Juno Recommends Drum & Bass: July 2023

Review: Vibes 93 is having a whale of time rinsing out all kinds of upfront drum & bass and jungle, but this takes the fun to a whole new level. The Dutch producer isn't making any attempt to mask the source material on his summer-scouting new release, calling on hip-hop and r&b legends for vocal samples in the midst of straight-up, feel good rollers. Eschewing his rowdier, underground material for something more universal, this is the kind of record which will bring a massive swathe of people together for some proper moments, but more to the point it's done with panache.

Review: South London d&b brothers Sean and Mark Roberts created Probe-One after growing up on pirate stations, inspiring Sean to buy a deck and mess around himself. It goes that the siblings were frustrated at the drip release of d&b cuts and took the initiative themselves. 'Aether' and 'Expanse' clock in at just over 15 minutes combined, the long and winding ambient buildups giving way to ginormous breaks on 'Aether', or receding into a more atmospheric direction circa the Playstation 1 'IDM' era. The A-Side is for the breakbeat inclined, filled with intensity and volume against its ethereal synth waves. Side B is for the late-night Pulse FM listeners, the gentle percussion of dawn breaking - it's almost relaxing if such a thing were possible.

Review: The Underground EP marks Zero T's debut project on DLR's Sofa Sound Bristol. It finds the well respected jungle head and drum & bass don - who is fresh off his fourth album back in February on The North Quarter - in devastating form. The title cut is a nice and icy, stripped back and soulful cut steeped in future jazz, and 'First & Last' (with Molecular) is a tight, funky number with blasts of booming bass and fizzing synth tails. 'Only If You Want To" (with DLR)' then brings a soul vocal into the picture over slinky drums breaks while 'Jazz Tone VIP' (feat Steo & [KSR]) is another widescreen and atmospheric cut with an aching vocal placed well in the mix.

Review: A fresh run of a release that first came out in 1996, 'Chopper' hears a collision of worlds between two drum n' bass stalwarts, Ray Keith and Dark Soldier (pro-tip: they're the same person). Dread Recordings, the label founded by Keith in 1994, houses this monster. It features two tracks: 'Chopper' and 'Back To Me' - the former is a classic jungle tune, and has been remixed many times by a plethora of heatbringers such as Shy FX, Bladerunner and Critical Impact. The latter, however, is brand new, and showcases Keith's signature darkness and heaviness with crushing flair.

Review: .Lenzman and Redeyes. A true Dutch/Franco partnership to behold. With a variety of collabs behind them over the years, the Headz alumni level up with four understated jams that range from the shimmering jazzy Creative Source style 'Wet Like Water' to the more dancefloor focused, subby rumbler 'Busters' (which wouldn't have gone amiss on Soul:r back in the day) Already massive tracks since their release digitally last year, this new vinyl outing adds a whole new lease of life. Wonder-full (not sorry)

Review: Relentlessly prolific and inspired to the last, ASC continues to round out the sonic impression of his most recent label Spatial with this luxurious excursion into the deeper end of the d&b spectrum. The new age pads on 'Divine Intervention' might well trigger the odd Logical Progression memory, but there's a certain snappiness and focus to the breakbeat which feels entirely ASC's own. 'Variable State' probes at tension and release between outright ambience and airy breaks which contrast beautifully with the fulsome, rounded subs in a manner which should satisfy Photek fans. 'Azure' offers a more sensitive, melancholic kind of roller, while 'Loose Ends' goes in hard on the drum edits and epic atmospheric blooms. No one does it like ASC.

Review: A welcome and precious addition to the new 'Legends' series by V Recordings, 'Lionheart' is a tune made with friend and equal talent Berty B, that has existed since 1994 and is famous for its opening "ready? get set... music!" sample and vinyl-spinback oneshots. It's a nigh-timeless track that straddles raggatek, jump-up and jungle techno in almost a single breath. Much later came the VIP (variation in production), which added far glossier and more heavenly variations and a harder-edged sheen. Now it gets a reissue. Also here comes the brand new VIP of 'Love 4 You', which is a masterclass in airy, spacious intro-work, which segues into pure drum-driving as per the formula.

Review: Okbron returns for a fresh new jungle twin-flame-kindling, in the form of two new vinyl cuts by UK producer Axis. Something rather new - basking in a funny interzone between jazzstep and techsteppy jungle - appears on these two titles, with 'Lead The Element' never letting up on its ethereal backing pads despite its contrastingly propulsive bass, and the titular 'Over The Horizon' evoking the feeling of gazing off into heavenly distances with its whooping spiritual jazz samples and chorus'ed bass and guitar licks.

Review: You will probably know by now that Detroit's Filthiest is Julian Shamou, aka 313 Bass Mechanics amongst many other names. He is a music-making machine who deals mostly with electro on a wide range of labels. It is French crew Casa Voyager who tap him up here for an immersive full-length that finds him expanding his sound to take in moments away from the heart of a peak-time dancefloor amongst plenty of his usual weaponry. There are smooth electro vocal cuts, crunchy and sleazy ghetto cuts and soulful almost jungle rollers for deeper workouts making for his most complete work yet.

Review: We shouldn't need to hype Critical Music up to you too much - the label is a true staple of underground drum & bass after all. Even so, it's exciting to see two powerful forces coming together, and Coco Bryce remains at the top of his game bowling onto this EP for the London imprint with the cheekily titled Nirwana EP. The title track is a delicate, melancholic affair with some smart vocal snippets arranged into an emotive framework before we drop into some outstanding Apache chops. 'Pull Up' meanwhile offers its own distinctive flair with jazzy key licks sprinkled in the breakdown before a coolly dispatched Think break kicks in across the mix. There are ravier synth stabs at work on 'Daze Of Our Lives' and 'Life Changed' lets a little dub slip into the mix, not least thanks to the proper sub line rounding out the bottom end of this typically classy joint with that distinctive Bryce flair about it.

