Da Lick, an offshoot of Joker Records, was created in 1997 by Bizzy B and had a short lifespan with the last track, Da Lick 25, being released between 1999 and 2000.

Although the label is relatively unknown to most, some of the releases were produced by the likes of Kraig Martin (Special K) and Dean Vincent (Apollo 13) who later went on to release many successful tracks such as Space Dust, Wild West, Danger, Pressure Roll and so on.

Dean Vincent was behind such aliases as Mr Freeze, Penguin, Sub Zero, Joker and half of The Dynamic Duo (alongside Bizzy B). The duo were responsible for the likes of Just a Little Hip Hop on Suburban Base, 16 Track Ting remix on Joker Records and most importantly Ya Rockin. Released on Back 2 Basics under the Swoosh alias alongside Jason Ball this was without a doubt,  his most supported release of the time.

Although it was Special K that really made a name for himself in the mid 90’s Jump Up scene it is highly likely that both Kraig and Dean’s careers were shaped and developed by the likes of Bizzy B and the Joker Records camp.

Labels such as Back 2 Basics, Urban Takeover, Trouble on Vinyl and Proper Talent had a huge backing from the big DJ’s of the time and certainly had far more presence than the likes of Joker Records and Da Lick, however, if you’re a collector of all things Jump Up this label shouldn’t be ignored.

Die hard fans of the era will note that small DJ support was given to Da Lick Crew’s ‘Iron Hand’ during 1997 but it was marginal compared to other labels releases at the time.

The only real feature of a Da Lick crew I can think of from memory is the Micky Finn mix that featured on the Dreamscape compilation - ‘The Vision’. This was also later released at the turn of the millenium and renamed ‘The Legendary Dreamscape Presents The Millenium Collection’. Here, Micky plays the remix of ‘You Know’ by Da Lick Crew (which was one of Bizzy B’s many aliases).

Although here’s where it gets slightly confusing..

Switch, the other offshoot of Joker Records released the remix whereas the original was released on Da Lick - perhaps Bizzy B was testing both labels to see which was more popular? Really does seem strange though to put out an original on one label then the remix on another especially considering both labels used the same style of production relentlessly.

Talking of production, both Switch and Da Lick were obvious Jump Up labels but what’s more obvious is some of the cheeky sampling used in many of the tracks. This was rife throughout Drum & Bass at the time and certainly no different going back years previously although the Joker camp always seemed to do it in such a blatant way.

The obvious sampling of Hip Hop & R’n’B features as you would expect with the likes of Brandy & Monica’s ‘The Boy is Mine’ and Mousse T’s Laid Back mix of MC Lyte’s ‘Cold Rock a Party’ but it’s the actual drum beats and bassline samples that I refer to when I say cheeky.

The best way I can make evidence of this is to point you in the direction of the mix for you to make your own mind up so here’s a sample of Da Lick featuring some of my favourite releases from the label.

Tracklist

01) Unknown Artist - Side A - Da Lick 11
02) The Untouchables - The Big One - Da Lick 15
03) Spirit - The Siege - Da Lick 19
04) The Saint - Come On - Da Lick 8
05) Unknown Artist - Side A - Da Lick 7
06) Unknown Artist - Side A - Da Lick 2
07) Unknown Artist - Side B - Da Lick 11
08) Da Lick Crew - Iron Hand - Da Lick 3
09) Twirl - Bounty - Da Lick 18
10) Da Lick Crew - You Know - Da Lick 3
11) Unknown Artist - Side B - Da Lick 2
12) The Untouchables - Crest - Da Lick 15
13) Spirit - Rage - Da Lick 19
14) Twirl - Untitled - Da Lick 18
15) The Saint - Like This - Da Lick 8
16) Da Lick Crew - Untitled - Da Lick 17

Download via Soundcloud here

DJ SY - The Scratchmaster’s Obsession (1995)

For those up to date with the UK Hardcore scene you will no doubt know of the legend that is DJ SY and his bouncy, hands in the air anthem filled sets. However, this wasn’t always the case and back in the early 1990’s DJ SY was an incredibly versatile DJ, covering a huge spectrum of genres ranging from House to Jungle. 

SY was a resident at Obsession for many years alongside MC Scratchmaster Techno, some say this was the first and possibly the last time he went head to head with DJ Hype in a scratch battle. For a good few years this was a battle fought out verbally among ravers across the globe - who was the best scratcher, was it Hype with his itched up dog barks or SY with his array of vocal snapshots?

