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Juno Recommends Drum & Bass
Juno Recommends Drum & Bass: March 2022
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Review: By the time the public could get their hands on it in 1998, DJ Die's 'Clear Skyz' had already become a D&B anthem in the producer's home city of Bristol. Die and his close confidantes within the West Country - think Roni Size and DJ Krust, for starters - had been rinsing his original 'VIP Mix' of the track off dubplate for two years, though until now that version had never been released. Fittingly pressed to a single-sided 10", it's a more raw, lo-fi and mind-altering version than the 1998 single take, with more extensive use of dub style bleeps and delay trails, creepier electronic flourishes and plenty of chances to admire Die's hazy, techno style synth stabs. A genuine slab of D&B history.
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out of stock $11.89
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Review: Joining forces for a show of strength at the cutting edge of D&B, here comes Alix Perez and DLR and they mean business. These lads should need no introduction to any dedicated follower of the scene, and their respective 1985 Music and Sofa Sound labels are true totems of the contemporary scene. On this collaborative EP we're treated to a range of club gear from ear-catching MC-led 'Keep Up' to the crafty, techy flair of 'Snake Style'. 'Blips' does some wild work with synthesis around a tightly clipped beat, and 'Crawlway' locks into a stripped and deadly framework - one for the heads to get proper moody to.
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out of stock $14.93
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out of stock $14.93
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Review: The one and only Dev Paradox returns with more unique breakbeat gold, in the way only he knows how. This time we're flexing two different tempos as the pioneer hits us first with jungle drum funk before following it up with a 130BPM breakbeat slap. 'Street Beat' hits us first with crisp breaks that switch and swipe with Dev's signature rudeness while ragga chats weave and bob over the groove and a bassline grumbles beneath. 'Drum Throne' on the B takes us into Paradox's slower tempo realms but once again the beats reign supreme and the drop in speed gives us more space to explore the groove. All hail the king.
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out of stock $11.89
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Review: Alix Perez's 1985 Music label is a constant source of cutting-edge variations within D&B, and so it continues as Monty delivers his debut album Hit The Lights. The Toulouse-based artist has been blazing a trail since first appearing around 2015, displaying variety and flair in his sound which always hinted at the potential for an incredible album. Now it's finally here, and it doesn't disappoint, veering from the vocal-licked catchiness of 'Vibin' to the exquisitely sculpted dubstep pressure of 'Dreamer' (with Perez himself in tow on the buttons). There's a lot to take in, including guest spots from Chimpo, Eva Mango and Visages, rounding out a mature and accomplished album, just like we always suspected.
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out of stock $28.47
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Review: We are real suckers for the work of Dutch producer and drum & bass don Coco Brcye here at Juno HQ. To us, everything he does is gold, and so we're delighted to see him on the influential Critical Music label with a new, grey marbled 12" that packs a punch across his three originals. There is a darkness and menace to opener 'Dial M For Myor' that dissipates and is replaced by hi-tek soul on 'Change Of Heart' with its plunging bass and flurries of snares. 'Daktari' is the deepest and silkiest of the lot, with two remixes bolstering an already cool package.
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out of stock $15.47
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Review: Remix time! Following Akuratyde's beguiling album last year come two exceptional remixes that complement the foundational sentiment of the originals. The currently unavoidable Tim Reaper steps up first with his fine-tuned breakbeat chaos on 'Evergreen' before Technimatic member Wardown gives 'Home Movies' his own emotional twist. All breezy breaks and bags of space, he brings out the soul in every key stroke and guitar strum. Delivered on 10" but sounding XXXL, it's another essential BMTM outing.
out of stock $13.82
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Cat: MONSTA 001. Rel: 07 Feb 22
Drum & Bass / Jungle
out of stock $12.71
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Review: Break and Total Science first worked together back in 2019, delivering the well-received 'Dog's Dinner'. Here they re-ignite their cross-generational production partnership with a fine two-tracker, which also marks the debut of their new jointly owned label, Triii Audio. Lead cut 'Gunfinger' is particularly potent, with the trio doffing a cap to drum & bass's soundsystem culture roots. The track not only contains pitched-down sections of sampled reggae grooves, but also ragga-jungle era vocal samples, crunchy and retro-futurist breakbeats, and bass so warped and gnarly it may be capable of blowing speaker stacks. Flipside 'Acquiesce' is a moody and punchy affair, with soundman bleeps, echoing vocal snippets, rasping rave noises and creepy chords rising above foreboding bass and blistering beats.
