Back catalogue: UK Garage

Review: It's an amazing new rendition of the Deborah Cox smash, with colossal beats and a big sweep of synthesizers that are going to make customers line up to see what you are playing. Already the biggest new breakout track here in New York City this past weekend, this CD maxi single is fully equipped with the big house mix from Riffs & Rays, soaring full vocal circuit mix from Ultrabeat as well as the magnificent full vocal trance anthem original 12" mix too!

Review: Dunkelbunt has established himself as a fixed point within the Viennese Balkan scene. Whether with his several musical landscapes or with his famous oriental spice-mixtures: Ulf Lindemann (aka Dunkelbunt) extracts, subjoins, and mixes with passion, celebrating feasts for the senses. "The Chocolate Butterfly" is a coproduction between Dunkelbunt, ragga muffin Raphael Raggucci (aka Raf MC) and the legendary Gipsyband Fanfare Ciocarlia. They are tapping virgin soil, creating something quite unique: a well floating combination of ragga, Balkan brass & electronic.

Review: The big DJ’s pick up on some tracks, they play them for a while, then they're never heard again, but when a tune has been BATTERED on dubplate by all the scene’s top DJ’s for literally months you know you have something special. "Concerto Riddim" and "Firearm" are both receiving the power play treatment from the likes of Cameo, Mac 10, Bossman, Logan Sama, Rossi and Luca and any other top name you care to mention. Vinyl includes the brand new vocal mixes by Syer Barz of Roll Deep and Faction G!! This is gonna fly!!

Review: Should the sub bass-heavy excursions of classically trained producer Adam Partridge have a name, it would be "global bass". This debut album effortlessly blends the low-end frequencies of dubstep and floor-friendly nous of kudoro (as favoured by Buraka Som Sistema) with a smorgasbord of global musical influences, from South American tango, Balkan jazz and West African rhythms to the indigenous instrumentation of China, Brazil and New Zealand. Such explorations could sound messy, but Partridge's production and composition skills not to mention his deep love and knowledge of electronic music ensures that Atropolis always stays on point.

Review: Both the muscle behind Glasgow's excellent Highlife club nights, as well as his Afro-futurist production alias Auntie Flo, Brian d'Souza kills it with this Huntleys & Palmers-released mini-album. Following much-buzzed tunes like "Oh My Days" and his Goan Highlife EP, d'Souza provides many new shades here - such as the glossy Eastern funk of "Haven't Got Any Body" the favela 2-step of "La Samaria", the minimal 4/4 Latin jazz of "He Makes The People Come Together". The standout so far is the juke-paced mix of 808 claps and congas on the Esa Willimas-vocalled "I Want To Blow Your Mind".

Review: Roll Deep's Syer Barz debut mixtape lands with some massive material for all DJs and grime fans, with guest appearances from The likes of JME, Wiley, Scorcher and Brazen. This is one of the hottest mixtapes on road right now, with 20 firing tracks sure to wet any DJs pants.

Review: While the cover artwork may make Benton look like a moody former member of an R&B boy band, the music contained on Reflections is as robustly underground as you'd expect. Moving from Burial-ish paranoid atmospherics to deep dubstep-soul via a series of sparse, moody and emotion-rich soundscapes, it portrays the London-based producer as a man for whom the simple pleasures of form and function are just not enough. Along the way, there are growling, murky floorfillers (check the hissing "Herman's Hideout" and "Defect Mind"), dubwise steppers ("20/20 VIP") and occasional blasts of piano-laden beauty (the intricate "We're Both Lost").

Review: A hot new compilation featuring some of the hottest grime anthems on the street!! Mixed by Rinse FMs DJ Bossman!! Features all the main players in the game and all the biggest tunes from the last 6 months to the next 6 months!!

