Juno Recommends Drum & Bass October 2020

Review: Calibre aka Dominick Martin pairs up with DRS, each taking one side of this 12" and each more than holding their own. Martin continues his current obsession with the pure sound of the real piano, a powerful antidote to the more synthetic sounds we're more used to hearing in the genre. Add a supreme male vocal in plaintive mood,. declaring "I've been looking for love in all the wrong places" and you've got something that really stand out of the crowd. Living For by DRS is more of straight anthem, with reggae influences and a hip-hop vocal giving it a proper lighters-in-the-air atmosphere, its conscious lyrics very much echoing the mood of Britain in 2020. Two very different tracks, for sure, but this package is strong in its diversity.

Review: Northern Ireland's Dominick Martin, or Calibre, to the drum & bass buying public, has a reputation for bringing new angles on this well-worn sound and these two new sides of vinyl are no exceptions. The VIP version of Falls To You sees his crisp, irresistible beats doing their magic but the piano, reflective vocal and minimal electronic flourishes lend this roller a spooky, eerie quality. The flip track End of Meaning has a slightly warmer, more optimistic vibe but is still reflective, the vocals being sent through echoey dub effects for maximum atmospherics. Definitely ploughing his own furrow, as ever, Calibre demonstrates here why those in the know will always check what he's up to.

Review: The Bristol scientist returns! After a smattering of outings on the likes of Doc Scott's 31, one of drum & bass music's most important and influential boundary-breakers is about to drop his first album in 14 years... The Edge Of Everything drops on Crosstown Rebels in November, and here's the first teaser: 'Constructive Ambiguity', a cinematic 12 minute opus, it groans and yearns with a solemn musicality before eventually exploding in a two-step tear-out. 'Tree Of Life', meanwhile, is a much more militant piece of work with its hammering kicks, ominous drone and fearlessness. War music, pure and simple.

Review: There is one Hospital that you always want to visit, and that is the one overseen by these drum & bass legends. For the 12th instalment of their Classic Symptoms series they dive deep into the vaults to unearth four gems from the 2006 to 2009 era. Nu:Tone gets the appointment underway with the retells roller that is 'Missing Link' before things get super sweet with the liquid flow and soul drenched vocals of 'Gold Rush' feat Brookes Brothers by Danny Byrd. Logistics goes for a drilling old school beat with classic samples and heady vibes and closing things out is Commix, whose stripped back and shadowy stepper 'Bear Music' sounds as crucial now as it ever did.

Review: Serum and Critical Records boss Kasra join forces for three tracks that see the former's sharp edged sonics and the more atmospheric, experimental textures of the latter working in perfect harmony. 'Noodles' has a serious sci-fi vibe that harks back to the early days of Metalheadz, set to work across a sturdier, more rolling selection of steady, heavy beats. The shuddering bass and choppy rhythms of 'Fade Out' give space for plenty of modular synth action - ultimately a feature of all three tracks here - and affairs are topped off with an attitude=heavy spoken word sample. 'Blaze Heat' has a more hip-hop slanted vibe, slotting in neatly to the wall of drum & bass breakbeats, but again the over-riding focus is some fresh, unheard wigging out in the higher frequencies. Nice work all round, and a personnel combination with a lot to recommend it.

Review: Defying the curse of 2020 with banger after banger after banger, Metalheadz are firing on more cylinders than they have in years. Hot on the heels of Phaction's crucial investigations comes this walloping attack of the senses from Emilio HLZ. Taking off where his 'Eternal' EP left us last year, it's a glacial affair steeped in emotion, tension and just the right amount of melancholy. 'Amethyst' sets the pace with its technoid, hip-wriggling charm. It's followed by a series of body blows, each one harder than the last; 'Once In A Lifetime' is a cosmic, introspective voyage that conjures up thoughts of Krust, 'Break The Rules' is a pummelling piece of breakbeat drama that morphs and mutates thanks to its heavy use of percussion while 'Polar Dream' closes on a Seba-level space trip. Dark but funky in equal measures; HLZ has the alchemy just right.

Review: The sound of filtered Amen breaks diving down and deep and then rising back up into the mix is not one that's ever likely to go out of fashion, and 'Transgressive Bells' makes the most of this evergreen sonic trick, counterbalancing the roughneck beats with floatation tank ambience. As its name suggests, '2093' has a futuristic vibe that echoes the ongoing drum & bass obsession with the Bladerunner soundtrack, set to hard but chopped up beats. If you're a fan of Dillinja's more celestial, soaring productions - we're thinking 'The Angels Fell', 'Jah' or 'Silver Blade' - you'll be lapping these two tunes up like the cat who got the cream.

