Back catalogue: Drum And Bass

Review: Let's step back in time as Future Retro reissue this walloping four-piece from 2023. A multi-mate affair, the entire 12 is packed with contemporary jungle talent. On side A we have the German misfit Chromz going toe-to-toe with bossman Reaper on two ice cold cuts. 'Forever Dubbed' is a dreamy, choppy serenade with more unexpected twists and turns than an AI drawn hand while 'Diff Selection' is all about that rattling snare. Flip for two startlingly fresh cuts from Bristol badboy Artificial Red; 'Subconscious' is all about those big splashy drums and cosmic whirls while 'Something I Know' sends us off to other planets as the EP comes to an end. Solid.

Review: True to the name, FFF's releases do tend to make us teeter on the edge of profanity, inciting us to utter a hearty "FFF...!" whenever one of his pre-drop seatbelt warnings is sounded. With what sounds like a copyright lapsed, twilight zoney TV sample musing on the terror of true freedom kicking off the opener 'No Holds Barred', we're inducted into a true blue jungle asepsis here, with an unstoppable, untainted 808s extending over both tracks, full time and halftime alike. Only the breakbeats on the A singe the mix to the point of well done break steak, where the track's atmospheres are otherwise clean and twinkly; FX's remix, on the other hand, hovers dirtily and indubitably between jungle techstep and trip-hop, delivering a consciousness expanding mind mutator.

Review: A neat selection jungle and drum & bass gems by Fuze, also known as Dave Ivy i one half of Blinded By Science alongside Rob Pearson. It's the first time these DAT-sourced tracks have seen the light of day since their early 90s conception, and the result is a razor-sharp, brilliantly preserved insight into the raw energy of the era. Based in the US but with deep ties to the UK scene, 8205 specialises in archival material, and this one lands fully intact: 'The Alpha Omega' and 'Like The Thunder' are tough, rolling and atmospherically heavy, all punchy breaks and moody subs. 'Substrata Phase' feels slower-burning and eerie, while the Dev/Null remix flips it into something far more breakneck and manic. '6am' and 'So Damn Fresh' capture the looser, rave-adjacent side of early jungle, full of snap and character, and Tim Reaper's closing remix of 'The Alpha Omega' is the final blow i tight edits, deep pads, and that unmistakable future-facing precision. A new release, but one that's been waiting patiently for decades, finally given the care and context it deserves.