DSCI4 Vinyl & CDs

Review: Four unreleased tracks from 1997 come back to the surface, recasting the luminant talents of Danny C and Mike Pears in a more contemporary light. Alleged to have been preserved on DAT for the last 27 years, there is still a consistent, clean quality to these four bits. Opener 'Blueprint' and its successor 'Dubwise' establish a utilitarian futuristic sound, betraying something of the now less popular sound that bridged jungle to techstep. The vibe on the former track lays down a mechanistic yet jazzy feel, with its semitonic Rhodes chords contrasting well to the track's outlying machinic qualities. 'Looking To The Future' and 'Groove Creator' similarly portray two death-driven, repetitious images of an automatic future.

Review: DJ Trace's 'Spy Technologies' series has come a long way since its 2002 inception. The original comp was a neurofunk milestone, and deftly justified Trace's status as a drum n' bass pioneer, run through with spy imagery and themes. Now on its eighth instalment, the DSCI4 sub-imprint has become increasingly star-studded, with Trace now curating the first 4-track selection from the upcoming LP. Straddling dutty jungle ('War Torn') to rap-sampling neuro rollers ('Thunderin'), one can only describe this EP as audio-nunjitsu, scoping out the desert compound for insider info on the full-length. Out on limited blueberry-coloured vinyl, it's an apt soundtrack for your next reconnaissance mission.

Review: DJ Trace's DSCI4 dropped the eight-track Spy Technologies X Sampler compilation last year, gathering together label classics, giving them a remaster and a digital release for the first time ever. Now this 12" cherry picks the strongest cuts and gets them back out there into the physical realm, focusing on Trace's own work and collaborations with his co-conspirators. The Concord Dawn remix of 'Mutationz' is a hyphy kick-off to the A-side before the dark n' deadly 'Move' link up with Ryme Tyme. Trace and Voyager turn up the pressure with the Reese attack of 'Sniper' and then it's Nico who joins the boss for a cooler, deadlier crusher called 'Replicants'.

Review: Stealthily relaunched last year after three years of silence, Trace's hugely influential DSCI14 label continues to forage at the very forefront of drum & bass. Following impeccable releases from Release, Survey and Verb comes this alarming slab of double-A darkness: Gremlinz and Adrian Go create a scarring reece and press it down over a pneumatic halftime arrangement while Quartz heads down to his local steel foundry and paints a sonic picture of molten metals and immense crushing machinery. Powerful.