Review: Linking up for the first time since 'Thoroughbred', kindred spirits Sam Binga and Hyroglifics collide to create their biggest collaborative body of work to date; 'Wicked & Bad'. Not just a kooky title, it truly is loaded to the lips with naughty... The opening system shaker 'Wicked' with long-time compadre Redders, the ice cold electro thrills of 'Wits End', the Riko Dan-front bubbler 'Bad' and the trippy instrumental grime finale 'No Dice' are all primed with the wickedness, and indeed badness, one needs to survive in these nonviable times. Critical in more ways than one.

Review: Finally... One of last year's biggest dubs has been unleashed! A rare golden tune that resonates with both the soulful and darker sides of the scene, 'Ubiquitous' hits all the right spots with those jazzy chords, breathy vocal refrain and grizzled bassline. Think Hidden Agenda for the modern age. It's backed by three more bonafide delights; turbine Reese-shredder 'Isiah', the urgent dark funk bubbler 'Boogaloo Shoo' and the almighty old testament drama of 'Deus Ex'. Lord have mercy.

Review: Brand new talent from Kenmore, Washington; Black Yukon Sucker Punch hurls himself into the ether with this foundation-fired self-release. Tapping into that classic late 90s/early 2000s techstep sound, both cuts rattle bones with minimal muscle and maximum tension. 'Fault Current' is a sci-fi inspired wriggler with twisted alien FX wrapping tightly around sinewy two-steps. 'Retrocognition' hits with a little more neuro, psychedelic touches. Think early Audio Blueprint and you're on the right dancefloor.

Review: Back to 1994: Vinyl Fanatiks continue their heartfelt community service to ensure the foundation rave records are still alive and appreciated today. This time we head to the UK east coast to hear the sounds of three Moving Shadow affiliates - JMJ & Richie and engineer JT. As Spirits From An Urban Jungle they only released two records together, which was criminal considering how crisp and forward-thinking both EPs were... Especially now in their remastered form. 'Prologue To Freedom' blasts with hopeful chords and those classic detuned synth sounds while 'White Lightning' focuses much more on the breakbeat science. Yet another precision excavation from Brent Newitt's Vinyl Fanatiks mission.

Review: Diplomat has been involved in the industry in all kinds of ways over the years, most recently running Electro Avenue Records, but this his first release goes back to 1990 on Moving Shadow as part of Destruction Production before going solo in 1991 with this EP 'Here Comes The Mongo'. Fortunately the music has aged much better than the title as we're immersed in a rave wonderland with samples firing upside our senses at a rate of knots; from the hip-hop flavours and cascading stabs of the title to the ridiculous samples and musicality on the French love letter that is 'Channel Tunnel' (which would have only just opened at the time) this taps into a raw sense of fun and energy that captures the anarchy and open mindedness of the music at the time.

Review: Last spotted shelling us with his 'Vintage Dubs', self-styled liquid gangster My Symiakos returns with some foundation fire. Four cuts heavy, 'Oldskool Flavours' is a veritable rave rainbow with pots of gold at the end of every tune. The title track warms us up at 160 with its dubwise beat that suddenly turns inside out with the help of some razor-sharp amens. Elsewhere 'Wind It Up Selecta' brings the breakbeat bashment with large helpings of chaos, 'Up For Tha Business' is choppy and hectic it wouldn't go amiss in a Remarc set while 'Rub A Dub Style' concludes affairs with more insane drum science, classic rave vocal samples and synths so beautiful you'll swear you heard them in a dream.

Review: Belgian badman Nickynutz has been flying the jungle flag for the best part of 20 years and his beats remain just as fizzy and unpredictable as they did back on his early Animal Breaks outings. Here we find him paying homage to the jungle drum & bass motherland LDN with four crisp sound system jams that all tap into that original inner city melting pot that lit the fuse in the first place. 'London Town' breezes with a touch of hardcore promise thank to the dreamy synths, 'Agony Fi De Body' and 'Lick It Back' are heavier on the ragga and breaks tips while 'It's Gonna Get Rough' signs out with a beautiful Trojan adieu. Wicked.

