Gimp And Steve C – R.E.A.L. / Mina

I got this plus some other mint gems when back in around 1998 when HTFR were doing those "Mystery vinyl packs" of 25 records from a certain genre for £25. I owe a big thank you to the person who picked my order :)

Contrary to the previous comment, the Mina track uses the same synth samples as on Ellis Dee - Big Up Your Chest, also from 1994 (although I'm not sure which was released first?) https://www.discogs.com/release/412659-Ellis-Dee-Big-Up-Your-Chest

This was made by a friend Steve I'll try and get some info and post a picture if he will let me!

Crazy how this has gone up in price around 400% in a year.. It's a killer track & obviously 1 of those that was slept on until people started digging a bit more with the Jungle resurgence.
It's worth the money anyhow, there's not really any other tunes like this from the time in as much as it uses samples I've not heard in any other Jungle tunes and it is such a deep, atmospheric track that will stand the test of time another 2 or more decades on. Skeleton were way ahead of their time, the last 3 releases of '94 especially

Real under-rated tunes here. Something very different from the usual stuff on Skeleton but, personally, I love it. I bought this in '94 at the age of 10, I used to spend hours sometimes just choosing one track and pissed the guy behind the counter right off. I saw the Skeleton logo and wanted to listen to it. I'd previously bought Dark Angel & Razor's edge and they quickly became favourites so I wanted to see what this one offered. The guy said I wouldn't like it, probably coz I'd been through just about every other tune in the shop and didn't like them. But as soon as he put it on I knew I had to have it. Had made my kind up already really.
Not sure which side us which, could never work that out, but my fav is the side with the 'free your mind' vocal. It starts off with a melancholy kind of synth, which was used on a SUAD tune called Slaves, I think. It then goes into a heavy sub bass with drums I've not heard on any other Jungle tune, kind of tribal and flammy. They may be well known breaks but processes differently. Anyhow, it's a real progressive track that is totally unique. Recommend you get a copy as they're very cheap ATM. The b-sude us just as special with those samples you jist won't hear anywhere else.. What a release to end on (until now)