Review: Brackles Songs For Endless Cities !K7
CD £7.60 K7264CD
DEAL 10 on 1,15 on 3,17.5on 5
TRACKLISTING:
01. Flying Lotus - My Chippy (WARP)
02. Floating Points - Peoples Potential (EGLO)
03. Zomby - Tarantula (HYPERDUB)
04. Roska - I Need Love feat. Anesha (RINSE)
05. Brackles - Blo (COOL IN THE POOL / !K7)
06. Martin Kemp - No Charisma (BLUNTED ROBOTS)
07. Kyle Hall - Luv for KMFH (Wild Oats)
08. Cooly G - Love Dub Refix (HYPERDUB)
09. DJ Dom - Sunshowers (Blunted Robots)
10. DJ Mystery - Speechless feat. Natalie K (DJ MYSTERY)
11. Hypno - Over The Top (PTN/RAMP)
12. Rishi Romero - African Forest (MADE IN NL)
13. Breach - Fatherless (PTN/RAMP)
14. Deadboy - If You Want Me (NUMBERS)
15. 2562 - Dinosaur (TECTONIC)
16. Dorian Concept - Trilingual Dance Sexperience (AFFINE)
17. Funkineven - Must Move (EGLO)

OVERVIEW:
New !K7 affilated label Cool in the Pool opens it's account with a state of the art compilation from 24 year old Londoner Brackles. In the last six months, the Blunted Robots co-owner and FWD/Rinse FM regular has been grappling with the "Future Garage" tag that's been pushed his way, and he's not too keen. "Too limiting" he says. He can live with the "Post Dubstep" moniker, but his first commercially available mix album gives us a better snapshot of where this buzzing, vibrant scene is going than any scene name could hope to do.
Songs for endless cities is a new series that will be focusing on the new generation of DJs and producers who have a fresh and individual take on an ever evolving electronic scene.

Anyone with a passing interest in new electronic music may have noticed a generation shift over the last few years, and Brackles comes from that new wave of producers, promoters, DJs, hustlers and bustlers who have little to do with the 40+ year old Ibiza veterans still punting out big tunes for ever diminishing creative returns. They're part of the "hardcore continuum," but not shackled with it, they play "post dubstep" but aren't defined by it, and whilst the likes of Brackles and his contemporaries work dancefloors with the kind of energy only a new, young generation of DJs can, their musical scope and breadth reaches well beyond club confines. "Hearing UK Funky was really refreshing after listening to dubstep for a few years. I still love dubstep but funky contains a lot of elements that I'd been missing since UK Garage died. It opened my eyes to all kinds of house music and I now try and fit a lot of different bits from house, funky and dubstep into my sets"

Songs for Endless Cities aims to capture a slice of Brackles after hours and out of hours, with the afterglow still burning, maybe the rhythms still bumping, but with the freedom to rove around a bit, enjoying and exploring sound without always having to turn back to the dancefloor.

From the langorous, ethereal machine funk of opener Flying Lotus' "Mr Chippy," and the cosmic-jazz tinged 303 energy of Floating Points' "People's Potential," the classy, stripped back future-soul of Roska's "I Need Love" and the UR-style strains of Dorian Concept's "Trilingual Dance Sexperience," to Deadboy's "If You Want Me," a lethal combination of broken, funky rhythms, futuristic machine drones, disembodied soul diva looped up into hypno oblivion, topped off with an M1 organ riff straight out of the Frog and Nightgown in '96, Songs never stays in one musical place, but is a very much a coherent "whole."

Mixed in amongst the well known names are several with which listeners might not be so familiar. That's likely to change, according to Brackles. "The newer artists I've picked I think will go on to be sitting in the same bracket as those big artists at some point. Funkineven already has some great releases and I reckon the Breach tune on the mix is gonna be one of the biggest of 2010."

It's a mix for the mind and the soul as much as the body, and it comes from a legion of musical influences, not all of them conscious ones. It was only when Mike 'Mu' Paradinas commented on the Detroit influence he heard in Brackles' sound that the young Londoner went off to explore and enjoy the Motor City mothership, and now it's there, along with the Garage, the Dubstep, the House, the Funky and the rest of it, all channelling into Brackles' contribution to the continuum, all helping shape his Songs for Endless Cities.

PRESS: Interview and feature in Mixmag, feature in K Mag, reviews confirmed in iDJ, DJ, RA, FACT, The Quietus, Shook, The Times Online, ATM Magazine, Dazed, Dazed Digital, Stool Pigeon, Drowned in Sound, K Mag, POP Magazine, Sonic Router, Prefix Mag.
RADIO: Brackles a regular guest on Rinse FM, tracks from the compilation have featured in numerous mixes and spot plays on dance shows.
LIVE: Regular DJ sets all over UK and Europe.
CLUB: Many of the tracks have featured in the playlists of all the tastemaker DJ's of the scene

Review: It's been five years since James 'Breakage' Boyle last treated us to full-length exploration of his dusty, dubby, enveloping musical world. Given the half-decade gap, it's perhaps unsurprising that When The Night Comes in is a more mature set than previous explorations. While rooted in the kind of post-dubstep, trap and half-step drum & bass with which he's best known, there are nods to bustling, bass-heavy house, glitch-hop, and modern soul, with a range of vocalists swinging by to lend a hand. For all the enjoyable eclecticism, it's notable that the album's standout moment, "I On U", is a roughneck exercise in pounding jungle revivalism that doffs a cap to the early days of liquid D&B.

