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D&B
12" REVIEWS/ISSUE57
Reviews by Shodan, Ben Sumner,
George, Mark OD, Frenzic, Guy Brickley, Kingsley Marshall.
PHOTEK - WE GOT HEAT (& RAM
RMX) - 51ST STATE
51st State Entertainment is the result of a meeting
between Photek & Loud Records co-founder, John Rifkind
and the first release off the fledgling imprint is ‘We
Got Heat’. Featuring Alcoholik’s member, Choc
Ty and young singer, Chiara over Photek’s beats
under the moniker of Do or Die. Photek’s dnb version
of the track is typical of his style, minimal, stripped
down beats and simple bass stabs form an adequate backdrop
for Choc Ty and Chiara’s lyrics whilst his hip
hop version is somewhat similar to the Neptunes style.
The Ram Trilogy remix is icing on the cake as the Hornchurch
boys roll out in typical futuristic style with twisted
bass lines and crisp rolling beats.8
FRESH - FOREIGNER/ROCK DEMON - BREAKBEAT KAOS
This tune is damage. Seriously. Fresh has really pulled
it out the bag this time. The intro beats roll along
until the tune drops into a filthy reece before the
spoken vocal "She's just a foreigner" marks
the start of the mayhem...Hard beats, modulated bass
and filthy reece’s fire off at all angles creating
a high energy slice of madness. Guaranteed to demolish
the dancefloor. Flip for 'Rock Demon', a sedated yet
equally well produced roller. Also keep ‘em peeled
for the recently released ‘Temple of Doom’.9
CALIBRE - EP - CREATIVE SOURCE
Fabio's Creative Source imprint hasn't been the most
prolific of labels of late but you can guarantee that
9 out of 10 releases are quality tracks and Calibre's
latest EP doesn't disappoint. The Irish wonder is making
quite a name for himself now and these four tracks should
add to that reputation no end. If I had to pick a favourite,
it would have to be 'Hold Back (Jah)' with its simple
but highly effective groove and beats. 'Just Fine' is
a soulful roller with lots of effects and detail to
maintain interest. 'Rejack' picks up the tempo a bit
with filtered amens reinforcing steppy beats and bass.
'Train Version' is a amen and percussion driven work
out with minimal bass and dubby atmospherics and effects.
Also watch out for Danny C's 'Ace Face' coming soon
on Creative Source.8
SOC SECURITY - ALIEN VS PREDATOR - DEEP STRUCTURE
Following on from releases on Hospital's sister label,
M*A*S*H, Social Security serve up their latest offering,
'Alien vs Predator' for fledgling imprint, Deep Structure.
Old skool flavours are the order of the day here with
stabby bass similar to Photek's 'Sidewinder' pumping
away over tough, amen tinged beats. Flip for a slightly
offkey, sub driven roller.8
D KAY & EPSILON - COME EASY
- DEFUNKED
After the success of the monster floor smash ‘Barcelona’,
D Kay & Epsilon lend their skills to the boys at
Defunked. A simple break sets the intro for this lush
roller, built on a bed of bongo trickery gelled with
a catchy male housey vocal - backed up nicely with light
riffs and chords. Flip for the track that I prefer,
the interesting sounds of ‘Velvet Skies’ old
skool flavours works the magic with deep sonic swirls
and roller coast bass tones. Splendour for your box-
trust we. Also keep one eye open for the amazing Santa
Cruz 12”.8
CLIPZ - BANSHEE - EMCEE
Been starting sets with this one and the combination
of high-pitch vocal, and charged bass sets the scene
for an already trademark turbo-charged Clipz drop to
come running in with steel-toe caps and kick everything
to pieces. Romper-Stomper!8
3 WAY - APPRECIATION - FULL CYCLE
Roni, Krust and Die all on one track as 3 Way! The dreamteam
of Bristol drum and bass alas they're not at their best
here. Don't get me wrong its decent and it's got that
phat-laced Bristol skank and it certainly does the damage
on the floor. But because of the lofty positions they
hold in my hall of fame, I expected something of tsunami
property's that was going to blow me away and this is
more likely to have you rocking on your toes.8
CLIPZ - TRUMPET / WAKE UP CALL - FULL CYCLE
Full Cycle new boy, Clipz is starting to make a name
for himself following the success of his ‘Cuban
Linkz EP’ and remix work on ‘Capoiera’
amongst other tracks. His forthcoming release on Full
Cycle see's him turn his hand to a jazz influenced piece
in the form of "Trumpet". The intro features...
can you guess? That's right. Trumpets, which roll along
nicely over the beats, more brass and swirling effects.
