Review: After a brief pause to allow their frankly huge 36-track VA compilation to sit and breathe a while, Motive Hunter Audio is back at the sharp end of the jungle scene with this new EP from the brilliant ARKYN. It's a lovely slab of grey wax that revives a blend of hardcore jungle techno that is not for the faint of heart and comes with a tasteful homage to this subgenre's roots. Packed with piano stabs and 4x4 kicks, the EP delivers controlled mayhem that is perfect for the club as collaborations with SYNTAX, DJ B, and ARKYN's alter-ego DJ TUF all bring depth and hints of early Dutch rave influences.
Atlas & K Super - "Supply & Demand" (feat Wild Swan) (7:55)
Atlas & K Super - "Talk To Frank" (Buda remix) (7:44)
Review: Atlas and K Super echo a well-known drug advice line slogan with 'Talk To Frank', a supreme jungle techno sheller of risky but rewarding proportions. This sizzling five-track slice of 12" from the renowned DJ-producer pair echoes Mole The Dipper or Noise Factory with its free-flowing but still relentlessly factorial breaks slicers; the A-sided Double Drop remix of 'Red Marios' marks an impressive scission through both pitched up-and-down breaks layering come harmonics. Meanwhile, the title track and 'Partyline' dial the hysterics knobs up to eleven, deploying an unheard-of amount of jank and stab; the latter track feels especially destabilising, a central "oo-er" vocal sample heard buried well below the main melee. 'Supply & Demand' and Buda's version of 'Talk To Frank' round things off on twin notes of mecha-trance breaks and pitch quartz unleashings on an overtop lead sample respectively, proving the artists' rightful joint mastery over an incipient UK hardcore sound.
Review: Everyone's talking and no-one is listening... Unless Chatta B is chewing your ear off with his militant breaks - because then we're all ears over here. Unleashing the ghosts of 93 with big sacks of sheesh and oh my gosh, each of these cuts hits hard with the neck-snap breaks and big hooky samples. 'Watch Out' sets the scene with energy, 'Real Badman Sound' goes full-on rudeboy, 'The Exit' is a big sing-along moment while 'Easy Take It Easy' sends us off into the sunset with mixed sentiments... The vocals are like a sweet rum punch while those rattling breaks on the rhythm are more like a tum punch. Talk to us.
Review: Certain names in dance music do well to predict the future - and Digital Pressure is one such name. Originally released on A Guy Called Gerald's label Juice Box in 1993, this phonkout beast of an EP came via the joint efforts of producers SDR and Subsonic aka Adrian Lloyd and Kelly Bowers. The twizzling melody and tunefully sawing breaks delays that kick this one off reflect the "digital pressures" of today perhaps more so than it did back then; 'Watch Dis Space' and 'Strictly Drug Related' make unique use (for jungle) of glitching phone chip stinger sounds, reminiscent of the twinkly "coin get" sound effects one might hear on carting about an old Watara games unit. If only handheld games consoles and uncommonly sighted mobile phones were the extent of our digital woes; now we've a heck of a lot more to worry about, and doesn't the further ironically named 'Back 2 Da Future' know it with its Twilight Zone topline and clunky robo-vox! Limited run of 350.
Review: This new release, ACID Thing, from legendary acid house man EBY pays homage to the classic acid sound while infusing it with modern twists. It has been put together across three different coloured vinyl 12"s - this is the grey, white and black splattered vinyl version - to celebrate an impressive 40 years in the game on Foxbam Inc. One cut 'Acidanus' features MC Soph, who debuted on Acid Indigestion Pt4 at age eight and now returns at 25. The EP also includes a remix of 'Eggtrip' by renowned Belgian producer Outlander and a superbly bright, arresting acid opener in the form of 'Bun Da Acid.'
Review: In 2019, Vinyl Fanatiks launched with the debut of the Ellis Dee Project series across two parts. Fast forward five years, and the label is back with Part 3, which is a real monster of a release that's well worth the wait. 'Don't Stop Rocking' is raved-up, jungle-inspired, hardcore breakbeat fun with drilling basslines and yelping vocal sounds and some playful breakdowns and curious melodies. The remix of 'Dance Factor' on the flip from Rennie Pilgrim is another all out assault with rave horns and unrelenting drum pressure. Incidentally, his first-ever remix was of Ellis Dee, so this is a nice circular moment.
