Beats News

Ronan lands on nascent X-Kalay sub-label Another Place with renewed focus and a new EP. Musing on personal crossroads, ‘Leaves of Life’ is a highly evocative contemplation on the tides of life. It’s the culmination of a personal arc having sat with the material for six years, further refining the lush, introspective sound that’s characterised his output to date.

The outcome feels similarly unhurried; a pristine, genre-spanning exploration rendered with meticulous attention to detail. Soul-bearing stuff interspersed with words of reassurance through quietly spoken vocals.

The opener strives for utopia. Carried away on a warm current, ‘Song of Surrender’ initiates with a gorgeous unfurling of life-affirming trance that begs repeat immersion. Comparatively direct, ‘Cure for Toxicity’ comes on a breaks-driven flex before a fleeting switch-up into 2-step territory.

Supple groove and jazz modalities fuel airily introspective D&B as we shift focus to title track ‘Leaves of Life’. Then, finally, Ronan closes things out with a ritual purification of sorts. Deploying more breaks but bordering on new age, ‘Sacral Dub’ exudes a soothing, massaging quality with dubby tendencies in full effect.

Welcome to the music of a true outlier in UK creative culture, an artist that has helped change the landscape of electronic music, KRUST.

Introducing 'Irrational Numbers,' a meticulously curated collection of five parts, available on both vinyl and digital formats. This compilation is a treasure trove of hand-picked records and archival gems from Krust's extensive discography, thoughtfully remastered and presented anew for both devoted fans and newcomers.

'Irrational Numbers' features a dizzying array of self-released 12" cuts, exclusive unreleased VIPs and dub-plates, alongside epic major label widescreen classics. It's an unmissable journey through the sonic output of one of the UK's most distinctive and forward-looking producers.

For longtime Krust enthusiasts, this project serves as a fond reminder of the boundless creativity and originality that flourished during the early 1990s and beyond. For those new to his work, it presents an enthralling introduction to innovative electronic music that has comfortably set the tone for generations to come. Get ready to experience the evolution of sound and immerse yourself in the visionary artistry of Krust.

In Demand Hard to Find Foundation D&B Mastered & Cut For DJs
The Worlds First Ever Drum & Bass titled album brand, the legendary trailblazing compilation album from the inception of D&B returns! For many it was their first introduction into D&B and Jungle, and as the worlds first ever TV advertised Jungle or D&B album it holds an important place in the expansion of the genre. Now the Drum & Bass Selection Series takes off from where we last visited the brand… straight into Volume 6 as if its never been away!
Drum & Bass Selection Vinyl Collectors Edition is packed this time with collectible foundation tracks hailing from the period of the creation of this iconic album series and the evolution of Jungle to Drum & Bass, cut with two tracks per side on heavyweight black vinyl for DJ use.
The triumphant return is a must for all collectors and especially vinyl completists that loved the original series of releases, and as you’d expect its packed full of exquisitely curated D&B cuts from some of the jungle music scenes most recognised producers. This amazing compilation collects together foundation jungle pioneers such as Mampi Swift, Dextrous, Marley Marl, Dubtronix, Sponge, and Cool Hand Flex.
Vinyl collectors will be excited to see the high value tracks that have not been repressed since the golden age of jungle. ‘Heavenly Body’ by DJ Dextrous, has been moving on reseller sites for up to £100! And Marley Marl’s track ‘Feel It’ has been incredibly hard to find and has changed hands for over £80, making this release incredible value for money.
Created for DJ’s, all the tracks have been carefully remastered for optimal playback on vinyl.

Introducing the highly anticipated EP from the legendary Aston, of the Freestylers, Blapps Posse, and Rap & Aston. This time, he has teamed up with the talented DJ Quicklung to create four brand new tracks, each showcasing Aston's impeccable production skills and style.

The EP opens with "Raggamuffin Soldiers," a hard-hitting D&B track with classic influences that has already gained significant support across clubs and radio. Next up is "Moving On," a lively club roller that clearly showcases Aston's foundations and rave pedigree.