The bass line, when it drops, is a double bass affair
and is a little disappointing and repetitive after the
impressive intro. The flip is more typical of the Full
Cycle sound with rolling beats and layered bass, distinct
vocals and clever reverse edits.8
MAMPI SWIFT - PUPPETWALK - GANJA
Mampi's been kinda busy in the studio of late, what
with the two transformers EPs and now he follows up
with 'Puppetwalk' for DJ Hype's Ganja Records. Going
for a more jumpy style, he brings some seriously bouncy
bass to ride over crisp, tight beats. With eerie, b-movie,
sci-fi style, high pitch squealing noises creating plenty
of atmosphere, Mampi has created a surefire dancefloor
stormer!8
VARIOUS - GRID 22 EP - GRID
Its all about Drumsound & Simon ‘Bassline’
Smith’s rework of ‘Hand Grenade’ here.
The original is one of Grid’s finest releases to
date and this remix takes the track to the next level.
Keeping elements of the intro from the original, the
track starts sedately enough before erupting into amens
and crazy twisted lead synth lines and sub bass. A high
energy track with lots of vibes. JBs relick of Amen
Slag is fairly average, as is Q Project’s ‘Bump
n Grind’. The final track supplied by Total Science,
‘Cats Eyes’ marries bouncy spaced out basslines
with their trademark crisp beats to create an interesting
sci-fi style roller.8
LONDON ELEKTRICITY - DIFFERENT
DRUM RMX - HOSPITAL
The hospital crew offer up a slightly more versatile
package for this 2 x 12” release. London Elektricity
& Robert Owens’ ‘Different Drum”
gets the re-touch treatment from Dillinja, Photek and
Nu Tone while ‘Harlesden’ is done by Cyantific.
As expected Dillinja lulls you into a false sense of
security teasing you with the original parts and as
only he can this lets rip with hefty bass spasms and
his usual brand of rip roaring breaks – oh gosh.
Cyantific steps up an already great track ‘Harlesden’
adding energy and a nice underlying sub – flavour.
Photek gets a bit dirty on his mix with twisted bass
stabs contrasting with the serene flavour of the original.
Finally Nu:Tone gives it a funky flex as only he knows
how.8
CALIBRE, ZERO T, BETA 2 / HOLD
TIGHT - INDUSTRY
The 18th release on Industry brings together the Irish
connection of Calibre, Zero Tolerance & Beta 2 for
'Riverside' and newcomers, 'HoldTight' for 'Give It
Up'. 'Riverside' rolls out with some soulful vibes whilst
still retaining a dancefloor edge and features a nice
piano riff, crisp, layered beats and punchy sub b-line.
Flip for disco-tinged, soulful dancefloor vibes.8
V/A - NEW GENERATION PT 2 - INFRARED
Not one to follow a trend, the boys at Infrared continue
to define their dance floor flavours. They deliver us
a meaty LP as part of the New Generation series. Check
the sounds of dance floor monster ‘New Badness’
by label head honcho J Majik. Here we see him getting
dirty with warbling basslines and sliced up howling
diva samples; a track that rolls out on a bed of crisp
tight breaks. DJ Hazard steps up and remixes Cookie
Monsters killer bass line bouncing‘ Keep It Coming’
one for the core of the floor. Cookie Monster himself
delivers ‘The Clown’, a heavy bass in your
face, roller-coasting excursion. Wickerman delivers
standout track ‘’Gremlins’. A brooding
bass heavy journey into sound, mixed up with twisted
housey female vocals -Nice. ‘Good Vibes’ sees
Wickerman on form tearing out bass badness that gallops
like a carousel-horse on speed. Add it to your collection.