Farayen & Liam Parkins - "Where Do We Go" (Jamie Unknown remix) (5:04)
Dan Newman - "Movin'" (5:05)
Dean & Di After - "Wicked Dreams" (5:06)
Shade Guevara - "Ted Or Dead" (4:07)
Review: Warehouse Tools takes listeners on a nostalgic journey through the vibrant world of UK house music, showcasing the iconic sounds of Hooj Choons. Opening with Farayen & Liam Parkins' 'Where Do We Go (Jamie Unknown Remix)', the track blends high-energy euro house with New York-style house rhythms, offering a dynamic trip back to the early 90s. Dan Newman's 'Movin'' follows with a melodic Balearic progressive house gem, featuring heavenly piano moments paired with a serious beat that creates a dynamic vibe. On the flip side, Dean & Di After's 'Wicked Dreams' brings retro energy to the forefront, evoking the essence of house music's early days while offering a fresh perspective. Finally, Shade Guevara's 'Ted or Dead' delivers a piano-driven breakbeat, showcasing a vintage sound that encapsulates the roots of house music. This compilation is a well-crafted tribute to the genre, perfectly balancing nostalgia with contemporary energy.
Review: French synth-dub duo Froid Dub return with a fresh sonic exploration on their new six-track album, taking their blend of synth wave and dub to new depths. Known for their organic-meets-digital sound, they push the boundaries even further with this release. The album features the unmistakable rhythms of the TR-808, now more submerged than ever in the thick, swirling echoes of digi-bass, creating a hypnotic atmosphere. Perfect for fans of experimental electronic and dub, this latest offering is another testament to Froid Dub's ability to fuse genres in a way that feels both timeless and forward-thinking.
Review: The mission-statement-and-artist-name Gabber Dub Project, from Germany, take on a bold undertaking. Doing exactly what is said on the tin, this six track explosion dispatches every possible topological contortion of what could be meant by "gabber dub", traversing transient styles from UK hardcore and hardstyle in the process. LXC, Zimmertime and Hurra Hurra offer terrifyingly shouty, jackhammering remixes checking off moods of militancy and warmongery, with 'Dubbersaet' sounding especially propagandistic, described as a "maximum amen workout", shortly before side B both hastens the pace and buries the vibe in shockingly six-foot-deep soil.
Review: Hellfish invites you to swim deep down into some thrilling gabba waters on this unrelenting, punishing EP of destructive dancefloor dynamite. 'A Word From Your Leader' kicks off with distorted low ends and driving drums, mad vocal samples and hundred mile an hour hard techno drums. 'Shake Your Ass' keeps the energy up with more manic loop chaos and dense arrangements, then 'Break The DJ' gets even harder and more distorted with its frazzled stabs. 'Get Some ' is all glistening video game effects and squealing guitar lines.
Review: Oi oi, gun fingers and glow sticks at the ready for this one, which is a jungle, d&b and hardcore fusion that throws it back to the good old days. 'Feel The Magic' has it all and then some with blistering amen breaks and killer vocal stabs, 'Wheel Up' keeps on the pressure with more irresistibly funky breaks, spin backs and prying synth tone and 'Come Inside' hypnotises with a mystic flute lead before the devastating drums drop once more. 'Breakage #6' shuts down with another lively rhythm that will turn any 'floor into a rave den.
Noise Factory - "Can You Feel The Rush" (The Power mix) (4:54)
TDK - "Baby Plane" (5:05)
TDK - "Illusion Of Balance" (4:54)
TDK - "Bonus Beat" (5:06)
Review: Throwback proto-jungle glitz from Noise Factory reissued by Kemet Music, the revolving-door ragga jungle collective mainly owned and operated by label owner Mark X. Just as it was with its original release on the label in 1993, we hear Noise Factory's original 'Can You Feel The Rush' - first surfacing on Ibiza Records that same year - followed by three stonkers from DJ, producer and emcee TDK. This is an EP that overflows with legitness, its liquid tsunamic runovers of energetic vibe pouring forth from NF's 'Power Mix' as well as the subsequent key-mapped demon choir hellscape, 'Baby Plane'. All tunes here bear that raw, much coveted yet never quite totally replicable rasp sound, endemic to the early-to-mid 90s. Feathers don't get ruffled as much as they do get ruffed, on the closers 'Illusion Of Balance' and 'Bonus Beat'.
Review: Parade's 'Parade 004' bursts with high-energy, classic breakbeat vibes, perfectly crafted for fans of rave anthems. Side-1 kicks off with 'Austria', a high-octane track that fuses uplifting piano riffs with a driving beat, embodying peak 90s rave energy. It's the kind of track that fills a dancefloor, blending nostalgia with fresh, invigorating production. Side-2 dives deeper with 'Heartbeat' and 'Higher', both loaded with feel-good, jungle-tinged piano lines that bring a pure, euphoric lift. These tracks capture the essence of breakbeat's roots, while infusing it with a modern twist that keeps things exciting. Parade manages to be both a celebration of breakbeat's legacy and a re-energised take for today's dance sceneiideal for anyone looking to relive or discover that classic sound.
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