Yesterday's Trainspottle no.193 was Cybotron feat. Dillinja - Light Years.
Is Cybotron a planet? A person? The sound Dillinja was bringing forth definitely seemed like a prototype of something coming from light years away (and indeed was on dub for awhile). Harder beats & an acid bassline balanced with a soulful tinge. Unmistakable. Undeniable.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.194 was System Ex - Mindgames (Dub Mix).
Rapidly stepping up his output with yet another alias Photek shows off his proficiency producing complex breaks and bass journeys taking us deeper into the jungle. Early but easily cementing himself as a drum & bass great.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.195 was Facs - Journey Into Sound.
A stumper?
Facs' earlier tunes with dark, hardened beats but in a fun, samples & bass way were perfect for the jump-up sound on Smokers Inc. Watch out for those tearing amens too. He then evolved into full-on techy d'n'b with many releases over the years. His graffiti writing skills were also part of many label logos & artwork.
Yesterday's Trainspotle no.196 was John B - Sight Beyond (Remix).
John B's visions of drum & bass always involve combining influences. His early releases brought both lighter jazz elements and darker electronics into the d'n'b spectrum. This one clearly draws on the scene's techsteppin' ways. A breakbeat frenzy with precise production. Heavy.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.200 was Wax Doctor - The Spectrum.
With techno-inspired synth samples bringing lushness & atmosphere how it comes together with expert breakbeat cutting and bass is a hallmark of Wax Doctor's legendary status. Spectrums of drum'n'bass sound on the track.
Made it to 200. A continuing journey thru classics, forgotten gems and music history (and inadvertently making me work extra hard to produce a ton of vids, but ah well, fun). Thanks for playin!
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.201 was Danny Breaks - Definition.
True to his name and the craft Danny infuses the techstep sound of the day with breaks and his usual creative hip-hop sampling edge into a slice of drum funk science.
Yesterday's Trainspottle was Paradox - A Certain Sound.
Dark atmosphere and Dune samples are really just a setup to the main focus and hallmark of any Paradox production - serious breakbeat choppage and bass. A precise and deadly science on early Hardware.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.204 was B-Key - Capacitor (Remixxx 2).
B-Key and Biotic Records friends put out releases on XXX 10"s of raw, uncompromising tunes that pushed the limits of techy d'n'b. With hard-as-nails amen tearouts like this who needs neuro or funk.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.205 was Mampi Swift - Touch of J.
Having carved out a unique recognizable sound all his own Mampi applies those hi tek beats to a smooth jazz-funk sample and bass lick carrying his late-90s run of dancefloor stompers forward.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.210 was Stakka & Skynet ft. Friction - Altitude.
With synthy, manic sci-fi energy and technical precision this duo was helping set up the next wave of techy d'n'b with tunes like this and inspire the pace for years to come from mates like DJ Friction and more.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.211 was Naphta - One Squeeze/Out Of Time (Zero Tolerance's One Time Remix).
Zero T remixes both sides of a 2002 Naphta release on their influential homegrown Irish label Bassbin into one catchy dancefloor killer by mashing up their best elements with creative breaks, samples, change-ups and consistent groove.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.212 was Technical Itch - The Rukus.
Tech Itch pushed levels harder & darker at every turn always bringing top-notch production while doing it like this crowd-pleasing breakbeat tearout. Knew what you were getting with the Penetration series: a sonic onslaught, (some questionable artwork), and hard-hitting d'n'b.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.216 was Decoder - Circuit Breaker (Peshay Remix).
Evolving sounds Decoder and Tech Itch were cooking up in the lab like this moody, gritty '97 2-step gained added exposure from people like Peshay remixing and DJing them out, showing it wasn't just a jazz thing in Bristol.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.217 was Cause 4 Concern - Peep Show.
With output ramping up to prolific levels in 2001 and high bar of production quality it was only a matter of time before C4C ended up on Virus. Stand out tunes like this frantic but funky roller helped push them into the upper echelons of techy d'n'b. RIP Optiv.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.218 was Tronik 100 - Eternal.
Showing an adept ability at laying down deep, groovy dancefloor tracks this German duo became a key part of Renegade Recordings being a consistent purveyor of fine liquid funk for years.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.221 was TeeBee - Let Go.
Lighter R&B vocals deceptively mask a hard-hitting drum & bass groove as TeeBee nails the balance of light & dark with skill. A full production of tight breaks,towering bass and futuristic sounds this turn-of-the-century dancefloor rocker was one for the ravers.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.222 was Bad Company & Trace - Miami Flashback.
Don't let Miami rambling, seagulls, or even Frankie Knuckles and classic SL2 rave melody samples fool you: the )EIB( crew joined by DJ Trace with familiar Tramens and bass is here to tear down the place. Perhaps a flashback to Winter Music Conferences past.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.223 was Spirit - Raygun.
More of that unique, uncompromising Spirit sound. Dark and industrial but influenced by soundsystem dub and hardcore rave bursting out when the amens take over. Drums and bass for the dancefloor. RIP.
