Beats News

Year 2000 Problem has come through with four varied cuts for Lost City Archives. RNB inspired Jungle with a piece of heavyweight 140 breaks on the b2 to finish off the EP in a Lost City bonus beat style & fashion. Another debut EP from one to watch in 2023.

ASC's latest offering is 'The Depths Of Space' on Over Shadow Music. Pressed on a 2x12" Translucent Amber & Black Vinyl LP.

Repress!

blue marbled vinyl

After acclaimed releases on leading UK Jungle labels Rupture and Western Lore, Eusebeia continues a steady procession of creative vehicles for Samurai Music with the LP X . Tweaking the textural layers to lean towards the Samurai Music shade has been a winning formula with his previous EPs for the label 'Fall The Rise' and 'Omen' lighting a musical spark that has turned into a burning flame of creativity that shows no sign of stopping.

X is based on a concept Eusebeia used to tie the LP together as explained by him:

"X is about what is known, particularly with things relating to the past and present, but even more so the unknown, and the future. While these things are intrinsically linked and the past informs the future, there is a perpetual sense of the unknown when looking toward the future, which is why it's best to stay in the present. X is an acceptance of the uncertainty and unknown nature of things to come, but also an acknowledgment of what has come before and got us to the point we are at now, and the inevitability we can/will continue to progress accordingly."

X is an accomplished manifesto of re-imagined Jungle, a mastery of the form that has its sights set firmly on longevity.

Four 1993 style piano hardcore tracks by debut artist Matty B.

NRG is one of the most important artists the rave scene ever saw, with an endless string of classic releases under his belt!

This box set contains the vast majority of his back catalogue, gloriously remastered, as well as brand new remixes from some of the most talented people in the business old skool and new: Altern 8, New Decade, Hyper On Experience, Bay B Kane, Luna-C, Paul Bradley, and Al Storm.

A special collaboration between Metalheadz and Reinforced, celebrating breakbeat culture and the history of both imprints over the past 3 decades.

This is a direct repress of one of Kniteforce's very much sought after releases from the early 1990s. At the time, Dj Vibes and Wishdokta were the leaders in remixes and releases, and this EP showcases the reason why! Both remixes have stood the test of time, and if anything, sound even better now they have been remastered from DAT and cut using the best modern techniques. Unmissable!

Co-released via Spinny Nights and Memorials Of Distinction, the debut release from fresh Bristol blood 'Grove' is now available on vinyl in the 'Big & Bad Edition' served with extra cuts & remixes, printed sleeve & printed inner.

Friske comes off the back of a standout year for his personal label Requisite with no signs of easing up the pressure for 23. Three cuts of sunrays selections for warming bass bins and dancefloors

Opener “Someone” sees Friske expertly channeling the Jungle cannon by extracting key snare fills and rolls from Plastic Jam’s – Wicked Beat and reconstructing their swing with futurized 808 claps. Ethereal pads, distant voices and pulsing reese complete the halcyon skank out.

Two mixes of “Daydream” to choose from both pairing echoes of rare groove with drifting synth atmospheres and ear worming arpeggios. Both versions nod heavily to Bukem’s ambient intelligence with true connoisseurs recognizing the harder stepping drums of “Mix 1” gearing towards his Voodoo Magic sets whilst the subtler roll of “Mix 2” anchoring the head down sway of his Speed era.

J:Kenzo is an artist we have long admired here at Metalheadz and it was only a matter of time before we brought him into the fold for a full EP.

Titled 'ZegaFunk', J:Kenzo's 4 track offering was instigated by the 2020 lockdown and fiercely spurred on by Goldie over the course of the year. There is a real classic feel to the EP, so acutely influenced by the sound of 1997 with dystopian pads and groove-laden basslines readily bursting from each track. Innovative dub influences and engaging patterns keep the listener captivated throughout a slick EP with both substantial weight and flavour.

We're also honoured to have another incredibly accomplished artist join the camp in .EPOD who delivers his trademark skillset on an exquisitely reimagined version of the Metalheadz logo.

