Drum & Bass | Jungle 344 Items

Sweeping Hardcore / Jungle Shedism

Soft Raw is a new label from Danielle – a natural extension of the Bristol-based DJ’s expansive tastes within contemporary club music. Over the past few years the NTS resident has become a leading light in the multifaceted world of modernist techno abstractions, ably balancing soundsystem pressure and propulsive rhythmic intensity with experimental textures and explorative energy variations. Soft Raw seeks to continue that mission with releases which will progress stylistically from one approach to another, taking in exciting, emergent producers unique in their approach but bound together by the idiosyncratic curation of Danielle – a faithful reflection of her proven skill as a selector.

The label launches with a six-track drop from Slacker. Sam Black has been winding up a potent strain of needlepoint techno which leans towards jungle and half-time D&B in its tempo and structure. Across a selection of various releases, Black’s sound has evolved into an accomplished and detailed style which draws on moody atmospheres and advanced engineering in the grand tradition of UK soundsystem music. Across this EP the Slacker sound matches up to the spirit of Soft Raw, balancing fierce kinetic energy with delicacy and finesse and leaving some space for outright ambience. At times he locks into a half-step warm-up mode, while elsewhere the amens creep in for a more pronounced jungle rinse-out.

It’s a strong opening statement for this new label, but crucially this doesn’t spell out the future in absolute terms. True to Danielle’s broad outlook, subsequent releases are set to take in everything from straight up 4/4 and acid to footwork and electro, with a narrative binding each release together according to her internal logic and the tension between soft and raw qualities explored across consistently cutting-edge tracks.

Stratton returns to Of Paradise for the label’s 20th release. Chalking up a hat-trick of EP’s on the imprint, with the impeccably effective ‘Never Bettered Always Battered’. Arguably his most accomplished and significant release to date, this 4-tracker effortlessly showcases the London-based producers expertly distilled and patented style of evocative and headstrong UK hardcore.

The A-side launches with the anthemic ‘Badboy’, a true floor melter, loaded with tunnelling drums, an electric bassline and a criminally infectious chopped vocal. Following that is ‘Double Happiness (Bludclot Mix)’, a lethal dose of no nonsense proto-rave goods, emanating from the streets of North London. The product of a truly skilled operator who fully understands the inner workings of the kick, hoover and piano.

‘Bless’ kicks off the flip side with effortless momentum. The impetus clearly focused on rupturing bassbins and rewiring brains, with its weapons grade drums, growling bassline, lethal Amen break, euphoric melody and rabid hoover.

Closing out the release is ‘Vapour Trail Hurricane’ another system-rushing slice of hardcore mastery that pulls no punches in its pursuit of dance floor dominance. Fuelled by a hammering kick, sharp sirens and swirling acid lines, these are the final moments before imminent self destruction.

An elusive producer comes back with a new mantle: Ruff Cherry, last seen on the label in 2017, returns with an EP of shredded halftime drum & bass with jungle accents that etches out a dominating stance in the producer’s first foray outside the thresholds of techno. Hugely distant from a meager first stab at the genre, the Cork-based producer’s ‘Phantom Fortress’ EP proficiently demarcates a sparse battleground for conflicting and rhythmically harmonic drum flairs, enveloping bass, and taut sound design that is as compelling as it is exhilarating.

Russian jungle pioneer Dissident makes his debut on Vivid with four intergalactic tear-ups of the highest order. 'Recover From Solvation' brings the classic Krome & Time vibes - deep space breaks, booming subs and trippy textures. 'Skybound' brings that bounce and those warm feels while 'Theta Phase' takes us deep, deep deep into hyperspace by way of a far away daydream. Last but not least 'Leave Us Lucid' closes on a J Majik style stepper spring. What an EP. If this is the sound of Dissident not quite waking up yet, he needs to stay in bed more often.

