Classic Album: RAM Trilogy – Molten Beats

The colossal RAM Trilogy earned a name unlike many others in the domain of Drum & Bass. Each artist that comprised the trio had their own reputation forged before joining forces: Andy C, Origin Unknown, and Shimon. RAM Trilogy broke onto the scene as a trio with three immense singles on RAM Records that built up to their aptly-named 1999 album, Molten Beats.

Relentless beats and brutal basses are synthesized with expert precision across the entire album. Molten Beats explodes out of the gate with a bang(er): Evolution effectively sets the tone for a rolling Drum & Bass album of epic proportions. The unforgettable No Reality sounds as otherworldly as ever with its distorted bass glittering of harmonic gold. Near the end of the album, Mind Overload is a gnarly tune that, to me, defines the essence of the whole record. Of course, every song that graces this album’s track list is solid, meaning that Molten Beats can easily be enjoyed from start to finish.

RAM Trilogy locked in on a tightly focused sound and motif for this LP that results in a consistently heavy and intense experience. The combinations of bass, breaks, FX, and atmospheres blend so well, feeling thematic of bustling metropolises and the zeitgeist of the pre-Y2K era. The album fittingly received the remaster treatment from RAM Records in November just last year, its first half of which was released 20 years later to the exact day from the original. There’s no better time to check out this masterful work from some of Drum & Bass’s finest.

Written by Luke Kessler

Premiere: Jaise – Swamped

Following an exceptional debut release earlier this year, Jaise is back on Subplate Recordings with another dark roller channelling the late 90s techstep sound. The influence of acts like Ed Rush & Optical on the sound is undeniable, but don’t dismiss this as mere copycatting; this is a love letter to a forgotten sound, brought bang up to date for 2019. Look out for the release coming Aug 30th at all the usual outlets.

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Top 5: Feijai

Taking influence from the early Moving Shadow, Metalheadz and Good Looking sound, Feijai’s new EP for The Dreamers took us straight back to the 90s sound when it landed in the Dojo inbox. Naturally we had to pick the man’s brains on his influences, so here are the top five classic tunes from the Midlands-based producer…

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Classic Album: Roni Size & Reprazent – New Forms

When it comes to genre-defining albums, it doesn’t get much more legendary than New Forms. Propelling underground D&B into the mainstream musical limelight and snatching the Mercury Music Prize for good measure, the album delighted heads and newcomers alike, blending rapid drum programming with influences from jazz and hip-hop to form the perfect fusion of organic and electronic. Despite not setting out to make a crossover, Roni and the Reprazent gang certainly ended up with one.

Twenty years on, the album is getting a four disc deluxe reissue this month with the full original LP remastered, the full set of “Re Forms” remixes and most tantalisingly of all, a fresh disc featuring a live hardware mix of unreleased edits of the best tracks on the album. So how does it stand up after two decades? Pretty damn well it turns out.

The two discs of the original album have been given a fresh lick of mastering paint and are sounding just as exciting as they did in 1997, full of funky drum programming, enticing synths and classic hooks. Anyone who doesn’t get a shiver from hearing the guitar line on Brown Paper Bag just has no soul! The remixes don’t hold up as well to my ears (with a handful of exceptions) but they always felt like messing with perfection given the sheer quality of the original album.

The live hardware mix meanwhile is an absolute joy from start to finish; all of the album’s iconic tracks are there including some of the lower tempo beats and a number have been re-engineered to mash up originals and remixes, often to great effect. The new edit of Share The Fall featuring elements of Grooverider’s Jeep Style Mix proved a personal highlight amongst a thoroughly enjoyable bonus disc.

If you’re looking for the definitive version of an absolutely essential album then this is unquestionably it. Check out the first disc via Youtube below and hit up your favourite store to grab the deluxe package right now.

Classic Track: Bad Company – The Nine

It’s been a while since our last Classic Track retrospective, so we figured what better reason than the re-release of possibly the most iconic track from the 90s Techstep era? Bad Taste Recordings have gone back to the original DAT tapes for a brand new digital remaster of Bad Company’s legendary tech roller The Nine, preserving the flavour of the original but adding a wee bit of extra crispness to the sound. Check it out below and head to the Bad Taste store to pick it up on vinyl or digital now!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QJm1tzKrhs]

In The Mix… Ben UFO

Today’s mixtape selection is an oldie but a goodie from Ben UFO for the well established Boiler Room mix series. Digging deep in the crates, Ben comes correct with a selection of classic jungle and 90s D&B from the likes of DJ Die, Lemon D, Doc Scott and Klute. One for the old school heads!