Juno Recommends Breakbeat: April 2024

Review: X-Ray Ted's 'Talkin' EP' finally hits vinyl, a format perfectly suited for its timeless classic vibe. On the A-side, 'Talkin' weaves strings, horns, and guitar riffs over rolling beats and bass, topped with soulful vocals. On the flip, 'So Much' exudes infectious energy, blending vocal refrains, guitars, and horns for a soulful groove. These tracks offer a glimpse into X-Ray Ted's upcoming debut album, showcasing his talent for blending old-school sounds with a modern twist. Limited to a run of 7"s on Bombstrikes, these vinyl grooves exude sunshine vibes and feel-good warmth, destined to fly off shelves.

Review: Itsu Uno's Juke Joint, presented on vibrant orange vinyl, is a nostalgic nod to breakbeat culture. The title track kicks off with a sample-heavy infusion of Public Enemy's iconic 'Security of the First World' beat, later immortalised in Madonna's 'Justify My Love,' layered with ragga-tinged vibes. It's a fun and infectious journey through breakbeat nostalgia, guaranteed to get bodies moving on the dancefloor. Following suit, 'The Splash' continues the onslaught with its own arsenal of sample-heavy urban breakbeats. Clocking in at just over four minutes, it's a concise yet potent offering that is sure to cause heads to turn and trainspotters to ask you "who is this?!"

Review: Those oh-so-rude and too-cool-for-school cats at Red Laser have tapped up the ironic provocateur DJ Absolutely Shit for another quartet of club cuts that are designed to blow the roof off. These tracks all make use of a bold sample and bring some hefty breakbeat energy starting with the loved up r&b vocal hooks of 'Bridge To Your Heart' and then upping the level for the more raves and synth-laced 90s menace of 'Bolivia'. 'Rocking You Eternally' is a pure jungle frenzy with icy synths and deeply buried vocal soul then 'Gong' shuts down with some shiny 80s sounds that bring to mind shellsuits and old Fords.

Review: youANDme has always been an important cog in the wheel of underground house and techno and his recent PPPPP was another fine project that has also spawned plenty of equally brilliant remixes. This is a second collection of them and it kicks off with the Polish master of perfect loop techno, Head High aka Shed. His bulky, barreling drums and big percussive loops come with plenty of bounce and raved up vocals. After that come Ian Pooley's dub, and Johannes Albert's deep house trip. Sasha, Roger Sanchez and Laurent Garnier have already been banging these so now it's your turn.

Review: The NOID imprint out of Belgium returns with its second vinyl drop, and this time takes you into some serene realms of breakbeat-driven pleasure court yes of Dave NA. His Altura EP opens with 'Escape', a wide open and airy mix of wispy synths and dusty, floating breaks. 'Elevation' has a more churning rhythm and dubby undercurrent and 'Pulse' (feat Freq444) has a hypnagogic feel, smeared vocal cries and more raw percussive patterns. 'Novox' (feat Freq444) shuts down with the most heavy and moody breakfast of the lot, a certain jungle swagger and plenty of heavy bass.