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out of stock $13.25
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Review: Visages continue to defy and confound expectation with another adventurous EP that traverses a number of different moods, grooves and tempos on the 1985 Music label. 'Lunar Eclipse' features Strategy and races out of the blocks on a clean and stepping half time rhythm, with groaning asbs and slick bars. 'Hagakure' calls upon a guest feature from Drone and is a dark, go slow and creepy atmospheric cut before 'Familiarity' with Monty picks up the pace with nice and icy breakbeats and twisted bass. 'Sunshine Mystery' closes out with the most soulful sound of the lot, melancholic chords and soothing vocals.
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out of stock $14.93
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Review: From Russia with love: Torn comes correct with his debut album Borderline. If you've been following this uncompromising artist since his debut on Samurai's Horo sub-label in 2017, you'll already know what's at play here: dark, challenging designs and sketches that flex between drum & bass and techno. Featuring collabs with the likes of Homemade Weapons, Presha, Last Life and Sam KDC and Korse, the whole album is a trip that flips from breakneck percussive D&B one moment ('Bushido', 'Boxcutter', 'Borderline') to rattling moments of spacious tension the next ('Fireball', 'The Beckoning') and starts and ends with exciting moments of experimentalism and creativity... The heavy tension of 'Dislocations' on the opener and the slo-mo breakbeat hardcore finale 'Onibi'. What a debut. Get Torn or start tearing.
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out of stock $34.27
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Cat: RH 0402. Rel: 28 Feb 22
Drum & Bass / Jungle
Review: For those who appreciate the harder, more twisted side of D&B, no label can match up to the stature of Renegade Hardware. It's been some time since the legendary imprint let fly with some wax, but they've kicked off the From The Vaults series to go back over some of the most important releases in their massive catalogue and give the most worthy a fresh moment in the sun. Following on from landmark EPs from Chase & Status and Total Science, here's a VA disc featuring absolute devastation from Absolute Zero & Subphonics, gnarly acrobatics from the imperious Noisia and The Upbeats, an icy stalker from Digital and Spirit and classic 'Horn Track' sampling hi-jinx from Gremlinz and Overlook.
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out of stock $12.71
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Review: Amid the return of Clayton Hines' revolutionary Renegade Hardware comes this reissue from one of the many major league acts that graduated from the label. Capturing the pop D&B headliners in their roughest and hungriest form, 'Ten Tonne' comprises three of the heaviest tracks the pair have ever made. The EP title track carries elements of Virus through to the Hardware camp thanks to those classic stabs and big cymbal splashes. It's backed up by the equally curmudgeonly bumper 'The Grudge' while 'Trapdoor' goes turbo with that blackhole bassline that still sounds just as futuristic to this day. Loaded with a killer remix from a young Prolix, this release has stood the test of time incredibly well.
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out of stock $12.71
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out of stock $13.25
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Cat: RH 2901. Rel: 28 Feb 22
Drum & Bass / Jungle
out of stock $13.25
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out of stock $10.51
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out of stock $10.51
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Review: Madison Willing - a film composer who makes ambient/orchestral soundscapes - makes a standout debut on wax here alongside long time drum &bass innovator dBridge on his Exit label. It came about after dBridge reached out over a year ago having heard Madison's self released debut album. They agreed they were fans of each other and starting sending music, thoughts and texts to and fro until the music we have here eventually coalesced. It is a beautiful and beguiling mix widescreen cinematic soundscapes with dBridge's expressive rhythms and twitchy synths powering it along. It is a superb coming together of two great talents.
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out of stock $17.14
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out of stock $15.20
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Cat: LMDSW 002. Rel: 21 Feb 22
Drum & Bass / Jungle
Review: Cor blimey guvnor, shine your breakbeat for ya? Etch makes his debut on LMD Skunkworks with this epic open-armed 12" that covers every base he's known for (and more) 'Shadow Moses' sets the scene on a wonky, post garage, breaksy type of tip before the full-pelt mania kicks in on 'Where Daydreams End' and 'Her Spirits Soar' soothes our souls on a beatless moment of awe. Flip for a full garage sensation as Etch runs us through our two-step paces; 'Basement Kinetics' goes all-out trippy with its wooziness, 'Bliss' is straight-up soulful UKG but without the histrionics and 'Pixel Showers' brings us home on a slow and low vibe-out. Etch never fails.
