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DJ Grooverider Feat. MC's Joker & Flux - Dreamscape 15 vs 16

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:32:40 -0400

DJ Grooverider Feat. MC's Joker & Flux - Dreamscape 15 vs 16: Dreamscape 15 vs 16 - 31 December...

"FFT = FOOD FOR THOUGHT I speak to myself first and foremost with this post before anyone gets it..."

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:29:20 -0400

“FFT = FOOD FOR THOUGHT I speak to myself first and foremost with this post before anyone...

"I do wonder if Danny Byrd woke up one day and thought “you know what, all these younger kids..."

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:07:37 -0400

“I do wonder if Danny Byrd woke up one day and thought “you know what, all these younger...

Another year and another Innovation in the Sun MC competition...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:28:00 -0400

Another year and another Innovation in the Sun MC competition full of wannabe mcs spouting off unoriginal verses whilst eating pop filters. It really does beg the question as to where they are taking influence from, maybe these next generation of mcs believe that drum & bass is the new gangster rap? I for one am really sick of hearing “trust me blud” and “big up fam”, it’s like you have to stick to a shitty formula to comply with the stigma of a upfront drum and bass mc.

Just for the record - you don’t.

To be fair though, I don’t go to raves anymore so if this is what you get then thank the bloody lord!

This isn’t to say they are all bad, take the video above from Cambridge’s Bunnage MC, a hard working mc who’s certainly developed his own style over the years. Big up for that.

I think this is the point I am loosely trying to make, you don’t need to replicate every other wannabe mc to get yourself noticed, quite the opposite in fact.

On another note, where did Charlie D go? The ‘weatherman’ of drum & bass mcs.

If you can bear it, here’s the full list of the ‘orrible little bastards - link

Sub Zero joins forces with the likes of Jaydan, Krakota, Supreme...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:32:00 -0400

Sub Zero joins forces with the likes of Jaydan, Krakota, Supreme Being, Konichi and Majistrate to bring you the latest offering from the Real Playaz camp - Remix EP. Quite why they couldn’t think of a more creative name for this package I have no idea but it certainly does contain remixes and yes, it’s an EP.

For the generous price of £3.99 via iTunes you can pick up a total of 6 tracks, considering this works out at just over 60p per track it’s great value for money, or is it?

Lets kick off proceedings with Jaydan & Sub Zero’s remix of ‘Dodge City’, originally released in 2010 on the flip of ‘Spin Doctor VIP’ featuring a lead sample from Busta Rhymes’ ‘Gimme Some More’. In 2012 Sub Zero released a VIP of ‘Dodge City’ which was promptly released as a free download via Soundcloud. So what with the original and the slightly altered VIP, what else could be fiddled with? Well it’s average news, the introduction sticks to the tried and tested formula of the original although adds an array of snares which could ideally be cut down by half although the robotic vocals add a little more depth. It’s just those bloody snares, way too many of them. I like the rolls though, more rolls maybe and less stabby snares. The drop is OK but doesn’t really inspire me, it’s as if the tune just chugs along at it’s own pace with very little in the way of dynamics or switches. Oh wait you say, the middle section switches things up and yes you would be correct, although it’s then back to the same old array of copy, paste and copy some more.

I honestly wanted to like this tune, I just don’t find it very exciting, if anything it’s a bit lazy. Meh.

‘Your Flex’, a highlight on the ‘Bi Polar’ EP, seemed to hit anthem status at a pretty rapid rate, especially considering how throw away this particular genre can be at times. This EP features a remix by the one like Majistrate although I don’t really deem this as a remix, more of a VIP edit. It’s bound to be embraced by the upfront jump up generation, especially considering how huge the original was, although it doesn’t really justify the remix tag. It’s a funny one this as when I see the name Majistrate on a track I automatically look back to his early work on Splash Recordings and Eastside Records, for me the releases back in the mid 90’s were some of his best work.

Konichi, known for his militant production, brings forth two reworks of ‘Run n Hide’ in the form of both a remix and a ‘rollers’ remix. It’s nice to see the term rollers being used again, for years jump up seems to have been lost in a void of uncertainty and it’s only really been in the last year or so that it seems to have refound it’s identity. The rollers remix is great, it’s one of those tunes aimed at dimly lit dance floors full of heaving bodies all getting their heads down and feeling the low frequencies. The tune works well, it has the right kind of dynamics and although it’s certainly no roller in terms of what you might associate the terminology with from years gone by it does what you would expect from Konichi. The standard remix couldn’t be any further apart from the rollers version if it tried, this one certainly takes a different stance and flips the script totally. Adopting hard step beats and clever beat programming this is a great reworking and it’s clear that the work was put in to make this track memorable, one thing I would have liked to hear from this though is some lower basslines although that’s not saying i’m not a fan of the tune.

