Back catalogue: Drum And Bass

Review: Mid 90s atmospheric d&b veterans Pariah have been enjoying something of a re-focus since linking up with Okbron in 2019. The prolific archival label has since invited them back again in 2021 and now they return for round three, and while we don't have the exact provenance of the tracks in question on this record, it hardly matters when the quality is so high. 'Lexicon (Final Mix)' is an aqueous beauty of a track, dealing in sweeping vistas of pads and a light-touch, rolling beat with that classic Pariah finish to it. 'Winds Of Pleasure' is a breezy affair with gossamer-light synth lines and a subtly Balearic feel which is just crying out for a drop at a daytime session this summer.

Review: Coco Bryce's Myor does the damage once again with new artist Pepe. Not a lot of information on Pepe is out there yet but these timeless beats give you more than enough to go on for now: 'Angels' writhes and weaves in a stark percussive ocean of ice before building up into a huge emotional wave in a similar way to Sully when he's jangling his foxiest materials. 'Birdfeed' is a little more sprightly and sun-kissed. Dreamier pads, lighter percussion but still bites hard when it needs to. Le phew!

Review: Brighton imprint Furthur Electronix continues full steam ahead with its prolific output this year, and it's a big week for them. Alongside a great EP by Aussie Lou Karsh, we have this new one by Greek producer George Kontogiannidis aka Pera Sta Ori, who has racked up some impressive releases thus far on Musar, Brokntoys and Yellow Machines. As on previous works, the Sick Apian EP further explores Kontogiannidis' love of classic UK rave sounds. For instance A side cut 'Antio Zoi (TGRCCC)' utilises pitch shifted hardcore breaks underpinned by a dystopian electro atmosphere. Over on the flip, its '95 all over again on the breakneck junglist stepper 'Xypna' followed by the complex and hypnotic riddims of 'KodS0520 Fyllorroo'.

Review: Neoclassic acid-from-garage movements from Peter Reilley aka. Persian, a favourite of the UK dance music scene since as long as anyone can remember. For 20 years, Reilly has gone his own way, operating in and on genre after genre, up-peggable as he is adept, blending breaks, digidub, electro, garage, house, and jungle across a repertoire of no less than 50 EPs. Though this release serves as his farewell, as Reilly formally steps back from music production, it beautifully showcases his skill in programming, with 'Questions 2' proving a sleight hand for twinging post-funk leads, and 'Questions 7' bringing unprecedented sci-fi desolations to an erstwhile jam-funky tune collection.

Review: D Ross is in fine form on his dubplate mix of the low slung, swaggering and rude as you like "Well Well Well". It's bass lead garage with an infectious appeal that will make whole warehouses march. D-56M's "Homage" then sinks into more murky techno territory, with wiry electronics and sludgy bass taking you into the unknown and then Persian's "Parvaaneh" slows down a notch further, with dubby chords and twitching synths sinking you into a dream state. He closes out this most interesting and varied of EPs with "Questions", a techno track with dusty breakbeats and deeply buried acid that is fresh indeed.

Review: With previous sermons on the likes of Black Acre and Hooversound, Prayer now clasps his hands on burgeoning Irish label Spheres. As always his love for the foundations shines through as we're taken on a whirlwind tour through jungle, hardcore and rave. 'Set Me Free' nods towards that 92/93 era of atmospheric hardcore and jungle which the likes of Jack Smooth was behind. 'Breakthrough' goes a bit deeper into the foundations with its slower tempo and four beat energy while 'Reteoric' closes the EP with pure euphoria. Oh Prayer, ye of plenty faith.

Review: Presha's debut EP RATS gets pulled apart and restructured by a crack squad of drum & bass talents on this fresh new red 12" from Samurai Music. Up first, 'The Spell' (Artilect remix) is a mix of heavy drum breaks and paranoid synth lines snaking about the background. Sam KDC's remix is another dark one with double time drums and drilling bass. The Untouchables remix keep it funky with their lolling loops and icy hi hats and the Last Life remix of 'Vedetta' goes for a textured, industrial vibe to make its mark in a blackened warehouse.

Review: South London d&b brothers Sean and Mark Roberts created Probe-One after growing up on pirate stations, inspiring Sean to buy a deck and mess around himself. It goes that the siblings were frustrated at the drip release of d&b cuts and took the initiative themselves. 'Aether' and 'Expanse' clock in at just over 15 minutes combined, the long and winding ambient buildups giving way to ginormous breaks on 'Aether', or receding into a more atmospheric direction circa the Playstation 1 'IDM' era. The A-Side is for the breakbeat inclined, filled with intensity and volume against its ethereal synth waves. Side B is for the late-night Pulse FM listeners, the gentle percussion of dawn breaking - it's almost relaxing if such a thing were possible.

