NICOLA ELLIOTT
nelliott1618@hotmail.com QUICKIES Chords
In Lightspeed Regal Records
6.5
The bassline is bouncy and playful, but unfortunately no prizes for breaking any newfound sound barriers. Kooky and psychedelic, the vocal sample on this track is what really differentiates this from other dancefloor releases, but other than that, the sound is somewhat familiar.
Lynx
Balloons Soul:R 9.5
Thinking back to ‘Disco Dodo’, Lynx has always had a knack for producing deceptively simple tracks which build to stunning fruition. In
his own individual way, Lynx’s newest bassline bounces up the musical scale, backed by futuristic sci-fi sounds and an eerie tapping that has become familiar in his work.
Mikal The Chant (Rido
Remix) Utopia Music 7.5
An entrancing intro of Far Eastern monks mightily beckon before slipping seamlessly into the depths of the track. ‘The Chant’ echoes the souls of those spiritual soldiers, with delicate, soft- yet-overwhelmingly powerful bass. Deceptively tranquil, with deep layers of substance. Fans of the original won’t be disappointed.
Liz-E
The Last Time Shogun
9.0
Shogun’s newest recruit offers up a couple of slices of vocal dancefloor soul on her debut EP. The title track ‘The Last Time’ lures you into the calm before the storm, with serenity washing over before torrents of drums flood your ears. The track displays an interesting adjacency of emotions, beginning with a musically melancholy note building to an overwhelmingly uplifting crescendo. The new girl on the block can certainly hold her own amongst the big boys.
Bungle
Astra Travel Soul:R 8.0
DJ HYPEPLAYAZ
01. KONICHI ‘Bad Habits’Playaz Dub “This gets the dancefloor mosh pits going when I draw it.”
02. OPTIV & BTK‘Slander’Playaz Dub “Taken from their forthcoming ‘Drop The Funk EP’ on Playaz, this is a fat, nasty,
techy beast.”
03. LYNX‘Midnight Funk’Playaz Dub “This is the title track from the ‘Midnight Funk EP’, coming on Playaz early 2013.”
04. DRUMSOUND & BASSLINE SMITH‘War Of The Worlds’ Technique “I have been ending my DJ sets with this and it sounds great on a big system.”
05. SUBMORPHICS ‘Summer Soul’ Innerground “I love dropping a little soul vibe in my sets now and then, and this is definitely my
favourite soul drum & bass track at the moment.”
06. REWIND‘Talk No More’Playaz Dub “Taken from our forthcoming ‘Flavours’ series, this one is for those that like drum &
bass with a bit of old school flavour in it.”
07. ENEI ‘Cracker VIP’ Critical Music “Enei is a fantastic producer and this track is one of my favourites from his album,
great for the double drop!”
08. TAXMAN‘My House VIP’Playaz Dub “I have been using this track to start my sets because of its great intro — it’s slightly
harder than the original. I think everyone that bought the original should love this too.”
09. PROLIX FEAT MC COPPA‘Kick Off’Playaz Dub “Coming off the back of their huge EP released earlier in 2012 on Playaz, Prolix comes
good again with a heavy piece of magic, featuring the vocal talents once again of MC Coppa.”
10. DJ HAZARD‘Time Tripping’Playaz Dub “A simple, clean, effective roller that never fails to get the crowd going.”
Ten years deep and Brazilian Bungle is showing us how it’s done. The forcible fiesta of his infamous debut album ‘Down To Earth’ is replaced by a dark, ominous force which resides over the entire track. Percussion scuttles like a thousand tiny beetles exploring the overlapping, other-worldly synths and futuristic sounds, leaving you feeling that you really are travelling around astronomical atmospheres.
Ivy Lab
Afterthought Critical 9.5
Last year we were blessed with the blissful sounds of ‘Oblique’ and after more long, late nights in the studio, Sabre, Stray and Halogenix are ready to unleash their collaborative project on the world — enter Ivy Lab. Expect no less than perfection from their latest release. Frank Carter III provides exquisitely eloquent vocals against a backdrop of divine synths and
shuffles, with slices of elegant piano. This laidback track will lull you into a trance of tranquillity.
Jaydan Sadsack
Smokin Riddims 8.5
Slow and dumpy as the raggy doll of the same name is a bassline which defies you to try and keep your head from bouncing along to it, until you reach a somewhat lengthy breakdown, preceded by a sexy female spoken sample. Executed to perfection in a way that prevents it from sounding generic. Taken from the long- awaited ‘Outlaw’ EP.
Pleasure
Fire Rises Low Down Deep 8.5
Low Down Deep are bringing something different to jump- up. The new EP ‘Killer Bytes’ showcases the label’s unique take on the dirty dancefloor sound. ‘Fire Rises’ is no exception to what we’ve come to love and expect from Pleasure — grimy, gutter-scraping filth with a rough-and-raw growling bassline, and ear-splitting screeches that could make even a pneumatic drill shudder; however, this track comes complete with softer flecks of tech scarcely dropped in.
Rich Raw
For Right Now Wyatt Noise 7.0
After only one release, there’s a lot of muttering about the Oxford-based label and with their second, ‘For Right Now’, label boss Rich Raw shows us
what we can expect. Designed for the floor with an LFO bassline, compact drums, classic vocal samples and fully intact with an orchestral intro and jubilant piano chords, this is by-the-book bass and can be expected to be heard in the sets of Dillinja and Drumsound.
Skibadee feat Lily McKenzie
Never Gonna Break Viper 7.0
Recently, it hasn’t been uncommon to see drum & bass hit the mainstream media, and now it’s Skibadee’s turn to deliver his slice of playlist- flavored cheddar. The track, which is produced by Jordan Crisp and Dan Brookes from the Brookes Brothers, is bouncy, upbeat and catchy, perfectly radio-friendly bass. The moral here, is not to always take music so seriously and have a little fun. But for the heads, Sub Zero’s remix brings a more dancefloor-oriented flavor.
Thesis
Elevate Soul Deep Recordings 8.0
Soul-satisfyingly deep drum & bass — classic Amen breaks with a celestial atmospheric layer, topped with angelic vocals, all mixed to perfection with no one element overpowering another. The deep, mellow, omnipresent bassline lifts and highlights the crisp percussion to an elegant height. The whole track summons images of heavenly plains where contented souls roam free. This is a truly chilled liquid roller, beautifully ambient and pure.
djmag.com 049
DRUM & BASSREVIEWS
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