Juno Recommends Breakbeat February 2021

Review: Moscow-based producer Marco Lazovic has scored a few significant releases over the past five years, landing on Lobster Theremin and appearing alongside Minimal Violence on a cassette release back in 2016. After Funkyjaws' opening missive, DJ Craft's Craft Music label has invited Lazovic to throw down his bold and brassy take on soundsystem dynamics in a modern context. This is mellow, melodic music with a hefty bottom end touching on red-lining electro and electronica in equal measure, slipping into ambient jungle territory here and there and overall creating a delightful trip for the mind, body and soul.

Review: Anna Wall's The Bricks label continues to be a fine outlet for contemporary house, techno and breaks with this new missive from Inner Zone. It's his debut on the label and is a dreamy and nostalgic EP that looks back to a post-rave era and reimagines the beats of the day through a modern lens. Opener 'JV Sports' is pure Orbital bliss, 'Reality Grid' is a deeper and more introspective take, with crunchy beats and warped bass and then 'The Last Arpy' again takes off for another dimension with its far sighted chords and sleek hi hats. An Alec Falconer Madge E mix closes out with real drive and cosmic insight.

Review: Now here's a treaty we can all sign: following cuts on the likes of E-Beamz, Warehouse Rave, Hooversound and his own co-owned Club Glow, Mani Festo comes crashing down in West Norwood with four more incendiary slap-downs. Raw diesel powered breaks with every rave echo you could ask for. 'Neutronics' hits with a cold slice of electro in the synth department, 'Come Wid It' hits with that stripped back technoid sound Bassbin Twins were so good at back in the day, 'Disengage' is all about the drum edits and that metallic, futuristic Botchit style while 'Iron Fist' closes the EP with a drum funk KO punch that's so hard you'll forget all about lockdown.