Drum 'N' Bass
January: 10 drum 'n' bass releases you need to hear this month
A-Sides, Delta Heavy, Homemade Weapons and more
Villem & Phase 'The Traveller' (Meth XX)
A fascinating track from an EP that also includes shimmering vocal offerings from Steo and McLeod. The title track’s dreamy atmospheres mask the punch of a stepping tech brooder until the fronds are stripped away, leaving us suddenly with the full force of a bassline that twists into myriad shapes, stretching the system to its limit. It’s the sort of tune that can only be fully appreciated in a club, as the low-end pyrotechnics morph continually, subtly and devastatingly along with the break patterns, which develop into a more rolling affair the longer the track goes on.
9/10
