Drum & Bass Recommendations June 2014

Review: Alix Perez and dBridge remixing Submotion Orchestra and Planas? Now THIS is what Record Store Day specials are made for! Naturally all parties deliver... Perez takes the jazzy energy of "It's Not Me It's You" (arguably Submotion's funkiest cut to date) and subdues the drama with his cool, deep, penetrative motifs. dBridge does exactly the opposite on "Breathtaking". Switching the deep, undulating bass of Planas's original, he adds some crisp firing breakbeats that really complement Ed Thomas's vocal. Which, incidentally, sounds quite a lot like dBridge himself. A really, really cool package. Grab this while you can.

Review: BCEE's Spearhead operation lay down a marker for what to expect on Portfolio, the forthcoming new album from prolific UK producer Utah Jazz with this fine 12" sampler. Under his Utah Jazz name, Luke Wilson is no stranger to Spearhead having previously contributed massive cuts to the label's Moodswings compilation as well as some choice remixes but it's nice to hear they are investing in a fourth studio LP from the man. You couldn't wish for a better slice of liquid drum & bass than "January Silence" which is pure rolling, head-nodding, speaker-shaking sexiness. La Meduza lends a degree of vocal sultriness to B Side roller "Endless".

Review: Wow! The Metalheadz Platinum series returns after an absence of some time and they do so in style with a label debut for D&B talent Xtrah. Londoner Yasin Elgohary first made a splash under the name Xtrah with Arise, a 12" for Subtitles back in 2011 that brandished a title cut that Goldie licensed for his Fabric mix. Roll on three years and a bunch of taut apocalyptic rollers for the likes of Symmetry, Critical and SGN:LTD and Xtrah finally arises on Metalheadz! "No Good" showcases Xtrah's talent for technically skilled productions filled with musicality, with the main vocal perfectly summing up the vibe here. "Directive" meanwhile is a soundclash between Xtrah and Mikal, as tightly wound drum fills test the snaking bassline to the max.

Review: Belgian badman Mav comes correct with his debut album Sounds Of The Deep. In a cool twist of subversive fate, he's honoured the vinyl lovers right here by throwing his actual album into this 12" sampler bundle! The end result is a serious wealth of supreme, soul-laced, intricately-produced, rolling liquid gems. The sampler comes with the thundering remix from Seba (complete with just the right side of darkness), a really delicate touch from Frenchman Naibu who plays on the whole halfstep vibe before building up a rich stately groove and, finally, a slice of purring slinky sub darkness from Future Engineers. A massive 12" and an album for under a tenner? Mav is clearly short for Maverick!

Review: Cuts from Lenzman and Phil Tangent feature on this sampler that heralds the highly anticipated, long-awaited return of Integral Records. Absent since late 2012, Artificial Intelligence's label are on the cusp of reclaiming their place at the forefront of the D&B scene with a new compilation and whilst fans eagerly await further details on the exact make up of Integral Select, these two tracks should have you excited. Leading the way is an Artificial Intelligence remix of Lenzman's "Ever So Slightly", a classic in Integral's 25 release strong canon, with Glenn Herweijer and Zula Warner reinforcing their reputation for powerful and uplifting rollers. Complementing this, the label welcomes UK soldier of the deep, Phil Tangent to the camp, with the super smooth but deadly 'Clouded Judgement'.

Review: Ah Break... Will you ever cease to deliver genuinely unique grooves that echo with all corners, shades and styles of D&B? We truly hope not. "Moving On" instantly slaps with its distinctive snare rolls and fuzzy purring bassline. The second those trumpets, flutes and soft key dustings ooze gracefully into the mix, you're putty in Break's hands. "On The Off" shows the Bristol producer's darker command as we grind and grimace to an ugly, jaunty off-beat bassline and another solid set of perfectly produced drums. Naturally both kill it. You won't be moving on from these for a long, long time.

Review: The first sampler to be taken from his forthcoming debut album Looking At The Stars, Dutch dynamo Lenzman delivers "My Tearz" and "Paper Faces". Both acting as a cool antidote to the dominant, chart-hugging vocal D&B tracks that are big currency right now, Lenzman reminds us how vocal treatments can be cool, deep and understated. "My Tearz" juxtaposes a filthy Metalheadz-ready bassline and sharp pneumatic beats with the golden tones of AI-compadre Steo with perfection. "Paper Faces", meanwhile, is quintessential liquid. A softly subverted jazz sample, Martyna's delicate vocals and a well weighted bass presence; it's the perfect summer seduction joint. Bring on the album!

Review: 2014 seems to serving long standing Drum & Bass producer Steve 'Digital' Carr very well so far, with the "Mini Cooper" contribution to the fourth Platinum Breakz compilation from Metalheadz complemented by a 12" for the Rupture label and now this debut for Horizons! It's not hard to see why "Figjam" is the lead track here with a knee shattering combination of razor sharp reeeses, crisp amens and heavy basslines making it a contender for moody anthem of 2014. Don't sleep on the B Side though as Digital drops a sly 23rd century stepper with hints of Detroit hi-tech jazz on "Waiting" whilst "Therapy" weighs in with a more dub-focused sound that will appeal to fans of D Bridge.

