Search results: Ice MC

Review: Vinyl edition of CD compilation, includes loads of 90s classics.

Review: For those with a passion for the musically advanced side of drum & bass, Icicle is something of a hero. Over the last few years, the Holland-born beatsmith has provided many memorable moments, promoting a next-level take on jungle that sidesteps cliches and stereotypes at every opportunity. Under The Ice, his second set for Shogun Audio, continues this voyage, offering up more breakbeat science for the enlightened. While it features some straightforward club rollers see "Dreadnaught" and "Breathing Again" the album's most memorable moments take far more risks. For proof, listen to the mutant two-step and re-booted broken beat collaborations with Robert Owens, the slo-mo grooves of "Europa" or the house-centric hidden bonus track all are the work of a producer with skills, inspiration and invention to spare.

Review: You'd be hard-pressed to find a collection of euro house and dance music more chock-full of hits than this. In the vein of the early 90s dance compilations, Music On Vinyl gathers two discs packed with landmark dance records and massively popular crossover tracks like Haddaway's 'What Is Love', 2 Unlimited's sports arena classic No Limit', Snap!'s timeless 'Rhythm Is A Dancer' and the worldwide hit 'Pump Up The Jam' by Technotronic. The great thing about this release is the inclusion of many other lesser known but memorable gems like T-Spoon 'Sex On The Beach' and Twenty 4 Seven's 'Slave To The Music'. A whopping 27 tracks in total to take you back to the days when dance music owned the airwaves and the clubs.

Review: Originally released in 2002, following the years during which the West Coast hip hop legend was allied with iconic producer, Dr Dre, Thy Kingdom Come is often noted as a creative turning point in the rapper's discography. Marking a departure from the cool, carefree persona he became known for following his previous releases, the standout figure of Compton rap emerges as a more matured version of his once roguish iteration. Tracing the themes of success and making it against all odds, this album marks a key point of Tee's career, where the Likwit Crew mastermind was on the precipice of Dre-induced stardom.

Review: Bursting out on to the world with 2006's ubiquitous "Put Your Hand Up For Detroit," Fedde Le Grand has been at the top of the tree ever since, rocking dancefloors around the world. This latest installment of Toolroom's mix series sees Fedde at the helm and showing off what he's currently throwing down - a winning mix of electro-house bangers as well as some choice tech and minimal selections - all available in unmixed formats for your own DJing pleasure.
There's quality all the way through these 31 tracks. The soulful jacking house of Belocca's mix of Jaimy's "Take You Higher" is a treat, as is the delirious Jazzy Stuff by Neuroxyde Vs Doomwork which leads with a deliciously tweaked sax riff. Needless to say, Audiojack's mix of Akabu's "Sax My Bitch Up" also brings the horns home to roost - breaking down to a superb sax & claps solo.
Some tribal flavour makes it in via Saeed Younan's epic Yeah Ha, while the snakey echo-heavy lead sounds of Da Fresh's mix of Boombox are well worth checking out too, especially for any Booka Shade fans out there. Le Grand's "FLG" pseudonym is an outlet for his more stripped-down tech-house beats, and his FLG hook-up with F-Man, An Old Technique, shines (check out the classic vocal filter build-up's, they won't disappoint).
The FLG mix of Fatboy Slim's "Praise You" also makes the cut here - having been rinsed by the man himself in clubs across the world for months now. Taking on such a seminal tune is no easy feat, but this is a sweaty workout that's perfectly pitched. Have a listen just for the effortless but euphoric piano drop. Rounding off with some dark and minimal beauties like John Acquaviva's "Acquanamo" is a masterstroke and confirms Fedde's reputation as an ace selector.

Review: We lost count of the number of annual compilations Drum & Bass Arena has released some years back, but suffice to say it's now one of the longest-running D&B series of all time. This year's edition is every bit as essential as its' predecessors, featuring as it does some 60 up-front tracks stretched across three thrill-a-minute mix CDs. Naturally, all of the scene's current big players and rising stars are present, with the included cuts touching on almost every sub-genre and stylistic variant you can think of (jungle revivalism, neuro-funk, tech-step, liquid, disco D&B and so on). As you'd expect, there's also a trio of previously unheard exclusives included, with Monty's dreamy-but-bass-heavy, left-of-centre "48 Hours" standing out.

Review: Patrick Adams and Peter Brown's P&P Records imprint has long been regarded as one of the disco-era's finest labels. While the soul and disco side of the label's output has been celebrated plenty of times, less attention has been paid to their funk and rap credentials. Here, Bill Brewster - whose recent trawl through P&P's soul and disco catalogue was rather good - aims to put the record straight over three action-packed discs. Due to the nature of the material, there are few well-known cuts - Spoonie G's early rap bomb "Spoonie Rap" excepted - but plenty of thrilling obscurities, from the Jimi Hendrix-goes-funk madness of Wild Honey's "I've Been Working", and the extended dancefloor workout that is Scott Davis & The Movements' "Freaktime", to stripped-back pioneering rap bombs from Fly Guy, Little Starski and Sweet G.

