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Review: Vemodalen means 'The fear that everything has already been done.' If that's not an enticing enough invitation to dBridge's album then we don't know what is. The music as relatable, too. Powerful, slow, sexy and vulnerable, it paints from a synthetic palette anyone over 30 has grown up with and will know intuitively from music and movies. Ranging from poppy motifs that are reminiscent perhaps of Roxy Music or Visage to more introverted electronica that nods at the Rephlex sound and perhaps Si Begg, all backed up by his history as Heartdrive and the Autonomic sound, this is dBridge looking back to look forward. Stunning.

Review: London-based producer Otik releases his first album Cosmosis on Martyn's label 3024. The 11-track LP signifies the fourth album on the imprint across its ten-year tenure, showcasing a more introspective side to Otik's musical output. The album leans into delicate melodies, hazy atmospheres and lush analogue sounds, often evoking blissed-out feels and ripples of brilliant colour. Produced three years ago during lockdown, Cosmosis comes after a period of spiritual struggles, where Otik questioned his faith, religious beliefs, and the concepts of right and wrong. While the pandemic allowed ample time for reflection, Otik translated these thoughts into music from his Peckham-based studio, later finding a home on 3024's evolving discography. Keen to release a body of work that explores the journey of enlightenment and the struggles to get there, Otik drew inspiration from the luminary filmmaker Terrence Malick and how Malick portrayed ideas and philosophies in films like The Tree of Life and Voyage of Time. As a result, the record conveys a compelling narrative of rebirth, told through exquisite sound design and a push-pull pace that oscillates across the album.

Review: They hit the limit... The limit hit back! Everything about this EP is awesome: firstly, the partnership of two of drum & bass's most on-point production teams. Secondly, "Mouthbreather" has been on all god-fearing neurofunkologist's wishlist for several years and it doesn't disappoint. Thirdly, "Dead Limit" one of the grizzliest, unruly tunes you'll hear all year. Fourthly, "Inverse" is the ultimate definition of elastic D&B funk. Fifthly, "Omnivore" contains some of the strangest, captivating sound design ever processed for the dance. Sixthly, the artwork is bang on point too. Trust us; this hits hard!

Review: The Nullpunkt label is fast approaching its 25th release but first comes this fearsome outing from F&E. The third installment in the Forschung & Entwicklung series comes on grey vinyl and does not mess about with five more cuts all served up as Antal or Rural versions from 2016. The first rides on rusty jungle breaks, the second, 'Conclusion', is an atmospheric piece with a minimal rhythm and warped synth daubs while 'Six Days' is a dark and heavy piece of ambient techno dystopia. 'Outro' is the lightest and brightest piece of synth work on the EP then 'Research' brings back the jungle techno with more serrated synths and loopy, jagged rhythms.

Review: DJ Trax takes perfect stock his sonic journey so far across this superb new album, Break From Reality. It features everything we have come to know and love from the man - rolling breaks, jazzy licks, hip-hop stylings and cinematic synths - but all served up in new and highly compelling ways. Dons of the game like Goldie and Loy have already been digging it and we are too, from the mad and unrelenting drum flurry of the opener to soul drenched breaks like 'Flame' and the acid jazz/4Hero era throwback sounds of 'Long Rhode Home' and its lush broken beats. A richly rewarding drum & bass album from one of the best in the game right now.

Review: To celebrate the 25th birthday of their celebrated debut album, A New Sound Spectacular, the Belgian band has decided to offer-up this selection of long-forgotten remixes of two tracks from the set, '2Wicky' and 'Inhaler', both of which were originally released on now delated 12" singles. The A-side highlight is undoubtedly DJ Pulse's terrifically spacey drum & bass revision of '2Wicky', though the heavy trip-hop psychedelia of the 'Not So Extended Hoovering' version is also surprisingly good. Over on the flip, you'll find two more D&B-inspired takes on 'Inhaler': a wonderfully deep and jazzy 'Mr Pink' revision courtesy of Pierre Job AKA Hector Zazou, and the band's own string-laden 'Drum & Orch' revision.

Review: You can always be sure of a hugely affecting trip when you tune into something from Sacred Rhythms. And so it proves with this new one from Slam Mode. These are four hugely involving and atmospheric tracks steeped in ambiance. 'Ogman' is humid, dusty and spiritual with its late-night bass subtleties and sustained chords. 'Mientra Duermes' (Reimagined) has a celestial melodic feel over ramshackle house drums and 'Monopole' gets heavy on cancerous and dubbed-out drums with more cosmic chord work serve ing to expand your mind. 'Modus Operandi' is a lush and jazzy deep jungle workout to close.

