Drum & Bass Recommendations February 2013

Review: Exit Records and Dub Phizix were responsible for one of the most iconic drum and bass tracks of recent times with last year's Marka; a collaboration with vocalist Strategy that proved there was still plenty of room for ingenuity within the genre. Fast forward some twelve months, and Dub Phizix signals his return to D Bridge's label with a new release of equal billing. "I'm A Creator" has been a long term dub plate weapon for Mr Phizix, deftly matching the spitfire MCing skills of Skittles with a far too rude, bleep laden half stepper riddim. Complementing this Dub Phizix demonstrates his prowess for the drunken rave style on the down stepping "Happy 5".

Review: "What's that Hospital? Danny Byrd and Roni Size on one track together? Yes please" The aforementioned duo's humongous collaboration "Grit" sees release on Hospital accompanied by a rather bizarre/amusing/excellent video (delete as appropriate) The sight of Kermit, The Count, R2D2 and Yoda amongst others enjoying the studio mix down much to the bemusement of Size and Byrd is one you should check out of pure curiosity. Hard it is, not to join Yoda in the moshing of the head too; Ruff breaks and gut punching stabs ride that searing sub bass with exactly the kind of aplomb you'd expect from these two. On the flip "Love You Like This" is one of those shameless vocal rollers that Byrd does so well.

Review: Upcoming talent Dimension makes his next foray on Cyantific's self-titled label and it's more than impressive. "Synth City" lives up to its namesake with a glorious fusion of synthwork, pumping drumbeats, roaring bass and dancefloor-driven energy that will have you moving and shaking in no time at all. A pitched up and distorted vocal adds a futuristic element, and this one has "anthem" written all over it. The accompanying "Midnight Love" is another smasher, which blends rumbling sub bass with razor sharp beats, murmuring vocal and choppy drums to huge effect. This one is a killer - make sure you check it out.

Review: He's back! It's been a while since Bungle last graced our turntables; his 2011 album Memories to be precise. But he's returned. And he's done so with a double-sided disc of pure D&Beauty. "Aura" is an emotion soaked stepper laced with all the grace of an early 90s ambient record but beefed up with Autonomic standards. Already being pimped as an 'impossible to top' tune of the year by some of the biggest names in the game, it's unarguably essential. "Astral Travel" is equally stunning. Rolling with a heavier rhythm but dosed with the same amount of star gazing whimsy, it's another faultless moment from the Brazilian DJ. Welcome back Bungle.

Review: Ivy Lab... The new name for Stray, Sabre and Halogenix who, exactly this time last year, stopped D&B floors in their tracks with the utterly stunning soully roller "Oblique". Featuring Frank Carter III it was unlike anything else being released at the time and was one of the scene's highlights. Here they re-join Frank for an equally stunning follow-up that's every bit as delicate as it is heavy. Frank's honey-like vocals are a delight while the textured tune beneath is deadly simple but overwhelmingly effective. The grumpy upstart "Brat" on the B shows they've still got cohones when they want too. Unadulterated sonic satisfaction.

Review: It might be January but In From The Wild has potential to be one of drum & bass's albums of the year. The duo has been bubbling together on Dispatch and Audio Tactics for several years now, and their debut long player glistens with promise. Here are two fine examples; "Visitation" (a Klute hook-up no less) is a salivating low-end swing session that's not dissimilar to early Ram Trilogy material while "Black Storm" bounces with undiluted mischief as beats and bass scatter amongst each other, echoing classic tech-step references while looking light years ahead. A better album sampler would be hard to find.

Review: The second of Alpha Centauri's big triple-release launch this week comes from Austrian artist Sub, a man whose productions are so heavy on the low-end he's the bass music equivalent of a builder calling himself Brick. Skipping from skitty, scratchy deep D&B ("Alpha") to a darker, more dungeon-esque cuts such as "History" and "Deeper" Sub rubs out the lines between genres and replaces them with abyss-like darkness. If you're into Icicle or Arkaik you'll be all over this!

