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Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks ***


Alan Fitzpatrick returns to Drumcode, marking his first appearance since late 2016 when he remixed Moby's hit "Porcelain".The release opens with "Brian's Proper Dun One", a track which caused a storm on his Twitter profile when he first started playing it last year. Loaded with sharp and pounding drums, this is a no holds barred, certified main room anthem! "Wait A Second" has been getting a lot of play on Drumcode Radio of late. This rave inspired track takes a raw, stripped back approach and delivers a killer blow. Alan sampled the vocals of MC r1bbz from an LTJ Bukem tape pack from the early 90s and the record tips its cap to early jungle raves around the M25. The release closes with "Trance, Init?" a homage to Fitzpatrick's days as a raver before he became a DJ. The breakdown is sure to be a hands in the air moment at festivals all over the globe this summer.

Review: Drumcode's A Sides series has been a great source of contemporary techno potency and there is no signs of it slowing down yet. This is the second part of the 11th volume and it has three fresh names. Veerus opens up with 'Lights On Me' which is a dark tune with a tense energy and celestial chords keeping you in suspense. Ramiro Lopez then offers the more loopy and hypnotic 'Yo Mas' with its hooky vocals bring an exotic feel. Anna Reusch shuts down with a flat footed stomper that will get your jaws clenched on 'Deeper.'

Review: Here comes Eli Brown, a Bristol-based techno and tech house producer who knows how to make his tracks sound absolutely massive. He's dropped on Toolroom, Of Unsound Mind, Moon Harbour, Relief and Repopulate Mars amongst many others, and now he's hit the big one, Drumcode. Brown's more than ready for Adam Beyer's label, bringing the high-pressure goods on the likes of 'Deep Down' and 'Nazareth', using that essential low-end boom and plenty of nervy acid up top, keeping the drums piling on hard and teasing the drama in his gargantuan productions. If you like it big, which you should do if you're checking Drumcode, then this EP has everything you need.

Review: Glasgow based DJ and producer Harvey McKay is up next for Drumcode, with a bit of help from his brother Ryan here as Alias. This will be his fourth release for Drumcode since making his debut for the label back in 2013 with the terrific Lost EP. A staple of such esteemed imprints as Soma, Suara and Bedrock in recent times, the Visions EP is packed full of perfect big room bangers: much like you'd expect from the guy. Kicking off with the industrial strength stomp of "Pentatonic" which is stripped right down to the bone and full of "Spastik" style snare rolls, "The Truth" then gets some Robert Hood style adrenalised cyclicity going on. Finally on the flip, we've got dark and slamming tool techno of "Dream Taker" that goes straight for the jugular. A grinding, hypnotic and downright riveting thriller for the peak time.