Review: In some ways, New York's Fresh Records was always an odd label. A subsidiary of Arthur Russell's Sleeping Bag Records that was initially set up in 1985 to release hip-hop, A&R man Kurtis Mantronik quickly widened its' remit to include electro, freestyle and, later, house. This expansive three-disc anthology from crate-digger Bill Brewster tells the story of the imprint's eight-year history, beginning with a disc of bona fide dancefloor jams (focusing mostly on freestyle and house gear from Todd Terry and Hanson & Davis cuts). Discs two and three focus on the label's arguably better-known hip-hop history, showcasing the work of Fresh staples EPMD, Just Ice, T La Rock, Stezo and Nice & Smooth.

Review: "Jump Style 4", on Tremble Tracks, is mixed by Digital Punk. He is the biggest jumpstyle talent on the scene at the moment.

Review: Sometimes you just want all the classics in one place, right? Music On Vinyl know the deal, and this double pack of rap classics will keep you rocking from dusk till dawn. From Kurtis Blow and Grandmaster Flash to Ice T, LL Cool J and Wu-Tang Clan, every legendary name you can think of is accounted for on this imperious collection. Totalling 25 sure shots from the biggest icons hip-hop ever gifted us, this is a perfect primer for those wanting to up their knowledge, or simply four sides of pleasure for those who want the hits.

Review: Anyone who likes hip-hop but doesn't already own the bulk of these should be questioned to be honest but in case you want them all together on one hand double album then look no further. This nice heavyweight (both psychically, as they're pressed to 180g vinyl, and musically) collection takes in all of the greatest hits from across the years with classic early rap, golden era boom bap and sounds from both the sunny, low slung west coast and more hard edged and streetwise east coast. A Tribe Called Quest, Warren G & Nate Dogg, Was, Moby Deep, Beastie Boys... they are all here and all sounding as good as ever.

Review: Stoupe and Vinnie Paz are back with their 5th album. As usual, dark beats & aggressive lyricism aren't in short supply. Featuring Sean Price, Ill Bill, RA the Rugged Man, Reef the Lost Cauze, Chief Kamachi, & Block McCloud.

Review: J Live drops a dope concept mix CD - taking the 1st track of all classic albums. Real hot stuff.

Review: St Etienne star Bob Stanley has compiled this definitive anthology of a time and a place in British rock history. It started out as a NME freebie cassette called C86 and turned into a new era of indie music, with the accent on emotion and excitement rather than technical expertise. This is a time-capsule back to a more innocent age, stuffed full of period classics that sound just as good twenty years on.

Review: .NOW's Yearbook series of quadruple CD sets reaches 1990, a year in which the currents of dance music's future dominance of the pop charts became stronger and more pronounced. Of course, this being a pop-focused collection, the musical story told is far more varied. So while there are suitably baggy, bowl haircut-sporting indie-dance numbers from the likes of Candyflip, Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, as well as crossover club hits from the likes of The KLF, the Adventures of Stevie V and Dee-Lite, you'll also find synth-pop melancholia from the Pet Shop Boys (including 'Being Boring', arguably Neil Tennant's best song), boy band business from New Kids on the Block, a dash of Kylie Minogue, alt-rock hits from Faith No More and Bon Jovi, and a blast of Elton John.

Review: Millenium Records comprehensive set of the indie hip hop anthems of 1986 featuring Just Ice, Run DMC, Original Concept, Cutmaster DC, Divine Sounds, Tricky Tee, B-Fats "Woppit", Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, Stetsasonic "Go Stetsa", Fat Boys, Biz Markie, Roxanne, T La Rock, Steady B, Eric B & Rakim, BDP, Mc Shan, Beastie Boys, Doug E. Fresh, Ultramagnetic, Jazzy Jeff, Ice Cream Tee, Whodini, King Tee, Salt N Pepa, Joeski Love, Mc Boob, Jazzy Joyce & more.

Review: Given that he cut his teeth as a DJ and producer in San Francisco during the early 90s, DJ Spun is in a perfect position to educate us on the city's breakbeat-driven 'rave' sound - a hybrid and hyper-local affair that blended the Bay Area's psychedelic sounds and loved-up ethos with elements of acid, hip-hop, hip-house, deep house and British breakbeat hardcore. The Beat By DJ Spun Volume 1 does a great job of highlighting largely lesser-known, breakbeat-powered cuts produced in the city between 1988 and '94. For proof, check out the dreamy, mid-tempo wonder of Single Cell Orchestra's 'Transmit Liberation', the funk-fuelled hedonism of Triple M's 'Prisoner of Passion (Funky Dub Mix)', the deep and dubby breaks of 'Based (Not So Free Mix)' by DJ Emma, and the sparse-and-squelchy post hip-house shuffle of Spins Inc's 'The New Frontier'.

Review: Continuing the celebration of hip-hop's 50th anniversary, Music on Vinyl is releasing the second instalment of 'Hip Hop Collected', turning the focus away from the first 20 year and moving the lens towards the late 90s and early 2000s - the peak of abstract and gangsta rap. Featuring timeless classics like N.W.A's 'Straight Outta Compton', Dr Dre's Jay-Z-ghostwritten track 'Still D.R.E' and Bahamadia's 'Uknowhowwedo' to name a few. The aim of the compilation is not to prove as an exhaustive list by any means (namely the mysterious absence of Queen Latifah, Missy Elliot and Public Enemy), but to serve as a comprehensive memorial to a genre that changed the world. Printed on super limited green and white 180gm audiophile vinyl, the package comes with an insert with liner notes.