‘Motion’ remix by Supreme Being starts well, the congo style drums, early rave stabs and reverb filled stabs are nice although as far as tunes go the whole offbeat drums, crossover dubstep squelch basslines and monotonous programming don’t do it for me. It’s another one of those tracks where the producer has taken the option of following the same old pattern of duplicating the first drop providing little variety throughout the whole tune. This method may work on occasion, just not this one.

Last up is the Krakota remix of ‘Brighter Days’, in some respects the introduction to this is reminiscent to Hype’s full club edit of Rude Bwoy Monty’s ‘Gone are the Days’, released in 1997. It’s a great tune to end the review with and totally different from any of the other tunes on this remix EP. No doubt this will be popular with fans of liquid drum and bass as well as those who favour the jump up style, it’s a really involving track that provides a grown up element to the EP. I love the various delayed pianos and vocals, the bassline seems to growl in and out of the speakers but in the same respect contains elements of tranquility.

If you buy anything from this release I highly recommend it’s ‘Brighter Days’ although if you are a die hard fan of jump up opt for adding the Konichi bits to your virtual bag also.

6/10

Out on 22nd April via iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/remixes-ep/id622187370

Catch up with Jamie on Twitter

retronator: … I mean, I print my pixels on canvas. But Maya...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:37:01 -0400

retronator:

… I mean, I print my pixels on canvas. But Maya Pixelskaya … She paints them on canvas by hand. Hat /off, miss.

it8bit:

Street Fighter II Triptych

Over 800 hours of work went into this awesome acrylic on canvas piece! It is currently for sale so contact the artist at maya.pixelskaya@gmail.com if you are interested!

Created by Maya Pixelskaya || Facebook

AMAZING

Bass Station II Bass Station II is an analogue mono-synth based...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:07:25 -0400

Bass Station II

Bass Station II is an analogue mono-synth based on the classic original Bass Station but re-worked for the 21st century. It has two filters, two oscillators plus a third sub-oscillator, patch save and a fully analogue effects section. Add a step sequencer, arpeggiator, full sized keys and a powerful modulation section and you have the makings of a synth that is built for bass, but capable of so much more.

Bass Station II marks Novation’s 21st birthday - find out more about Novation’s early synths and how the technology evolved over 20 years here

Jamie S23 2013 remix of DJ Red’s classic ‘Enta...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 04:11:50 -0400

Jamie S23 2013 remix of DJ Red’s classic ‘Enta Da Dragon’

Fabio does a Doc Scott

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 05:55:30 -0400

Fabio does a Doc Scott: Gwarn Fabio!

My interview with jungle legend MC Fearless for Drum & Bass...

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:37:00 -0400

My interview with jungle legend MC Fearless for Drum & Bass Arena is now live here

Remember classics such as Bad Ass, Quest, Enta Da Dragon &...

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 06:37:52 -0400

Remember classics such as Bad Ass, Quest, Enta Da Dragon & Ding Dong Bass? Please check the Soundcloud link here and vote for your favourite.

A reblog would also be lovely!

Mickey Finn 1995 from the AWOL A Way Of Life Live album #history

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:42:26 -0400

Mickey Finn 1995 from the AWOL A Way Of Life Live album #history

Andy C 30 Minute Warehouse Promo Mix

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:42:28 -0400

Andy C 30 Minute Warehouse Promo Mix: drumnbass: No tracklisting. Came free with tickets to this...

Legendary image from the BBC Radio One show ‘One in the...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 06:51:23 -0400

Legendary image from the BBC Radio One show ‘One in the Jungle’.

This image and the story behind it are featured in the amazing book ‘All Crews’ - go buy a copy!

MC Fearless 1995 from the AWOL A Way Of Life Live album #history

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 05:11:07 -0400

MC Fearless 1995 from the AWOL A Way Of Life Live album #history

Interview with Jaydan for UK Bass Music

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 04:24:00 -0500

Jamie S23 hooked up recently with Jaydan, one of Jump Up’s biggest producers to discuss his...

Accelerated Culture & One Nation 2004 Downloads

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 04:40:23 -0500

Here’s a few great sets from the last ever Drum & Bass event at The Sanctuary, Milton...

My latest ‘Tape That’ series for Drum & Bass...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 05:42:00 -0500

My latest ‘Tape That’ series for Drum & Bass Arena is now live featuring sets from Mickey Finn and DJ Rap

Link here

Remember SL2? You know, Slipmatt and Lime.. Jo, Lime’s...

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 04:58:17 -0500

Remember SL2? You know, Slipmatt and Lime..

Jo, Lime’s girlfriend of the time produced R-Type in 1993 - a slick Jungle anthem which borrowed it’s name from the world famous Irem arcade game.

Fast forward to 2013 and none other than the godfather of Grime, Wiley, is spitting fire over this on YouTube.

Check it out, right now here

Run DNBA!

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 07:44:50 -0500

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