Marjan - "Desert Of Heart" (Ramtin Niazi rework) (4:35)
Artoush - "The Curse" (Ramtin Niazi rework) (4:22)
Review: Today's Youth is a collection of Ramtin Niazi's reworkings of some of Iran's best loved songs. Here the Iranian artist - and key component part of such storied Persian rave music groups as Ben & Jerry, Kahkli Cru and 1000PA - breathes fresh, shape-cut life into the music of Googoosh, Kourosh Yaghmaei, Marjan and Artoush, refitting them for the abandoned warehouse rave. This is a real eclectic record, taking after well-established dance styles like speed garage, jungle, and dembow, but each track is nonetheless arranged with a gauche left hand, so gauche as to abstract each one from its stylistic reference point enough to sound lytic: unmoored from any total obligation to their origins, be they Iranian or Western European.
Review: Those interested in the roots of UK bass music have been well-served of late, with a number of books and compilations focusing on the first wave of British dance music in the late 80s and early 90s. Soul Jazz's latest compilation is a superb addition to this growing list. It showcases music made in the post-bleep and early breakbeat hardcore period, where basslines got bigger, drum breaks faster, and ragga influences started to come to the fore. The selections are on-point throughout from the dub-wise rave rush of Babylon Timewarp's "Durban Poison" and the bleep-and-breaks-meets-proto-jungle shuffle of DJ Dubplate's "Tings A Go On", to the rave-rap goodness of The Freaky's "Time & Age" and the heavily edited darkcore/early jungle insanity that is Krome & Time's terrific "Ganja Man". In a word: essential.
Review: In 2019, there were no rules when it came to who played what. Feeding into that was a resurgence in higher tempos, trance, rave, gabber, hardcore and just about anything. That's why this monster fifth release on Raver-R is going to be so well received rather than laughed at, as it most certainly would have been in previous years. And why not, because it sure is fun, with slapping drums, mentasm stabs, horns, whistles and overblown female vocals all exploding time and time again. This then is mad decent, and utterly destructive club weaponry.
Review: Whether or not Lennie D'Ice's 'We Are I.E' was the tune that inspired the birth of jungle has long been a matter of debate. Regardless, it was certainly highly influential - a booming, sub-heavy breakbeat hardcore anthem that undoubtedly shifted the musical dial on its initial release in 1991. Here the freshly remastered original - sounding weightier and sharper than ever - is joined by a trio of 21st century interpretations. Solo and Blade kick things off with a crisply chopped and pleasingly rolling re-edit before Horsepower Productions brilliantly re-imagine it as a punchy and powerful breakstep smasher. Arguably best of all though is the take from Bristol's Borai, who brilliantly joins the dots between bassline, 4/4 UKG and saucer-eyed turn-of-the-90s house. Let me hear you scream!
Review: Explosive rave flavours! X-Plode strikes Amen Brother again with more high energy pieces. 'Space Piano' says it all - a lavish twist of detuned rave stabs and high vibe keys wrapped tightly around each other to squeeze as many positive vibes out of the situation. The feels remain high throughout the rest of the EP: 'In The House' is all about that rolling jungle techno 4x4, 'We Run Tings' nods towards the bleep side of the foundation and that aggy, tense Prodigy Experience vibe before 'Sonic Tonic' closes with a big hoover riff that drops into the most euphoric element of the EP. X-Plode: putting the bang into bangers each and every.
Review: Snapping necks, frying minds, taking names - Thuggy Widdz is on an absolute roll this year thanks to his recent album on Western Lore, his release on Hooversound and now this massive four piece on the burgeoning Badlands imprint. You should know the vibe by now; brazen breakbeat choppage and high energy rave flavours across the spectrum. Highlights here include the walloping emotion of 'Whale Song' and pure venom of 'Archetypical'. Savage.
Review: Certified 'badmen of 2022', Atlanta's Nikki Nair links and London's DJ ADHD link up once again for four furious breakbeat jams. As you'd expect, it's naughtiness from the off as they pair guide us through a whole maze of bass and series of shells. Highlights include the rampant garage thrust and flex of 'Whaa', the wonky grit and rumbles of the EP's title track 'Golden Monkey' and the bashy dystopian radar ripples and eastern string stabs of 'No Pulse'. You'd have to have no pulse to not be feeling this. Go for gold.
Review: Seminal business: DJ Rap's 1995 anthem 'Intelligent Woman' remains one of the most relevant and iconic jungle tracks to this day and still demands a reload 27 years later. Fully backed up by a harder, more D&B-focused 2020 re-lick, Kniteforce pay respect to Rap and her influence on the drum & bass game with this long-awaited repress. Grab it and invest in a slice of serious history.
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