On the flip side, "Galactica" takes things in a darker direction with moody D&B vibes that pay homage to classic Suburban Base and Boogie Times, but with a fresh twist that's unmistakably 2023. Finally, "The Hangman" closes out the EP with a stunning breakbeat masterpiece that will leave listeners wanting more.

With its diverse range of sounds and styles, this EP is a testament to Aston's enduring talent and influence in the world of electronic music. Don't miss out on this incredible release!

After years of unforgettable releases on the mighty Hospital Records,
Cambridge-raised producer Hugh Hardie, having recently made the move over to Soulvent Records, prepares to deliver his third and arguably most exciting album to date in 'Juicebox'

With the tone set by the first two singles 'Blush' featuring Zara Kershaw and 'Face Off' with PAV4N of Foreign Beggars, 'Juicebox' highlights the remarkable extent of Hugh's musical prowess and boasts a wealth of rich collaborations, including the likes of Footsie, Degs, Killa P and more.

Hooversound hits the ground running with its first 2022 release, this time introducing UK artist RAVETRX to the table with a heavyweight EP that’s been doing the rounds on NTS, BBC Radio 6, and Rinse FM.

If the first track is a raver’s drive into the sunset, cruising through ecstatic trance vocals and euphoric jungle breaks, the rest of the A-side plants the listener right at the heart of the warehouse, where kick drums land chest first and hi-octane acid stabs fill the air. The B-side takes us deeper with eyes-down, knees-up techno slammers, with previous label collaborator Mani Festo making an appearance on ‘Feels Good Inside.’ Wrapping things up, ‘Tribe Sequence Calling’ shakes off the tension with distorted guitar riffs and a slouchy 4/4 beat.

Dublin rising star Sputnik One lands on Facta and K-LONE’s Wisdom Teeth with his most accomplished record yet: a flawless four-tracker of mutant dancefloor gear that draws on broken UK techno, psychedelic tribal, footwork and ravey post-hardcore. Fans of his standout outing on Well Street Recordsearlier this year will have a good idea of what to expect here: uniquely voiced and refreshingly forward-thinking bass-heavy club tracks at a range of tempos, all unified by a distinct sonic palette that pits glossy digital synths against raw organic samples and found sounds. There are echoes of Shackleton and Olof Dreijer in ‘Love From Above’ and ‘Michael Cera’, whilst ‘Microbead’ and ‘Powder’ offer refreshed and refined takes on modern post-dubstep / post-hardcore club styles. Across the record the tempo creeps from 130 to 150, keeping all bases covered as late summer ravers migrate towards darker autumn dancefloors.

SUBPLATES - THE ICONIC SUBURBAN BASE SERIES RETURNS

Forthcoming on Subbase Progression is the all new SUBPLATES Vol 6 EP. The iconic series of releases from the first wave of SubBase now sees a brand new 4 track EP dropping soon as a stunning picture disc.

Way back in 1993, Suburban Base Records launched the Sub Plates series, a homage to the dubplate culture of early jungle music, it was even released in the 10” vinyl format to reflect the acetate plates DJ’s were playing.

Now in 2022 the way we consume music has evolved, DJ’s are no longer playing the 10” dubs, and the average vinyl buyer is a collector and connoisseur of great music. This iteration of the Subplates series reflects this change. Aimed squarely at the vinyl collectors Subplates Vol 6 is presented as a stunning double-sided picture disc.

Incredible art direction has long been a hallmark of Suburban Base and this release definitely delivers with one of the most stunning looking releases ever from the label. Instantly recognisable as SubBase with the cool graffiti/street art style mural and including the labels original & iconic SB logo within the design.

There’s more to this release than just an eye-catching design though… Imprinted into the grooves of this collectible limited edition vinyl are 4 brand new tracks from some of the labels most recognised artists!