Old skool and reinforced legend Alpha Omega returns with another Monster killer EP and in true Alpha Omega style, he does not hold back and gives you a selection of various beats and styles.

Everyone is already talking about Monster Killer which has already become a dance floor hit with vocals, stabs, and amen edits that make you lose your shit on the dance floor. Then takes you on a technical Journey with sciences 95 followed by beautifully crafted tracks Crystal Ball and Look Into My Eyes.

Embodying the mutant nature of club music in the modern age, Cocktail Party Effect comes bowling into Sneaker Social Club with a taut, wiry sound which joins dots and melts barriers at will.

The brainchild of Charlie Baldwin, who previously recorded as Kasket, Cocktail Party Effect has been forged over the past six years through heavy bursts of sound design anchored by soundsystem dynamics veering between 140 and 160 tempo zones. From 2020’s self-titled LP on Tectonic to drops on Osiris, Cold, Transfigured Time and more, Baldwin’s deftly avoided allegiance to any specific scene and instead deployed shock-inducing gear for DJs with fortitude to test on their crowds.

On SNKRX010 the commitment to physicality is prevalent across all four tracks, veering from the deadly broken beat barbs and artful fills of ‘Racka’ to the splintered breakbeat rushes and stop-start aggravation of ‘C.A.T.C.R’. ‘Grims8’ is perhaps the purest manifestation of the Cocktail Party sound though, all monochrome rigour with the contrast turned way up, powered by steely, gleaming rhythmic impulses and writhing with dense layers of sonic matter. Watch out for the glutinous bass snarl of ‘58bethe7’ though, which slams in sideways with an unabashed rave instinct crushed through a post-modern production lens.

Baldwin may be operating on his own terms, but on this 12” he demonstrates versatility to match his originality, resulting in four inventive dance destroyers tooled to bridge between styles, sets and scenes.

Digital searches through old Dat tapes and hard drives for unreleased music and combines them with new tracks for Digital's Dirty Dubs. Volume 1 features Spirit, DJ Ratty & Nick EP.

"Motherland Dub" is a heavier dubbed-out mix of Digital's "Motherland". Haunting, eerie vocals glide over pitched-down chunky breaks and serious deep subs that will pummel your bass bins.

"Dread Life" combines a moment from an '80s reggae dancehall session with jumping breakcore grooves and wobbling bass, creating a ragga piece of Jungle.

"An Evil Source", Digital, Spirit, Ratty & Nick EP created An Evil Source in the late hours of a party at Digital's house. Rave stabs, riffs, Mentasm, Amen, and Funky Mule breaks show they went for that dark n dirty 93/94 Rave / Jungle sound championed by Dj Ratty. Stay til the end because this one builds perfectly.

"Stay", Syncopated rhythms and a percussive synth lead merge with a frantic vocal and dynamically juicy breakbeats. Slightly unusual, but it's unique!

Returning to the remix series again, this time with The Future Stylin' remixes of the rare EP from 1993, originally written and produced by Rob Haigh under his alias Haute Control. This time we are pleased to be working with DJ Trax, Syko, Denham Audio & ManiFesto each one bringing their own take on Rob's 1993 track.

The return of M-Beat. His first new music since he left the jungle scene in 1996 on his brand new label Mekatune.

A fore-father of the jungle scene and one of the best to ever do it. Brand new music for 2023.

Available on heavyweight marbled vinyl (green/yellow/black) and presented in a stunning matt finished Mekatune housebag and black paper inner sleeve.

In a blizzard of delirious sonics and twis’ up samples extracted from the annals of dancehall and ragga, Seekersinternational return to Sneaker Social Club to double down on the manifesto they laid out with the original RaggaPreservationSociety EP way back in 2016.

As ever, the SKRS magic lies in their ability to convey a deep affection and serious dedication for the source material while simultaneously getting shamelessly weird with it, taking the mutant tendencies of dancehall’s wildest instrumentals and injecting some added cosmic sauce into the mix. On this new record, they’re also embracing the volatile potential of junglist breaks - always intrinsically linked to Jamaican music at the point of inception, especially in the rough and ready daze of ragga jungle.