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out of stock $18.24
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Review: Jungle pioneer, Modern Urban Jazzist and all-round don Tony Justice goes back to the source with a new conceptual 7" series celebrating the late 80s / early 90s roots. Each release referencing service station meeting points, we start right here with 'Engineer'. Grimier and more hectic than Watford Gap, 'Engineer' hits with those classic hardcore rolling 4x4 breaks, a dramatic cascading riff and pitched up soundman vocals with the iconic 'let's go' sample. Flip for more foundation danger as more pitch-up vocals are now weaved between spacious percussion and sweeping emotional pads. Close your eyes and you can smell the burgers.
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out of stock $17.68
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out of stock $11.05
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Cat: FOKUZ 112. Rel: 21 Feb 22
Drum & Bass / Jungle
out of stock $12.99
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Review: The last time we heard from Hospital Records veteran Matt Gresham AKA Logistics, the Coronavirus pandemic was only in its infancy. The release of Love Letters, his first EP for over two years, is therefore a welcome development. It's packed to the rafters with warming, colourful and melodious drum & bass in his long-established trademark style, with sparkling and dreamy opener 'Love Letters', the slightly more percussive 'Yoga' and the picturesque, laid-back two-step beauty of 'Continuation' all moving the heart as much as the head. Arguably best of all, though, are the twinkling 'Secret Satellite', featuring fine vocals from Zoe Philips, and the head-nodding dancefloor soul of Frank Carter III hook-up 'Nightingale'.
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out of stock $13.82
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out of stock $14.10
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out of stock $10.79
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Cat: ARTKL 059. Rel: 14 Feb 22
Drum & Bass / Jungle
out of stock $14.93
29
Review: Five years already!? Time flies when you're cultivating a community and crew of artists that range from deeply soulful D&B to gutter-chomping 140 business. All kept consistent and at seriously high levels, it's now hard to imagine a bass landscape without the presence of Alix Perez's label. To celebrate the label has put together this neat range of rework vibes over two 12"s. Ranging from the sweet vocal beauty of Break's remix of 'Moving On' to the bubblesome UKG of Sam Binga's remix of 'Melodrama' via Skeppy's 'too rough' take on 'Trinity', it's an exceptional release that highlights how expensive and inclusive 1985 has become. Modern day blueprint business.
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out of stock $25.42
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Cat: SSV 16. Rel: 28 Feb 22
Drum & Bass / Jungle
out of stock $16.03
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out of stock $14.10
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Review: Dishing out dividends like the Devil himself, mysterious Dutch junglist Colder Leader continues his rich vein of vinyl form with 'Just Business'. 'Good To Go' turns the boardroom into a bedroom with its dreamy chords, bouncy bassline and warm tones while 'Cold Sees You' calls accounts into the meeting only to hear that the forecast for this year's profits are glacial at their most optimistic. 2 Bad Snowballs enter the negotiations for a final roll of the remix dice and trigger the biggest merger since Exxon and Mobil. Greasy.
out of stock $12.71
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out of stock $11.89
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out of stock $13.82
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Cat: DSSMV 005. Rel: 28 Feb 22
Drum & Bass / Jungle
out of stock $12.71
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out of stock $17.68
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out of stock $16.31
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Review: Experimental artist Matthew Rozeik turns his hand to jungle with the start of a new series 'City Spectre'. An intense voyage back to the blueprints with echoes of Reinforced and early Metalheadz, but done with his own vision, Rozzer slaps us silly from the off... 'Abducticate' is all about those gruelling Amens a la No U-Turn while 'We Must Come To Earth' has much more of a spacious sense of tension that's comparable to Soul In Motion era Krust or classic Photek. Flip for ice cold brutalism in the form of 'Cold Metal' before 'Dust Storm' takes us far away from this wretched planet on a rocket made of pure Prototype-level tension. Bring on Volume 2.
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in stock $11.89
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Cat: SSV 17. Rel: 28 Feb 22
Drum & Bass / Jungle
out of stock $16.03
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in stock $25.98
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out of stock $12.71