Marvellous Cain, Dead Dread, Cool Hand Flex, Badman& D.B.H each bring a track to this new format Sub Plates release. Original jungle vibes & flavours bought bang up to date for 2022…
Sweet Ting by Marvellous Cain is currently getting radio support from Rampage on BBC Radio 1, Heartless Crew on BBC 1Xtra, and international club support from Brazilian turntable wizard DJ Marky.

Gremlinz & Jesta present their long-awaited debut album on Metalheadz.

Although the music itself spans only the last few years, it would be sufficient to say that this album is the culmination of almost 2 decades of work. So much history in one project, this is without doubt Gremlinz & Jesta’s biggest and finest triumph.

First meeting as teenagers in the multicultural streets of Toronto, the duo were both already well exposed to the world of raving and jungle music in particular. It wasn’t until years later however, following Jesta’s slight hiatus, that they would hook back up and form what would eventually become an alias at the very heart of Metalheadz.

Their first appearance on the label as Gremlinz & Jesta wouldn’t come until 2018 but it wasn’t long before talk of an album gathered pace. Prior to then they had been meeting at a staple Chinese restaurant, Lee Garden, in downtown Toronto where they would discuss not only music and writing ideas but also life. The spot became a permanent fixture in their calendar and following its closure in 2017, the pair affectionately became known as ‘The Lee Garden Historical Preservation Society’ as a way to keep those special days alive. It’s from that fondly remembered and much missed period in their lives that the album justly takes its name.

The music itself is prime rufige throughout, opening with the desolate wasteland that is ‘The Lost’ before hurtling into headline tracks such as the ravenous ‘Destro’ and the pitch-black setting of ‘Ice Squirrels’.

Inspired by 90s trip-hop, ‘Vermin’ is the only piece to include a vocalist in Ukrainian born flowanastasia, with her haunting rendition being a standout feature on the album, Further musical influences are found in ‘Andromeda’ where the black jazz inspiration is strong, and ‘Into Void’ which expertly realigns the vibes of an early 2000s stepper. Refusing to compromise on quality at any point ‘The Scarlet Gospels’ is another offering that sees the duo experiment with themes of horror, with plenty more to discover across the 13 tracks.

As the album progresses Gremlinz & Jesta’s intentions are clear. They always set out to create a journey, one with both ups and downs, from feeling lost at the outset to covering rage and peace and then back to fury and serenity. An album for the ages and one we’re proud to house on Metalheadz.

Gremlinz & Jesta’s ‘The Lee Garden Historical Preservation Society’ album is out on all vinyl and digital stores from 16 February 2024.

Old school early 90's Sky Joose is back ! Defenitly underground UK garage to ragga jungle original creator !

Mindgames is a new Samurai Music affiliated label aiming to capture the essence of the sound that magnetised label head Presha into Jungle/Drum and Bass in the mid 90’s. Experiencing this musical development as it happened lit a flame of passion and drive that forged a focused musical path that continues unabated today.

94/95 were pivotal years for Jungle with new approaches to production and musical shades that shaped how the music progressed. Light and Dark musical hues were working side by side more frequently in these years as the music found its way, and Mindgames will reflect this.

With the resurgence of artists absorbing this sound and creating updated versions with added production finesse, Mindgames mission is to enlist current-day producers who have successfully captured and reimagined the vibe and feel of these years into new forms that underline the foundation of our sound.

DJ Sofa has been growing to be one of the greats in the new jungle scene over the past few years, working with some of the great people like Tim Reaper, Dwarde, Coco Bryce, and being played by almost every DJ on every party including Sully, Double O and too many others to count.
I myself have been working lots with her as well on collaborative tunes, so it was only a matter of time and the obvious choice to have her do a solo EP on the label.

A 4 choice cut of melodic, melancholic & ruff hardcore jungle selections sure to make the dancefloor nice but also for the home listeners looking to vibe out.