Review: Manc drum & bass collective MIST (made up of legends the late Marcus Intalex, ST Files and, at one point, Calibre) first released 'Clockwork' and 'Entropy' in 2009; the dual single instantly garnered acclaim for its high-octane rollage and clean drumwork, topping up the reputation of its label Soul:r. Now reissued for the first time, we're once more reminded of the two tracks' enduring impact on the dum & bass scene at large, with a vocal appearance from DRS on 'Clockwork' cementing drum & bass's lineage from and to ragga, as well as the tidbit that 'Entropy' is, a solo detour from Intalex alone.

Review: He'll shake you, he'll stir you, he'll hurl you around the dancefloor with tunes you didn't know existed. It's David Double O, the co-founder of Rupture and one of the most stealth-like production ninjas the game has ever known. In operation for more years than you get for a multiple murder, he finally unleashes this debut LP and, to put things simply, it's a true lesson in foundational jungle craft. The space and rattles around the breaks on 'Testing Ground', the stark dark soul of 'Bad To Worse' and the absolute relentlessness of 'Riddim Yah' are three of many highlights. If you're a regular at Rupture you'll already have these deep in your psyche. Exemplary.

Review: Logistics is one of the most enduring and legendary names in the drum & bass game by now, and the Hospital label is just as mighty, so a coming together of the two is always going to be special - extra special when its on a nice transparent yellow 12". First up is 'Taste' with T-Man and it's a big tune with moody mic work up top and crisp breakbeats down low. 'End Sequence' is high speed thriller with sleek drums and hits and busy cosmic leads while 'Dawn' is another collab, this time with SOLAH bring some spine tingling and soulful vocals to a smoother roller. Lastly, 'Faded' brings the EP to an end with another deep cut with melancholic leads and tender vocal sounds.

Review: There's just no stopping Vibez '93 at the moment - the Dutch jungle label is swimming in legit gear and sharing it with the world. We're still reeling from the anonymous Punkrocker and Self Aware EPs. This time around there are names on the plates, as four artists throw down in maximum style. Janaway is up first with the ragga jungle badness of 'Reaching Out', while InnaSelf brings some more introspective pads and synth touches to their amen trickery. Evasion weaves a plush tapestry of ragged breaks, dreamy vocal licks and atmospheric flourishes for a curly advanced slice of jungle perfection and then Cheetah rounds the record off with the truly snare-rushing 'Bunnin' Up'.

Review: Topping up V Recordings' 'Legends' series - which has so far had the likes of Dillinja and Roni Size in tow - 'Cold Chillin' is their latest hark-back-to-the-oldskool, this time centring on a set of long-gestating and unheard tracks by another drum & bass legend, Lemon D. Unlike the focus on well-known versions espoused by the series prior, these two are brand new bits. 'Cold Chillin' and 'Get Loaded' pull no punches in conveying their twin worlds of utter mayhem, scouring the wastes for any leftover semblance of a breaks chop or dark vocal shout.

Review: Building on his pre-existing legacy in atmospheric drum & bass, Simon Huxtable has found a rich seam of collaboration with ASC on the Spatial label, and he returns for a new clutch of immersive, compelling pieces that tip closer to introspective listening material than anything dance floor-minded. 'Luminosity' in particular is a haunting composition with light-touch breaks chopped with an elegant approach, more than matching the thoughtful surroundings. Things get even deeper on 'Moonscape', even if there's space for a proper break to kick in, but hold on for the nimble Apache flourishes skipping across vast dunes of harmony on 'Sunlight Through Clouds' - truly masterful, mesmerising excursions from an expert in the approach.

Review: It's been a busy year so far for London duo Rezzett as they follow up their second album Meant Like This, and a recent live album, with this wild new EP joyously titled 'Boshly'. And bosh we will... The title track gets super-loopy with a chant and a cat-like twang that licks your brain up and down. Elsewhere 'Dots' gives 1992 a call but reloops the call through a whole wave of textures and beguiling twists while 'Kermit' recalls the early Total Science or Krome and Time records but with woozy rosey glasses. 'Extra Redundant' flips for a more delicate, cosmic farewell. Bish, bash, 'Boshly'.

Review: You'd be hard pushed to keep up with everything ASC puts out on his own Auxiliary and Spatial labels, let alone what crops up elsewhere, but at least you can be sure wherever you check in, the quality will be unerringly high. On this latest 12" for Spatial, we get whisked away on a cloud of atmospheric d&b finery with 'Dreamcatcher' before plummeting to earth with the hard-knocking drum science of 'Tranquility'. 'Drifting Thru' pairs rough amens with epic pads and then 'Floatation' explores more acutely angled breaks and an immersive pool of melodic composition, holding true to the Spatial remit as an outlet for the deeper end of the junglist spectrum.

Review: With previous sermons on the likes of Black Acre and Hooversound, Prayer now clasps his hands on burgeoning Irish label Spheres. As always his love for the foundations shines through as we're taken on a whirlwind tour through jungle, hardcore and rave. 'Set Me Free' nods towards that 92/93 era of atmospheric hardcore and jungle which the likes of Jack Smooth was behind. 'Breakthrough' goes a bit deeper into the foundations with its slower tempo and four beat energy while 'Reteoric' closes the EP with pure euphoria. Oh Prayer, ye of plenty faith.