• Drum & Bass Selection vols.1-4

Continuing our seasonal Santa-sack of multiple releases in a series, here’s the definitive collection of early drum’n'bass. Coming out of Romford as part of the Suburban Base empire of labels, Breakdown was set up especially for this series, but continued for several more years across a variety of dance genres. And for a while, before the nasty T1000-alike machine minds pounding out their unflinchingly bleak techstep got their way, this stuff was the genuine sound of the UK dancefloor.

(Oh, and if someone out there has a fresh and tasty link to volume 5, we might be persuaded to post the almost as tasty Telepathy – Jungle Dons set on Breakdown from back in 1995 as well.)

Volume 1, CD, Breakdown, 1994

01. Boogie Times Tribe – The Dark Stranger (Q-Bass Remix) (4:46)
02. DJ Crystl – Warpdrive (4:50)
03. Uncle 22 – 6 Million Ways to Die (DJ Hype Remix) (4:27)
04. M-Beat – Rumble (4:07)
05. Engineers Without Fears – Spiritual Aura (4:13)
06. D’Cruze – Watch Out (4:16)
07. Gappa G & Hyper Hypa – Information Centre (DJ Ron Remix) (4:34)
08. DJ Dextrous & Rude Boy Keith – Lovable (3:54)
09. M-Beat – Shuffle (5:08 )
10. Subnation – Scottie (4:13)
11. Jo – R Type (5:17)
12. Acro – Superpod (5:08 )
13. DJ Taktix – The Way (VIP Remix) (4:48 )
14. Desired State – Beyond Bass (5:19)
15. Q Bass – Gun Connection (5:34)
16. Roni Size & DJ Die – Music Box (5:10)

Link | Discogs

…

Volume 2, 2CD, Breakdown, 1994

DISC ONE
01. DJ Hype – Rrrroll da Beats (5:39)
02. Tom and Jerry – Maximum Style (5:00)
03. Fallen Angel – Hello Lover (Back 2 Basics VIP Mix) (6:17)
04. DMS & The Boneman X – Sweet Vibrations (6:04)
05. Lick Back Organisation – Maniac Music (Lick Back VIP Mix) (6:23)
06. Renegade – Terrorist (6:15)
07. Dopestyle – You Must Think First (6:31)
08. Shimon – Predator (5:49)
09. Run Tings – Ruff Revival (5:57)
10. Danny Breaks – 4 the Thinking Positive Crew (6:10)

DISC TWO
01. Roni Size – It’s a Jazz Thing (6:01)
02. Johnny Jungle – Johnny ‘94 (Origin Unknown Remix) (5:40)
03. DJ Ron – Mo Musik (6:59)
04. The JB – Stand Easy (Back 2 Basics VIP Mix) (6:24)
05. A-Zone – Callin all the People (5:25)
06. Brainkillers – Screw Face (5:08 )
07. Dextrous – Time to Move (4:59)
08. Sacred – Kall da Kops (Remix) (6:15)
09. Asend & Ultravibe – What Kind of World (5:08 )
10. Leviticus – The Burial (6:29)

Link | Discogs

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Volume 3, 2CD, Breakdown, 1994

DISC ONE
01. Andy C – Cool Down (6:14)
02. Bert & Dillinja – Lionheart (5:19)
03. King of the Jungle – King of the Jungle (VIP Remix) (6:16)
04. Sophisticated Bad Boyz – Feel the Magic (DJ Phantasy Remix) (6:36)
05. Badman – War in ‘94 (Tango Remix) (5:36)
06. Dead Dred – Dred Bass (5:53)
07. Tom & Jerry – Air Freshener (5:03)
08. Amazon II – Booyaaa! (6:14)
09. Flex – Rude Boy (5:05)
10. Marvellous Cain – The Hitman (VIP Remix) (5:14)

DISC TWO
01. Krome & Time – Ganja Man (5:54)
02. L Double – Little Roller vol.1 (6:04)
03. Remarc – Sound Murderer (4:30)
04. Dextrous – Heavenly Body (6:02)
05. Droppin’ Science – Firing Line (6:38 )
06. Ganja Kru – Mash Up da Place (5:48 )
07. Hopa & Bones – Ali Baba (5:50)
08. The Dream Team – Yeah Man (VIP Remix) (5:40)
09. Red One – Alive and Kicking (Origin Unknown Remix) (5:52)
10. DJ Rus De Tox & Teebone – Selectors Roll (6:06)

