Metalheadz Vinilo y CD

Review: Scar has become integral to the contemporary drum & bass scene over the last eight or so years and has left several top-notch tunes on labels like this one in their wake. They now make a welcome return to Metalheadz with The Road Less Travelled VIP, which is new takes on their 2022 album of the same name. On the buttons are some of the pair's closest musical colleagues as Zero T, Nookie and Artificial Intelligence all come through with fine fresh new takes and SCAR themselves also offer up a trio of their own smart reworks which following many requests now land on their own slab of coloured wax.

Review: Goldie's superb Metalheadz label rains almost as influential now as it was during its earliest and most pioneering years. The boss himself has managed to keep on curating tasteful and innovative sounds and next up is Nookie and vocalist Ruth Royall with a brilliant brace which arrives just before Nookie's debut full length album for the label. The uplifting 'Hero' has refreshing drum breaks and lush pianos coverlid up top with some superbly powerful vocal harmonies from new generation talent Ruth. 'We Shall Overcome' then flips the script and explores soulful house music with good times vibes.

Review: One of the most GOATed of GOATs, Nookie requires absolutely no introduction. And his fist album in over 15 years is an absolutely massive deal this year. Especially when it's on Metalheadz. And especially when it runs the whole Nookie gamut from house to jungle and features the supreme tones of songwriter du jour Ruth Royall. Here are just four examples as Headz gives us a little tease under the vinyl spotlight. The gutsy soul of 'Part Of Me', the timeless Chicago-style vibes of 'In Love' and the beguiling futurism of 'Over & Over', long may Nookie continue to reign.

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.