Drum & Bass Recommendations June 2015

Review: Calibre on Exit... Need we say more? Four tracks deep, each one as subtle and classy as you'd expect. "Strumpet" balances swooning somnambulant strings, distant harmonies and a bumping bass that billows with the perfect amount of gruff. "Stranger" is a sharper, steppier blend with metallic twists to the undulating subs, "The Sweet" is all about the rhythm thanks to insistent percussive jungle shakers and a drum dynamic that switches from lean to mean at the drop of a snare. Finally we hit "Concrete". The hardest track of the pack; here we find Calibre in a more unrelenting mood as an array of bass tones ebb and flow over a thicker, more robust rhythm. The clue's in the title... Calibre is indeed a sonic strumpet of highest order.

Review: Bless up Marcus Intalex! Whilst he's engaged on delivering techno tools of the highest order as Trevino, the Manchester man is not letting his Soul:R empire slack one bit. Here the prospering Fourfit series returns and it sees a full release from the excellent LSB, who delivered a soulful highlight of the last edition. Much the same can be said of the four tracks here, with LSB really showcasing the breadth of his production palette. Lead cut "Snap Funk" rolls with an alluring darkness, whilst "Mist Of You" possesses some quite beautiful piano tones. Deep junglist vibes run through the pensive roller "Walking Blues" whilst "Omega" stands tall with brushed steppah vibes and industrial strength basslines.

Review: Brand new imprint from Rumbleton, Stand Firm HiFi gets busy with the unsung jungle legend that is Equinox. Robust roots breakbeat business; "Hard Meditation" is essentially a homage to jazz drumming. Dropping this is like 10 Blackalicious drum solos all performed at once. Immense. "Hold Jah Hand" comes with much more of a mid-90s throwback feel thanks to the minor chord synths and tripped out edits on the fills. It doesn't more authentic than this.

Review: With well over a 100,000 plays on Soundcloud in less than two months and the firm backing of Annie Mac, Culture Shock's hookup with Bryn Christopher ranks as one of this year's most hotly anticipated drum and bass drops. Continuing a very fruitful relationship with RAM, "City Lights" is yet another anthem to add to James Pountney's discography as Culture Shock and Christopher's vocal lends the track real crossover potential. Those wanting to experience Culture Shock's rambunctious production sans vocal will find solace in the B side instrumental version.

Review: The second single to land ahead of Spectrasoul's highly-anticipated sophomore set The Mistress, "Shelter" emanates the duo's most sensitive, touching sides. Leaning heavily on a woozy half beat, full focus on placed on Lily's yearning, heart-torn vocals. D&B doesn't get any more emotional than this. Remix-wise Two Inch Punch lays down a darker, barbed beats twist with a treacle-thick slo-mo stomp while Spectrasoul themselves jump on the VIP with a 170 refix that's tailored for prime time floor flattening. The full package.

Review: The first fruits of DC Breaks' forthcoming album (released - like Ram label mates Wilkinson and Sub Focus before them - on Virgin EMI), "Faithless" combines the duo's ability to lay down a bassline so sharp and gritty it's technically a deadly weapon with a radio-ready, arms-up, end-of-night vocal. "Gambino VIP" is an exemplary example of VIP science; the original on steroids with added angst and raw power. This is how gangsters roll...

Review: With summer ready to explode all over our schedules, this remix package couldn't have come at a better time. First up is John B's manic stepping beat that rips up Kirsty Hawkshaw's gorgeous lyrics in "Nothing Can Replace". Fresh and fast-paced, it's a true floor filler. On the other side, champions of intelligent, beautiful drum and bass Blu Mar Ten slot their ebullient basslines perfectly into "Too Much Too Soon", moving the rhythm with smooth rolling snare taps - with Little Jinder's unique voice piercing through washes of sound.

Review: The concept behind Friction's Vs series is simple: hook up with as many mates in the studio as possible and write straight-up floor-flatteners. No theme, no pretention, just talented producers working together and playing off each other's strengths. Following epic co-labs with the likes of Icicle, Technimatic and Total Science comes the fattest edition yet as the BBC broadcaster teams up with Dimension (hooky and euphoric), Prolix (outrageously nasty and techy), Metrik (unabashed evangelism with a very well-known vocal hook) and Ulterior Motive (old school references wearing new school armour). Each one repping all player's finest attributes, Friction has brought out the best in his peers... And his own work. Essential.