Review: Following the success of the first CD OT Recordings have wasted no time at all in bringing you this, the second instalment featuring more big dubs, tracks and freestyles from undoubtedly one of the hardest working camps in the scene. CD includes 19 tracks with artists like Devlin, Dogzilla, Ghetto, Deeperman and more.

Review: Buraka Som Sistema's debut album, 2008's brilliant Black Diamond, was something of a landmark set - an effortlessly energetic and breathlessly exciting introduction to the band's unique kuduro sound. This long-awaited follow-up lacks the instant impact of its predecessor, but is no less enjoyable. The pace is a touch slower (but only a touch, mind) and the sound a smidgeon smoother, but the raw kuduro energy and hooky vocals remain. There are some sweet, contemplative moments (see "Voodoo Love"), a clutch of genuine dancefloor bangers (check the warped electro cut-ups and twisted beats of "Tira O Pe"or skittering roller "Burakaton") and an admirable collaboration with German digital dancehall veteran Stereotyp.

Review: Those keeping tabs with the ongoing evolution of British bass music should already be familiar with the work of Reiss Hanson. Under the Champion alias, he was one of the leading lights of the UK funky scene at the turn of the decade, and has continued to deliver incendiary club music ever since. Snapshot is his debut album and offers a kind of thrill-a-minute ride through British bass tropes. While rooted in his beloved UK funky, there are multiple nods to bassline house, grime, trap, dubstep, garage, jungle and D&B, with aggressive, full-throttle sub-bass pushed to the fore throughout. While there's little subtle about it, there's no denying the quality of Hanson's productions - or, for that matter, the staggering weight of his bass.

Review: Hyperdub's year of excellence continues apace with the release of Playing Me, the long awaited debut album from Cooly G. Emerging as a key figure in the UK funky scene some four years ago via some highly prized Dub Organiser CDrs, Cooly's musical progression has been charted via a series of EPs for DVA Music and Hyperdub. On this thirteen track album what is most apparent is the confidence this South London producer has in her own singing, a voice that sounds dipped in pain and anguish at times. At others Cooly utilises her vocal delivery as an integral part of the music, which draws from all manner of UK music history of recent times whilst very much sounding part of her modern house template. Oh and there's a Coldplay cover to end the LP too...

Review: While rooted in drum and bass and dubstep, there's always been an "anything goes" vibe to the bass-centric releases of Shy FX's Digital Soundboy label. As if to prove a point, this collaborative label mix for the FabricLive series - put together by Shy FX, Breakage and B.Traits in the Digital Soundboy studio -touches on all corners of contemporary bass music in a whirlwind 70 minutes of madness. There's juke, UKG, two-step, rave, D&B, dubstep, tropical, UK funky and even a dash of Nina Simone amongst the 40-odd tracks effortlessly blended into one energetic, anything-goes mix-up. It's pretty breathless stuff, but there's enough depth and melody amongst the rump-shaking rhythms to impress even the most miserable anti-bass crusader.

Review: Brothers Disclosure bring the sound of house and more to the mainstream in incredible fashion, merging poppy vocals with basslines inspired by the likes of the Windy City's Mr Fingers and RP Boo. Furthermore there's splashes of UK styles like garage and dubstep in tracks like "Superego" and "Moving Mountains" and there's even smatterings of footwork in "Echoes". There's Ibiza-charged hits like "Nocturnal" to the skipping beats of "Holding On" that will make you think Daniel Bedingfield's made a comeback had Gregory Porter's lyrics not been there. And for some sublime club fodder check out "Hourglass".