‘No Parasites (Lickshot)’ is a fierce mission statement, raining down mayhem without ever slipping into familiar modes - the emphasis is on the ragga, the jungle is there as a piquant flavour in the stew, but as ever the SKRS sound remains entirely out on its own. In contrast, ‘CaughtUp (HeartBreaks)’ almost edges closer to hardcore structures, but something keeps slipping in to run the interference, hovering just beyond perception for that all important woozy feeling.

‘2GoldChain (DriveUCrazy)’ is cut up enough to be another interstellar voyage, but here SKRS keep the music back in the mix and let a tapestry of chat lead out front as though capturing a casual street level chaos - bewildering and familiar in equal measure. ‘OriginaloftheOriginal’ completes the set with an earth-shattering script flip once more, coming on like square wave grime and half-speed breakbeat set to emotional stun. If it takes a minute to make sense, that’s because you’re hearing something entirely new.

Here is the new label Major Defence by AKO. You could call it arcade 2.0, the same authentic Jungle that will provide unreleased remixes repress, and new music.

We start off with a track by Stretch and Enjoy - Without You. Soulful jungle with beautiful vocals and something you really need to listen to until the end.

On the flip stretch and enjoy remix an AKO classic Stay by Demented Soul and this is something we think you’re really going to enjoy having in the box.

New label Major Defence by AKO.You could call it arcade 2.0, the same authentic Jungle that will provide unreleased remixes repress, and newmusic.

Next up we have two tracks by Waterproof, another Marc and Dego alias that was done in 1995 and only had one release which is no longer available.We’ve gone through the dat tapes and found alternative unreleased mixes of Wicked Likkle Bwoy & Ruff & Tuff.

This is authentic jungle at its finest by two of the best to do it.

From Karma Recordings comes their ninth EP. Another huge producer in Dead Dred brings his famous basslines and overhauls the track Tina by DJ Ande. Adding awesome brekbeats and you have a sure fire jungle anthem on your hands Oldskool style.

The second track on the A side is the creepy original Tina which builds to a scary crescendo. We are very proud to be introducing the first vinyl release from Dubious, an absolute jungle master and his track Iron Lung fits on this EP with ease.

Then last but not least we have an absolutely blinding Tina remix from the hardware extraordinaire 12Bit Jungle Out There who hails from down under. An absolutely brilliant 4 tracker not to be missed. Karma Recordings are going from strength to strength.

From Karma Recordings comes their ninth EP. Another huge producer in Dead Dred brings his famous basslines and overhauls the track Tina by DJ Ande. Adding awesome brekbeats and you have a sure fire jungle anthem on your hands Oldskool style.

The second track on the A side is the creepy original Tina which builds to a scary crescendo. We are very proud to be introducing the first vinyl release from Dubious, an absolute jungle master and his track Iron Lung fits on this EP with ease.

Then last but not least we have an absolutely blinding Tina remix from the hardware extraordinaire 12Bit Jungle Out There who hails from down under. An absolutely brilliant 4 tracker not to be missed. Karma Recordings are going from strength to strength.

The latest excursion into deep waters from the UVB-76 Music camp comes in the form of Bristol based Tavis Hitchcock AKA Karkossyn and his Troubled Youth EP.

Across six tracks Karkossyn mediates a disturbed exchange between trip hop, IDM, techno, pitched down breakbeats and guttural moans. Fully opening the next chapter from pages previously flirted with by UVB-76 Music label mates.

this will not be pressed and distributed

Pink Vinyl

Northern Front Records 6th release entitled Worse Off EP consisting of tracks by Response, Pliskin, Digital and FLOetic Lara Lee.
Full front and back artwork by Mark McGuinness, on 180g vinyl.

Over/Shadow celebrate their first album release with a collectors pack. Against a Dark Background perfectly defines Dom's skill at creating beautiful darkness as only he can do.

Bournemouth foundation Jungle Label -Underdog Recordings (est 1993) brings you the "Ghosts of Future Past" EP from unknown quantity Ghost Unit.