Link | Discogs

…

Volume 4, 2CD, Breakdown, 1995

DISC ONE
01. Remarc – R.I.P. (4:41)
02. Droppin’ Science – Step Off (6:42)
03. Undercover Agent – Oh Gosh (6:16)
04. Rude Bwoy Monty – Out in the Streets (6:08 )
05. Northern Connexion – The Bounce (6:13)
06. Roni Size – All Crew Just Big Up (Vip Remix) (5:53)
07. The Dream Team – Stamina (6:23)
08. Dillinja – Baby Your (6:21)
09. Asend & Ultravibe – Real Love (5:36)
10. The Ganja Kru – Going out for the Loot (5:52)

DISC TWO
01. Babylon 5 – Set it up DJ (Vip Remix) (5:58 )
02. Shy FX – Simple Tings (5:29)
03. Original Vibes & Hellrazor – Future Beats II (Grill Up) (5:00)
04. Marvellous Cain – Dub Plate Style (5:17)
05. Hardware – Yout Man (5:57)
06. T-Bone & Dextrous – Top Gun (6:36)
07. Hopa & Bones – Tings Could be Better (5:47)
08. Sponge – The Crash (5:44)
09. Tom and Jerry – Maxi(mun) Style (Nasty Jungle Remix) (6:02)
10. Bizzy B & TDK – Wicked Man (6:09)

Link | Discogs

• Macro Dub Infection I & II

Happy Xmas, one and all.

There’s really only one way to follow our massively popular Isolationism post. Here it is, or rather here they are. Now, anyone fancy a slice or two of Monsters, Robots & Bugmen for dessert?

2CD, Virgin/Caroline, 1995

DISC ONE
01. The Disciples – The Struggle of Life (7:10)
02. Spring Heel Jack – Double Edge Dub (5:37)
03. Two Badcard – Sergio Mendez Part 1 (5:48 )
04. Automaton – Astral Altar Dub (6:36)
05. Bedouin Ascent – Broadway Boogie Woogie (8:31)
06. The Rootsman – Wadada (Sema Mix) (5:03)
07. Coil – The Hills are Alive (7:16)
08. Omni Trio – The Half Cut (5:18 )
09. Laika – If You Miss (Laika Virgin Mix) (4:45)
10. New Kingdom – Crush Your Enemies (Panama Connection Dub Mix) (4:24)
11. Tortoise – Goriri (6:40)
12. Skull vs. Ice – Operation Mind Control (7:45)

DISC TWO
01. Bud Alzir – Morocco (4:39)
02. Extremadura – Beta, Seekers of Smooth Things (6:37)
03. 4-Hero – The Paranormal in 4 Form (8:04)
04. The Golden Palominos – This is How it Feels (Dub) (4:59)
05. Mad Professor – Ragga Doll (4:41)
06. Wagon Christ – Phora Ride (6:43)
07. Scorn – The End (Remix) (8:15)
08. Tricky – Ambient Pumpkin (4:43)
09. Iration Steppas – Iration Steppas vs Dennis Rootical (7:24)
10. Bandulu – Come Forward (10:43)
11. Earthling – Nothingness (10:02)

Link | Discogs

…

2CD, Virgin/Gyroscope, 1996

DISC ONE
01. Maurizio – M6 (Version) (7:23)
02. Bill Laswell – Sacred System Dub (6:08 )
03. Rome – Beware Soul Snatchers (Black Nosed Buddha Mix) (5:07)
04. Rhys Chatham/Martin Wheeler – Altesse (5:14)
05. Pin – Libel (The Lost Book Mix) (5:54)
06. HiM – Liquid Boy (7:06)
07. Zulutronic – A Presente (6:04)
08. Magnet – Miles to Go (Invisible Man) (7:45)
09. Plug – Keen as Mustard (6:53)
10. Mouse on Mars – Sehn Sud (5:29)
11. Tao – Esoteric Red (5:33)
12. Alec Empire – When You’ve Reached Your Peak (5:28 )

