home-brewers Moonshine Recordings have commissioned an exceptional new release here from Bukkha, Dubbing Sun and Burro Banton; 'A1 Sound' really is more than worthy of its pronounced place at the top of the list, thanks to its unique fusion of heavyweight steppers dub production and a hardcore, doubletime beat worthy of any warehouse rave. The track bares an unusual push-pull, and it seamlessly introduces the A3 jungle mix too, whose tempo and pace matches the first two versions' dragged weightiness. But here it's all three artists' productive synergies that shine, the original mix flaunting a restlessly fickle fencing between hardcore techno, brusque rap-jaying and nu system dub, never totally settling on either sound.
Comfort Zone is a producer to watch this year and we present to you Exhibit A, this new EP on Future Retro. He previously appeared on this label on Meeting Of The Minds Vol. 5, and also collaborated with the label boss Tim Reaper on music for Banoffee Pies. This solo outing kicks off with 'Tunnel Vision' which brings real synth beauty and deep cosmic feels to a lithe and soulful minimal rhythm stacked with masterful sound designs and crispy snares. 'Snake Stealer' has more plunging bass and contrasting lightness in the wispy melodies, then Reaper adds his own remix of 'Tune Vision' which is much more brash and in your face. Closer 'Tilted' is another super stylish and jazzy number with nimble bass and lively breaks.
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