Top Drawer Digital celebrates ten years as a label with a stunning 20 track compilation album featuring Sanxion, Gav Ley, Lucas, Swankout, Pressa and more
This ten year milestone opens with the bleeps and choral chords of Lucas’ enchanting ‘Some Time Back’ before the rugged beats of Radiokillaz ‘Whose The Gangsta’ conjures memories of early Shy FX, 00’s NuSkool Breaks, oldskool rave and jungle all in one.
Swankout turns out a hybrid UK Funky/Mutant Bass 4×4 stomper (Gorgon) with Ragga-esque basslines, sirens, militant subs and nuclear 808s. Strange Rollers stays on the UK Funky tip with stepping beats, House influenced keys, scratches and grimey bass (I Remember)
DJ Vapour drops a massive slice of piano breakbeat hardcore on ‘All Your Love’, Sanxion provides arguably one of the best tracks on this comp with the burning rave fire of ‘Some Kind Of Magic’, an explosive amen roller with a nod to the early hardcore sound, Tony Rocky Horror dishes up some ‘Dirt’in the form of dark, gritty bass n’ breaks with a barrage of hoover riffs.
Pressa cuts up breaks like a pro, layering multiple melodies and FX in his signature style for ‘Time.’ The Rumblist is up next with the buzzing, electric keys of ‘Full Bowl’ and it’s bouncing Jungle/Electro Breaks.
Strange Rollers takes the Jungle Tekno sound and slows it down for the euphoric, rolling jungle breaks of ‘9tyfor.’ KA provides the rushy feels with the awe inspiring synths and uplifting pianos of ‘Superglue.’ Eddie Voyager’s ‘Let Take It Back’ is pure 1992 rave mayhem with a drop reminiscent of House music classic ‘On Ya Way’ by Helicopter
Ben Venom slams on the break(beats) for the euphoriant blast of raviness that is ‘Cloud Bass IX’ with all it’s variant parts and all round brilliance. Tony Rocky Horror infuses some amen break sunshine into the album with the dreamy ‘1995.’ Lucas captures the captivating dream logic of the 2017 Twin Peaks series with the David Lynch & Monica Bellucci sampling dream jungle of ‘Tariq’s Dream.’
Things take a dark, experimental and mesmeric turn for Sub Fusion’s ‘Rhythm Of The Tribes’ and Skink’s ‘The Worm.’ Bojcot Selectah returns to the label after a number of years with the on-point precision breaks and futuristic dub bass of ‘Get Taught.’
Lucas remixes his own haunting ‘Lay Me Down’, amping up the atmosphere of the original’s ethereal strings and contrasting dark keys. Gav Ley finishes up with minimalist beats, throbbing bass and a touch of classical piano for ‘The End’
You can buy the limited edition double CD or full digital album from Bandcamp, available on the digital download stores from September.
