Yesterday's Trainspottle no.295 was Ebony Dubsters - Ra.
While busy working on chart-destined crossover dnb smashes Shy FX & T Power made time to supply the underground with undeniable selections like this. Precise, fast-paced jump-up with expertly tuned elements from a pair that helped define the style. Irresistible to dancefloors.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.296 was Twisted Anger - Mothership.
Pushing the d'n'b elements to their limits with a chopped amen tearout and knock-you-over bass, this duo directed their anger into terrifying soundsystems and sending dancefloors into a frenzy with their Dread sound.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.299 was You Don't Need To Know - You Don't Know Who Did This.
DJ Hazard on his Radius label trolling trainspotters and haters with a mysterious alias. The point: his honed sound of tightly produced beats & catchy bass spoke for itself on the dancefloor and was ready to lead a new jump-up generation to the party. He was not clownin' around.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.300 was Keaton & Hive - The Plague.
Rolling breaks and neurotic atmosphere leads to a bouncing bass groove and big hook in a dancefloor classic. Keaton & Hive's high production levels brought tough unmistakable drum & bass energy together with a hip-hop edge setting a bar hard to beat.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.301 was Sta & Paul B - Come Closer.
On a mission to reignite DJ Trace collected global producers on his DSCI4 imprint thirsty & inspired for a new wave of darker dnb. Stand outs like this Russian duo showing off production skills and blending of neurofunk & techstep sounds were a beacon for the modern scene.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.305 was Fellowship ft. Wayward Mind - Dark Flower Remedy.
Fellowship updates his jazz'n'bass tune from the late 90s with a version for 2001 Playaz that so effortlessly glides between vocal atmosphere and a groove of tougher beats that we can see how destined his productions were for the rise of liquid funk. First-rate.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.306 was Davide Carbone ft. Dominique Woolf - Innocence.
An Aussie working out of Bristol adept at various drum & bass styles from neuro to liquid funk it was Davide's productions adding musical depth that really shone. With Dominique Woolf's strong vocals and big bass drops he easily nails the trend here for Industry, the React d'n'b wing.
Turns out songs are mistitled on some uploads of this release, so the song name was not Experimental Error...damn modern catalog uploads! sorry
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.307 was Fauna Flash - Kiss
Duo Christian Prommer and Roland Appel deliver a very '97 jazz'n'bass fusion of Bristol-via-Munich influences showing d'n'b's reach and no stone unturned in German label Compost Records' search for future sounds of jazz.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.314 was Drum Kru - Thin Air.
Already part of conquering sounds on the scene, the prospect of any of Bad Company, Ed Rush, Optical, Ryme Tyme, Fierce, or Trace working as Drum Kru made the dnb world salivate. Here we find Fierce's techstep know-how & Fresh's sonic experimentation vibing in studio to excellent result.
NYC's Pish Posh flew the flag for US jungle/dnb in the 90s naturally pairing hip-hop & beats and fellow-Americans Evol Intent's tight remix production for Renegade Hardware's Barcode reps strongly for the harder dnb fans on both sides of the pond.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.316 was Artificial Intelligence - Uprising
That trademark driving bassline groove underpinning tight productions that balanced melodies with strong drums. A statement for liquid funk and making them an irresistible force on dancefloors everywhere.
Bursting on the scene bringing the funk via live guitar and instrument licks and branching out Valve-approved tight drum & bass production. An energetic debut for the group from Newcastle that propelled them into sets everywhere.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.320 was Jonny L - Piper
Keen to pull in broader electronic sounds to his palette of rave history Jonny L captures the current sound in '97 presenting a dark, brooding, techno-infused alien two-step groove with a wall of bass. Very much an up-to-date statement adding to his evolution.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.322 was Tekniq - One Style
Driven by the scene around them this longtime production duo deliver a quality squelchy stepper meeting Formation's high bar for party rinsers and capturing the evolving techstep-influenced and soon to be standard sound of jump-up d'n'b in '97.
Yesterday's Trainspottle was Moving Fusion - Turbulence
Bursting on the scene with irresistible big rolling bass groove and raw energy Moving Fusion appeared on a sampler and then joined the core kru on the Sound in Motion LP, a turning point for Ram towards a powerful, techy drum & bass future. Moving sounds and feet.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.327 was SKC & Chris SU - Crash.
As the scene continued to connect globally producers like SKC & Chris SU eager to show off their honed skills with a harder edged drum & bass sound repped strongly for Hungary further inspiring locals & beyond.
En route to a full album Calyx's skill producing dark, hard-hitting d'n'b with space-filling sound was getting bigger & bigger. Throw in a catchy hip-hop sample with the breaks & bass here for a guaranteed dancefloor frenzy.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.333 was Regulate - Juniper
Regulate's contributions to Hardleaders' catalogue fit in with the label's run of heavy rolling, bass-focused tunes with a deeper underground edge. Aliases abound but no doubt early members of the select crew like Lemon D(?) helped on the buttons here crafting the sound.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.334 was Facz - Wreckage
Facs dons the z and complements his techy big bass d'n'b skills with an energetic drum workout. Keeping it moving with tight, switching patterns and crunchy beats this one is satisfying for the dancefloor and the heads.
Yesterday's Trainspottle no.335 was Future Forces Inc & DJ Kane - Morpheus
With space for artists like young Future Forces (Maldini & dBridge) & DJ Kane to experiment and knob-twiddle further into a steppy, sci-fi future, the Quantum Mechanics LP signaled Hardware as a major platform for a new breed & new horizon of d'n'b sounds.
