This's a straight-up mishmash of ideas thrown into a pot and stirred together. There's no theming. there's no connection. All you've got here are a seven-track EP that follows the direction you can hear anywhere in today's music scene, and needn't have to say most of them ended up being nothing short of bland. Even if a few songs do manage to grab me, I can't quite figure out what Slushii's trying to do here. Once again, the man himself lived up to his ... read more

I wish there was more variety in the tracklist since they sound kinda similar with little production tweaks, yet it's a serviceable Speed House collection that captures the raw, high-octane atmosphere of underground rave culture. Maybe I'm a bit hyped for this one since some of her Monstercat and off-Monstercat works before were really good, but after all this's still a fun listen.

𝐅𝐀𝐕: Crazy, Make Believe
𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓: Fast Lane

Instead of being your generic festival-type music, this album still gets a few notable bangers that reach into more intricate and booming layers (yeah those are J-core ikr). It's a fun and serviceable listen that's worth the time, but when we come to the replay value, it just doesn't land at all. The production keeps falling flat. It severely lacks the variation and substance to be a great experience, and feel like I barely can remember what I just listened right after a song ... read more

When these baddy teddies pulled my ass into their absoulte grits and heavy-loaded bass lines before, "COOKED" holistically feels like a kick on the teeth. It's a straightforward menu of the most predictable dancefloor dishes, a sharp twist from the insane stuff I'm used to hearing from them. I'm gonna lie, this was a quite fun and enjoyable moment. The mix is great, the groove is still there, and for average DnB standard, it still quite does the job well. Yet when ... read more

A fun, pumping bass record that encompasses lots of well-executed cuts and fresh ideas on it, and as someone who doesn't get into Eptic's music much, this is surprisingly a quite decent listen! His chunky, crushing Dubstep style hasn't been my thing at any moment, yet it turns out to do really well this time. It gets hold of the exact Bass material I'm craving for more, and the high octane energy just cranks it up higher. Maybe this'll take some time to grow on me more, ... read more

Back after the fascinating performance in "The Abyss of Despair", Laur delivers an exquisite bundle of Artcore, Speedcore & Piano that marks another step into cooler and more innovative ideas. It's again that familiar combo of head-spinning BPMs and surreal atmospheric theming, something that ironically has become an instant-love characteristic of J-core music for me. Even though I'm not too big on the genre itself, can't deny it's often where artists really ... read more

OMG THIS IS FUCKING PEAK GUYS!!!

Honestly, I neither knew anything about Jane Remover nor listened to their works before. This album was just a random discovery that I decided to check out since it was getting such good reviews from AOTY users. I did a little research and saw that they used to be on the Shoegaze and Post-rock boat, and just two months ago they released another Shoegaze album on the alt "venturing" ( I'll come by that one later ig). "Revengeseekerz", on ... read more

The talented Splitter turned over a new leaf and powerfully came back as Knock2 junior.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐒: 𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥, 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦, 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗻𝗔𝗪𝘁𝘆!
𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓: 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥

I meant it's a cool introduction to the sonic exploration San Holo's been doing recently, but these are just your quintessential average Riddim packages with a slew of San Holo's "existential" influence to the overall atmosphere. Personally, I think he's doing pretty well in his old style, and I want to see more of that because I'm starting to get a little interested in his stuff recently. Still, this ain't a bad deal.

Also San Holo trying Color Bass ... read more

Koven's sophomore album feels like a bit of a letdown for me compared to their debut one "Butterfly Effect" released over 5 years ago. Their signature cinematic Dancefloor Drum & Bass has always been one of the most remarkable elements in their sound, and this album could have been served as a great opportunity to push those boundaries further and explore new sonic territory. However, something about the production feels off. The sound they deliver throughout much of the ... read more

(EDIT)

"1999" stands out as a really nice closer, but the two other tracks just don't have much to pull me back in. Cloudnone again keeps things grounded for this three-track cut, but eventually he might have played it too safe.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐒: 1999
𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓: 4U

Future Riddim, but with a carefree and heartwarming twist. Devath comes through with what might be his strongest record to date, showcasing real progression in his musical journey.

I’ve noticed this direction in some of his previous works, such as "Essence Access", "Aeolian Pulse", or more recently "quiet wish", and that's mostly what sets him apart for me. The way he blends those lush, beautiful melodies with powerful drops just blows me away most of ... read more

A solid, by-the-book Trap record that captures its clubby and high-energy essence. It’s nothing that groundbreaking, just WINK really nails his signature sound on these tunes and delivers a groovy, danceable record. Wish there was more room for sonic exploration here, as the tracklist starts to feel a bit samey if you've been following his works for a while.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐒: easyy, leaving (dont tell me)
𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓: fukUup

Hey, this EP actually started growing on me more after almost a year :D

I think the main flaw here is that it tries to focus on creating mind-blowing sound than delivering a more balanced listening experience, which was why I initially gave this a slightly lower score. That said, what once felt really underwhelming now feels much better, and the whole project ultimately stands as a well-constructed hit for me.

𝐅𝐀𝐕: Phase 4
𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓: Odyssey Soundsystem

Neddie’s debut album has showcased his maturity in his musical journey over the past few years, and it may well stand forever as one of his best records to date. Honestly, I only started following Neddie just last year, and now he's proving himself to be a powerful rising force in the underground music scene. His music encapsulates a truly profound, immersive feeling that deeply lingers in your mind, thereby creating a sense of cozy and enchanting atmosphere. With his prominent ... read more

Rusko's surprising comeback on Monstercat after eight years only brought huge disappointment. Ironically, this is merely a fair-to middling EP for me, consisting primarily of average, repetitive DnB tunes with completely odd production choices. That being said, there are still some redeeming sound here, but after all, it's not something I'd like to revisit for sure.

Fav: Wassup
Least: Bout Your Love

Well, never heard any previous works from Jade Cicada before, but this EP just caught my eyes while searching for some bass material. Yet, he managed to craft a mind-blowing experimental bass record packed with high frenzy and energy, all within just 14 minutes. Those wub-wub mechanical basses are so filthy and crunchy, and they also blends well the atmospheric soundscape, thereby offering a more lively and consistent experience. As a headbanger for bass stuff, this is a certified bop!
... read more

Taking a much more chill approach to kick off 2025, this small project from Phritz and Tai Hirose is packed with dynamic sound, beautiful piano and synth, and a cozy atmosphere. It's just a couple of smooth, well-produced ambient pieces, but the vibe it gives off is absolutely stunning, especially if you're in the right mood.

Favs: stagnation, thaw
Least: snowbed

A compilation of his past three-year of music journey blended with a mix of new tracks, but honestly, it feels rather than a lackluster effort that I've moved past for decades. The production here is just typical, uninteresting and somewhat, outdated. There's an attempt to recreate his old, nostalgia sound, but unfortunately it doesn't resonate with me anymore. That said, the talent vocalists featured on this record still redeemed the album itself from being a completely dry ... read more

Sullivan King's blend of metal/rock and dubstep is what makes him stand out compared to other producers for me, but unfortunately this EP feels like nothing short of chaos. The production in these tracks feels really and REALLY dry, and come on, everything here's just a compilation of abrasive, headbanging Dubstep tunes that I can't quite sit right with them. That said, there’s still a bit of genre variety that keeps it from being completely forgettable or uninteresting, ... read more