DISC TWO
01. Skull – Flump (3:23)
02. Eardrum – Psycho System (7:28 )
03. Porter Ricks – Nautical Dub (5:44)
04. The Disciples meet The Rootsman – Conscious Yout’ (Remix) (6:45)
05. Gedulah vs. Cheesecake – El-Qadim (8:55)
06. André Gurov Units – Revelation of Wrath (5:13)
07. Prince Paul – Brother No Blood (2:51)
08. Jammin’ Unit – Handbag Dub (5:40)
09. Bio Muse – Rat Day (5:20)
10. Third Eye Foundation – Shot in the Head (2:35)
11. Spectre – Sub Version (4:32)
12. Ice vs. Palace – More Brother (Inbred Version) (4:28 )

Link | Discogs

• The V/VM Christmas Pudding

CD, V/VM Test Recordings, 2000

There’s only one time of the year when it’s safe to post this nasty little motherfucker. And today is that day. Kiss your grandmother under the mistletoe with that mouth, do you?

01. Butcher Claws – Silent Night I Can’t Go On (3:57)
02. Shakin’ Stevens – Children Playing Having Fun (3:38 )
03. V/Vm with Garry’s Glitter – Another Cuban Rock’n'Roll Christmas (4:33)
04. Animal – Mullet Of Kin’Tyres (4:39)
05. Nat “Pig” Cole – Chestnuts Roasting (3:10)
06. Rod Dodd & Slayed – Merry Xmas Everybody (2:54)
07. Electronic Fly Symphony – Good Christian Men Rejoice (2:50)
08. The Pigues – Fairytale of New York (4:26)
09. The Stranger – Christmas Spirit (0:56)
10. The Stranger – Silent Night*Holy Night (3:42)
11. Jansky Noise – Lonely Pig in a Christmas Shop (1:44)
12. Banned Aid – Feed the World (3:39)
13. DJ Porky That Subliminal Pig – A Blue-Blue Xmas (3:08 )
14. Dame Edna – A DJ Spooky Christmas Tribute (2:11)
15. Kliff Pilchard – Missingtoe and Whine (4:00)
16. Pig Crosby – White Christmas (3:01)
17. Butcher Claws – Winter Wonderland (3:08 )
18. Professor Broxburn – Days of Christmas (2:01)
19. Animal – Last Christmess (Pudding Mix) (3:53)
20. V/Vm and the Hog Chorus – We All Stand Together (5:19)
21. V/Vm – Auld Lang Synewave (2:30)
22. Unknown – Happy Xmas (War is Over) (3:48 ) [secret track]

Link | Discogs

• Fluxion

Konstantinos Soublis. Not a name that trips off the tongue, but he must be ranked up there with Moritz von Oswald & Mark Ernestus, Robert Henke, the gods of deep, dubby techno. As Fluxion, his pair of Chain Reaction collections are 100 per cent essential. Some of the tracks were issued on twelves, but most were reworked for the albums, especially the “Bipolar Defect” EP tracks on volume two.

Later work – as Fluxion and Silex – on his own Vibrant Music label has been lighter, more ambient but well worth a hearing too. Here’s hoping the recent wave of reissues of some of the best of the Chain Reaction discs will see these out again too.

If you only have time for one, Vibrant Forms II is the dogs.

Fluxion – Vibrant Forms, CD, Chain Reaction, 1999

01. Lark (8:53)
02. Hiatus (7:14)
03. Lapses (2:02)
04. Largo (8:24)
05. Atlos (10:32)
06. Cyclops Machine (0:47)
07. Fovea Centralis (9:29)
08. Pendoulous (6:02)
09. Influx (6:49)
10. Opaque (8:45)

Link | Discogs

…

Fluxion – Vibrant Forms II, CD, Chain Reaction, 2000

DISC ONE
01. Prospect I (1:46)
02. Prospect II (11:16)
03. Oblique (11:48 )
04. Exposure (9:54)
05. Circa (4:14)
06. Equilibrium (4:00)
07. Enhancement (9:06)
08. Outerside (7:28)
09. Subliminal Tone (9:08 )