RAVETRX is back on SHERELLE & NAINA’s Hooversound imprint, and it’s a real headturner. If the UK artist’s first contribution to the label was unapologetically ‘90s-facing, ‘14 Down The Dip’ is practically legging it back into a muddy field somewhere along the UK’s growing network of motorways. One thing’s for sure—we’re gonna be here all night.

RAVETRX sets the stage with sounds of a single airhorn and distant crowd before launching into a pounding groove. The title track snapshots a rave well underway: fresh off the M1 and checking out the usual suspects: speedfreaks stepping to white-noise kicks, teens screwfacing to rascally rave synths, and someone swaying wide-eyed to those happy hardcore piano lines.

‘Ruff Enuff Stuff’ goes out to the system heads, rolling the EP into jungle tekno via Patois vocals, crisp breaks and subs. But don’t be fooled by these warmer frequencies—on the flip, RAVETRX jumps back into rave mayhem with ‘On A Mission’, amens going head to head with a snarling bassline. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any heavier, Hooversound label-mate Nova Cheq finishes up the EP with a merciless gabber rework of ‘On A Mission’, sizzling with twitchy acid that’ll speak to the restless and underslept.

An essential cop for the hardcore junglists out there!

Yellow/Green Marbled Vinyl

* From Karma Recordings comes their fourteenth EP. I can hardly believe it myself as I type this but yes, Karma Recordings is up to 014. On remix duties this time around is the very talented Dope Ammo. Fusing the jungle and drum n bass styles together seemlessly we feel we have another classic in the making with this release. Taking the pianos of DJ KOS’ original Horizons Lost and overlaying some haunting vocals and then slamming into the dnb, this track is not to be missed. Then rolling right on to the second remix on the A side we just had to release on to vinyl the brilliant Sync Dynamix remix. With a style all of his own Sync Dynamix has really done the track justice with rolling breakbeats and a heavy bassline. I was originally going to title this the light and dark EP and then completely forgot while doing the artwork. However, that’s where we went with the double A side. Psycho Boy by DJ Ande is a grimy menacing track sampling the laughter of Tyler Durden from Fight Club and just gets more and more troubled all the way through. Sinister, scary and chopped, the perfect track for Halloween. Then we have been delighted to bring back the hardware talents of Dertie Bassett, always a bit dark but absolutely superb. All four tracks will take you on a journey from light to dark.

London-based sound mangler & audio-artist extraordinaire Rico Casazza drops his first EP for Insult To Injury, the Ransom Note Records sub-label run by Timothy Clerkin. We’re treated to a slow, atmospheric start with the titular Catharsis; a glitchy, IDM masterpiece that sounds like it was recorded in a run-down warehouse somewhere in an industrial wasteland, circa 1992. We then quickly shift up a gear with Atompunk, the bastard child of the 80s Electro scene & early UK Jungle, creating something quite unique. Stepping on the accelerator even harder, Insert Feelings Here is a juggernaut summer anthem, propelled by it’s driving bassline, the euphoric strings transport us to a beachy dance-floor, just as the sun is rising. This one has arrived just in time for some ecstatic summer festival moments! Australian maestro Shedbug takes the reins for the Atompunk remix, cranking the Jungleometer up to eleven, for a Jekyll & Hyde monster that darts between the ambient rave forest and full frontal assault!

Tiar ignites the label with Ambient Occlusion with this statement of a 4 tracker. The homonymous track borrows subtle melodies from ambient techno until a destroying amen break cuts into the track with sheer violence. Both MNRLS and Shading Lines expose Tiar's years of training and deep knowledge in breakbeat mangling techniques. For closing the release, Games Sense chisels the main track into an ever building, abrasive, tense, and sub-heavy grime-flirting bomb.
Note: This is a 180g pressing

COLLECTING ORDERS FOR RESTOCK.

Denham Audio meet the supply and demand unwrapping 4 breakbeat house gems absorbing the UK rave scene and refiguring it for 2022!