Review: Brothers Disclosure bring the sound of house and more to the mainstream in incredible fashion, merging poppy vocals with basslines inspired by the likes of the Windy City's Mr Fingers and RP Boo. Furthermore there's splashes of UK styles like garage and dubstep in tracks like "Superego" and "Moving Mountains" and there's even smatterings of footwork in "Echoes". There's Ibiza-charged hits like "Nocturnal" to the skipping beats of "Holding On" that will make you think Daniel Bedingfield's made a comeback had Gregory Porter's lyrics not been there. And for some sublime club fodder check out "Hourglass".

Review: If you were looking for someone to join the dots between the first wave of UK garage and today's subsequent mutations of the sound (UK funky, bass music wobblers etc.), DJ EZ would surely be top of the list. A genuine UK garage original (he released his first EP back in 1998), Otis Roberts remains a firm favourite of garage connoisseurs and 20 year-old new breed ravers alike. Predictably, this belated contribution to Fabric's long-running mix series does an excellent job in representing the past and the present, contrasting traditional two-step cuts (see Mike Delinquent Project's "Killer"-remake, "Live", MJ Cole's stone-cold classic "Sincere") and vintage 4/4 garage (Todd Edwards) with new school belters from the likes of Disclosure, DJ Q, Majestic and SBTRKT.

Review: Thanks to a career spent spearheading the post UK-garage "bassline" and "UK funky" movements, DJ Q's status as one of British bass music's innovators is assured. As a result, the DJ/producer's belated first contribution to the FabricLive mix has the air of a victory parade or lap of honour. Over half of the dizzying 32 tracks on offer are unreleased exclusives from his own archive of personal productions, with the rest made up of killer cuts from friends and associates, all bar one of which have never before seen the light of day. Unsurprisingly, the resultant mix hangs together brilliantly, offering up a thrill-a-minute ride packed with skipping, hip-swinging drums, sweet cut-up soul vocals, wobbly electronics and sub-bass so weighty your guts will start dancing to their own hyperactive tune.

Review: Despite spending most of his career pushing the comedic possibilities of scratch DJing, Duncan Beiny is capable of producing high quality original material when he puts his mind to it - as his 2006 debut, The Amazing Adventures of DJ Yoda, so adeptly proved. This follow-up, six years in the making, moves on his sound further. Like recent DJ sets, Chop Suey mixes bombastic hip-hop - see "Scream", "Big Trouble In China" and "Charlie Sheen" - with al cross-genre mash-ups that touch on dubstep, hip-house, swing, ragga and 1980s blue-eyed soul. The guestlist is also impressive, not least the oddly infectious U No Likey Like That" which sees Roots Manuva and Kid Creole & The Coconuts joining forces.

Review: Pigeonholes are gracefully obliterated, and Drop
The Lime’s signature all-in-the-box DJing style
encompassed, on the thrilling, adventurous
‘Fabriclive 53’.
· As with all Drop The Lime mixes, the most unlikely
beats and artists suddenly make perfect sense
alongside one another: the raw 303s of Maurice
introduce acid to Untold’s future bump, Drop The
Lime’s own housey summer hit ‘Sex Sax’ steps and
twirls to the swing of Bill Haley & His Comets, and
the glittery synth pop of Little Jinder fades into the
melodic grace of Reso’s dubbed-out ambience.
· Filled with teasings of Drop The Lime’s newest
work, and of course his unmistakable vocals,
overall the mix is every bit as rare and passionate
- and unpredictable - as the charismatic artist
himself.
· Online - Banner ads to run on major dance music
websites, such as Big Shot, Resident Advisor and FACT.
Eflyers to established mailing lists, Fabric, Hyponik & Wild
Music. Facebook & Google ad campaign.
· Further Marketing - Posters displayed in Fabric
nightclub (averages approx 6000 visitors per week).
· Tourdates - August 13 Fabric London, 20 Twisted Pepper

Review: Manchester MC Delroy "DRS" Pottinger has been an integral part of the D&B scene since its nascent birth in the 1990s, where he frequently appeared alongside the likes of Blame and LTJ Bukem at Good Lookin' Records events. Here he finally graduates to the big time with an album of his own, naturally on fellow Manc Marcus Intallex's similarly forward-looking Soul:R imprint. With a cast list of big-name producers in tow - Intallex, naturally, but also dBridge, SPY and Calibre - Pottinger showcases his Manc drawl and slick rhymes over tracks that veer from soulful D&B bangers (see "Holding On") and rough wobblers ("Playing With Fire") to deep and groovy hip-hop cuts ("It Aint Easy") and even modern soul ("Habitual").