Review: More moody grooves from this long-standing Northern partnership as they lay down four wide-ranging cuts on their own Northern Front imprint. The first release on the label this year, it's big old statement as they flex across the spectrum. 'Criminal' hits with a Metalheadz headbutt, 'Dominion' swaggers with a venomous bounce that you could imagine coming from a collab between Amit and Total Science. Then we have 'Muscle' which is an exception piece of breaks that nods heavily at the foundation but keeps a contemporary twist. Finally 'Catastrophic Disclosure' closes with a hard, noisy Dillinja dig in the solar plexus. Savage scenes. This is some of Response and Pliskin's best work to date.

Review: Wipeout XL was a game changer for electronic music, video games and the marriage of the two and it no doubt, inspired legions of fans of both throughout the last 25+ years. This adrenaline-charged album - inspired by the iconic series - delivers six high-energy tracks, each contributed by two artists known for their mastery in electronic music, immersing listeners in a fast-paced, futuristic anti-gravity racing adventure. With thunderous breaks, atmospheric jungle rhythms and liquid drum & bass, the album captures the essence of 90s and Y2K video game soundtracks, while evoking the smooth vibes of artists like LTJ Bukem, Peshay and Soichi Terada. Each artist brings their own flair, contributing three tracks each to the limited-edition LP, which comes housed in a heavyweight 350gsm sleeve designed by the legendary junkboy, creative director at Mojang Studios. The vibrant artwork perfectly complements the album's energy, creating a visual and auditory experience that transports listeners to another world. Following a string of successful releases, this album offers a turbo-charged, nostalgic escape for fans of synthwave, jungle and drum & bass, while also appealing to those who cherish the golden age of video games.

Review: Phatness is new and so-far anonymous side project from two producers based in the Swedish capital and who have connections to soundsystem culture through Trensum Tribe, Soft Pace and Otonos. This is their debut outing and it's a fresh blend of original jungle infused with inspiration from a wide world of sounds. There are tropical but physical sounds like 'Diplomatico Dub' packed with smart effects, minimal head spiders like the sci-fi styled '$nkt Erik Jamboree' and experimental vignettes such as 'Olearie$ Dub' with well-worked vocals and snaking basslines. It's colourful, unusual, and perfect for late-night sessions.

Review: By 1997 Photek had already marked himself out as a wild card in the rapidly evolving d&b scene. He'd had three years to carve out some frankly dizzying displays of break editing wizardry and such was the innovation on display there just had to be an album coming. Modus Operandi smartly stepped to one side of the dancefloor, offering a smoky reflection on where jungle and d&b had got to, highlighting the compatibility between half-speed downtempo and breakneck drums and bringing inherent jazziness to the forefront of the beats, which avoided all the usual cliches. It's a masterpiece which hasn't dulled with time and here it's getting a heavyweight reissue across three slabs to ensure the loudest cut. All the better to blow your mind with, all over again.

Review: Photek's masterpiece for the new millennium Solaris catches a repress on Proper recordings. From propulsive, metro-setting opener 'Terminus' to the elegiac, trouble-in-paradise closing synth meditation 'Under The Palms ', Rupert Parkes casually shakes off all expectation with a flurry of infectious head boppers channeling everything from the fragmentary half-step of the nascent broken beat stylie- read: 'Juno' (sic), to the snarling Valve-era techstep of Dillinja and Lemon D on 'Infinity' via Larry Heard's late 90s deep lounge leanings on the peerless 'Mine To Give' (note the similarity in artwork with Heard's Genesis). Solaris is very much a product of its time, the highest praise possible given the early 00s was one of the most amoebic and fluid periods in UK dance music history. It speaks to the undying british dancefloor tendency to allide tempo and atmosphere, casually felling boundaries in genre to create something as reverential as it is innovative. Classiq.

Review: Low-cal melodic pop d&b done from a new-gen perspective: Piri & Tommy's take on drum & bass has been a runaway success in the last two years as the couple bring their own unique song writing signature to the genre. Now to mark this year's RSD, their debut album Froge.mp3 enjoys a limited vinyl outing and it sounds amazing for it. Cuts like the sing-along 'On & On' and the lofi dreaminess 'Slowly But Surely' and the sun-kissed summer joint 'Beachin' all still sparkling as bright as they did when they first dropped last year, this is a significant moment for Piri & Tommy. Happy Record Store Day!