This triple CD collection showcases everything that was great about UK House, Jungle and Happy Hardcore/4 Beat in 1995. The Jungle CD especially doesn’t draw for anthem after anthem but showcases tracks from the likes of School of Hard Knocks and Flatlines. Some obvious tunes of the moment feature but it was nice to see a compilation not filled with anthem after anthem.

My personal favourite out of the three CD’s has to be the House mix, if you think House sounded like the current offering in the Top 40 then think again. House in 1995 was exactly that - no dressed up pop riffs, no 3 keys on repeat but tracks made for the dancefloor. No pretentious autotune rubbish in this mix!

The download folder can be found here

If you would prefer to buy it, pick it up from Discogs here

DJ Ratty - Mythology 1992

Way before Robbie D turned into a crack ridden shouter he actually added something to a set, this is demonstrated in this wicked DJ Ratty mix. 

Loads of classic trade mark cuts and quick mixes from the oily crossfader veteran

Download here

Lost Tapes, the type of tape you find at the bottom of a box, under a pile of clothes in a wardrobe or a re recording lost in time… until now

This week I’ll be attempting to rediscover some lost tapes from the vaults of ‘92 - ‘94 with some rare audio footage from the UK rave scene.

I’ll start with this Rat Pack, Ellis D and Kev Bird tape - found in a box of stuff that I should have unpacked a year ago. I really need to listen to it properly to try and figure out where the recording originally came from, I do however remember this was a firm favourite in the School playground and did the rounds for some time - my copy must have been a 5th or 6th generation duplicate!

Download here

All Prisoners of Technology mix

1) Prisoners of Technology - Total Control - Fresh Kutt 03 - 1997
2) Prisoners of Technology - Cold Blooded (Pay Up Mix) - Fresh Kutt 06 - 1998
3) Prisoners of Technology - FEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLL (Bruce’s Bonus Mix) - Fresh Kutt 01 - 1997
4) Prionsers of Technology - Intoxicate (Intense Mix) - Fresh Kutt 10 - 1999
5) Prionsers of Technology - Push Da Button (Fresh Mix) - Fresh Kutt 02 - 1996
6) Prisoners of Technology - Tha Boggiee (Freaks Mix) - Fresh Kutt 05 - 1998
7) Prisoners of Technology - One-Two (World Cup ‘98 Mix) - Fresh Kutt 07 - 1998
8) Prisoners of Technology - Mother Fu@’in Real (K Dub XXX Rated Mix) - Fresh Kutt 08 - 1998
9) Prisoners of Technology - Delikutt Beats (Remix) - Fresh Kutt 10 - 1999
10) Prisoners of Technology - The Trick Of Technology (Time To Work Mix) - Fresh Kutt 01 - 1997
11) Prisoners of Technology - Crazzzy (Re-hab Mix) - Fresh Kutt 06 - 1998
12) Prisoners of Technology - Battle Master (Life Story Mix) - Fresh Kutt 03 - 1997
13) Prisoners of Technology - Doomsday Boy (Kids Of Death Remix) - Fresh Kutt 09 - 1998
14) Prisoners of Technology - Deadly Technique - Battlemaster Records TMS007 - 2004

This is long overdue, a mix that I should have put together at the end of 1999 to celebrate the release of the Bass 99 EP but at the time, for some strange reason, I didn’t have a full back catalogue. Thankfully I do now and this mix will hopefully show those that have only heard ‘Trick of Technology’, that the collective that was Prisoners of Technology were a huge force to be reckoned with during the 90’s.

TMS 1 made a short but appreciated rebirth to the online scene some time ago, I remember speaking to him about the future of Prisoners of Technology and Fresh Kutt, I got the feeling at the time that the era had passed him by, perhaps a new chapter had already opened? Perhaps he had ‘done a Mampi Swift’ and buggered off to America undercover? Needless to say though, his spirit and love for the scene was certainly apparent, although it was probably the love for the scene during its hey day that I am referring to.

What made tracks on this label special were the mixture of deep, sublow basslines combined with a heavy Hip Hop influence in terms of sample sources and cut up beats along with a desire to create dance floor monsters.

I hear all the time these days about people ‘skaking out’ although I don’t think they would appreciate this term until they heard Intoxicate on a huge system alongside Bassman and Trigga. This, in my opinion, is the definition of the term. If this is a tune that’s passed you by it’s certainly worth tracking down - the new school Jump Up DJ’s should stick it in a set, I would bet 50p that it would cause mayhem.

