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DRUM & BASS SINGLES
Dopeskillz
ALARMED EP
TRUE PLAYAZ
In contrast to his long awaited solo LP ‘Faster’, bound to be one of the big events of d&b year, which
couldn’t be more of an eclectic mash-up of sounds, speeds and influences, here come four straight-
down-the-line d&b tunes designed for maximum floor reaction. ‘Naxemena’, chilled as a cold shower
shower in the desert, is the only track that doesn’t go straight for the jugular with a big, thick bassline
and supersharp beats, but it’s as divine as the other three are irresistible. And even the most hardcore
DJ needs a record to put on after someone gets stabbed, don’t they?!! BW
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DJ Die
SOUNDTAPE / 100 MILES AND RUNNIN’
FULL CYCLE
A good bassy roller, laced with nice melodic frills and oriental touches (the urban flavour of the
summer after Wiley’s ‘Thai Weed’) on the A-side, but the more primal junglist ripper ‘100 Miles
And Runnin’, with its kettle drums being whacked, jump-up powered bassline, sound system
blips and tense thriller-soundtrack string breakdowns, is, appropriately enough, way ahead of the
pack. BW
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Various The Nextmen
from Sponge. It’s a decent first foray too, with
The Green Man
GOLD SEAL EP HIGH SCORE FEAT. MC DYNAMITE
Psidream’s ‘Creepshow’ winning the battle of the
FEB 21ST
EMOTIF SCENARIO
genres with its lively technoid roll. A good buy if
COMBINATION
Celebrating Emotif’s 50th release, the ‘Gold Seal’ Brilliant original, brilliant remix. Cyantific equip
you play both breaks and jungle. L
Disappointing return for The Green Man after the
EP comes as two twelves. On the first wax, Filthy themselves excellently here, delivering a classy
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impressive ‘Infinity 2.0’ 12” and ‘You Decide’ LP.
Dirty Rich and G-enetic impress with their tuff, re-rub that allows the vocal to shine, as well as The trancey techno roller, ‘Feb 21st’ just fails to
dramatic vocal rinse out, ‘Second Skin’ featuring giving it some bassline welly for the ‘floor. If you K-Step ignite, while the laid back robotics of ‘Keep it
Anjelai. Though the flip, Sonic’s ‘Our Disco’, don’t care for the vocal (what!) there’s an instru- CHECK MY STYLE / DA BLUES Simple’ and dreamy sci-fi slide of ‘Nu Wheels’
while refusing to adhere to the clichés the title mental too, but the combination of floor-friendly
SUDDEN DEF
pass without making impression. L
suggests, tends to wear a bit thin as it falls into riddims, arcade sounds and great vocals mean
Following Gridlock’s release, Sudden Def show-
11
an over-repetitive trap. Part 2 is the ravers’ wax, this track comes with a long-life guarantee. L
case another U.S. producer, with K-Step turning
featuring big room bangers from Sketch & Code
in an extra special debut for the label. Running
1111 Cujo
with ‘Suckers’ and Rascal & Klone’s ‘Promises’.