Review: Razat has made an art form of distortion and saturation. The latter is what lends its name to this new eight-tracker on Saturate. After a fuzzy and textural opener the tumbling and brilliantly fluid rhythms of 'Overdrive' get you to the heart of the dance then 'Clipping' lurches backward and forwards on low-end oscillations and 'Bit Crush' closes the a-side with eye-watering hiss and fizz over crunchy drum slaps. Two further tunes on the flip find Razart manipulating sound and bass in his own unique way with two remixes adding extra bite to an already very useful EP.

Review: Jungle revivalists Coco Bryce and Tommy The Cat are old pals who've released numerous joint EPs over the years. Here they inaugurate a new series of split twelves - snappily titled 'CocoCat' - on Tommy The Cat's own Cat in the Bag label. Bryce handles side A, delivering the nostalgic jungle-techno thrills of 'You Care Before They Do'. It's a pleasingly energetic affair in which bleep techno style melodic motifs - think LFO, Sweet Exorcist etc - and shimmering futurist chords rise above a sweat-soaked jungle break and weighty bass. Over on the flip, Tommy The Cat doffs a cap to the early days of deep, jazzy d&b, successfully cloaking a punchy, Amen-driven beat and heady bassline in the dreamiest of chords.

Review: Not to be confused with Arnie's character in Total Recall, this Quaid was best known for weaving delicate and deep d&b around the late 90s/early 2000s on labels such as Return To The Source and Seraphim. While his time in the scene was relatively short-lived, Quaid (AKA Ben Naylor) left a prominent mark on the deeper, 'chill' side of breakbeat and d&b. He also left a whole box of unreleased tracks on DAT, many of which you can enjoy right here for the first time ever. Atmospheric, at points almost ambient, but still kicking when it needs to. These stand the test of time incredibly well.

Review: Roffa than ruff! Netherlands craftsman Mike Redman (AKA Deformer) unites local MCs Bigman Scep, Swift and Dart for this big singalong skank-out. Tailored for festivals, it pays homage to the roots with big party energy. Meanwhile on the remix front we're bombarded with an all-star cast as UK OGs Bizzy B and Ed Rush both get stuck in alongside Mike under his Deformer alias. Bizzy is all about the modern rave twist while Ed Rush gets an old Bad Company style and Deformer goes all-out breakcore. Elsewhere on this double 12" opus we see Mackadena get the breaks on, Rotterdam Terror Corps go full hardcore and Akira teasing us with a little twist of gabber. High grade Dutch business.

Review: Samuel van Cleef returns as Tommy The Cat, one of the Netherlands' foremost jungle evangelists whose rise to prominence over the past four years is a phenomenon unto itself. It's not hard to understand why when you hear the grade of gear he's shelling out, returning to his Cat In The Bag label with this heavyweight double pack pressed on luxury red marble wax. From the space-age majesty of 'Along The Rooftops' to the roughneck break chops and heads-down dubbiness of 'Make Some Noiz' this is gold-standard rave gear from one of the best doing it right now.

Review: Dylan Brownsword strips things right down to the elements for this exceptional exploration into dub techno influenced drum & bass. Stark futurism that smoulders at its coldest and will have you shivering at its hottest, vibes range from the shimmering Basic Channel style reflections of 'B1' to the more autonomically minded swagger of 'B3'. Trembling with echoes of his powerful techno work in the past, across this whole collection DB1 keeps one foot in the dance, one foot in the stars throughout.

Review: The second release from Alex Egan's Utter sub label Quoth finds a link-up between Pearl River Sound and The Horn - two outlier operators with plenty to say when their machines collide. Pearl River Sound has been scattering outstanding releases on Further, Seagrave and Further Electronix amongst others, while The Horn comes from serious Devon techno heritage having cut his teeth on Evolution back in t'day. This is all about upfront material though, with a tendency towards microtonal braindance that veers from the self-explanatory collaboration 'Modular Grime' to solo forays into off-kilter, acidic electro funk. Nowhere near as derivative as a lot of current braindance, this is real freaked-out electronics for those with discerning taste.

Review: Berlin born Felix K is a music composer and producer with a sound perfectly befitting his hometown, as proven here on Nullpunkt. This is an EP of stylish techno for darkened basements - the drums are heavy but never lack funk, the synths are scuffed metal but full of soul and the whole ambience of the tunes is gritty, grey and lo-fi yet they are all hugely alluring and evocative. There is a spooky sense of unease in 'Earth' and real dub brilliance to 'Who Are You.' 'Sobriquet' is a more intense rhythmic exercise with many layers or interlocking sound while a Deconstruction By Forest Drive West of 'Earth' is late night techno minimalism par excellence.