Also be sure to grab ‘Capoiera’ and it’s
myriad of mixes when it shortly drops.8
INFRARED CREW - PITBULL / THE
HUNGER - INFRARED
There's no stopping the Infrared boys at the moment
as they go from strength to strength. New bloods, Wickaman
& Futurebound come together with label founder,
J Majik to create the follow up to the massive 'Capoeira'.
This time it's all about dancefloor energy with the
track kicking off with a single yet catchy, synth hook
before the distorted bass and amens creep in. The flipside
is also worth a look with some interesting film samples,
tight beats and twisted b-line.8
SPIRIT & DIGITAL - CHINESE
WHISPERS - INNERACTIVE
Spirit offers up one hell of a stormer here. Old skool
reinforced style strings open it up with again old skool
amen edits and reece stabs I would say you were being
lulled into a false sense of security but you know its
gonna be nasty. The drop rips through with bass stabs
and slammin beats a plenty. Absolutely guaranteed head
banger. Digital’s ‘Knight Rider’ offers
up some deadline-esque congos on the powerfully synth
laden flip, abstract but most definitely bangin’.
What a 12”!8
EZ ROLLERS - CROWD ROCKER RMX
- INTERCOM
Men of the moment, Distorted Minds have been roped in
to remix EZ Rollers’ 'Crowd Rocker', a track from
their forthcoming 'Lickable Beats' LP. The remix is
quite similar to the original, retaining the twisted
intro beats and distinctive "Crowd Rocker"
vocal. The Distorted boys add their own signature lick
to the track with some modulated, twisted basslines
and tough, amen drive beats.8
GREG PACKER - HOT PANTS - INTERPHASE
A new label from Aussie wonderboy Greg Packer sees him
kicking off with two of his own tracks. The label will
be showcasing some of the new talent from across the
globe with forthcoming releases from Pendulum and John
B scheduled. “Hot Pants” is a chunky disco
edged roller with loads of energy and some immaculate
production. Filtered loops weave their way in and out
of the tight breaks and live bass lick, backed up by
some clashing samples and synth effects. “I’ll
Be Right There” is a vocal led number that will
do some damage on the floors with its filtered amen
break and crisp chords.8
V/A - JAZZ N BASS IV PT 3 - NEW
IDENTITY
Formation's more soulful sister label, New Identity,
continues its 'Jazz n Bass' series with this, the third
and final part of the fourth volume. The pack features
four of the 'liquid funk' genre's rapidly rising stars
with Kaleida returning to New Identity to bring you
'Slide Out', a sub-heavy roller overlaid by atmospheric
synth work. Australian Greg Packer fuses heavier, percussive
beats with bass guitar and atmospheric effects for 'Super
Grass' whilst Commix opt for sultry female vocals over
gliding strings and minimal beats and bass for 'Live
Forever'. Pick of the bunch comes courtesy of Abstract
and label owner, DJ SS and is a fusion of spanish guitars,
tight beats and rolling bass entitled 'Sex in Space'.8
BADMARSH & SHRI - SIGNS RMXS
- OUTCASTE
Calibre and Mathematics go head to head on this Bollywood
remix 12”. Most of you will have heard the Calibre
mix, which has been caned more times than a naughty
schoolboy. That hoarse ragga vocal sits above the epic
strings before giving way to yet another killer Calibre
bass lick. The Mathematics mix is well worth a spin,
but will no doubt be overshadowed by the Belfast boy’s
skills. Outcaste are becoming a household name in the
DnB world these days, and with remixes like these they
can do no wrong.9
DIGITAL - GATEMAN (KEATON RMX)
- PHANTOM AUDIO
Sick, sick, SICK! Keaton gets his mitts on one of my
favourite Digital tunes and even though I thought it
wasn't possible, he may just have shaded the original.
Deep In the Jungle business from the TOP. Congo drums,
razor-sharp spinback edits and pure dub bassline delight.
