Drum & Bass Recommendations August 2012

Review: Believe it or not, this is Marky's debut solo record! Years in the game with a reputation as one of D&B's most exciting DJs, and owner of one of the scene's most consistent, reliable labels, he's been so busy until now it's been collabo o' clock. Worth the wait? You bet. "Ya Thing" is a carousel of soul and sassy keys that rolls in a typically understated fashion. "You Know" takes the vibrancy up a level with a spine-tingle-heavy vocal sample nestled deep into the never-ending groove. Class cuts from one of the scene's most reliable faces. More please Mr M!

Review: And the winner of the best label name of the week goes to.... Jungle Cakes. Fondant funk and breakneck beats: What's not to like? Naturally the audio on this 12" is baked to perfection, too. "Brighter Day" oozes sun-splashed soul and doesn't sound dissimilar to any track that features Darrison's dulcet tones. And the vocal vibes keep pouring; "All Love" rides with more of a lover's rock feel. If you're looking to woo a lady, or you want your dancefloor to start wooing each other, drop this.

Review: Spinline takes no prisoners and goes in hard with his next release on Ant TC-1's Dispatch imprint. The title track, "Darpa", builds from a sparse and eerie intro punctuated only my white noise crackling beats and weird futuristic tones, into an absolute beast. The main part of the track is dominated by thumping drum kicks, tight snares, rattling sub bass and a dark, shadowy soundscape; dangerous! The accompanying "Monday Luv (Chronic)" starts with some ominous thumps and twisted vox and progresses into a deep, dubbed out piece with low slung humming subs and a strange tribal vibe. Darkness at its very best here from Spinline in two very different incarnations.

Review: What a trio! Each one of the players involved in this EP has had a storming year so far... And this cute little Dispatch 10 incher is only going to bolster their presence as impeccable emerging artists. There's a great balance across the release, too, with both tunes countering each other with true style. Skeptical & Dub Phizix's "Lastik" is a raw, metallic stepper that glistens with early tech step charm. Meanwhile Halogenix adds balance with more full-bodied, atmospheric number. With icy pads, glitches and a resounding bass technique, it's the perfect foil for the grimier antics on the A.

Review: Devious D&B from down under right here as State Of Mind revise their very first SOM cut in the form of a remix. Taking the haunted, eerie psychedelia of the original and boosting it with a Black Sun Empire style neuro edge, this is one tune you really wouldn't bump into down a dark alley. On the flip we find Zardonic roughing up "The Jackal". Now with added searing spikes and stabs, and more energy than a bus load of Usain Bolts, it's like a bitter sweet mix of Noisia's grittiness and The Prototypes' anthemic flavour. Heavy.

Review: Amazingly, this is the ninth album from experimental D&B veteran ASC. Those who've followed his career to date should know what to expect; an atmospheric and all-enveloping sound that uses traditional D&B rhythms and structures sparingly, instead flipping between clandestine electronica, IDM and shuffling ambience (see the crackly opener "Spheres", which recalls his recent work with fellow experimentalist Sam KDC on the Decayed Society LP). It's a fusion that delivers real quality, from the late night '90s vibes of "Glass Wall", and guitar-laden Balearica of "Oneironaut", to the beatless beauty of "A Song For Hope", technological grooves of "Prometheus", and glitchy oddness of "Stay True".

Review: New Zealand sound terrorists The Upbeats are on a major collabo flex right here. The outcome? Deadly with a capital DEAD. In fact we can't even begin to imagine the amount of studio fusion the day they met Noisia - all that production boffinry behind the controls? One shudders to think of the mind boggling action behind "Blindfold". One also shudders at the gritty mechanical bass and beats so sharp they could cut through concrete. Flip for "Krypto". An equally devastating dancefloor weapon with a 'heads down' policy, this really is the business... Fans of Virus and Renegade Hardware should be all over this.

Review: The Modernist series has always taken an open-minded approach to drum and bass. Inspired by the 'anything goes' attitude of jazz, the series regularly shuffles round the edges of convention, joining the dots between D&B, electronica, dubstep and broken beat. This third volume - again released in limited quantities - continues this theme. Justice/Invincible's "Devil & The Deep Blue Sea" sets the tone, fixing afro chants and drifting vocals to the loosest of D&B beats. What follows gleefully dashes between jazzual D&B (Diamond Eye, Control Remote), intoxicating bleep-step (Muted) and even some off-kilter 4/4 electronica (Betamax Herd's "Trash").

Review: It's been a while since we heard anything from Utah Jazz, but, as always, it's well worth the wait. He's been toiling over his third, and quite possibly best, album Groove Therapy... And these are just two of the fine-tuned rollers you'll find on it. Featuring the distinctive vocal flow of David Boomah, "The Warning" is a consummate skank-up, complete with a warm, bouncy bassline and sing-along vocals. "Fair Play" is a deeper, more reflective B-side, garnished with decadent flutters of strings and a cool vocal sample buried deep in the mix. Welcome back Utah Jazz!