Fuck this guy is good. While a Rogue Element tune is playing, you can't even think because the giant sounds of tight drum rhythms, grinding groove-drenched guitar riffs and meticulous electronic tweaking almost takes you over completely. The influences behind this breaks-style tweaking are a kind of nu-metal rock-ey instrumentation, various mixtures of rock, hip-hop & funk beackbeats (the hot phat just pours off the decks) and smatterings of everything everywhere, which gives him a totally original sound in breakbeat. His remixes are good, but in my opinion his original tracks are better. And it's all MASSIVE. "Rogue Rock" will kidnap your soul for four and a half minutes. "Backbreaker" will make you snap your neck on the dancefloor. The care taken in his faultless production and instinctive composition is fully evident, and equally appreciated. It is clear that he loves what he does and is good at it. He takes you underground and just keeps digging. Christ, we'll be in China soon. Fucking nice one, Rogue Element - do not change your style. Grow it, develop it, move it forward, but do not change it!

Unmatched. Absolutely unmatched anywhere in the breakbeat scene. The obesely phat danceability of every Plump DJs track ever released is a testament to the obviously innate talent of the Plump Duo. Utterly saturated in bad-ass funk and slap-you-sixteen-different-sideways basslines (re: Big Groovy Fucker), hooks so sharp you'll need to wear chainmail (The Funk Hits The Fan), and a swag of inspired DJ mixes (Elastic Breaks for a start) and hell-raising remixes (That Stakker Humanoid remix gets me every time) that have the Plumps standing out clear in the front of an ever growing and increasingly vital breakbeat scene. The Plumps are leading the charge, and I'm willing to follow them straight into the dancefloor breach. Da-da-da-dah, da-daaah!!

More! More! Cruisey nu-skool breaks innovator Stereo 8 is a dark horse: only a few releases, each cruisey as the QEII and simmering below the surface, threatening to unleash the dogs of war at any second, I swear he's just teasing us. The buildups and hooks in the four tracks released to date are captivating, but it seems only comlimentary. The style, the flair and the technical finesse are all there - the Phat is in the fire, and I await the inevitable crackle and explosion to come. Bring it, Stereo 8!

Once upon a time I loved Hed Kandi. Don't get me wrong, I still like them, but nowhere near as much. In the beginning, they released full-length, un-mixed double CDs of quality tracks you could usually only find on Vinyl, or chopped to pieces amongst other commercial garbage (like Ministry of Sound). We would patiently await the next release every three or four months. Now HK is releasing a new CD every few weeks it seems, and saturating every corner of the market they can think of. As a result, the quality is diluted and the finesse is gone. I'm glad I bought decks so I can still get the quality I crave, vinyl-style.

A cruisy Mediterranean vibe with good-to-brilliant composition and mixing throughout both discs makes for some captivating listening in many places. Highlights for me are the dubbed-out groove of "Show You Something", the sexy trip-hop of "Makes Me Feel", and the sultry tones of Rachel Lloyd's vocals in "Breather " and "Never Before". There are even smatterings of upbeat drum & bass in the twin album. What is a little confusing is why original versions and remixes have been mixed in between each other in the two two discs. In my humble opionion, it would have been better to have originals on one disc and remixes on the other. By the end of each disc it can get a little tedious hearing the same songs over again, even in their (not unremarkable) remixed forms.

Everything Naked Music touches is golden. Whether you're with your closest friends sharing a fine drink and some real times, or alone with your object of desire, the words that Naked's unmatched tune selections conjure up would sound something like: 'intimate,' 'seductive,' 'disinhibiting,' and so on. In a word: 'Naked,' in all it's aural beauty. The vast majority of Naked releases are sophisticated layers of down-to-midtempo groove, soul, jazz, deep-lined house which allow you to dance if you like, and still allow you to hold a conversation if you wish. And if you're by yourself, the music will keep you company, and you can explore it.
Standout collections include the initial Carte Blanche, Bare Essentials Vol. 2, and Nude Dimensions Vol. 2, but these are just the best of the brilliant. All of it is absolutely premium stuff. The care and attention Naked Music put into each release's selection, mixing, and production has my utmost respect and appreciation. Keep it up, kats & kittins.