DISC TWO
01. Aviation (6:06)
02. Bipolar Defect (8:58 )
03. Multidirectional I (9:04)
04. Bilateral Motion (4:15)
05. Friction Pulse (5:18 )
06. Omnibus (3:27)
07. Stream I (5:32)
08. Stream II (4:23)
09. Interlock (4:37)
10. Multidirectional II (9:08 )

Link | Discogs

…

Fluxion – Spaces, CD, Vibrant Music, 2001

01. Field I (4:08)
02. Surface (1:59)
03. East Continnum (3:44)
04. Coast (5:34)
05. Distant Ear (1:34)
06. Plain (3:28)
07. Unechoic Room (8:00)
08. Emergence (0:56)
09. Corridor (8:03)
10. Cylindral (2:01)
11. Field II (6:39)
12. Decay Section (6:19)

Link | Discogs

…

Silex – Alphabet, CD, Vibrant Music, 2002

01. Silon (0:52)
02. Holder (7:17)
03. Velot (9:20)
04. Noem (9:09)
05. Retor (8:26)
06. Glo Mo (8:21)
07. Dimor (7:13)
08. Clone (5:46)
09. Bion Outer (4:54)

Link | Discogs

• Barbed – Barbed

CD, These, 1994

That funny little period in the early 1990s where sampling got cheap enough for dashing young fellows like Barbed to really kick it about was a fine one. There’s something about having only limited tech that ensures that some real creativity has to be brought to bear. These days, of course, you can rip endless hours of whatever audio you can get your mitts on and store it on your cheap-as-chips harddrive. It’s just not the same, back in our day, jumpers for goalposts.

Extra point for sampling the cover too (from a rather fine mid-60s comedy disc from the avuncular Peter Ustinov).

1. Architect, Coleslaw
2. LFK
3. Charlie K
4. Barbed
5. Cheque… No Tip
6. King of Rock
7. B/W Groove
8. Fishing
9. How about Some Butterflies?
10. Football
11. Kansas/Germans
12. MSS
13. Grip
14. Whoops My Trombone!
15. Architect, Datedrone
16. Nowhere
17. Orpheus
18. Sensai Can PAYE [secret track]

Link | Discogs

• Dr Atmo & Oliver Lieb – Music to Films

CD, Fax, 1994

Get your copy of Koyaanisqatsi in the DVD player. Get this album ready but don’t press play yet. Press play on DVD. When the titles finish, turn sound down on the TV and press play on the music. Sit back.

Namlook’s label, made by Oliver (Spicelab, LSG, Ambush, Paragliders, etc etc) and Dr (Sad World, Whole Traffic) Atmo. Thousand only, never re-pressed.

1. Movement I (16:46)
2. Movement II (11:58)
3. Movement III (9:47)
4. Movement IV (23:51)
5. Movement V (14:48 )

Link | Discogs

• Distant Music and Dum Trax

Back in 1993-4, the first wave of stark techno coming out of Finland was like being plunged into a bath full of ice after the warm tones of hardkore and the burgeoning beginnings of trance. Owing as much to test tones as anything, it seemed to owe far more to old school industrial and avant garde music as the dancefloor — a “Vacuum Sucker”, as one of the tracks below has it.

Revisiting this pair of compilations at this remove, though, what was once arid and abstract has become commonplace and familiar. Which means that the delicate, ambient- and acid-tinged constructions are now far less harsh on the ear. If anything, most sound rather sweet, and the starker pieces have an almost Radiophonic tinge to them, as if their once-leftfield sound is now colored with a retro tint. Ø’s on-and-off beat bleeping sounds more like Laika fading out in orbit than the CD skipping permafrost of Mika Vainio’s later Pan Sonic.

As the weather gets frosty, check them out, see what you think.

CD, Unitunes (Säkhö + Dum), 1994

A collaboration between Mika Vainio’s Helsinki-based Säkhö label and Kim Rapatti’s Dum, from Turku.