2x 170Bpm Jungle tunes on side A are complimented by 2x 130bpm breakbeat hardcore influenced tracks re-visitng some of the most well known vocal samples from the Rave Era repackaged for 2021 but still in the authentic Old Skool style

Released on a limited run of 300 electronic blue 12" vinyl.

Nerve Collect is a new label co-founded by Dutch collaborators Identified Patient and Gamma Intel. The first release is Identified Patient's Elevator Music for Headbangers EP and it comes digitally with two bonus cuts, or as a six-track 12". It's a freaky journey into exactly the sort of leftfield electronics to expect going forwards complete with AI artwork by Nina van den Berg and Design by Sander Molenaar.



Amsterdam's Identified Patient has an off-the-hook approach that's seen him spend the last six years colliding techno, acid, breaks and dub into futurist sound worlds full of irresistible discomfort. With all that experience of playing Europe's most open-minded dance floors, he is now truly dialed into what works for him. He is making deeper-than-ever connections between what he hears in his head, what he plays, and what he makes. Now speaking clearly through his machines, Nerve Collect marks the start of an all-new conversation based around dark energy, paranoid tension and otherwordly seduction.



The first EP features music written between 2019 and 2022 and takes you deep into the netherworld. It feels both dystopian yet inviting, with hefty bass and twitchy acid that will make both brain and body dance. There's a taughtness right from the off when 'Walk With Me' marries cavernous and booming kicks with bright flashes of acid. 'You Are the Loop' is an AI hallucination with mangled synths, while 'The Fun Never Stops' is psyched-out mutant jungle. The b-side keeps on building with the dark and pressurised energy of 'Dead Demo' and screw-face swagger of 'The Devil is Blue' leading into the final cut 'Second-Hand Nostalgia' which is an industrial take on trip-hop. The bonus cuts spin out yet further into intergalactic electro-techno warfare and controlled rhythmic chaos.



The mind-melting sonics of this first release proves Nerve Collect is here to do things differently.

Includes download code.

Burning Bush Communications, Stormtrooper Recs old sister label from the 90s comes out of retirement and drags Rebel Bass with it, whilst also introducing Timeslip for a 4 track vinyl EP of hands in the air '92 style uplifting, old skool, breakbeat piano hardcore.

Purple Vinyl 2023 Repress


For the inaugural vinyl release of Psycho Bummer, we bring an EP from one of our label founders, DJ Scam (Brandon Ivers). Jungle and drum'n bass was the starting point for us as DJs, friends, and collaborators, so it seemed fitting to begin the story here.

The EP's opener, "Darkside Geezer", is a tribute to the transition point right before hardcore morphed into jungle in 1993. Although producers worked with a small palette of sounds back then, the emotion and freshness they were able to pull out of their limitations remains unrivaled. "Darkside Geezer" imagines an alternate reality of that period, drawing parallels between it and the transitions that 2020 brought us.

"Sodium Pentothal" is the roughest tune on this release, adopting the sonics of modern drum'n bass production, but channeled through the tropes of the music in its early stages. DJs like Sherelle, Tim Reaper, and Coco Bryce played a tremendous role in inspiring us (and keeping us sane) over the last year, so we wanted to stick to the tempo they helped rekindle.

The closer, "Black Swan", focuses on the simplicity of early hardcore and jungle, but breaks away with glassy chimes and a folding, geometric structure. Made with old samplers and tracker software, "Black Swan" was the first track Scam did for this release and it helped set the tone for what followed.

Psycho Bummer loves the feel of weighty vinyl, so we've opted for 180 gram pressings with a brilliant purple color. The album art, created by Canadian artist Ben O'Neil, is printed on a higloss laminant sleeve, which retains the striking colors of the original digital art.

Perhaps DMS's biggest tune, Vengeance was inescapable when it came out. With its "King Of Rock" sample and its relentless pacing and obnoxious stabs, it was an instant anthem. Remixed here for full on madness by Kingsize, and rolled back into an earlier form by Alias 303, this is, once again, a classic slice of old skool revitalised for today!

DMS's earlier anthem, Love Overdose, gets the repress treatment here, featuring all three mixes, including the much sought after Hubba Bubba mix, this EP is more mellow than some of DMS's later work, but remains an absolute classic!