Review: Todd Edwards is back for 2007. Finding a current resurgence with his Daft Punk co-production on their multi platinum "Discovery" album, Todd now drops the third part of his legendary series "Full On". This newest edition features 16 tracks never before released on CD format.

Review: Rinse FM DJs and Butterz founders Elijah and Skilliam have been credited with bringing grime back to some of London's most prestigious clubs, not least Fabric, where they began a residency last year. It's perhaps unsurprising, then, that they've been given a chance to mix the latest volume in the club's FabricLive series. Predictably, they've nailed it, too, dropping a mix that showcases the best of UK bass music - particularly contemporary trends in grime and garage, with just the right amount of old school flavour - while containing a high number of unreleased tracks, exclusive reworks and even some new verses from scene legends Newham Generals.

Review: Yes. It's time for Flava D to take the control of the Fabriclive series, and we'd been expecting this one for quite some time. Danielle Gooding has been a big part of the club's Friday night dynasty over the last three years, and her DJ sets are always an utterly safe and reassuring collection of UK house and anything bass-related - you know you'r in safe hands when you jump onto a dance floor guided by Flava D, it's that simple. This thirty track monster spans all the subgenres and styles of bass, with new and unreleased music from the likes of Champion, Myd, Randomer, Negativ, Skapes and many others. You know the drill: new Fabric mix compilation = buy and download that s*** on sight.

Review: The Fabriclive series maintains its fine run of form with Four Tet's eagerly anticipated inclusion into the canon. Stitching together field recordings of the club itself, ambient tracks from Michel Redolfi and David Borden, a selection of lost, dusty UK garage from the likes of Persian and Crazy Bald Heads and recent productions from Burial and Floating Points, it's not so much a DJ set as an impressionistic rendition of Hebden's own memories of clubbing itself. Considering the fact that Hebden's own productions are usually so saturated in melody, it's a relatively dark mix, dominated by murky bass tones and sharp, brittle beats, with a constantly shifting sense of urgency that encourages rapt attention throughout. The stellar mix is capped off with two brand new Four Tet tracks, "Pyramid" and "Locked", which only seek to highlight his growing ability to produce devastating club tracks.

Review: North London duo Gorgon City have pushed the boat out on this follow-up to hit 2014 debut album, Sirens, delivering a set of radio-friendly vocal dance cuts that brilliantly blend their usual retro-futurist house and garage rhythms with thrilling pop hooks and musical flourishes variously inspired by '90s piano house, R&B, dancehall, grime and UK garage. The expansive cast list of collaborators and guest vocalists is naturally impressive, with pal Duke Dumont, grime pioneer D Double E, R&B chanteuse Kamile, Josh Barry, JP Cooper and Vaults amongst the strongest contributors. As crossover dance albums go, Escape is pretty nifty.

Review: Is Herve bored of releasing noisy, eye-popping, bass-wobbling rave anthems? This compilation certainly gives that impression. While Deep Thrills touches on many of Herve's usual staples - garage, fidgety house, UK funky etc - the melodies are smoother, the beats softer and the grooves deeper. The unmixed first CD is perhaps the stand-out, featuring as it does some excellent, previously unreleased fare from Baxta, Trevor Loveys, Drop Dead (the Hotflush-ish "When You"), Heavy Hearts and Lil' Bo Tweak (the deep boogie-house of "No Stoppin"). Almost as good, though, is the second CD, which offers a delicious mix from up-and-coming UK garage types CRST. A pleasant surprise, if we're honest.

Review: This is a significant moment in the development of Michael "Huxley" Dodson. Following six years building his reputation via a constant trickle of singles, the London-based producer has finally delivered a debut album. It's a little more expansive and varied than many of his singles, and variously touches on many of his regular inspirations - UK garage, deep house and bumping techno, in particular - as well as some he's not previously explored (see the pitched-down rave breaks of "Give 2 U" and the "Circles"-ish liquid D&B of "MXR"). The result is a polished, floor-friendly set that impressively straddles the line between club tracks and home listening fodder.

