Food Music Vinilo y CD

Review: NJoi's Hidden Gems series exists primarily to plug gaps in their catalogue, featuring as it does previously unreleased cuts that first featured in their live shows in the early 90s. Some of these have been reconstructed and finally "finished off", though pleasingly they still sound like unheard period pieces. They begin with 'Get Hype', a stab-happy, rave-era hip-house workout featuring Krayzee Thoughts and Luvain, before reuniting with 'Anthem' vocalist Saffron on the piano-powered breakbeat house rush of 'Feelings Inside'. Over on side B, 'Bring That Beat Back' is a Hoover bassline sporting slab of Belgian rave/Yorkshire bleep/London hardcore fusion, while 'Lovin' U' is giddy, glassy-eyed and rushing, with wiggly acid lines and life-affirming piano riffs catching the ear.

Review: Shadow Child and Mark Archer are two titans of the UK underground who have also very much made their mark on the world stage, though with quite different sounds. Here they find some sweet middle ground with a fierce new three tracker on Food Music. It opens up with the throwback rave energy and belting diva vocals of 'I Know U' and gets even bigger with 'Chinwah (Big DJs)', a cantering big room house cut with throwback stabs. The best of the lot is saved for last when 'I Know U' (Swankout Ready 2 Rave mix) erupts on waves of flappy drums and rich rave synths.