DRUM & BASSREVIEWS
WHISKY KICKS
whiskykicks@live.co.uk QUICKIES
Blocks, Escher, Loxy & Resound (Narratives)
Monsters Narratives 8.0
Nitri
Searching Horizons
10
From the very nanosecond the unsettlingly quiet, jazzy piano sounds, the overlapping of a glassy hovering and that juxtaposed, toned vocal cut through, it’s clear this is going to demand attention. A crisp and simple 4/4 beat kicks in, building anticipation, and makes way for the drop of an emotively dark and sinister bassline, which somehow remains gloriously warm. The elements of the track are clashing in tone and timing, which creates a foreboding vibe. Big tune.
Callide
Inferno System Shock 7.5
System Shock are back and governor Callide has set the ball rolling with his new smoky release. Bringing back the hard-hitting, no-holds-barred sound of the dancefloor that the label gladly became associated with, sultry vocals are followed by a warning siren, and then a bombardment of gunshots which unleashes enough distorted jump-up bass to twist your ears off. Good set filler — could have done with an extra layer of grime and grit, though.
Danny Byrd
Bad Boy (Back Again) Hospital 8.0
If your old skool flame for Danny Byrd was beginning to flicker in the winds of change, fear not — this classic slice of Byrd sees Danny returning to his musical origin and will reignite that fire. With a wobbling, descending bass reminiscent of the super sharp shooting days of jungle
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past, every synth, snare, sample, bass, break and beat are chosen with a celebratory air of nostalgia. There’s nothing new here, but this vocal smasher is sounding fresh.
Enei & Emperor
Liberation Critical 8.0
His debut album last year showcased a diverse style, and this latest ‘Liberation EP’ does just the same. ‘Liberation’ sees Enei working with not only man of the moment Emperor, but also Chimpo and Sam Wills. The title track combines a plethora of tight kicks, cyber, sci-fi-sounding effects, and an eerie break-down tinged with white noise and metallic breaks. The tail end enjoys a country & western twang and a little buzzing fly.
Mellisa
Lyon Etcht 8.5
Tiny tinkling bells begin their life as they tip-toe towards the harsh and glitchy reality of this tech-filled modern world. Crackled breakbeats form the spine of the track, tiny stabs of thick, heavy bass and scratches and snaps add texture, and the bells continue to blossom into high, glowing notes. This Berlin-based producer’s debut release provokes curiosity of what sense of wonder she will create next.
Pacso feat Alicia King
The Voices Higher Stakes 8.0
This track is a rarity for two reasons; it’s one of the very few that could slip into a set
at the darker raves like Nu:Era or LDD, but would also set the floor off at a Playaz or Ram night. Secondly, it’s rare to find a soft female vocal on this type of gritty track, yet Alicia is working with darker-sounding producers, adding warmth to the cold, steely tunes. The bassline on this one is certainly designed for the dance, expect rewinds.
Rockwell
Detroit Shogun Audio 9.0
Drum & bass continues to evolve and is now drawing influences from other areas of the dance universe. Rockwell, no stranger to experimentation (done well), has unleashed an impressively fast-paced, stuttering work of techno infused, forward- thinking greatness. Taking samples from what sounds like every great dance track ever made and mangling them into one tight sound, Rockwell may have just surpassed his already highly esteemed reputation. The AA ‘Back Again’ is also not to be missed.
Sub Focus feat Alex Clare
Endorphins Ram 8.0
Another tag team designed to make the radio cream! However, this track is one that may hold up to the inevitable hype. This summer anthem is laced with a soft electro feel, and is filled with sunny synths and Alex’s stirring vocal skills. The break signals a switch in tempo and makes way for a stepping beat, before the track finishes with an abrupt halt. If you own a glowstick, it’ll be in the air. Big in the game.
Some of the biggest names in drum & bass have come together for this one, creating a monster of a track. With timeless synth chords and a pounding, primal bassline, dBridge labeled it a “retro throw-back for the future” and if anyone can judge future-sounding music, it’s him.
D-Region & Code feat Shutdown and Trinity Chris
Hustle From Born Emotif 8.0
This release sees the Canadian label boss and Beatport Top 10 regular and the London-based Kool FM
resident join forces, and with one almighty synth-led bang. A fast and forcible powerhouse of a track.
Dabs
Objection Dispatch 7.5
Nice clicky roller from the Dispatch camp. Echoes and deep bass are the main order of ‘Objection’, with some beeps and whirls thrown in for you to feast on.
Placid
Route 666 Playaz 7.5
The bassline could be likened to a Harley tearing down Route 66 in a demonic fashion. Rapid and weighty, and brought right into jump-up territory with its classic American horror movie sample.
THE UPBEATSVISION
01. ROCKWELL ‘Detroit’ Shogun Audio “Some dirty minimal techno vibes on this.”
02. USUAL SUSPECTS ‘Killa Bees (Insidelnfo Remix)’ Renegade
Hardware “InsideInfo is one of our favorite producers at the moment, and this one has been doing the damage lately!”
03. THE UPBEATS FEAT ARMANNI REIGN ‘Again I (Mono/poly
Remix)’ Vision “We’re huge fans of the Mono/Poly sound, and he nailed this remix — dark, weird, and grimey. Love it.”
04. TC ‘Wargame’ Dub “That moment you drop a tune, and the crowd is kind of bewildered, and look
at you like wtf!?! Then four bars later lose their shit... this is that tune!”
05. HAZARD ‘Time Tripping’ Playaz “We really don’t know where this came from, amazing old Virus-sounding
minimal roller. LOVE!”
06. MUTATED FORMS ‘Wastegash (The Upbeats Remix)’ Grid “The first thing we’ve done post-’Primitive Technique’, and it’s been going
down quite well.” 07. BUSTA RHYMES ‘Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can
See’ Mono/Poly Bootleg Has to be quite an open-minded crowd to play this, one of those selfish moments we put something on purely for ourselves.”
08. BASSBROTHERS ‘Jamaican Thug’ Radius “Perfect DJ fodder, seems to smash up the dance mixed with pretty much
any tune.”
09. AUDIO ‘Headroom VIP’ Virus “The original was massive, and somehow he made this even more hype.”
10. PUSHA T ‘Numbers On The Board’ Def Jam “Like WOAH!?!? DAT PERCUSSION!”
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