Review: Irish producer Iglooghost continues to redefine electronic music with a conceptually rich and sonically dense third album. Drawing from the desolate landscapes of a coastal UK town overrun by primordial detritus, the record fuses UK garage, coldwave, drill and more into a visceral, cinematic experience. Created while squatting in a Kent coast garage near a sewage plant, Iglooghost's surroundings heavily influenced the album's dark, aquatic tone. Blending relentless percussion with eerie melodies, the album unfolds like a near-future sci-fi soundtrack. Tracks like 'Germ Chrism' deliver pummeling trap-meets-IDM chaos, while slower cuts like 'Spawn01' evoke the hushed intimacy of early Portishead. Iglooghost's vocals take center stage, ranging from snarling hooks to delicate whispers, imbuing the music with a surreal humanity. Thematically cohesive yet wildly experimental, the album's soundscapes mimic waterlogged radio transmissions, stuffed with textures, rhythms and cinematic interludes. Despite its grim undertones, a cartoonish, surreal charm runs throughout, melding genres and abstract storytelling into relentless, goosebump-inducing club music. This record reaffirms Iglooghost's mastery of world-building and his ability to craft a vivid, otherworldly atmosphere from the interplay of sound and narrative.

Review: Although perhaps best known for his involvement in much-hyped Glaswegian bass music institution Numbers, Jack Revill has always been a DJ capable of mixing-it-up with the best. In fact, he's at his mesmerising best when concentrating on the party itself, rather than any one particular style of genre as this debut mix for Fabric brilliantly proves. From start to finish, it's a joyous, party-centric romp that barely pauses for breath. In typical Jackmaster fashion, Revill crams in an impressive 29 tracks in 70 minutes, touching on everything from classic electrofunk and Motor City techno to hands-aloft garage, ragging acid, boompty bass, original hardcore and Radiohead. Grab a bottle of Buckfast and tuck in.

Review: For all of the genre bending insanity of his early singles on Night Slugs, it's unlikely that anyone could have foreseen Jam City coming out with an album like this. Across ten tracks the producer delivering music that runs the gauntlet between Prince influenced funk that flickers like a burnt out neon sign, Chicago house that sounds like it was made in an echo chamber and Philly club that sounds like it was made for an athletics commercial. Despite its air of detached ADD hyper reality it's an album that's never cold, and never once looks down on the listener ... in short, absolutely essential.

Review: On this 22nd installment in the Rinse mix series, Hyperdub boss man Kode 9 gives a no-holds-barred lesson in the joys of percussion. Packing in some 37 tracks along the way, the London producer impeccably joins the dots between the multitude of beat patterns and micro-genres that make up today's thriving bass music scene. There's dubstep (obviously), post-dubstep, footwork (Rustie's mental "Triaddz", a dash of DJ Rashaad, Sam Binga and Addison Groove), ragga-influenced heaviness (The Bug), UK funky, wonky hip-hop (S-Type), synth-laden madness (his own "Kan"), 4/4 bangers (Joy O) and even a touch of Theo Parrish (the excellent "Kites on Pluto"). That it flows brilliantly and all makes sense is testament to his impressive DJ skills.

Review: Brentford's finest pirate radio crew turned BBC sitcom stars have finally made it onto CD. For those familiar with the ebb and flow of their acclaimed People Just Do Nothing series, The Lost Tape is something of a treat. Presented as a non-step Korupt FM broadcast complete with Chabuddy G intro, skewed Steves mixing and rhymes from Grindah and DJ Beats, it's a memorable romp through the history of British garage and grime with a few exclusives and never-before-heard tracks thrown in. Stylistically, it's eerily reminiscent of many pirate radio mixtapes from back-in-the-day - which, of course, is the idea - but with the added bonus of laugh-out-loud moments amongst the scene anthems from Sunship, Wookie, DJ Zinc, Youngstar, Wiley, Dizzee and the boys themselves.

Review: The London Urban Collective's 2nd offering lands with some weighty material and guest appearances!! 20 Tracks in total with features from the likes of Dexplicit, Skinnyman, Gemma Fox, Flirta D, JME and more!!

