Review: California-based, British drum & bass musician ASC returns with more homages to late 90s atmospheric drum & bass on his excellent sub-label Spatial. Anyone who has been following his work and the releases that he's put out on his Auxiliary label and sub labels in the past few years should know what to expect. Following on from last month's excellent full-length Next Time You Fall, 'Undercurrents' is four tracks of impeccably produced ambient jungle. The first cut, 'Ocean Breeze', has a simpler rhythm than you would expect from him, which could be a hint at a more liquid future direction. The next three cuts are classic ASC: cut-up, spaced-out breaks interspersed with dreamy vocals.
Review: Degs unleashes his second album If We Left This Earth and once again it's an odyssey of soul, sunshine and precision timed savageness. Featuring link-ups with a huge variety of friends and label pals, over the course of the LP we clock names likes of Kimyan Law, NCT, Hugh Hardie, Hoax and many others as Degs lays down stories, thoughts and self-reflective moments over a range of beats. From the beautiful sonic hug 'Don't Be Gone Too Long' to the heavily introspective 'West & Central' to the steaming warehouse demolisher with bandmates Hologram and OG MC brothers The Ragga Twins 'Hang Up The Mic', it's another stunning long player from one of Hospital's most talented songwriters.
Review: Terrace keeps it concrete with the second release on Kniteforce's vinyl-only imprint Deadly Dubs. Following big street smashers on Karma Recs and recent outings on Erupt there's a distinctly euphoric foundation to the vibe running throughout ranging from opening salvo of pitched up vox and pianos of 'Aappy Happy' to the closing acid house style piano evangelism of the finale 'Quadratic'. Elsewhere 'Show N Tell' has us melting at the knees and begging to stay one more night with Uncle Phil and 'Come Down' has us all doing award winning air piano. Happy days.
Review: True to the name, FFF's releases do tend to make us teeter on the edge of profanity, inciting us to utter a hearty "FFF...!" whenever one of his pre-drop seatbelt warnings is sounded. With what sounds like a copyright lapsed, twilight zoney TV sample musing on the terror of true freedom kicking off the opener 'No Holds Barred', we're inducted into a true blue jungle asepsis here, with an unstoppable, untainted 808s extending over both tracks, full time and halftime alike. Only the breakbeats on the A singe the mix to the point of well done break steak, where the track's atmospheres are otherwise clean and twinkly; FX's remix, on the other hand, hovers dirtily and indubitably between jungle techstep and trip-hop, delivering a consciousness expanding mind mutator.
Review: FABRICLIVE's artist-focused label continues to shine with a new gem from rising star Kiana Li aka Gyrofield. The tracks 'Akin' and 'Mother' are rooted in drum & bass and deliver a fresh, detailed sound that captures both atmospheric and melodic vibes. First up, 'Akin' offers balmy breakbeats and celestial propulsion, while 'Mother' combines big vocals, precise low-end brilliance and a twisted mix of techno. Reflecting on her work in accompanying notes, Gyrofield describes these tracks as free-spirited and transportive and they really do embody a journey of self-expression. Having been released on Critical and Noisia's Vision, gyrofield's music continues to cut through.
Review: OG business! Majik and his label Infrared have been charming the dance since the very roots and he's back once again with this superb trio that originally ran last autumn. Fresh to wax, 'Ghost Train' charges along with real old school hardcore vibes, especially with those booming detuned synths. Things get deeper as we skip further into the EP; 'Above The Clouds' is goes all icy and introspective while 'July' closes with a nod to Detroit. Powerful.
Review: Warsaw producer Kampinos delivers a knockout trio of tunes for GAMM here that collide soulful drum & bass with deep musical roots. The standout opener is 'Good Looking Pepe,' which flips Pepe Bradock's seminal house love-in 'Deep Burnt' into a lush, jazzy roller a la LTJ Bukem. On the B-side, 'Joi' explodes with gospel fervour and raw amen breaks to make for an irresistible jungle anthem built for dancefloor uplift. Rounding things off, Kampinos offers a rich, emotive refix of Little Simz's 'See You Glow' which is both warm and intense. This is rather unexpected yet effective outing for GAMM with a fine mix of soul and roughness.
Review: UK artist Tom Lavery has been making some brilliant jungle under this alias on labels like Smooth Operator and mostly Sub Code, where he returns now. 'Some Likkle Fool' brings raga influences to tumbling bass drills and sleek breakbeats. 'Dream Of This Love' is a high-speed and raved-up workout with pitched-up vocals and maniac bass energy and 'Touch Me' is another blend of old school madness with new school production, thanks to the piano chords, euphoric pads and vocals and blistering amens. 'Batmobile' shuts down with a raw stepper.
Review: Priori's 'Pareidolia' EP proved a big hit so it makes sense that the Midgar label now drops a selection of remixes of it. The hi-fidelity master Forest Drive West delivers two remixes, including one mesmerising half-time twist up of 'Hazard' and a more slow, wonderfully murky techno workout. Montreal's Maara transforms 'Memory Palace' into a dub techno delight that will have you floating above the floor while Notte Infinita adds a seductive drum & bass vibe to the title track. Last but not least, Amsterdam's Upsammy brings a typically innovative and playful touch that makes 'Glass Shards' a lively rhythmic workout.
Review: With A Real Piece Of Work, Stillhead helps Brightest Dark Place reach into the "hazy, blurred overlap between techno and ambient", throwing a suspension chord between two bluffs over a vast sonic chasm, and letting terse rhythms monkey-swing across it, letting reverb bellow from below. This is an equally dynamic but intense listening experience, proving that vast, chasmic sound design need not chafe against dynamic buoyancy: the two can coexist. Keeping to about 170BPM, the Edinburgh DJ marks his sixth release here, and it is an impressive logical extension from 2022's comparable mission statement Restraint And Reverb: 'The Red Ball' suspends a sampled 'Funky Drummer' over an atoll of sub compulsions, while 'A Light Thump On The Head' stretches a classic future garage rhythm over a telegraphic void, with dispersive, long-decaying results.
Review: Harmony and Modified Motion's Subjects alias continues to lay down timeless junglistic heat and the vibes fly out in all directions. 'In The Morning' is a full strength breakbeat assault with a pitched up vocal and rising sense of euphoria. 'Yummy' meanwhile brings those rushes on instantly with delicate pianos taking the lead and the drums driving more of a hardcore dynamic to the groove. Stunning - as always with Deep Jungle!
Review: At legendary jazzdance hubs like London's Horseshoe and Camden's Electric Ballroom, one track ruled the floor: Hino Terumasa's 'Merry-Go-Round', pulled from the Japanese trumpeter's 'Double Rainbow' album. A bass-driven jass fusion storm, it sent dancers into a frenzy, tending fast down a psychedelic jazz mountain. A staple of BBE's J Jazz compilation, 'Merry-Go-Round' was Paul Murphy's top pick for a fresh rework, heard here from Niknak. Rising to the challenge, Takumi assembled top-tier musicians to craft an electrifying tribute; eight minutes of unrelenting, steam-hammer funk, pushing jazz dance energy to its limits.
Review: London label Footnotes turn the page on a bold new drop cap with Annotations, a handpicked compilation reflecting on the label's growth since its inception in 2018. Helmed by LSB, the project draws from a pool of core contributors - Alibi, Anile, Tokyo Prose, and Bazil - alongside fresh voices, all credited as shaping the current drum & bass landscape. LSB's interwoven originals pockmark further remixes and collaborations, presiding over a quality output emphasising nuance over impact.
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