Drum & Bass | Jungle 30 Items

The Brazilian DJ/music-producer based in Vienna/Austria makes his debut on footnotes and the EP represents the best of Alibi and footnotes. The techy roller Dismissed has been destroying dancefloors for more than a year. ‘Black Piano’ and ‘Invisible’ both combined the brooding piano and skippy beats. The EP closer ‘Draw’ contains shades of the Autonomic era with beautiful synth lines but the crisp beats that Alibi is renowned for. All in all a stunning debut for Alibi on footnotes

Originally released on Firstcask Records in 2003. A selection of my styles and ideas at the time, ranging from drum n bass, ambient, acid etc etc

A familiar favorite, Deft, steps up with his second EP on Hooversound, featuring a VIP remix of one of his original songs taken from his 2020 ‘Burna’ EP.

Defts ‘Burna’ EP back in 2020 set the tone perfectly for Hooversound, it being the second release on the imprint following Hyroglific and Sinistarr’s almighty ‘BS6’. Deft’s hybrid artistic style of production sat perfectly within the launch of Hooversound as he went on to rise steadily within the underground electronic scene. Fast forward four years, Deft returns to Hooversound with an equally impressive follow up, entitled ‘Two Years’.
Yip Wong aka Deft has been producing music for nearly a decade. Within that time he has crafted a signature style using elements of dance, cinematic sound design, hip hop, jungle, footwork and 140. This enigmatic style of production has led him to release on 20/20 LDN, Exit, 1985 Music, Critical Music and more. His release schedule alongside his ever evolving sound has gained the attention of not only London and UK listeners, but fans worldwide.

Defts new ‘Two Years’ EP on Hooversound once again sees the talented producer drawing elements from 140, footwork and jungle, all laced with his ability to create immersive atmospheres and intricate percussion. It’s been teased across SHERELLE and NAINAs DJ sets for months, with it finally dropping to the masses this summer on Hooversound.

CRUDE’s second record release features one of the most promising artists from the underground music world - DJ RAT. Hailing from the American Pacific Northwest, DJ RAT’s signature sound is characterised by an eccentric, distinguishing and uncompromising approach - seamlessly blending intense, arcane and mystical elements in order to create a captivating experience. Side A kicks in with Nocturne, the EP’s leading track that guides the listener into a veil of mystery with its enigmatic melody and its pulsating basslines that gradually build intensity while maintaining an underlying sense of tranquillity. Hexosphere’s rhythm is edgy and straightforward with a trippy nature. There’s an ever-evolving dynamic throughout the four tracks, alternating between driving rhythms and moments of serene psychedelia - exploring the duality of light and dark and evoking a feeling of introspection. The B-side takes off with Corridor, an oscillating tension-builder. Corridor’s distorted synths and glitchy effects cascade over pounding drums, creating a chaotic yet mesmerising soundscape. Telepathic Climax weaves in and out with shimmering and alluring shifts that add depth and dimension to the track. Atmospheric and trippy textures create a sense of space and immersion throughout the journey of the EP - with illuminating elements piercing through the darkness.

2023 Repress
Following on from last year's debut release in the Myor Massiv “LUV” sub series by Coco Bryce, this time he teams up with partner in crime FFF for another slice of lovey dovey junglism. FFF kicks things off with “Never Let You Fall”, on which he juxtaposes moody synth riffs with uplifting reggae vocals, making for an alienating yet strangely attractive combination, before delving into Amen mayhem extraordinaire. On the flip Coco Bryce opts for a higher cuteness factor on “Lovin U”. Not necessarily aimed at the dancefloor, but with an undeniably “junglist” feel to it, this little number is probably best described as a “love song for the heads”, although its ultra low bass frequencies are likely to rattle any sub woofer in the best of dub traditions.

The second EP by Justice & Necrotype brings you 6 sketches that hark back to the very early 90ies, the days of innocent Rave before the tempos increased. A nice variety of sounds that should appeal to all those who love their 91 and early 92!

Piezo’s Ansia imprint returns for its 8th outing ‘Imago’, inviting Berlin’s Unity Vega for a split EP of uptempo dancefloor explorations that mine that fertile space between footwork, drum’n’bass, dancehall and experimental contemporary club sonics.

Unity Vega leads the charge with ‘No Body No Mind’ - a waterlogged darkside skanker that sits somewhere between the half-stepping jungle of the Uvb-76 crew and the kind of oddball dancehall deconstructions often peddled by Ansia's extended circles.
Appearing again on the flip, Vega ups his pace on ‘Set Em’ - a nervy footwork roller that pits gully hip-hop vocal chops against rising bell chords and washes of delayed noise. Think Rashad dubbed out by Kevin Martin and you’re in the right ballpark.

Label head Piezo’s contributions continue along similar lines, albeit in his own unmistakable style. ‘Toughts, Heavy’ also finds the midpoint between d’n’b and dembow, this time marrying a gurgling acid bassline with a euphoric-turned-paranoiac trance lead.
Up next, ‘Nel Frigo Ah’ strips things back to the raw, banging basics: a looping vocal call pinned down by a frenetic crescendoing drum workout.

To close, Japanese legend Foodman delivers a pots-and-pans rework of ‘Thoughts, Heavy’ - a true curveball tool for the adventurous DJs amongst us.

Virginia’s Stimulator Jones channels all things jungle on ‘Valley Center’ for his debut album on Craigie Knowes. Sam Lunsford is multi-talented genre-spanning artist; from song writing to singing, programming drum machines to drumming, performing live to DJing. ‘Valley Center’ showcases Lunsford’s seamless genre-hopping skills with the outcome an LP packed with tracks that wouldn’t sound out of place on LTJ Bukem’s ‘Logical Progressions’ series or in the Metalheadz archives.

Australian bass collective Echo Chamber get busy with this supreme VA featuring a range of talented friends old and new. LQ takes the lead with the sublime 'Way Down' that bubbles and flexes in two system-primed forms: the spacious heavyweight Dubkasm mix and LQ and MSHCode's own breakbeat-heavier shakedown. Flip for more LQ goodies as he links up with Kloke for the fittingly titled groove-up 'Computer Bubblers' while Duburban and Galvatron finish the EP with the furious drum funk up 'Let Off The Music'. The only echo here is the reload.