Review: One of the more prolific artists in these times, Matt Cutler is back with his fifth album, which is an impressive feat in just five years of releasing music. It's a disregard for pretention that makes Cutler's music work so appealing, whether it be the exuberant 90s house approach on last album Emerald Fantasy Tracks or his earlier hip hop-tempo bump. Galaxy Garden starts off on a more esoteric tip with the tropical electronica of "New Colour", which captures the cheeriness of Plaid, or more recently Oriol on Planet Mu, in its sunshine chimes. By the time we get to "Lying In The Reeds" we're up to a house tempo that harks back to the softer side of early Detroit, playing with melody in a way that made Kenny Larkin stand out early on. It's when "Crystal Caverns 1991" starts up that we reach the most blatant distillation of old-skool; kicking off a breakstep beat with sweet but punchy 90s synths, the track cuts into a deadly rave motif without so much as a pause in the beat and it's like being back in, er, 1991. It would be easy to write off an album like this as derivative, but no-one can listen to the music itself and call it an imposter. Every track reeks of originality, whether it is the surprising track structures, the superbly detailed production, even the evocative imagery that the music conjures up. If you ever needed an album that felt like wide-eyed, innocent joy, this would be an excellent place to start.

Review: For those searching for entertaining sounds at a reasonable price, Tru Thoughts' occasional Shapes compilations are ideal. For less than six quid, you get two discs packed full of label highlights, album cuts, forgotten remixes and unreleased gems. This edition, full to the brim with little-known gems, is one of the best for a while. Typically, it offers an eclectic blend of modern soul, revivalist funk, hip-hop influenced beats, downtempo grooves, shuffling house (see King Britt's remix of Hidden Orchestra) and jazz-flecked dancefloor moments. Highlights are plentiful; from the bright-eyed boogie revivalism of Hint's own remix of his T-Fly collaboration "Aliens Enter" to the righteous Latin beats of Drumagik's "Maracatu".

Review: Tru Thoughts' long running Shapes compilation series has always been a good barometer of the label's current state of health. In recent years, some Shapes sets have been a little flabby round the edges, as if Robert Luis' imprint had acquired a middle-aged spread. This instalment, though, is one of the best for a while. Luis acts as curator, picking out some faves from the last 12 months. There's plenty to enjoy, with a good mix of dancefloor-rockin' remixes, dancehall-flavoured jams and soul and jazz-flecked originals (see the Freddie Cruger/Antony Mills' brilliant "Heroione") There are also some pleasant surprises, with Behling & Simpson's swinging rework of Quantic & Russell's "Magdelena" and Cottam's sweaty Batacuda-house jam "Hit The Wall" standing out.

Review: Hands up all of those who expected UK garage legend MJ Cole's first album in 17 years to be an ambient set with neo-classical intentions. While on the surface it may seem like an odd move, he says that it has been "gestating" his "whole life", though in the end he apparently recorded it fairly quickly. Musically, it's well worth a listen, with Cole cannily combining sweeping strings, jazz style double bass, fluid piano solos, opaque ambient chords and very occasional rhythms to create compositions closer in tone to film soundtracks and conceptual neo-classical pieces than the sweaty, soul-fired club bangers he's long been renowned for. Judged purely on musical terms rather than his previous career, it's a hugely impressive achievement and well worth a listen.

Review: Given his long-standing dedication to the sound, there could be few more fitting DJs to compile a two-disc set of 90s House & Garage than Joey Negro. While there are, of course, some fairly well-known anthems present - the Masters At Work produced "Voices in My Mind" by Voices, and Kerri Chandler's brilliant "Ladbroke Grove", in particular - the vast majority of the veteran Essex DJ's "personal selections" will be unfamiliar to all but the most dedicated US garage and soulful house heads. The excellent track list includes a couple of killer Mood II Swing jams, a lesser-known Tony Humphries instrumental take on A Bitch Named Johanna's organ-heavy "Freak It", and a thunderous, sub-heavy Fire Island remix of Michael Watford.

Review: With volume 3 due to drop in September, what better time to take this last opportunity to grab the last few copies of volume 2. Especially at such an irresistible price! Mixed by Ollywood and Ed 209 and hosted by MC Fearless, this suburb mix follows on from the massive success of volume 1, which was Time Out's Compilation of the Year 2004, and was nominated for Album of the Year at the International Breaks Awards.

Review: This is another one of those wicked CD packs, including a bassline CD, a funky house CD, and a electro house CD!!!

Review: Having arguably kick started Bristol's love affair with dubstep via his Context and Dubloaded parties and Tectonic label, Pinch has since proven himself to be one of the most astute and open-minded producers in the bass music scene. It's perhaps fitting, then, that he should get the honour of mixing the latest volume in the acclaimed FabricLive series. It's also fitting that FabricLive 61 sees him at his most versatile, mixing up a range of bass music flavours, from atmospheric dubstep slow burners and dreamy soundscapes (his brilliant collaboration with Quest, "In Dreams") to acid-tinged 4/4 bangers (Joy O and Boddika's anthemic "Swims"), snappy future garage from the likes of Roska, and even a dash of bombastic footwork courtesy of Addison Groove.