It was only a matter of time before Bristol's most exciting purveyor of fast-not-hard atmospheric jungle landed on Time Is Now. Artificial Red - otherwise known as George Young - specialises in the genre's softer side, with each release immersing its listener in transcendental worlds that seem at once mechanical and organic. Grit EP is jungle with colour - watercolour - each track stained with shades of orange, yellow, blue and green. Whilst some feature raw percussive techniques to give them a raucous, club-focused edge, others incorporate soulful female vocals and keep things minimal. Whatever your taste, Grit EP might just be thing you didn't know you were looking for.

Grit EP drops 6th January via Time Is Now.

The Snake, Ghost, and Demon reconvene for Samurai Hannya II, a supercharged sequel to the 2019 inaugural collection of Samurai Music's current finest outer edge constructions.

Alongside the established Samurai family of producers, Hannya II ushers in some notable names to the Hannya series in Mako, Eusebeia, and introduces some future ascendants - RDG (with Gaze Ill and Ojeblik), Hoji, & Dailiv.

The cryptic Hannya concept is elevated for Vol II with an exclusive luminous illustration by David Paul Seymour (https://www.instagram.com/davidpaulseymour/) as we step further into our exploration with colours.

The Snake, Ghost, and Demon reconvene for Samurai Hannya II, a supercharged sequel to the 2019 inaugural collection of Samurai Music's current finest outer edge constructions.

Alongside the established Samurai family of producers, Hannya II ushers in some notable names to the Hannya series in Mako, Eusebeia, and introduces some future ascendants - RDG (with Gaze Ill and Ojeblik), Hoji, & Dailiv.

The cryptic Hannya concept is elevated for Vol II with an exclusive luminous illustration by David Paul Seymour (https://www.instagram.com/davidpaulseymour/) as we step further into our exploration with colours.

Samurai Hannya II comes on 3 individual marbled 12"s in Full Artwork Sleeve and Digital.

One of the most revered and respected artists to ascend in the immediate wake of the Autonomic wave - Sam KDC's innate understanding of depth and emotive layering has marked his path as one that leaves an indelible impression.

While his innovative adventures with Grey Area and the outer edges of Techno continue unabated, a collaboration with like-minded artist Flaminia has drawn Sam back to his original home in 170bpm.

Flaminia is a versatile and extremely skilled musician who has lent her talents to luscious dark ambient, and experimental Techno and continues to work on rediscovery and innovation. In our view, Flaminia is one of the more interesting artists currently rising in prominence in the electronic music scene.

Sam and Flaminia are an apt pairing and Grounding brings out a new side to both of them. Textures are applied with considered discernment, never overdone, and always embellishing the delectable grooves. Grounding has a truly ethereal, almost mystical overlay, while also brandishing dance-floor potency - a now inherent skill both artists have spent years assimilating into their construction processes.

The Snake, Ghost, and Demon reconvene for Samurai Hannya II, a supercharged sequel to the 2019 inaugural collection of Samurai Music's current finest outer edge constructions.

Alongside the established Samurai family of producers, Hannya II ushers in some notable names to the Hannya series in Mako, Eusebeia, and introduces some future ascendants - RDG (with Gaze Ill and Ojeblik), Hoji, & Dailiv.

The second release on Multitone Recordings is a 4 track project called Take Off EP from German artist, Scale. Taking you from crime scapes to dream scapes, this journey through a mix of jungle and drumfunk will have you wondering whether you're asleep or awake. Mysterious and brooding, Scale's Take Off EP will transport you and keep you drifting effortlessly between subtly nuanced, shadowy moods.

4 fantastic new tracks on this second part of our Split EP series.

Riffz follows on from his track on Tunnel012 and brings an absolute dance floor smasher to your ears with "Continousness". His second track, "Hallway Tune" is a thing of rough beauty. Sublimely moody.