Underdog Recordings fills a 25 year old gap in its catalogue with "The Original Jungle EP" by Darkdean & Hankinson featuring MC Stevie A on 3 tracks and introducing Carmen Naida on the 4th. There never was an Underdog 13, until now, 4 banging brand new old skool jungle style tracks made in 2019 on this limited edition EP. Dark Dean & Stevie A have been residents at one of the South Coasts biggest raves- Destiny, from the mid nineties to the present day and team up with new gun- Hankinson to encapsulate the vibe of the legendary nights at the Manor at Matchams, on vinyl.

A 'Double Cup' reissue will be available this year to celebrate and honor the 10 year anniversary since the release of this seminal record. This was the debut studio album from the late footwork pioneer, Chicago-based DJ Rashad.

Released originally in 2013, it ended up on year-end lists from Pitchfork, The Guardian, Dazed, Resident Advisor, Crack Magazine, The Wire and Complex, as well as decade lists from Pitchfork, Noisey and SPIN. Rolling Stone described it as "somehow both weightless and brutally powerful" while Pitchfork said it as "unquestionably the strongest footwork-related LP" and NME said it was "unprecedented".

The 'Double Cup' reissue will be pressed on limited edition gold vinyl and includes new artwork created by Teklife visual artist Ashes57 and will be released on December 8, 2023, on Partisan.

2 jungle tunes, 1 drum & 1 dubstep. All ragga/hip-hop styles quiet old school tune. The F_king Finger is the masterpiece here. Good tune that would have deserved a better pressing. But that's not a mystery anymore...

They have made people wait for their 21st collaboration 12” due to solo-projects, but Seba & Paradox are back with the aptly titled release I’ll Wait.

Ethereal dreamy loops, punchy breaks, alternating bass stabs plus chords and female vocals weave a summer-esque melody of beauty. Something worth waiting for.

On the flipside Seba & Paradox showcase their Good Looking & Reinforced Records apprenticeships with the immersive sounds of Amara. Searing pads and wah-guitars float with chimes over tough breaks. Amara’s breakdown takes you to another level with female vocals and keys of oblivion. Summer bliss.

A Seba & Paradox 12” isn’t complete without the artwork of course, and SP004 is housed in an original canvas art print - hand-picked by Seba & Paradox.

repress !

One of modern jungle’s most recognisable names, Tim Reaper, returns to Lobster Theremin for another high energy exploration of breakbeat manipulation.

Aqueous roller Whirlpool opens up proceedings before LT family member Coco Bryce’s raucous remix of Give It 2 Me, the blistering Devnull collaboration previously released on Lobster Theremin. On the flip, title track Ecospheres provides a solid slab of jungle techno
and closing track On Repeat rings true as an earworm with it’s hypnotic analog synth lines and sultry vocal.

Mysteries Of Funk by Grooverider, released 9 November 2023.

This version of Mysteries Of Funk comes as a 3xLP.

The vinyl is pressed as a opaque, red disc. Another vinyl is pressed as a opaque, red disc. Another vinyl is pressed as a opaque, red disc.

La Charmeuse des Ténèbres is the first release of Chandelle. Steve Marie as Stigma deliver a strong peacktime track in a techno style, lets say a bomb! A2 by the master Chris Carrier, dark, acid and ravy dance floor track with obscure vocals.

The B side more pushy and complex, speed beats with OPAQ & S.A.C.S 89 member, Stephen in his unique style, vampire sounds and fat bassline.

The various is closed by SOROG with a crazy IDM & Jungle infused track.

Limited to 200 copies.

Exploring a path darker than before and their most ambitious work yet, 'Tremor' combines beautifully crafted breakbeat to sounds of the past, present & future. From the serious tearout vibes of 'Reflector Dub' to fierce breaks explosion of the title track and 'Intercept' all the way to the calming end of 'Hold Water' TREMOR EP is a captivating collection of modern day jungle.