with a hip-hop flex, ‘Check My Style’ is well-oiled
KILLAHURTS EP
Both do their job, and with this the more
Drumajick / Ramilson Maia
opener. Dropping with rugged technoid riffing, a
MOVING SHADOW
consistent 12”, if you have to choose, then this
CITY OF GOD REMIXED
tuff set of drums and a well-worked tempo
Dillinja style slates from the widely tipped Cujo,
is the one to grab. L LEVINE FILM
switch. The star turn on this record is ‘Da Blues’
here following up his remix of ‘Terminator’. More
though. With its warm and easy feel keeping its
variety (or should that be original ideas) would
112/1112 Inspired by the City Of God film, and very
cinematic the tracks are too. Though it’s a case
sights firmly fixed on the floor meaning it’ll mix
have improved this EP but, as it is, you get a
Pendulum of a great ball, poor finish on the Drumajick
it with the best of them. Don’t overlook it. L
selection of fierce dancefloor punishers to
THE SPIRAL / ULTERIOR MOTIVE remix of ‘Amor De Verao’ where its gorgeous
1111
prompt any sluggish crowd into move their
LOW PROFILE
intro is let down by a particularly pedestrian
dancing feet. ‘Killahurts’ and ‘Dirty Base’ are the
Here comes another showstopper from
bassline and light weight beats. The relatively
Kaleida big guns, fielding crunchy beats, murderously
Pendulum. Pitching loved-up pads and vocals
unknown Ramilson Maia plays the dream substi-
SPLIT / STRESS RELIEF pounding lead lines and punishing subs, result-
against a tearing riddim track, ‘The Spiral’ has
NEW IDENTITY
tute’s role though, whipping up a latin storm
ing in tumultuous hardcore pressure. The other
clear similarities to the likes of ‘Be There 4 U’,
Promising, playable liquid fare from this new,
with a darkside switch, on the hybrid sounds of
tracks are more experimental, ‘Electro Rock’
but certainly enough character to hold its own.
New Identity signing. ‘Split’ keeps the floor
‘Busca Da Vida’. Well worth checking for that. L
another distorted, yet, slightly less pummelling
But if that’s a little too sickly, ‘Ulterior Motive’
moving though never threatening to break a
groove, although the industrial steps of ‘Stay
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shows no sweet side at all, fielding gnarly
sweat, but the more bristling beats of ‘Stress
With Me’ do tire quickly.
robo-funk as the ideal antidote. Both bang it. L
Chameleon
Relief’ do just that, warranting this wax a
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place in the box. L
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MISS INDIA
SPIRIT OF THE EARTH
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The Rhythm Beater
Layo & Bushwacka!
FREQUENCY
DEAD OR ALIVE / FILE_101
IT’S UP TO YOU
An excellent new talent release from the Ram DJ Suv CUTTERZ CHOICE
XL offshoot, as grungy drum & bass tech meets Max De Castro
The Rhythm Beater
Two Roni Size remixes on this current breaks eastern vox and melody on ‘Miss India’, the
& Patricia Marx
PRECIOUS / ACCESS DENIED
bomb from Layo & Bushwacka! The Hard mix elements all combining to great effect. While,
FEBRUARY / MAKING WAVES CUTTERZ CHOICE
cuts up the vocal and, compared to the Vocal
with a similar blend, ‘Spirit Of The Earth’ makes
SAMBALOCO
Horns and wobble bass bring the noise on the
version, gets busier on the beats and more
an equally marked entry, with its powerful stabs
Suv’s penchant for worldwide sounds is well
runaway sounds of ‘Dead Or Alive’, a tasty jump-
moody on the bass. But it’s the stripped-back
and ethereal samples giving it a strong presence
documented and here he collaborates with two
up track to kick off this new Azuli / Blackmarket-
vibe of the Vocal mix that ultimately works best.
on the dancefloor. Chunky. L
leading Brazilian vocalists. Both tracks work well backed label, though the tuffer technoid flip does-
Tuff driving beats and squirming, squelchy with their faithful fusion of Latin vox ‘n’ melody n’t quite match it for style. A similar industrial
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bass form the backbone, but it’s the vocal that with Bristol bass ‘n’ beats. ‘February’, with Max flava colours the follow up, but here the frantic,
does most of the legwork. And that’s the key to
Various
De Castro, in particular; and, while it’s an dirty skank of ‘Precious’ is much more satisfying,
the track’s success. Turning ‘It’s Up To You’ into
CUTTIN’ DRUM & BREAKS EP 1
unlikely peak-time sound, the solid, stepping as is the stripped and sleazy ‘Access Denied’, in
a rip-roaring feel-good floor-burner. L
SPONGE
groove makes sure of its grip on the floor. L its delivery of the grimy goods. L
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First split twelve of drum & bass and breaks
112/111
54 : KNOWLEDGE
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