Label debutant No_Name provides 2 tracks showing us all what he can do. "At First Sight" is the tougher of the two with some great break chopping and bass drops. There are even some 93 style dark stabs thrown in for good measure. "Serotonin" has a really feeling of nostalgia to it. There is a beautifully uplifting string section with vocal chops which gets the goosebumps going.

Diplomat and Beagle are old studio partners from the early 90’s and have recently started to record together again, fusing their musical talents to make some next level hardcore rave.

Their last release was all the way back in 1993 on the label Bogwoppa, an EP titled ‘Small Hours’ under their group name Narc. This EP went onto cult status due to its futuristic and unique take on the sub-genre, changing hands for vast amounts on Discogs.

Featured on this EP is a remix of ‘Equatorial Bass’, a track from the original 1993 EP revamped for 2022.

Hit the turbo!

0860 is a project by Charlie Fieber aka Fracture inspired by London Pirate Radio. The project includes an album, radio station and interview series that explores the history and legacy of Pirate Radio and its importance in the development of UK underground music.

0860 is presented via an 8-track, DJ-friendly 2 x 12" Vinyl Album, 19-track mixtape cassette and the radio station 0860.fm, which is broadcasting now. There is also a Pirate Radio Art Print from Utile and T-Shirts. Broadcasting now on 0860.fm is an additional 90-min 'Signal Test' ambient album by Fracture.

Over the coming weeks, 0860.fm will broadcast interviews with Bryan Gee, Eastman, DJ Flight, Scratcha, Dextrous, Uncle Dugs, Mantra, Missing, Eddie Peake, Om Unit & Laurent Fintoni, Naina & Sherelle, Stamina MC and more. It will also broadcast lost recordings of original 90s & 00s London pirate station broadcasts from the likes of Kool, Rinse, Pulse and more.

Double album of Finnish gabber and hardcore music with Finnish lyrics. Yes you got it right, Finnish gabber and hardcore music. Made by the mysterious Turku Gabber Corps this double album features 13 tracks on two vinyls. All of the tracks are crafted in true gabber style to get you on the floor and start doing the hakken. Highly limited edition which you need to grab now before it’s gone forever.

The mysterious Void Settler is back with a brand new album: Given In Vigil!

Your favorite Heresy bangers are now available on this Limited Edition 2x12" Vinyl. Part II holds tracks by Ophidian, IGneon System, The Satan, N-Vitral and more... High quality pressing on Solid Silver Colored Vinyl.

This limited edition debut release from “The Collector” is a incredible 4 tracker showcasing 4 great styles from this new producer. Only 250 copies on Red Vinyl! After collecting records for the last 25 years “The Collector” decided to give something back to the scene. This limited edition 4 track EP kicks off with “Slap the shit out if it”. A hybrid hardcore techno / breakbeat track at 180bpm that rolls along nicely with great samples and programming. Next up is “All the F’s” which is a proper old skool jungle banger. With hilarious samples from “The inbetweeners” this track is a proper classic. On the flip is the PCP/Mover style doomcore techno track to rival any of the output from Germanys top doomy techno label! Finally “Bitch aint’ one” samples Jay Zs classic 99 problems to great effect. This Deathchant style track will sit nicely in a UK hardcore set. 4 top tracks from this new producer that

Originally produced in 1998 for exclusive use in his own Logical Progression sets , Blame comes with two unreleased tracks from the golden era of Drum and Bass. Taken from the original DAT and lovingly remastered by Simon Davey at The Exchange this release consists of 'Whirlpool' which was a feature of Blame's sets with DRS and Conrad and In My Dreams is a powerful sonic Amen-break workout with atmospherics to take you on a journey of the mind. Both tracks have been highly sought after for many years and they now make their debut on the wax to the delight of vinyl lovers and collectors.