My favourite track from the label is probably The Flavour ‘98, at the time of release I wasn’t too sure where Drum & Bass was going for me. It was around the time where I don’t think a lot of popular producers knew the answer either and this release was a defining moment in terms of saving a confused genre. Jump Up soon became something new in ‘99, gone were certain factors that made it fun - this all kind of sorted itself out though after a short while but we won’t speak about the current state of affairs in this write up.

I’m not even going to mention the horrific remix in 2001 by Sub Zero, I am sure even he knows it was bloody terrible.

*TMS 1, K Dub and DJ Magic were Prisoners of Technology until 1998. TMS1 then continued as a solo artist until 2004.

Discogs link: http://www.discogs.com/label/Fresh+Kutt+Records

Download and stream here

Or via Soundcloud here

Sub Zero – Protection (review)

Sub Zero, a producer now firmly cemented in the DJ Hype’s Real Playaz label, has come a long way in a short time span. Not to be confused with the classic Mortal Kombat character, favoured by many for his fire breathing and skull ripping, this talented producer made his debut (as a solo producer*) to my ears in 2010 with his remix of ‘We Came To Entertain’ on Formation Records.

At the time of release this was exactly what Jump Up Drum & Bass needed, a solid well thought out tune with all the attributes of a dance floor anthem. Sure, most people with half a clue on how to operate a computer based DAW can bash out throwaway Jump Up – just toss in a few movie samples, a mid ranged bass tone and various samples from a Vengeance pack, but this is the point I am trying to make. Sub Zero brought what was perhaps the thinking man’s production style back to Jump Up.

Moving slightly forward to 2012 and the ‘Bi Polar EP’ released under Playaz Recordings featuring Grimm and Supreme Being (after much social networking embarrassment, less said about that the better). To make an EP is no small task and to make one at such an early stage of a producers career could potentially be quite daunting so the expectation surrounding this, as you can imagine, has been pretty big.

So, you were expecting a track with loads of wobble? Wrong review, this is indeed a dance floor track but not for the under 18’s – it’s a thinking man’s Drum & Bass smasher, perfect for the scarcely lit club with your head down, feeling the music as it was intended.  This is a combination of a DJ friendly intro, clever pad and percussion work and a simple yet slightly distorted vocal. Add to this a nice, sub low bassline and to make a refreshing change, no mid ranged sine wave action.

You can imagine the scene in the studio when this was licked, if I was Sub Zero the smile on my face would be that of a Cheshire cat. It’s thankfully not aimed as a cross over cash in, this is, in my opinion, aimed at the real heads, regardless of age, just those that know good British music when they hear it.

If I was to ask for anything different it would be a switch up in the second breakdown, perhaps some additional vocals? To be honest though, what’s presented here works, and works as intended.

In summary, this is a superb effort, one which shows diversity and dare I say it – maturity.

Certainly a success for the label, a special end mention must also go to whoever produced the artwork for the vinyl release which suited the production perfectly.

Remember the roller? You do now.

*Sub Zero was previous half of the Generation Dub duo.

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DJ Jamie Feat. Linden D live on Rapture FM 13th February 2012

Download and stream this 2 hour mix from official.fm or stream via Mixcloud

Massive tunes from the likes of 175 Crew, Aphrodite, Ray Keith, Congo Natty, Firefox, Twisted Individual, DJ SS, Swoosh, Roni Size and many more

Check Rapture FM every Monday for Jamie’s show from 8pm

Ruffneck Ting - a legendary Jungle rave and a pretty good label to boot!

The label is probably most famous for the classic Jungle hit Damn Right by Substance which was supported heavily by the likes of Mickey Finn, Hype and Darren Jay among others.

DJ Dazee was, I believe the headlining act from the label and was booked to play at the likes of Helter Skelter and Dreamscape although never really made it past the B list.

The logo has recently bee reproduced and you can now pick up a t-shirt from the Section 23 store here

Joker Records logo t-shirt’s are also still in stock.

Live Monday 13th February MC Linden D on Jamie’s Return to the Jungle show on Rapture FM from 8pm GMT.

Expect some big Jungle tracks to be laid down alongside some of Jamie’s favourite tunes from the last 20 years. The combination of Jamie’s selection and Linden’s vast array of lyrics is sure to be something you don’t want to miss.

The show will be recorded live and hosted for download on Tuesday 14th February.

