Review: After a brief pause to allow their frankly huge 36-track VA compilation to sit and breathe a while, Motive Hunter Audio is back at the sharp end of the jungle scene with this new EP from the brilliant ARKYN. It's a lovely slab of grey wax that revives a blend of hardcore jungle techno that is not for the faint of heart and comes with a tasteful homage to this subgenre's roots. Packed with piano stabs and 4x4 kicks, the EP delivers controlled mayhem that is perfect for the club as collaborations with SYNTAX, DJ B, and ARKYN's alter-ego DJ TUF all bring depth and hints of early Dutch rave influences.
Review: Everyone's talking and no-one is listening... Unless Chatta B is chewing your ear off with his militant breaks - because then we're all ears over here. Unleashing the ghosts of 93 with big sacks of sheesh and oh my gosh, each of these cuts hits hard with the neck-snap breaks and big hooky samples. 'Watch Out' sets the scene with energy, 'Real Badman Sound' goes full-on rudeboy, 'The Exit' is a big sing-along moment while 'Easy Take It Easy' sends us off into the sunset with mixed sentiments... The vocals are like a sweet rum punch while those rattling breaks on the rhythm are more like a tum punch. Talk to us.
Review: Certain names in dance music do well to predict the future - and Digital Pressure is one such name. Originally released on A Guy Called Gerald's label Juice Box in 1993, this phonkout beast of an EP came via the joint efforts of producers SDR and Subsonic aka Adrian Lloyd and Kelly Bowers. The twizzling melody and tunefully sawing breaks delays that kick this one off reflect the "digital pressures" of today perhaps more so than it did back then; 'Watch Dis Space' and 'Strictly Drug Related' make unique use (for jungle) of glitching phone chip stinger sounds, reminiscent of the twinkly "coin get" sound effects one might hear on carting about an old Watara games unit. If only handheld games consoles and uncommonly sighted mobile phones were the extent of our digital woes; now we've a heck of a lot more to worry about, and doesn't the further ironically named 'Back 2 Da Future' know it with its Twilight Zone topline and clunky robo-vox! Limited run of 350.
Review: The mission-statement-and-artist-name Gabber Dub Project, from Germany, take on a bold undertaking. Doing exactly what is said on the tin, this six track explosion dispatches every possible topological contortion of what could be meant by "gabber dub", traversing transient styles from UK hardcore and hardstyle in the process. LXC, Zimmertime and Hurra Hurra offer terrifyingly shouty, jackhammering remixes checking off moods of militancy and warmongery, with 'Dubbersaet' sounding especially propagandistic, described as a "maximum amen workout", shortly before side B both hastens the pace and buries the vibe in shockingly six-foot-deep soil.
Marjan - "Desert Of Heart" (Ramtin Niazi rework) (4:35)
Artoush - "The Curse" (Ramtin Niazi rework) (4:22)
Review: Today's Youth is a collection of Ramtin Niazi's reworkings of some of Iran's best loved songs. Here the Iranian artist - and key component part of such storied Persian rave music groups as Ben & Jerry, Kahkli Cru and 1000PA - breathes fresh, shape-cut life into the music of Googoosh, Kourosh Yaghmaei, Marjan and Artoush, refitting them for the abandoned warehouse rave. This is a real eclectic record, taking after well-established dance styles like speed garage, jungle, and dembow, but each track is nonetheless arranged with a gauche left hand, so gauche as to abstract each one from its stylistic reference point enough to sound lytic: unmoored from any total obligation to their origins, be they Iranian or Western European.
Review: Oi oi, gun fingers and glow sticks at the ready for this one, which is a jungle, d&b and hardcore fusion that throws it back to the good old days. 'Feel The Magic' has it all and then some with blistering amen breaks and killer vocal stabs, 'Wheel Up' keeps on the pressure with more irresistibly funky breaks, spin backs and prying synth tone and 'Come Inside' hypnotises with a mystic flute lead before the devastating drums drop once more. 'Breakage #6' shuts down with another lively rhythm that will turn any 'floor into a rave den.