1. Melody Boy 2000 – Theme (1:44)
2. Aural Expansion – Moon Resort (Weekend Mix) (6:56)
3. Corporate 09 – Hypnologique (Antarctic) (6:52)
4. Pineapple Circle – Sys 100 Module Circles (5:28 )
5. Giedi Prime – Divertimento (7:01)
6. Sq 2 – Eternity (6:55)
7. Mars 31 Heaven – Abyss (5:11)
8. Giedi Prime – Funky Mo (5:36)
9. Ø – Kosmos (7:16)
10. Paradigm – T-Mesh (6:54)
11. Marko Laine – If Then (4:45)
12. Aural Expansion – Vacuum Sucker (6:46)

Link | Discogs

…

CD, Dum, 1995

All tracks recorded 1993-4 by Kim Rapatti for Mono Junk Productions. About half the tracks are taken from Dum’s series of twelves.

1. Mars 31 Heaven – Little Elephant (7:49)
2. Detroit Diesel – Fu-Dimension (5:16)
3. Kim Rapatti – Instrument VI (4:09)
4. Melody Boy 2000 – Monotone Fantastique (Monotone Mix) (11:56)
5. Mars 31 Heaven – Violins (3:34)
6. Mono Junk – Beyond the Darkness (5:34)
7. Kim Rapatti – Instrument III (5:11)
8. Melody Boy 2000 – Hmm… (6:29)
9. Mono Junk – Origin Rhythm (7:09)
10. Detroit Diesel – Freestyle (6:09)

Link | Discogs

• various – Kompakt 1

CD, Profan, 1996

More fascinating technoblurs from that strange interzone where Profan was turning into the Kompakt we know and love. Yes, the first release to bear the Kompakt name, PROFAN CD1 too, you can almost hear the beats soften and the mists come down as the record progresses. These were all tracks from Profan’s gold dust series of twelves — good luck tracking all of them down. With the exception of track four it’s all by Wolfgang or Reinhard Voigt — in order, W, W, R, JP, W, W, W R, R, W, W, W and W. But look, do we have to tell you about the need?

01. M:I:5 – Logorrhöe (4:55)
02. M:I:5 – Logorrhöe 3 (4:11)
03. Pentax – Pentax People (5:54)
04. Jürgen Paape – Reval (5:08 )
05. M:I:5 – Zwölf (4:07)
06. Digital – Treu (4:26)
07. M:I:5 – Autogen (4:18 )
08. Sweet Reinhard – Stille Hände (5:26)
09. Sweet Reinhard – Suchtkultur (4:39)
10. Digital – Rom (7:21)
11. Gas – Klang (6:09)
12. Mint – Phonogam (5:09)
13. Grungerman – Fackeln im Sturm (10:40)

Link | Discogs

• Conrad Schnitzler – Con Repetitzione

CD, Art Gallery, 1994

Ah Con, beloved Con. Close on forty years of experimentation, noise and art, across many dozens of releases from private pressings and tapes to widely distributed CDs. Helped in the early days of Tangerine Dream and (K)Cluster. Starred for years in Matt Howarth’s comic strips. As bald as Eno but nowhere near as big an unbearable tosser. All hail Con.

We’d say “this one’s a little different from his usual output” but to be honest there ain’t no such thing. The guy’s always out there, always searching for something. But this time it’s multi-tracked keyboards. Part one’s a pounding systems-music workout on multiple pianos that isn’t so much Glass or Riley, but closer to something the Necks would do. Side two is more synthetic, sweet even, a beautiful scurrying piece of rippling keyboard flurries that dances around itself for half an hour without ever outstaying its welcome. Check it.

1. Part One (29:18 )
2. Part Two (30:01)

Link | Better link | Discogs

• Mark Isham – The Beast OST

CD, A&M, 1988

Too-obscure industrial-tinged soundtrack to an equally obscure Russians-in-Afghanistan war movie. Really should be much better known, because this is dark and deep. Hints of Muslimgauze and Jon Hassell, more ambient stretches and occasional loud guitar even, this is a real hidden gem. Isham’s had a questionably tasteful career, from pretty ECM records to well over a hundred film soundtracks, which is perhaps why genuinely tasty stuff like this gets lost in the deluge.

1. Badal I-V (27:20)
2. Nanawatai I-V (23:31)

Link | Mark Isham