This week’s classic comes straight outta the ‘headz archives as we wind back to 2005 and the threatening vibes of Hive’s Krush. Exemplifying the harder D&B style of that period, the chopped up breaks, reese bass and rave stabs on this one are still more than capable of sending a few shivers up the spine. Hectic business! Check it out below and hit up discogs if you’re keen to grab a copy…
This one shouldn’t need any introduction; today’s classic selection takes us back two decades to 1995 and the golden years of the jungle sound. Keeping those crispy breaks but swapping the darker vibe of many jungle tunes for a lighter tone based around floaty synth melodies, there’s no doubt that this served as the inspiration for many artists in the development of the intelligent and liquid D&B scenes in later years.
Interest in the track clearly hasn’t waned with the likes of LTJ Bukem dropping a new bootleg from dRamatic & dbAudio so maybe we’ll see a fresh mix hitting the stores soon, but meantime the original still does the business; check it out below and lose yourself in those synths…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obv477QfDI0
Today’s classic track selection takes us back to 1993 for a cheeky rewind on Jo’s jungle classic R-Type. Named after the legendary side scrolling shoot ’em up from Namco and imbued with a cheeky 8-bit style melody set to crisp breaks, this slightly unusual take on the jungle sound still resonates today. No wonder Shogun Audio picked it up for re-release for their very first 12″ back in 2004 (backed with a Friction remix which brings it up to modern speeds nicely without losing the original character of the tune). This one is a bit of an anthem and rightly so; yes selecta!
CIA are on a retrospective tip once again with the second volume of their Select Files series and they’ve dug out another fine selection from the label’s near 20 year back catalogue. Leading the charge is the instantly recognisable Squash; that synth riff should bring back some fond memories for the older ravers!
There are tons of other fantastic rollers in the pack here including Marky & XRS’s jazz-hands-inducing Get Down, Chroma’s Knock Knock and Break’s satisfyingly chunky remix of Breakfast Club. Best of all you can grab all 14 tracks for a mere five British pounds from Bandcamp; can’t say fairer than that! Check out the tracks below and grab the compilation at your leisure.
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This one should need no introduction; LTJ Bukem’s seminal 1993 release has been played, sampled, remixed and rinsed to death in the 22 years since its original release on Good Looking Recordings, and yet it’s a track that will never get old. From the infectious hook and iconic vocal sample to the satisfyingly crunchy breakbeats, this is blissed out rave euphoria at its best and one of the finest jungle tracks ever made. If you’ve somehow missed this one then check it out below; for the rest of you, give it another play and relive the golden age of jungle one more time…
Regular readers have probably noticed that we’re big fans of Seba here at the Dojo. The man’s ability to bend classic breaks to his will and layer them over fantastic synth backgrounds, combined with a versatility that sees him producing everything from dark amen smashers to beautiful rolling liquid has cemented his position as one of the finest names in the scene.
On to today’s #TBT feature then, and the fantastic news that Seba’s 2008 debut LP Return to Forever is being given the digital remaster and reissue treatment via his own Secret Operations imprint following the demise of its original home, Combination Records.
From the uplifting euphoria of Blaze & Fade Out through the driving darkness of Special Ops and out into the hypnotic syncopations of Crocket, Seba’s debut sounds as fresh now as it did seven years ago and punchier than ever thanks to the new mastering treatment.
The high energy tracks are broken up nicely by jazzy downtempo number Silicone and a Jesper Dahlbäck techno remix, and for an added bonus we get the slightly different 12″ mix of Blaze & Fade Out included too. Can’t say fairer than that! The LP is out right now via all good download stores so go grab a copy at your leisure.
Before they ascended to the ranks of Metalheadz and knocked out their rather impressive debut LP, Ulterior Motive began their career with a slew of great singles for Teebee’s Subtitles imprint, and my favourite from that period is undoubtedly Featherweight.
Bringing together punchy techstep drums, grimey but stripped back bass modulations and a cheeky Mobb Deep sample, the groove on this tune is just undeniable, and it’s a track I keep coming back to. “Featherweight…gunshots will make you levitate” – boom!
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When it comes to raw, nasty hardstep it doesn’t come much bigger and badder than Manifest’s gangsta anthem OG Returns. Originally released on Renegade Hardware back in 2004 as part of the Skool Of Hard Knocks LP, this one packs quite a punch; hard hitting amens, dirty bass stabs and a solid selection of rap samples make for a track that takes no prisoners. “Raise the fuck up”!
Unknown Error are chiefly remembered for their hefty neurofunk outings for the likes of Lifted Music and Renegade Hardware but the duo also had a knack for the deeper side of D&B as evidenced by their 2006 single for Horizons Music, The Yearning.
Combining rough breaks with soft pads, the track explores the “liquid with teeth” style that other producers like Chris.Su have since taken up, and the track walks the line between deep euphoria and darker dancefloor sensibilities with finesse. Tasty stuff, and a record I’m yet to tire of.
The sad news that Renegade Hardware will be closing its doors for good immediately had me digging for classic Hardware via the old Future Beats mix series, and while listening to Chris Renegade’s instalment The Force jumped right out at me.
While far from the only D&B track to make use of a few cheeky Star Wars samples, their use in this track is subtler and altogether more rhythmic than in most other tunes. Combine that with the rolling break and instantly recognisable bassline and you’re onto a classic that still moves floors. RIP Hardware, and long live Teebee!