Yesterday's Trainspottle no.128 was Capone - Tudor Rose.
Big tune solidifying Dillinja's immense 'Cybotron' sound for the new millennium. No "Shakespeare in the Park", its medieval Larry Fishburne Othello sample offers the only pause (after the inevitable rewind) before crushing dancefloors everywhere.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.130 was Calibre & High Contrast - Mr. Majestic.
The liquid funk powerhouses unite to bring dubwise smoothness, horns and amens together in a Signature blend. A siren song of emotion + roots for d'n'b heads.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.132 was PFM - Danny's Song.
PFM create a warm, dreamy soundscape to take you on a journey LTJ "Danny" Bukem would approve of. A logical progression from Aphex Twin's ambient "Z Twig".
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.133 was Total Science - Make Me Feel.
Having already showed their vision for the new millennium remixing some older classics in 2000, Total Science continued the consistent dancefloor damage with this welcome fusion of hardcore sounds and modern day breaks & basslines.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.136 was Scorpio - Trouble.
This Scorpio tunes sees Roni & Die bringing the late-90s Bristolian d'n'b funk in this classic stepper. "Away goes trouble down the drain".. into a mesmerizing bassline and breaks.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.138 was Doc Scott - Paradise Lost (Last Action Hero).
Doc Scott paving the way to the future taking us on a progressively darker trip via breakbeat experimentation and bass. You're not in a movie, you're in the jungle!
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.140 was Special Forces - The End.
With the underground focus of his Special Forces alias Photek seamlessly connects raw drum & bass and classic house elements. When you have the vocals from previous downtempo track "Can't Come Down" of Robert Owens who worked with Larry Heard and Frankie Knuckles, you use 'em.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.143 was Bad Company - Planet Dust.
Rapidly refining & evolving their techy sound )EIB( were an unstoppable force for the new millennium. This tune was both bigger & more experimental continuing DJ Fresh & Co's growth and reaching dancefloors far & wide (often many times a night) as d'n'b kept exploding globally.
Planet Dust was even part of a Marcus Visionary appearance on Canada's Electric Circus live dance music show in Toronto as the scene ambassador held nothing back to the mix of dancers on national TV. It's not Top Of The Pops but representin'!
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.146 was The Chameleon - Links.
Nailing that perfect balance of atmospherics, breaks and bass made for a Good Looking journey might have come a bit easier to The Chameleon aka ambient & electronic legends Tom Middleton & Mark Pritchard of Global Communication. Throw in a Ferris Bueller sample and you're off.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.148 was Kemal + Rob Data - Star Trails.
With top-notch, precise production the duo lead the pack for a new generation of producers driving their techy focus forward into a neurofunk future with tunes like this.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.149 was Mask - Mad Professor.
The Bristol gang always had an eye on the underground bringing jump-up party beats on Dope Dragon. With hints of Krust's "Warhead" and also their other Dope Dragon smash the "Dictation Remix", Roni delivers big build ups and drops. Firin'.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.150 was Kosheen - Hide U.
Honing their versatile jungle & d'n'b skills in the Bristol underground for years Decoder & Substance linking up with vocalist Sian Evans when audiences' appetite for liquid funk sounds was really heating up turned this stepper into a crossover smash. Charting and even doing a live PA on Top Of The Pops.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.152 was Matrix - Apache.
Part of his debut LP "Sleepwalk", Matrix finds it hard not to be caught up in the twisting, electronic alien funk of brother Optical & Ed Rush's Virus Recordings popular techy d'n'b sound delivering for the dancefloor here with creative Apache break use & neurofunk melody.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.153 was Fellowship - Coming On Strong.
Fellowship was involved in lots of productions from mid-90s atmospheric jungle to jump-up and then really set his sights on restoring the balance of light & dark in d'n'b in the early 2000s with Defunked. Brilliantly smooth liquid funk stepper here.
Amit brings together heavy dub soundsystem vibes and industrial drums into a pioneering halftime sound with a mesmerizing groove. Connecting us to the 'roots' at a time when doing something different in d'n'b was noticeable.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.158 was Pascal - P-Funk 2000.
Upping the tempo on the classic slow burning west coast stepper to bring it in line with his modern productions Pascal's skill of taking dancefloors deeper while keeping them moving was well applied over the years from jungle to d'n'b.
Since it's the holidays might find some easier ones as we approach the new year... *some* anyways.
Yesterday's Trainspottle was Alex Reece - Pulp Fiction.
Stripping things right down to a two-step break pattern, minimal vocal and sax sounds and a bassline that reverberated thru clubs and raves worldwide influencing drum & bass in a whole new way. Pivotal.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.160 was Def Con One - Time Is The Fire.
With a number of jungle releases under his belt over the years (alongside Bones) Hopa turned out this serious late-90s d'n'b head-turner for Randall's Mac2 Recordings that did dancefloor damage all over.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.161 was 808 State - Pacific (Groover Jeep Mix).
On occasion of its 10-year bringing 808 State's chilled Balearic classic back to the streets with tougher Jeep beats connected things from Rider's (and Optical's?) early acid house/rave roots. It's all there from those warm chords, sax lines & loons to techy d'n'b flavours.