Review: On his first album for Hospital Records - and third solo set in total - Rouen Wilkins AKA Voltage has created a more widescreen musical vision than anything he's previously releases. Balance Over Symmetry begins with a sparkling, synth-heavy tribute to mid-80s NYC freestyle ('So Close'), and ends with a weighty, dubstep style collaboration with Demolition Man ('The Life of a DJ (Rockers Mix)'); in between, the fast-rising producer breathlessly rushes between typically heavy and ear-catching, club-focussed drum & bass jams, revivalist ragga-jungle workouts (Sweet Irie hook-up 'Natty Love'), stunningly atmospheric ambient interludes (see the spacey 'Consciousness'), immersive experimental D&B ('Moonshine'), and up-beat synth-wave goodness ('Endless Dreaming', with Belgian Goddess). It's an impressive achievement all told, and an album that's well worth checking out.

Review: Mandidextrous on Prspct with The DJ Producer on remix duties... If you think that description alone sounds nutty, then the record will blow your mind. Mandi takes the lead with their Boxxi alias, laying a pretty chill (in comparison) ground work for the rave lunacy that follows. Firstly Mandi gives it a hyped-addled D&B twist before handing over the reigns to Luke Producer McMillan for an absolute sledgehammer Arial Assault remix before Mandi closes the EP down with another full-strength twist. 190 BPM non binary bedlam... Just the way the Amen 4 Tekno queen likes it. Ready for take-off?

Review: Riffz and Green Wald take two tracks each per side on what proves to be a varied but accomplished showcase of styles. 'Doubtful Being' revels in deep, clunking sub-bass pressure, crazy effects and timestretching, nodding perhaps to the scrambled breakbeat glory of Goldie and 4Hero's early 90s collaboration Rufige Kru. Jungle techno - that often forgotten missing link between rave and jungle - informs the four-to-the-floor but breaks-splattered 'No Visibility', the second offering from Riffz, an unusual vein to mine but all the more refreshing for it. Green Wald also harks back to the moments before the big bang that was jungle, opting for a slightly slower than normal tempo but plenty of beat manipulation and mixing desk skullduggery on 'Hot Pushin', before closing proceedings with the heavy but jazzy 'Gangsta', probably one for those who loved T Power's early work on the SOUR label.

Review: Fresh from her debut on Super Drama, Angel D'Lite returns with her Banoffee Pie debut 'Dolphins Have Sex For Pleasure'. Great title, beautiful sounds as Angel runs the hardcore gauntlet on 2020 blades... Within seconds of the breakbeat kicking in, 'Crystals' will realign your chakras while Diamante gets all floatation tank on you with a subversive downbeat remix. Flip for 'Dance Like A Dolphin', an equally ravey piece of hi-NRG dynamite laced with breaks and surging synths and occasional forays in juicy jungle techno 4x4s before Jay strips everything back to reveal a stern and dubby slice of deep house. Go bananas.

Review: Ant Miles and Andy C's Origin Unknown blueprint Desired State continues to proffer unreleased gold from the foundation era. This time we're taken back to 1994 for two of the deepest cuts they ever made together. Both rolling at around the 160 BPM mark, they capture that exciting crossover between hardcore and drum & bass with restraint, warmth and clarity. 'Terra Incognita' is the heavier piece with echoes of rave stabs and firm attention on the breaks while 'Sub Conscious' is a little more hypnotic and rolling with full focus on the percussion. Neither have seen the light of day for 26 years... Grab them while you can!

Review: Time for a little rave rediscovery as Vinyl Fanatiks celebrate the work of Walsall's Nathan Jay. An early member of the east Midlands rave movement, Ova Doce made over 100 tracks between 1990 - 1995 but only a few of them ever saw the light of day, including these. Each one bulging with samples and a playful sense of fun, it ranges from the near evangelistic surges of 'Feel The Rush' to the heavy skanking of 'Bad Boys' to the hardcore sensibilities and brazen Genesis sample of 'Last Chance'. What a rush. Ova and out.

Review: Following the anonymous debut earlier this summer, the mysterious Uncultured series continues with two more nods back to the rave roots. Side one takes on a 'Vamp' like tone with its cascading detuned synth stabs spiralling over rolling 140 breaks. Side two is a similarly familiar acid track but with a nudge in the tempo department and the vocal sample and breaks adding focus on the momentum. Pure rave juice.