Soul:R レコード& CD

Review: He's back! It's been a while since Bungle last graced our turntables; his 2011 album Memories to be precise. But he's returned. And he's done so with a double-sided disc of pure D&Beauty. "Aura" is an emotion soaked stepper laced with all the grace of an early 90s ambient record but beefed up with Autonomic standards. Already being pimped as an 'impossible to top' tune of the year by some of the biggest names in the game, it's unarguably essential. "Astral Travel" is equally stunning. Rolling with a heavier rhythm but dosed with the same amount of star gazing whimsy, it's another faultless moment from the Brazilian DJ. Welcome back Bungle.

Review: After a stupendously prolific 2013 and 2014 (wherein he delivered no less than four albums), Calibre appears to have taken his foot off the gas and slipped into a more comfortable release-rate. Following his "Strumpet" EP on Exit comes this ace four-tracker that represents all his drum & bass styles: "Boogeyman Bullshit" is Dominick Martin at his darkest and most mischievous, all wobbly bass and slippery. "Smother" (featuring long term compadre Marcus Intalex) slaps with big washy chords that chime with an almost Detroitian hypnotic affect, "Multi Tasking" is a swam of sonic bees that have set up a nest in Metalheadz HQ circa 1997 and show no sign of budging. Finally, with its twinkling arpeggios and major chords "Dream Of You" is Calibre at his dreamiest and most emotional... Then drop comes and, once again, his sub bass melts your cones. Immaculate.

Review: Hugeness: "The View" was one of the small selection of D&B tunes that really brought all DJs from all subgenres together last year. Now under the crafty scalpel of Calibre, it's been subtly polished for the new year. Flip for a mechanical funk shake up of "Bun Ya" by Enei. Loaded with some of the funniest and sharpest lyrics DRS, Skittles, Chimpo, Rolla and Strategy have ever penned, Enei has paid full respect to the elements while upping the aggy factor by at least 50.

Review: The pairing of LSB and DRS is up there with wine and cheese. Having smashed 2015 with "The View", the pair return with another beautiful, emotion-soaked gem "Missing You". With its soft pianos and space for DRS to ruminate, it's another soulful smash that will stand the test of time. "Tumult" shows the complete flip of LSB's ever-perennial skills as he rolls out a darkside roller with a serious hurricane bassline that's powerful enough to take you back to the 2001. With his debut album around the corner, both tracks do well to remind you just how on-point LSB is.

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: It's about time... Fresh off the heat of his Trevino album, Marcus returns to the D&B source with a full-fat foursome on his label's spotless Four:Fit series. Each cut a 24 carat diamond, shining in its own special way: "Mixed Bag" is a DRS-polished soulful addition to the ever-growing halftime annals, both "Step Forward" and "Stingray" are brittle two-step heads-down headbutts while "Jupiter" is an amen-rattled jungle shake-up. Timeless, deep and spacious; Marcus never fails.

Review: Fresh drop on the Soul R imprint from label boss Marcus Intalex which fully demonstrates his recent endeavours under the Trevino alias haven't dampened his spirit for hard stepping drum and bass productions. It seems like the studio time concentrating on different rhythmic endeavours has benefitted Kaye, as "Sell Your Soul" is quite superb. Delicate strains of jazz-indebted instrumentation make for the perfect introduction, down trodden analogue touches signalling the onset of the drop. The moment those fragile vocals arrive and the rough hewn drums slip into line with the shuddering bass is inspired. To add some contrast, Kaye goes darkside on "Guillotine" with a bass line delivery that few people will be prepared for. Witness the sickness!

Review: Manc drum & bass collective MIST (made up of legends the late Marcus Intalex, ST Files and, at one point, Calibre) first released 'Clockwork' and 'Entropy' in 2009; the dual single instantly garnered acclaim for its high-octane rollage and clean drumwork, topping up the reputation of its label Soul:r. Now reissued for the first time, we're once more reminded of the two tracks' enduring impact on the dum & bass scene at large, with a vocal appearance from DRS on 'Clockwork' cementing drum & bass's lineage from and to ragga, as well as the tidbit that 'Entropy' is, a solo detour from Intalex alone.

Review: As if Marcus Intalex and ST Files' M.I.S.T project wasn't quite enough soul power back in the 2000s, along came the eminent Dominick Martin, adding a big 'Cal' at the end. There's a wealth of material from the trio out there, a lot of which hasn't been digitised, and, as you'd expect from such a trio, the tracks haven't dated in the slightest. Both 'Just A Little Herb' and 'Memory Log' still soothe the soul with 170BPM charm. The former celebrates the sticky stuff with shimmering skanks and happy-slapping Amens while the latter takes you on a cruise around the d&b cosmos. Beautiful. What a reissue. Marcus Intalex RIP!

Review: Since launching way back in 2014, Soul:R's FourFit series has showcased soulful D&B workouts from artists including Skeptical, Calibre, LSB, Mako, the late, great Marcus Intalex and Seba. Here, the latter's contribution to the series - volume seven - is given the reissue treatment, complete with fully remastered tracks. The 2016 EP remains one of the Swedish producer's strongest four-trackers. Check first the punchy, hot-stepping beats and waves of attractive synthesiser melodies that is 'Hide The Tears', before getting your ears around the rumbling sub-bass, sweaty d&b beats and trippy effects of 'Dark Horse'. DRS and Trickiykid lend a hand on the atmospheric 'Fade To Red', while 'Desire' sees Seba add dreamy textures, effects-laden vocals and spacey synth-pop sounds to another stepping d&b beat.