Originally produced in 1998 for exclusive use in his own Logical Progression sets , Blame comes with two unreleased tracks from the golden era of Drum and Bass. Taken from the original DAT and lovingly remastered by Simon Davey at The Exchange this release consists of 'Whirlpool' which was a feature of Blame's sets with DRS and Conrad and In My Dreams is a powerful sonic Amen-break workout with atmospherics to take you on a journey of the mind. Both tracks have been highly sought after for many years and they now make their debut on the wax to the delight of vinyl lovers and collectors.

Madison, Wisconsin producer Sam Link exploded onto the breaks circuit with his debut EP on Prague-based record label Yuku - exploring classic underground jungle and juke templates and stretching them into new and distinct formats - and now the emerging artist readies four varied cuts of stylish, club-ready breakbeats and bass on Low Battery.

With one gun-finger fixated on the past and the other firmly pointing to the future, Sam implements a unique form of production within his work. Holding down a full-time job as an artist is never easy, so Sam now works in 20-30 minute bursts, capturing the creative spurts and happy accidents, and allowing space between creation to allow ideas to breathe.

Ragga-tipped jungle at break-neck pace kicks things off on 'The Breath'; a cut of vortex-breakbeats that strikes a fine balance between meditative and energetic, like all great ragga-inspired cuts should. 'Uproar' lowers the tempo slightly in favour of stretching basslines, underwater-wubs and murky atmospherics on a growling cut of breaks that transatlantically shatters over the UK-sound.

'Chance' puts the emphasis on 'less is more'. Stripped-back percussion, nature-atmospherics and hefty low-end bass vibrations combine on a minimal jungle cut designed to vibe in the rave, before Teklife and Cosmic Bridge affiliate A.Fruit rounds out the release with a stuttering breakbeat-footwork remix of its predecessor.

Myor proudly welcome DJ Sofa to their ever expanding roster of talent. A swiftly rising star within contemporary jungle, her tracks have already found their way into the sets of scene stalwards like Double O, Sully and Tim Reaper.

On her first offering for Myor Massiv she delivers two choice cuts of melodic, beautifully crafted, uptempo dancefloor business.

Faces Of Bass head honcho Coco Bryce once again dons his DJ Y moniker, delivering two slices of four to the floor sorcery.

Cheech Wizard is straight-for-the-throat hardcore acid, which wouldn't have sounded out of place at a turn-of-the-century squat party in a deserted warehouse in Rotterdam.

On Junk Waffle he opts for a more rave-centric jungle techno vibe: stabs galore, deep subs, pounding kick drums and a solid dose of Amens.

In what's been a stand out year for the Berlin based, London born, DJ & producer, Amy Dabbs has dropped releases on Lobster Theremin, launched her own label 'Dabbs Traxx' and collaborated with junglist Coco Bryce on new label project 'LT Coda'. With a distinguished sound and undeniable flair, both behind the booth and in the studio, Amy's brand of classic house and radiant jungle now comes to Low Battery with her 'Baddest Gal' EP.

'Don't Go' opens the EP with shimmering synths and lighter than air percussion. The mood is light and understated, conjuring warm and affectionate emotions without the need for amplified design. 'No You' then welcomes us with mid-summer melodies and sprawling pads; vocal loops adding to that feeling of fuzziness and warmth.

The B side opens with title track 'Baddest Gal' an emotional percussive workout that combines thoughtful arrangement with euphoric and dreamy notes. It's one of those tracks that could work just as well in a DJ set or cloud watching as the world slowly drifts by. 'Your Move', The record's finale shows a different side to Amy's dynamic productions; the track ebbs and flows and could be likened to the mixed emotions of meeting an old friend: Excited but nervous, happy but always with a heartheavy goodbye

Calibre - "I first came across Adam's work via a remix I did of 'She Rocks, I Roll' back in 2019, the vibe was melancholic and leaned toward my own bluesy take on things. When 'Dissolve In The Rain' hit my inbox, I instantly connected with the guitar and vocal, in particular the lyrics, and felt it could be merged with a piano idea that I had. Merging these worlds created an arrangement for two sections; a lyrical passage that leads to harmonised vocals, and then an improvised and layered section, accentuated by Adam's lyric and guitar. It was a real pleasure to watch it almost make itself. The worlds combined lead to something nostalgic but new, it's a wonderful meeting of musical minds."

