DJ Tools charts

Review: The arrival of the Acapellas Anonymous series in the mid/late '80s was a massive gamechanger, giving immediate access to DJs and producers to hundreds of vocal samples that would have taken a fortune (and a lifetime) to collect. Edit king Mr K has rebuilt, remastered, and carefully portioned them onto a five disc set of 7-inch singles, "including all the classic vocal bits that became iconic samples," and more than a few new additions to bring things up to date. You'll know more than a few of these on first listen, others you may have never even realised were samples, but no-one will underestimate the power of a great vocal sample dropping in the right way in the right mix. An absolute essential.

Review: On vinyl only comes the new Knockouts compilation, laying down six acapella utilities to add to the collective turntablist's belt. The Kunming, China label - owned and run by Sausage Fingaz - flaunts an unmatched hip-hop diggership, compiling six un-pass-uppable classics, including those of Mary J. Blige's 'Family Affair', LL Cool J's 'Mama Said Knock You Out', Eminem's 'My Name Is' and Run-DMC's 'Peter Piper'. Specially designed for mashups and remixes, these are exclusively sourced vocal grooves, always to be cherished and celebrated.

Review: Mike Bandoni returns with Crate Breaks Vol 6, the latest installment in his renowned series. This record is a great tool for adventurous DJs, featuring eight drum fills perfect for slicing into mixes. Each side of the album offers a rich array of segments to elevate any set. Side-1 includes the breaks named 'Diggin In The Pit,' 'Dream State,' 'Hold Fire,' and 'Swing By,' while Side-2 boasts 'Love Scheme,' 'Space Kool Moon Dance,' 'Party,' and 'It's Still Good.' As you can see from the names, these are sure to get the party going. True to its Funk genre roots, this release from Drumstream is ideal for DJs seeking fresh, phat drum segments.

Review: Hip-hop head and dizzyingly dexterous DJ J Rocca is back with another musical celebration of the exit from office of the worst president in the history of the United States of America. This is the 6th such volume of 'Impeach' and it is a tight woven tapestry and skilful mash-up of no fewer than 14 flips of surely one of the most sampled songs in the history of hip hop. Masterfully mixed together and limited to 500 copies, this is a strong sonic statement that will stand the test of time.

Review: Ugly Mac Beer's Crystal Blue Cuts dives into the gritty, cinematic world of the show Breaking Bad with a 7" that's as audacious as it is creative. Featuring a mix of sounds, effects, and voice snippets that evoke images of gunfights, drug escapades, and street brawls, this record is a daring exploration of thematic scratching. The chaos is brilliantly organised into a coherent set that plays like a mini-audio drama of the streets. Whether you are a turntablist or you are looking for some unique cut up sample style music, look no further than this. Each track is inspired by iconic characters from the series, showing Ugly Mac Beer's knack for crafting compelling narratives through sound. A fun record that will surely have people talking about it.