Review: Pow! Bcee and Bladerunner on one sweet 12"? This is the stuff D&B dreams are made of. The two respected players complement each other perfectly; Bcee's depths and soul coupled with Bladerunner's rolling ice and heritage heaviness is an instant win. "Moonstruck" starts all airy and wafty before a bulbous bassline bombards the blend with raw power. "Crash" goes deeper into the bass cosmos with a rich, warm string section that's countered neatly by booming subs and a shiny metallic bassline that purrs with subtle menace. A match made in drum & bass heaven.

Review: With powerful soul surging from every element, Icarus Audio have put together an exceptional package right here. "Jazzy Heart" is all about the strings that lap lavishly up and down the track with abandon while shimmering keys and woozy horns float delicately in and out of the mix. Flipping the switch neatly, Nelver is on a one man mission to show that Russian D&B producers don't just excel in the gritty industrial strength department, but have depth and soul, too. Flip for "Lonely", an equally emotive affair with a heavier emphasis on minor keys, it's penned in tandem with Brazilian newcomer NCamargo... Making this a truly international affair. Understatedly massive.

Review: The man behind the highest charting D&B tune of 2013 returns with another potential top 10 slapper. "Half Light" follows the emotionally reflective post-rave sentiments of "Afterglow" with melodic majesty. Rushy, touching and delivered with synth-striking dynamism, it's got potential to cause festival and airwave meltdown this summer. And for those who demand a darker command, the mighty Audio has provided the ultimate remix complement; filthy, twisted and uncompromising, it's the perfect balance.

Review: Bona fide obesity: Austrian duo Roygreen & Protone delve deeper than ever before on "Speak The Truth". All bouncy slo-mo, dubbed out and soaked in so much sub it would take a nation of towels to dry it, it's a whole new side to the already accomplished duo. Meanwhile on the B we find Swiftee getting lyrical over some Perez-esque slipperiness from Brenden. Tight, steppy and purring... As the title suggests, drop this and you'll have full "Control".

Review: Neuro naughtiness part one: Eatbrain bossman Jade lashes out more of his Hungarian hurters on Citrus. The result is as dark and dangerous as you'd expect: "Ready" wallops with an array of bass textures that scratch and scuff the spectrum over rim shots that sound like a car hitting a wall made of lead. "The Prey", meanwhile, is charged with more of a full-throttle techno dynamic where the bass plays second fiddle to the elephantine drums that thunder relentlessly at an industrial level. Two massive slabs of drum & bass drama.. Are you ready?

Review: With a releases on a number of labels including Ram, Renegade Hardware and Shogun Audio since his career kicked off in 2006, there has surely never been a better time for New Zealand-based D&B producer Dose to deliver his debut album. Arriving on Commercial Suicide, Mind The Future is a relentless trip through forward-thinking D&B ready and primed for the club. This 2LP version features some of the most devastating cuts across two slabs of wax, including the dark rolling drums of "What She Wants" and frankly apocalyptic bass filth of "Haphazard". Don't sleep on this one!

Review: Delivered on Horizons' Dreamthief 4 album last year, the original version of "Bleed It" punched with a sharp pneumatic step riddim. Stepping up with a cheeky variation-in-production twist, Amoss have completely switched the drum dynamics to a darker, more pensive halfstep hybrid (the likes of which you'd usually find on an Om Unit or Sam Binga track) that allows MC JC's delivery to really cut through. "Calokan", meanwhile, is a darker, heavier cut. With unrelenting, Phace-style beats and nuances of neuro in the heady bass textures, it's an industrial strength cut that will freeze any floor in its tracks. Bleeding awesome!

Review: New Zealand duo Terror Snake and Downie Wolf leap from one legendary Dutch imprint (Vision) to another... Black Sun Empire's Blackout. The message is still as consistently clear as ever: dark, dynamic and intricately coded with rich, alarming sound design. Each of the four cuts is delivered with muscular might: from the warped, stretched midrange rips and sneers of "Def Cresent" to the starker, uglier bass wobbles of "Epsilon" via the ear-tugging dominance of the title track, the only ritual you'll have with this EP is lifting the needle, rewinding and playing it all over again. Massive.

Review: A strangely alluring release from a tantalisingly mysterious producer, G.h.o.s.t pits beauty and fragmented noise samples against each other in a bid to create some truly innovative new sounds. In "Rattler" this plan succeeds, with the disturbing chimes of the intro just managing to disjoint themselves from the main jungle-inspired heart of the tune to feel oddly intoxicating. On the other side "Bad Education" is an out and out old-school banger, raising hell from the gospels of Optiv & BTK and Andy C. beautifully dark and fluid, it's a mechanical dream of a track, perfect for any late night seance. Finally, bonus track "Waveframe" rips out the beating heart of a bassline amidst skeletal breaks. You need this, but it'll give you nightmares.

Review: One of Ram's freshest faces goes all out to impress once again with these two storming, synth-drench slammers. "High Groove" boasts an array of textures - psychedelic sub-leads, soaring vocal samples, trembling arpeggios and rushy pads - that are all underpinned by a bassline that buzzes like an army of angry bees. Truly stunning. "Summit", meanwhile, is a lot more vibrant and euphoric as stark synth stabs strike insistently with lush raising cadence. All the while yet another superb bassline does the business in the slinkiest, bendiest fashion possible. Big.