Chelou - "From a weird set of demos that I sent him around four years ago, Calibre picked the most obscure, and that's when I knew he got it! The idea that an artist like him heard something in my acoustic music that sparked him to transform it into a track like this, has blown me away. The piano and harrowing pace is something that I would have never created, it's fucking gold."

Blissful atmospherics wash behind heavy amens on Spacewalk, tightly constructed old school style breaks thump along with subtle effects create a vibe that will take you to a world beyond ours.

A distinctive crisp unorthodox beat pattern opens Oceans and sets the tone for this beautiful composition of smooth pads and earthy bass-lines, a dreamy treat which builds the vibe as the track progresses.

Messages from Space opens with a mellow, eerie intro that washes in before the Spectrum breaks - heavy on the ride cymbals - take centre stage in this lunar-inspired composition.

Energetic rapid-fire break work punctuates Quiet Storm with drum funk vibes that sound immense at this BPM - playfully filtered, surrounded by delicate atmospherics and an understated vocal sample - a treat for the breaks fans.

Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist)

DJ Trace & HLZ present Mavericks, a synthesized odyssey of precision drums, savage basslines and dark cinematic atmospheres that hark back to the golden era whilst setting a firm course into the future.

Pixl returns say AKO after a successful track Tubby’s Innovation on AKOism 4.

This time with a 2-track solo release on Ako10 two incredible atmospheric Amen tracks will take on a journey from light to dark. Pixl is in an incredible zone right now and everything he’s doing is grabbing the attention within the scene. Elysian Tide is AKO favourite, which was sent to label boss to Stretch during the lockdown, and from when he heard it, knew this would be perfect for AKO We think you’ll enjoy this release as they bring two different flavours from the bedroom to the dancefloor.

GlassBox has been collaborating with DJ Clear for a few years now on Sweet Sensi's sister label I'm Sorry Jon. So it only made sense to sign 'Algonquin Pride' when it was floating around on dubplate due to it's dirty bassline, freshly chopped drums and Canadian wilderness jazz loon samples. Krugah, the mad scientist beat arranger's ragga outing 'Triple Digits' is a perfect compliment to Algonquin Pride, delivering a solid reggae one-foot skanking drum funk workout.

NewKiller returns with an EP that is firmly rooted in the dark 93 days. There has been a big buzz about this one with all 4 tracks being championed by Jay Cunning on his new hardcore & jungle show.

“If” is an unsettling slow builder. When it drops…. oh my, it all comes together. Not for the feint hearted.

“Mind Loss” & “Danger” tear the dance floor a new one with hoover noises galore, grim samples and rushing breaks.

The free bonus track “Slippery Slope” is a beast of a track. Amens, dark pads and samples that will be familiar to the genre hoppers amongst you.

Run it Red, sister label to Echo Chamber Sound comes again with 002 in the catalogue with four upfront jungle/dnb cuts from four artists on black vinyl 12inch. First up Midnight Dubs and LQ continue their collaborations on the skanking amen workout Draw Dubplate, sampling obscure 80s reggae records and giving bass bins a workout with their trademark deep and rolling bassline. Eximious NZ producer RQ contributes an atmospheric roller entitled Forward, which deftly walks the line of headphone soundscapes and 4am soundsystem meditation. Duburban brings the ragga heat with a wicked vocal hook and breakbeat science on his tune Version Stylee. The ep finishes with LQ on a late 80s / early 90s dancehall flex with signature crisp and clean amen edits and thundering sub on the reworked version of his infamous dubplate only cut, Terminator. Dj Support from Jay Cunning, Sully, RSD, Repertiore, JPS, LQ, Bronx, Tamen and more.