SEBA 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Mako's Utopia label continues to be an essential outpost for anyone hungry for the latest steps forward in drum & bass, and here the man himself links up with the mighty Seba for two razor sharp excursions into moody, precision-engineered club gear that wears its experience out front. 'Brotherhood' is an absolute massive tune, holding down the pressure for an extended run time and getting crafty with the edits without ever over-cooking the recipe. On the flip, 'Stockholm Syndrome' takes a more atmospheric approach led by overcast synths and driven by a crisp-as-you-like beat - all the better to let the leads do the talking.

Review: The Secret Operations label is no longer operating in the shadows as it hits release number 35. Up to now it has continually served up superb drum & bass from a range of artists that has turned plenty of heads. This one comes from the legendary Seba and it kicks off with 'Are We Dreaming', a busy tune packed with flurries of breakbeats and plenty of cosmic chord work. On the flipside, 'Interstellar' has a funkier broken beat pattern but retains is astral sense of melody.

Review: Rolling since the mid 90s and showing no signs of slowing, Swedish D&B maestro Seba bounces straight from his Ingaro LP on Secret Operations to deliver this retrospective of highly sought after classics on Fokuz. Seba originally released 'Dangerous Days' in 2009 backed by his remix of Polar's 'Hi Voltage', and both cuts of dreamy drum funk make a welcome return here, with the title track in particular being an immersive slice of ambient D&B to write home about. 'Metropolaris' and 'A Wonderful World' both came out a little further back in 2003, but they equally complement the other tracks with their soft-shaped synth tones and crisp, intricate beats.

Review: Seba and Paradox return to offer up twin atmospheric, deep and breaks-driven drum & bass gemstones, 'I'll Wait' and 'Hexagon'. Quietly powerful and with enough drive and soul to shatter windows like terrestrial sonar, the A-sider 'I'll Wait' is a masterfully crafted track, proving that, while many drum & bass tracks might technically fit the bill, it takes a much greater deal of extra care and attention to really perfect the style's pacing. B-sider 'Amara', meanwhile, is much looser, albeit no less trigger-happy on the vocal oneshots, and it comes with a entrancingly time-losing rhythm to boot.