Mr Lif – I Heard It Today [2009] March 28, 2012

Another corker from Mr Lif, this time the title track from the socially conscious album of the same name. Without a doubt, Lif has a gift for wrapping the zeitgeist up in some bloody incredible rhymes. A commentary on the financial crisis that kicked into overdrive in 2009, holding up a mirror to the state of modern day society. The actual composition itself is excellent as well, the electronic tip really works with the frantic lyrical delivery. Quality.

Strange Rollers – Preachin Jazz [2012] March 27, 2012

Caught this banger on Billy Daniel Bunter’s Monday Music podcast and what a tune it is, easily one of the best tracks ive heard in a while. It is most definately channelling the likes of Alex Reese, Earl Grey with the heavy Jazz slant but manages to make it sound ridiculously fresh. The break is super clean, the vocal stabs are perfect but that jazzy vibe is pure bottled sunshine. Absolutely perfect.

Sharon Brown – I Specialize In Love [1981] March 20, 2012

One of those tracks that clearly demonstrates why its such an unmitigated classic. Despite it being a cover, this track shines like the sun with Brown’s vocal talent clearly center stage, dominating the track. Its tracks like this that put paid to the fallacy that “Disco” is dead. Just go to the comments section on [...]

Nico Featuring Makai – Omen [1997] March 2, 2012

Oh my gosh! Talk about dark, this one hunts your nightmares at the best of times. A cracking dark drum n bass track from Nico and Makai, with one of the longest buildups in history I reckon. What, 4 minutes of scare your gran strings and bass before the beats kick in like an assault from some slasher flick. Again, not much else to say, its golden era DnB, filthy and distorted, full of bass and malevolence. What a cracker!

Ray Keith – Special Technique [1996] March 2, 2012

Ah Ray Keith, what a legend, not many people mastered the darkness like Keith. This track is vintage Ray Keith too, with its light choppy breakbeat and brutal wobble basslines designed to ruin your speakers. A cracking cut of proper drum n’ bass this one.

D.O.M. – Acid war [1995] February 28, 2012

From one end of the spectrum to the other, this Acid Techno masterpiece from D.O.M rarely attracts anything but unapologetic joy and for good reason. This doesn’t destroy dance floors, this track obliterates them with extreme prejudice. Thats driving acid riff does not stop for the entire track, pulsing through you like a techno body snatcher from another world. There is no let up, no break, once it drops your in it for the duration. Your entire world is now nothing but possessed acid riffs, pounding bass drums and raw acid baselines. I cant adequately explain in words really just how incredible a track this is when heard live, surrounded by a sea of bodies but the reaction is just electric. An absolute masterpiece.

Cygnus X – The Orange Theme [1994] February 28, 2012

Now here’s a track that inspires either flat out joy or absolute hatred in all that know it. Its one of those tracks that has been played to death for years, for me, thats for good reason, its a blinder of a track. Its a guaranteed floor filler, appealing to a wide slate of electronic music fans and perhaps thats one of the reasons it inspires such hatred in many. Its origins are from “A Clockwork Orange”, made by one Wendy Carlos who in turn took inspiration from Henry Purcell’s “March” from “Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary”.

Capricorn – 20hz [1993] February 24, 2012

If your not smiling right now, you soon will be. What a classic this track is, an absolutely seminal piece of techno. It all starts innocuously enough but dont be fooled, its about to kick right off. The synth begins it slow, relentless build before in comes that cracking, industrial percussion set and your thinking, wait a minute, this sounds like it could get dangerous. Oh, trust me it does. Cue that fantastic synth build up to the crescendo, drop and your off again. Just when you think its about to get really naughty, in comes that string set, the beats get slightly tempered and before you know it, your arms are in the air and your grinning like a muppet. Its all good you think, im safe! Its going to keep bouncing along like this, its all good. Forget it, Capricorn has you and your taking one of the best techno rides of your like. A farkin’ masterpiece this.

Chris & James – Club For Life (The New Skool Balearic Mix) [1994] February 21, 2012

What a huge gurner of a track this one is, another classic from Stress Records. Its a guaranteed dance floor destroyer with that Piano riff just tearing the roof off when it drops. Right now for the life of me, I cannot remember where this accapella is from, its on the tip of my tongue and is going to bug the crap out of me for the rest of the day. That said, the rest of the track is a progressive tinged arm-waving marathon. Yes, there’s panpipes for extra cheese but we can let that one go, it was 93 after all. Cracking!

Earl Grey – The Lick [1995] February 14, 2012

What a corker this track is. I had it on “Future Funk” (Its still in the Garage Dad!) a bloody excellent album of DnB and downtempo classics amongst other things. This is most definitely one of the stand out tracks on there, one of a core few really top shelf jazzy “Intelligent” Drum & Bass tunes. The track didnt really see a whole lot of club play, I think I heard it a few times in the chill out lounge at Goodbye Cruel World but for the most part, this is a track for the car or your lounge at 1am. The bass is pure and the break is clean and absence of any over the top synth work just make this a minimalist classic for me. Fantastic, The Lick indeed!