June: 10 drum 'n' bass releases you need to hear this month

Various 'Critical: 15 Years Of Underground Sonics' (Critical Music)

You know you’ve made it when the forum warriors claim you’re no longer underground. The clattering of keyboard strokes was somewhat outgunned at Electric Brixton in March, as boss Kasra Mowlavi oversaw a sold-out ‘15 Years’ Critical jamboree, where each of these 15 parcels of tech-funk futurism killed the dance. There’s no looking back here: Enei, Break, Ivy Lab, Signal, Mefjus, Sam Binga, Emperor and the core Critical stable serve up crunchy tech heatseekers, glitch-hopping half-time and deep-sea rollers. A decade ago, we sat with Kasra and reflected on how Critical had become the best new d’n’b label around. For a lesson in how to construct an underground powerhouse, look no further.

9/10