Noise Factory - "Can You Feel The Rush" (The Power mix) (4:54)
TDK - "Baby Plane" (5:05)
TDK - "Illusion Of Balance" (4:54)
TDK - "Bonus Beat" (5:06)
Review: Throwback proto-jungle glitz from Noise Factory reissued by Kemet Music, the revolving-door ragga jungle collective mainly owned and operated by label owner Mark X. Just as it was with its original release on the label in 1993, we hear Noise Factory's original 'Can You Feel The Rush' - first surfacing on Ibiza Records that same year - followed by three stonkers from DJ, producer and emcee TDK. This is an EP that overflows with legitness, its liquid tsunamic runovers of energetic vibe pouring forth from NF's 'Power Mix' as well as the subsequent key-mapped demon choir hellscape, 'Baby Plane'. All tunes here bear that raw, much coveted yet never quite totally replicable rasp sound, endemic to the early-to-mid 90s. Feathers don't get ruffled as much as they do get ruffed, on the closers 'Illusion Of Balance' and 'Bonus Beat'.
Review: Parade's 'Parade 004' bursts with high-energy, classic breakbeat vibes, perfectly crafted for fans of rave anthems. Side-1 kicks off with 'Austria', a high-octane track that fuses uplifting piano riffs with a driving beat, embodying peak 90s rave energy. It's the kind of track that fills a dancefloor, blending nostalgia with fresh, invigorating production. Side-2 dives deeper with 'Heartbeat' and 'Higher', both loaded with feel-good, jungle-tinged piano lines that bring a pure, euphoric lift. These tracks capture the essence of breakbeat's roots, while infusing it with a modern twist that keeps things exciting. Parade manages to be both a celebration of breakbeat's legacy and a re-energised take for today's dance sceneiideal for anyone looking to relive or discover that classic sound.
Review: Andrew Bowen, formerly of AnD and Shadows, debuts a fresh EP for a fresh alias: Slave To Society. An entirely unique exploration of breakneck jungle and bass, 'Abstract Venom' explores the extremities of the harshest facets of darkside electronica, with a self-proclaimed disregard "for BPMs, rules, regulations, or trends". While that claim might be somewhat hyperbolic, there is some truth to it. We hear vestiges of punk, industrial, noise, and experimental music in this overarchingly drum & bass project; while at the same time, cuts like the title track and 'Tribulations Of An Alien' indulge everything from rule-ribbing polyrhythms to mega-tight, neuromantic breakcore.
Review: Sonic Deadline AKA Party Force AKA Eyeski AKA Master Editor boils up the Hard Boiled machine once again with an eggsellent four-tet of rave fizzers. Strictly vinyl, all four cuts slap with a playful housey hardcore edge. 'Memories Of Blue' is a proper Dred Bass style springy breaks cut with mega scratches galore and 'My Feelings Can't Explain' shows some seriously twisted Saturday loving (if you catch our drift) Meanwhile on the B: 'Road To Nowhere' takes us into a darker state of emotional consciousness while 'Our Mind Was Trapped' closes with a big bouncy, hands-in-the-air hoorah. Times up.
Review: Former Prodigy man Leeroy Thornhill delves into the contrasting energies of the dancefloor, crafting a four-track journey through hypnotic rhythms and pulsating grooves. 'Low 1' and 'Low 2' explore the deeper, more hypnotic side of techno, with their rolling basslines and atmospheric textures creating a captivating sonic experience. On the flipside, 'High 1' and 'High 2' inject a surge of energy, their driving rhythms and infectious melodies taking the listener on a euphoric ride. These tracks are a testament to Thornhill's ability to craft high-energy dancefloor anthems that are guaranteed to ignite any club. With its diverse range of sounds and moods, this EP showcases Thornhill's versatility as a producer and his deep understanding of the electronic music landscape.
Heavy Systems Inc - "The Devil Feels So Real Tonight" (6:41)
Alk-E-D & DJ Beeno - "Trevor Said" (7:07)
DJ Beeno & Alk-E-D - "The Weekender" (Paul Bradley remix) (5:16)
Ross Fader - "Dream Catchers" (5:29)
Review: Grab it while you can! Kniteforce Records continue to juice up their never-to-be-reissued-or-repressed KFW series with this walloping VA featuring an exciting range of old names and new. Highlights include the rushy vocal throwback 'Genesis' from Sunny & Deck Hussy, the cloud-smashing dreamy vibe out 'Close To Nowhere' from Sub Fundation and the wild piano finale from both Beeno & Alk-E-D and Ross Fader as their tracks ('The Weekender' and 'Dream Catchers' respectively) end this epic EP with so much euphoria you might just go out, hug a random stranger and offer them some chewing gum. Source material.
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