Review: Recent Ninja signing and all round great New York soul hope Jesse Boykins gets some choice remix treatment from a pair of artists who lend themselves to diverse assignments outside their common generic fields. Jacques Greene brings a whisper of his house leanings to bear, but focuses more on intricate reams of warm melody to work around behind Boykins' breathless vocal. Machinedrum meanwhile brings a more kinetic flavour with his inimitable drum programming, crafting a stunning syncopation with the vocal that leaves the tune running in two directions yet sounding utterly fluid at the same time.

Review: Deep D&B can often be a snooze-worthy affair. Especially now halfstep is more common than sausage rolls and the Autonomic sound has given everyone the idea deep is an easy ticket to your wallet. Then along comes a producer who really shows how involved and textured deep drum & bass can be. Each of the four cuts on here shimmers with a horizontal haze while offering endless layers of rhythmic and atmospheric pressure. Highlights are the pneumatic kick and tom combo on "Filmscape" and the stuttering drum arrangement on "Endgame". Deep AND delectable.

Review: The second in Survival and Silent Witness's cheeky album tease-session, this sampler is a fine showcase for the duo's range and repertoire. "System Fault" is a grunting, techy roller oozing wet groans and belly-tickling drones while "Feel It" flips the vibe entirely with a drifty, heritage arpeggio, breathy vocals and a plundering bass motif that warps with cosy warmth. With variety and depth like this you know the album's going to rock.

Review: Do you like FishStix? Of course you do. You probably like putting them in your mouth. But in this instance we'll put these in our ears. And we'll do so with care as they both bang very hard indeed. Spiritually jungle, technically breakcore: both "Gunshot" and "Kurruption" are refreshingly uncouth and seeped in surprises. "Gunshot" bashes with triple and quadruple kicks, flashes of neuro bass and spliced ragga vocals, while "Kurruption" is more a Squarepusher-goes-techno affair. Both absolutely rock.

Review: You know that band you really wanted Pendulum to be but they just went too OTT? That's The Upbeats, that is; the Kiwi band really knows how to nail a breathtaking vocal hook and belly-busting rock flavour without ever taking their eyes off the dance. Their hook up with Noisia's no-nonsense Vision imprint confirms this. "Diffused" kisses your face with its dreamy vocal while kicking you squarely in the shins with its bass. "Undertaker" shows off their darker, more neuro side while two ace remixes come from SPY (deep soul and rush-caked) and Opiuo (sexy glitch swing).

Review: All round legends Blu Mar Ten continue their efforts to help establish up and coming talent via the platform of their own respected label, pairing Londoner Stray with German artist Frederic Robinson. Between them, the pair have credits on Brownswood, Project Mooncircle, Critical and Hospital; you can't front on a CV like that and you can't front on "Thumbprint", the duo's first collaboration together and the first of many we hope. The two clearly share an innate understanding of fractured rhythms, finely poised atmospherics and the ability to bend sound in all new forms. A solo Stray production in "When It Rains" demonstrates his capacity for warm and rewarding restraint too.

Review: Ram's sister imprint has a consistency factor of 100% so far. Not one dull beat since its inception mid 2012. This is wide-eared international selection is no exception. Nitri represents Brazil with the slinky, glitchy "Concentration" while Audio & Meth represent the UK side of the dance with the absolutely unrelenting "Alone". It's over to Russia for the last two cuts as Eastcolors shows why he's Enei's co-producer of choice on the blistering "Murderer" and scene veteran Paul B takes the edge off with a hypnotic wash of fuzz that gradually twists into quite the cute little anthem.

Review: Hidden and Van Giersbergen's Lights Off project gets off to a very intriguing start. Served up on a lovely green vinyl, the original is a fluttering, dreamlike slice of ambience that's not dissimilar to Lamb at their darkest. The remixes cover all bases; Hidden's Dark version is a terrorising neuro riddim of Black Sun Empire proportions, Machine Code's take adds a spliced breakbeat and gritty bass element to proceedings, Balkansky beef with beauty with added beats while Tapage turn the whole thing inside out and uses it as a pillow.