Drum And Bass/Jungle

Review: Launched earlier this year digitally, Dub Phizix's Ohmgrown series is a collection of tracks sculpted from the ground up. All completely designed from scratch and finished without the usual endless polish and over detailing, these fresh-free-for-all halftime cuts represent the Manchester artist at his most lucid. They also carry more than enough space for creative MCs to let loose on. From the strange tape stop trippiness of "Engage" to the cosmic oriental plucks and soft cries of "The Waterbody" by way of 23rd century dancehall fury of "Get Fresh", this is Dub Phizix at his most direct and innovative. Get involved or go ohm.

Review: PsychoQuake offshoot PsychoDynamik has long specialized in compilation style EPs brimming with ragga-fired jungle business and ruffneck drum and bass rollers. That's what you get on the sub-label's sizzling seventh release. Ragga toaster UK Apache rhymes at breathtaking speed over Le Peuple De L'Herbe's hot-stepping, dub-fired D&B riddim on punchy opener "No Escape", while fellow mic man Perfect Giddimani makes a similarly positive impression on Kursiva's reggae-drum and bass remix of Tomawok's jaunty "Party Time". Flip for Benny Page's more jungle-tinged - but similarly minded - remix of Tomawok's "My Sound" and the fantastically raw, rolling jungle/dub fusion of Isaac Maya and Mekha's "Bad Inna Dance".

Review: It was only a matter of time before Response & Pliskin found themselves on Skeleton. Chowing down the vapour trails of their Western Lore EP comes this crucial, caustic dispatch on Monita's legendary imprint and the results speak for themselves: "Raging Bull" lives up to its name perfectly, all crashing breaks and unrelenting energy, it's a full drum assault with no letting up. "Spinster" continues the classic jungle theme with a rhythm that screams 1am at Rupture... Especially as the deeper, emotive elements breeze into the blend mid way. Finally we strike another well tailored title as "Small Hours" rolls us deep towards dawn, as its rattled breaks and deep breathing pads instantly ignite a light footed and rushy sensation. Precision.

Review: Following "Make It Right", Dublin beat splicer Ricky Force returns to Repertoire with two more highly charged jungle workouts. "Everything" smacks on a Paradox level with every beat chiselled and spliced into smithereens and slammed back together at high pressure. Loaded with cries, groans and shouts, this is an emphatic salute to the deepest of foundations. Meanwhile on the flip we hit "Special", a lighter jam with more of a rusty step to the rolling amens and a precision one word vocal sample that adds more funk that it technically should. Special indeed.

Review: Alix Perez and Eprom's Shades project goes nuclear with their highly anticipated debut album In Praise Of Darkness. As you already know from any of their previous designs, Shades build stark sonic worlds that sound like no other. Fizzing, glitching, slamming and wobbling, shades of grime can be found on cuts like Killa P fronted "Alarma" while the likes of "Geryon" is pure grit theatre with hooks so big and dangerous they'd make a pirate blush. Elsewhere our senses are frazzled by twisted deep fried data "Nullifier", we're machine gunned by gully on "Sickle" before "Back & Forth" brings us to a poignant granular harmonic close. Best experienced in the dark.