Review: For this 92nd volume in the long running FabricLive series, the re-born London super-club has turned to regular guest and Boy Better Know crew member Preditah. Somewhat surprisingly, it's the Birmingham-born DJ/producer's first mix album, though you'd never guess given the assuredness and all-action nature of the set. It was recorded in one-take at home, boasts exclusive and unheard material from himself, DJ Q and C4, and gleefully joins the dots between grime, UK funky and garage. In other words, it's a serious showcase of largely British made bass music, mixed with energetic abandon by a DJ who is a master of his art.

Review: Given his prolific rise over the last couple of years, it's little surprise to find Roska at the controls of the latest Rinse mix CD. His heavy, floor-friendly take on the current UK underground - a signature sound influenced by broken beat, UK funky, dubstep, classic house and tropical rhythms - is perfectly suited to the former pirate radio station. Furthermore his fast and furious mixing style keeps his sets entertaining, and on this mix, he simply charges through tracks, balancing bangers from T Williams, Redlight, Seiji, Zinc and Magnetic Man with a healthy smattering of his own remixes and productions - and, of course, that pesky "Roska! Roska!" trademark vocal sample.

Review: Ruff Sqwad have been hailed as one of the pioneers of the current grime scene, an immensely talented collective of MCs, DJs and producers hailing from the same Postcode as Roll Deep. Catch the full camp in full flow alongside guests such as Wiley, Lightning, Roachy and more.

Review: Since donning the SBTRKT mask, one time broken beat producer Aaron Jerome has become far more famous for the booming intensity and restless rhythms of his productions than the sweet soul he was previously most famous for. It's something of a pleasant surprise, then, to see Jerome returning to his musical roots on this SBTRKT debut LP. While the trademark shuffling dubstep rhythms, future garage grooves and hurried broken beats remain, they're underpinned by a thick vein of sassy soulfulness - thanks in no small part to the fragile vocals of Sampha - and an overriding atmosphere of melodic beauty. It's a wise move on Jerome's part, because SBTRKT is a far better album than many would have expected; in fact, it's a bit of a belter.

Review: Scorcher's CD 'Simply The Best' includes 22 tracks with production crew on board - Wiley, Target, Rapid, Slix and Magic Fingaz, as well as several hip hop freestyles, including the Rick Ross 'Hustlin' freestyle played by Westwood. The CD also features the single 'Chance Us', produced by Wiley (previously 1xtra A List play listed), and the next single, 'My Diary', produced by Target of Roll Deep. One of the best album efforts to come out of the UK grime scene, fully living up to its hype title, Scorcher is given a solid base with strong riddims ranging from r&b grinders and crunked hip-hop, to road ready grime, with the highly respected Wiley seal of approval.

Review: A new mix from perennial party faves Soul Clap is always a cause for celebration, but there's something extra-special about this particular exercise in dancefloor nostalgia. Nice 'N' Ripe Allstars sees them revisit the bulging back catalogue of Grant Nelson's Nice 'N' Ripe label, an imprint that has tracked the rise, fall and subsequent rebirth of UK garage since its' birth in 1993. Soul Clap's mix - an action-packed 30-track affair featuring some of their own edits and remixes of classic cuts - does a great job in showcasing the best the label has to offer, flitting between early US garage style jams, loose soulful house, sturdy two-step, bass-heavy speed garage and the kind of long-lost jams which should be bitten by today's retro-minded house producers. In doing so, it offers an impeccable history lesson.

Review: Tom 'Toddla T' Bell has enjoyed a rapid rise to the higher echelons of dance music thanks to a robust sound rooted in the twin attractions of dancehall and B-more. For this second album for Ninja Tune, he seems hell bent on proving his eclectic credentials. With deviations into piano-laden, breakbeat-driven house, murky R&B, post dubstep-pop and Prince-ish sexfunk, plus collaborations with Roisin Murphy, Roots Manuva and Shola Ama, Watch Me Dance comes on like a contemporary take on Basement Jaxx - albeit with a distinct Sheffield twist (listen out for nods to Steel City bleep techno, Moloko and long-forgotten beat manglers the All Seeing I).