Mix out to the breakdown, step back and watch chaos
hit the dance as the darkness descends and all hell
breaks loose. Champion!8
TEEBEE - BOUNCE / WHAREHOUSE -
PHOTEK RECS
Norwegian beatsmeister, Teebee serves up a slice of
futuristic rolling dnb in the shape of "Bounce".
The track kicks off with a beautifully crafted intro
featuring atmospheric orchestral strings and plucked
accoustic guitar which drops far too quickly into a
Virus-esque, twisted bassline and female "Bounce"
vocal stabs. Flip for well crafted beats rolling along
nicely under some warped and twisted basslines with
filtered female vocals and atmospheric effects sprinkled
over the top.8
KALEB - HORNS / DRIFTER - PHUTURISTIC
BLUEZ
Continuing to make their presence felt with consistent
releases of the finest quality, Phuturistic Bluez return
with this 12” from Finland’s Kaleb. “Horns”
enters with a tight bongo rhythm while the building
horn melody sings out over the synth line. The instrumental
melodies give way halfway through, leaving a dirty bassline
rumbling below. “Drifter” is a beautiful piano-led
track reminiscent of some of the early Good Looking
vibes. Sweet sax melodies slide over the deep bassline,
developing and morphing from start to finish.8
DYNAMITE MC & ORIGIN UNKNOWN
- HOTNESS - RAM
Bristol's finest, Dynamite links up with Hornchurch's
finest, Origin Unknown for a track that's been causing
rukus on the dancefloor for some time now. Dynamite
drops some catchy lyrics over a trademark Ram build
up with some nice singing in the intro (MCs singing
again...a new trend possibly?) before dropping into
stabby synth riffs, Ram-style bass and tight, crispy
beats. Roni's take on proceedings is remarkably similar
to begin with before the tune switches up with a sneaky
second drop into typical, Full Cycle, funky b-line action.8
V/A - PARANOIA EP - RENEGADE HARDWARE
TOV Music offshoot, Renegade Hardware, celebrate their
50th release with a triple pack EP named the 'Paranoia'
EP. The title track is by The Militia, consisting of
DJ Friction, Stakka, K Tee & Skinny and is a tech-laced
roller with a suitably paranoid feel to it, easily recognisable
by it's 'Take you into the world of the LSD user' sample.
B-Key's 'Final Conflict' is a typical mash-up amens
and breaks fest featuring a familiar film sample. Keaton's
'Influence' stomps along nicely on heavy breaks and
distorted bass. Pendulum follow up their massive 'Vault'
with 'Trail of Sevens', another stomper featuring complex
beat patterns, heavy saturated bass and stabby lead
synth riff. The third piece of vinyl sees Ink get busy
with an amen driven workout called 'Ghost Ship' followed
nicely by Concord Dawn’s heavy metal inspired 'Raining
Blood' which heavily samples a Slayer track to create
an interesting fusion though perhaps a little lacking
in bass.8
IXIS - HERMETO + FRICTION RMX
- SOLID GROUND
Brighton's DJ Friction give's Ixis' Hermeto his own
distinct remix treatment for Solid Ground Records. Friction's
trademark chunky beats cut through the nervously atmospheric
intro before breaking down into synth stabs and dropping
into a sub bass heavy beats workout. Flip for Ixis'
original which is a much less frantic affair with nice
pads and strings dropping into a chilled out roller.8
M.I.S.T. - JAM HOT / OUTTA SPACE
- SOUL:R
This is the one. The label that can do no wrong comes
through again, with a 12" sure to be found in every
DJ's record bag. "Jam Hot" has the thick steppy
breaks and the unforgettable "This is jaaaam hot"
vocal signalling a devastating sub bass drop. This is
classic M.I.S.T. if I've ever heard it, deep and catchy
and devastating on the floor all at once. "Outer
Space" just takes things into a whole other realm,
with heavy rising synths and a bubbly undulating bass
line. There's a bit of an early techno vibe on this
one, warm sounds combined to create a monster dance
floor roller. Cheers to Marcus and ST for continually
raising the bar with quality deep dance floor D&B.9
SONIC - FALLING - SPACE
The first of two stunning singles from Space,