Review: Thundering D&B Mind Vortex style: few artists really emanate the Ram sound with more edge, energy and authenticity as these guys. If anything, they're the main driver for Andy C's label finding its current sound. Four tracks in total, highlights can be found on every cut: the melodic, almost-electro feel of the bass on "Against The Grain", the face-sandpapering blasts of "Bigger Than That", the spine-melting synths of "Curve Ball" and the end-of-night lighters-aloft vocal burns of "Stand High". One of MV's biggest EPs to date.

Review: The long-standing, crate-digging, break-busting partnership of Nucleus and Paradox continues with two uncompromised slabs of industrial strength drum & bass. "Planet R" gurgles and groans beneath sheet metal breaks with an uneasy roll and stark overlays. "T Breaks In" flies with a jazzier break where the emphasis is squared wholly on the drums before deep meditative breaths and tidal synths lap softly on the grainy sands, gradually building with every bar. Immaculate timeless jungle.

Review: Fresh produce from Vancouver, Hubbz turns in two sprightly, uptempo twists on the Latin dancefloor legacy via his brand new imprint Bubbascope. Lospoboycitos' "King Of Latin Soul" is given the 170 treatment with rolling beats and fizzy subs that break down neatly to reveal the carnivalian instrumentation of the original. Flip for a slower shaker as Ray & His Court's "De Eso Nada Monada" get a percussion-primed extension. Bubbly funk.

Review: Survival and Script's project has developed such serious momentum over the last 18 months, for many SCAR is now bigger than their individual personas. This four-track return to Metalheadz is a fine example; "Better Than Me" is all about the eerie cries and moans laced over rattlesnake beats and distinctive Headz motifs on the fills. "Runaway" switches the cries and moans to breathy calls and spine-melting pads while "Shadows" is one of the duo's first full vocal tracks... And, unlike many vocal cuts, it loses none of its full strength punch in any way. The real highlight, though, is "Liar". The climax session of the EP, the bass is so rugged and metallic you could actually make a bullet proof jacket out of it. Uncompromising.

Review: Hustling him from the shadows, BMT introduced Kimyan Law subtly and stylishly with a full album last year. Now ready to deliver more of his spacious, barbed soul future-focused D&B, Kimyan starts with a VIP of his most popular dancefloor track. Shaking "Dalmyo" within inches of its life, the VIP is more robust, funkier and full of even more surprises. "Lavish" takes us deeper into the masked man's dreams; all wistful arpeggios and floaty instrumentation over a switchy halftime/fulltime rhythm. Finally "Chai" takes us on a deep cruise into Chinese folklore in a wagon powered by original soundtrack scores. Widescreen strings, Hollywood harmonies and pipes so resonant they make your teeth wriggle, it's the ultimate tonic to the bone-shaking jams the precede it.

Review: Forever a label to welcome new names into the fold from across the global drum & bass community, be it emergent talent or established artists, Hospital usher in the sounds of Brazilian-born producer Urbandawn for an infectious debut. Lead track "Neon Nights" commences in relatively calm fashion, before ramping up the drama in a colourful manner that fully justifies the title. This glistening roller was tailor-made for Hospital Records! Complementing this, "Spectrum" showcases Urbandawn's drum programming expertise which has previously been spotted on contributions to Fokuz and Bad Taste Recordings.

Review: Trace's DSC14 label come through with the double pack action from Survey, the emergent Berlin-based pairing of Hardy Schulz & Stephan Albrecht. The two first came together for a fine digital release on Project Audio in 2013 but the Time EP suggests they've come on leaps and bounds since then. Survey's style of drum and bass is deep and minimal and razor sharp, designed to feel vicious when deployed on a well-tuned soundsystem. Lead track "Move In Time" sets the tone, with dark bass flavours rolling beneath the crisp drum programming and reflective textures, whilst the hard stepping "Warp Resistant" sees Schulz and Albrecht really flexing their sub bass tones. On the flip, the undulating percussive ripples, intricate kicks and snarling abstract bass of "As You Want" make this track a real highlight of the double pack, whilst "Both Sides" is a brutal drum attack.

Review: It's been a long time coming, but Breakage's third album has finally landed! And, as with his previous album Foundation, it's a multi-genre affair that taps deep into all the murkiest corners of the UK dance music psyche. Deep dark rollers, both "Natty" and "I On U" remind us of Breakage's jungle roots. "Dedication", meanwhile, drops the tempo a smidgeon for a steppy serenade to the past that's wrapped up all nice and cosy with synths that are highly reminiscent of Newcleus's "Jam On It". The final stage of this album sampler takes us to a whole new world where Breakage's synths carry us round the stars like flying carpets and Liam Bailey's vocals strap us in tightly. And if you're feeling these, check the whole album.