Drum & Bass Recommendations November 2010

Review: Noisia team up with tech-stepping neurofunk originators Ed Rush & Optical on the A Side of this release on their very own Vision imprint. Cue a tense thriller movie style intro, punishing drum kicks and heavy sci-fi SFX. Flipping over for another killer collab, the Dutch trio get tech-y with Lifted Music's poster boy, Spor. Rippling synths, crisp breaks and a murderous b-line make this one a stand out, with super tight production - rather reminiscent the Conquerors & Commoners EP but with a noisier (!) edge. This is everything you could expect and more from all parties - a quality 12".

Review: Hospital's Danny Byrd digs into the archives of raves past and re-works dance music's heritage into a set of souped up D&B anthems on this double 12". Things get underway with the simply awesome "Judgement Day" featuring Cyantific & I Kay, which is followed by the London Elektricity hook up "Failsafe". Prodigy worship is de rigeur, and on "Hot Fuzz" Danny pays homage to the 90s dance behemoth, while "Amen Alley" reaffirms his place on the D&B map with big, bouncy tuneage galore.

Review: "Acid Rain" is one of the more incendiary moments from Kryptonite, the superb sophomore outing from ex-Bad Company member, Breakbeat Kaos co-owner and all round D&B superstar, DJ Fresh. It's a rollicking, rolling number with crazed vocodered vox, electro-tinged energy and soaring, peak time synths. Flip over for the discordant, high pitched screeching of "Fight", which comes replete with some wonderfully contradictory opera samples.

Review: The long awaited album from A.I, 'Stand Alone' is a thirteen-track excursion into one of V Recordings' finest acts. From the shuffling percussive breaks of entree 'High Tide', through the dreamy ethereal vocal work from D Bridge in stand out single 'Three's A Crowd' to the scintillating summertime sunshine in 'Vertical Drop' (feat. Marky). Notable tracks include the collab with Full Cycle legend, Krust in the ear-battering 'Audio Assault', Jenna G's superb vocal contributions to 'Unforgettable' and 'Blind Eye' (feat. DRS), first seen on Friction's Assassin mix of '09. Tuning into a vintage analogue sound, 'Stand Alone' is nothing short of a painstakingly crafted masterpiece. Outstanding.

Review: Celebrating 15 years in the ride this year, Renegade Hardware (one of the most influential darkside D&B labels in the business) brings forth a compilation spanning the label's dark, tech-y, forward thinking music of the moment. This 12" sampler is a stormer from start to finish with stand out contributions from Teknik, Dose, Menace & Vicious Circle (on "Mutiny"), while Gremlinz & Anile chip in with "Stand Alone". A culmination of this label's success to date and an essential release for the Hardware militia.