both of which see majestic synth constructs commanding
uncompromising beats and bass. The immaculately constructed
'Falling' has a life far beyond the speakers, the sequence
unfolding from the system with an untarnished titanium
grace before blink-and-you-miss-it acoustic guitar picks
through the breakdown. 'Sunday Morning' couldn't be
more different, the ghosts of Derrick May and Juan Atkins
echoing from the piano progression which falls over
the groove like mist. Also check for the amazing ‘Space
Cadet’.9
COMMIX - GIVE U EVERYTHING - TANGENT
Next up we have Commix’s debut 12” on John
B’s Tangent imprint. ‘Give U Everything’
is a pretty slick, vocal driven track with some nice
summer vibes. However, it’s all about the flip
for me with ‘I’ll Take You There’ rolling
nicely with a disco-esque sample, sporadic female vocals
and heavy subs. Also check for the excellent Nu Tone
‘Rock The Jazz Bar’ EP due.8
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE - ON MY
MIND / 100% - V RECS
Articial Intelligence follow up their recent successes
on Renegade and Soul:R with a release on Bryan G's legendary
V imprint. Both tracks are on the soulful liquid vibe
that is so popular at the moment and for me its the
flip, "100%" that stands out. Vocoded vocals,
tight beats, jazzy keys and a b
ouncing bass makes this a wonderfully soulful roller.
8
Fresh
- Dead Man Walking / Formula One - Valve
Fresh's debut 12" on Lemon D & Dillinja's Valve
imprint was always going to cause a stir and trust me,
it doesn't fail to meet expectations! 'Dead Man Walking'
kicks off innocently enough with soothing strings and
sporadic percussion before all hell lets loose on the
drop. Lunatic beat patterns intertwine with heavy distorted
beats to create a slice of audio mayhem. As always it's
Fresh's attention to details that sets this apart. Flip
for 'Formula One', equally as good as 'Dead Man Walking'
and already something of an anthem. Sirens whirl over
orchestral stabs and hip-hop chants before the unmistakable
cockney 'Leave It Out' signals the start of the nastiness!
An ascending reece picks of the pace before pounding
subs tear thru the track.8
DILLINJA - FAST CAR / NO FUTURE
- VALVE
The first single off the forthcoming ‘Killa Hertz’
album is Dillinja’s ‘Fast Car’. You all
know what to expect by now and this track is all about
the trademark Valve ‘sound’. A simple piano
riff signals the start of the all out speaker assault,
before a disgusting ascending reece kicks in, intertwined
with gimmicky ‘Fast car…we’re going faster’
vocals and car ‘revving’ sound effects. When
the track drops, it’s all over, smashy beats ricochet
off the reece and heavy sub patterns to create a tune
that can only be appreciated on a big system. Your neighbours
complaints will no doubt prove that the Valve ‘formula’
is still working….but for how much longer?8
HIVE - NEO / GEMINI - VIOLENCE
Originally written to be featured in the film, 'Matrix
Reloaded', Hive's 'Neo' never quite made it into the
soundtrack of the blockbuster movie. Shame really, as
the tune is fantastically atmospheric and has a suitably
sci-fi feel to it. Lush strings and atmospheric effects
ride nicely over a sparse hat pattern before Morpheus
announces 'There is only one way to save our city.....Neo'
before a dirty swirling synth line drops in to set the
mood. When it drops, it's all about Hive's intricate
drum programming and sub bass stabs which lead quickly
into a second drop with a rolling sub bassline taking
over.8
JAHEIM - PUT THAT WOMAN FIRST
(CALIBRE MIX) - WEA
A massive Swerve anthem, and seeing airplay on 1xtra
all over the place, this smooth summer anthem has been
putting a smile on my face every time I put it on. A
blissfully simple piano loop, Jaheim’s deep soul
vocals and a rollin b-line combine to create a flawless
soul-soaked classic. Finally seeing a release from Warner
due to massive demand, make sure you grab one of these
as soon as you can. It’s good for you…9
For more reviews check ATM Issue
57.
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