Blocks & Escher - Sagan b/w Broken [Narratives Music]

EDJ favourites Blocks and Escher turn up the heat this week with the introduction of their new label Narratives Music. The emphasis here is on ‘releasing music which encapsulates the atmosphere, emotion and excitement’ that made them fall in love with the genre in the 90’s’. So a label that is deeply personal and not afraid to show it, good news! Music is undoubtedly a deeply personal thing and too many labels trying to be all things to all people is partly the reason why the majors and the mainstream industry at large is in the state it is in today. People don’t feel the connection with music that they once did, predominantly because everything is so homogenised and essentially impersonal. I invites the question, why should somebody feel obliged to pay for something that is aimed in such a corporate scattergun fashion at anybody the marketing model’s remit picks up? I’m not condoning the theft of music and to be fair the factors outlined above generally don’t apply to our beloved genre, I’m just saying it’s partly understandable when you take them into consideration and apply them to the bemoaning masses.

Anyway, enough about that. Narratives’ first release lets two typically raw and pulsating rhythms off the leash for our aural pleasure. On ‘Broken’, heart melting synth lines and breathy vocals entwined with stone cold breaks produce an indefinable fusion that sounds quite unlike any other set piece of music out there in the realm of 170bpm at the moment. ‘Sagan’ with a percussive journey that twists, turns and rolls up and down throughout certainly keeps the listener on their toes. Both tunes are a healthy testament to the notion that you can take the polished sheen off of drum and bass and still make it listener friendly. A little bonus for digital lovers and supporters of those who buy from the labels online store over at Surus is a solo effort from Escher, ‘Cymbal Runner’ that’s been doing the rounds for a while now.

With such a personal slant on the ethos of the label, I thought rather than the usual waffle that litters these reviews, it would be good to ask Phil [Blocks] to try and give us an idea of some music that inspires, particularly him and how this relates to the sounds we hear in the vinyl tracks, ‘Sagan’ and ‘Broken’. The result was as expected, a very broad spectrum including cult classic acts like Joy Division, Kate Bush, Radiohead and Neil Young, alongside some offerings from the more obvious sources of Photek, Boymerang and Susumu Yakota. The later of these creative sources offer the more obvious sonic assimilations. Having listened to Narratives001 it would difficult not to cite a Photek in the inspirations bracket. His penchant for making such succinctly underground, but ultimately tactile sounding music is a very close fit with B&E’s style. Not to say that Narratives001 is full of Photek rip offs, far from it. What struck me was the mutually innate melodic charm of both ‘Broken’ and Photek’s ‘Aleph1’. The hypnotic synth work in Kate Bush’s ‘Running up that Hill’ has always been a personal favourite. Less obviously though, the staunch attitude of an artist so uncompromisingly her own (although actually this tune had to be given a different name to that originally intended for fear of losing commercial appeal!) To me this reflects how B&E have carved out a strong identity of sound for themselves in the scene, build a good following and still manage to stay true to their craft. Having never taken the time to indulge in the buzz surrounding Thom Yorke and his ever influential band, I was shocked at the frantic percussion in Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’. ‘Creep’ this is not and although this may be a slight fallacy of logic, you can see how it may have influenced some of the more experimental electronic music to have graced our ears over the last few years. Another citation worthy of note is the general level of atmosphere that the tunes on Narratives001 create. Generally a building sequence of melodic elements is pretty standard these days but to let the composition get overcrowded and convoluted is all too easy in my mind. When you listen to the young Mike Sheridan’s ‘Stjernekiggeri’ (yeah I can’t pronounce it either) or the veteran Yakota’s ‘Imagine’ you are treated to a master class in how it’s done in the very subtle way witnessed in both ‘Broken’ and ‘Sagan’.

One of my favourite things to do is garner an understanding of what influences artists to write the music they do. Some references are more blatant than others. Sometimes you can hear them at a micro level IE a particular sample or sound. Others are more macro, the general feel and atmosphere of a track or the artistic outlook. One way or the other I always enjoy coming away with an enhanced sense of understanding and affinity with an artist. Understanding for obvious reasons but affinity because you feel you’ve been given a personal insight into the mind of somebody whose work you respect and appreciate as a contemporary. That is part of the charm of not only this experience but the whole ethos of Narratives Music as an entity. With that in mind I have to whole heartedly recommend you keep a close eye on the future of the label.

Review by Tom (Taken Root) - follow him on Twitter here

Listen to the audio here