Jo – R Type / Imagine The Future

Would be interesting to learn more about Jo, she's credited most prominently on the label for this and several other releases on Awesome Records up to 1995, although the tracks were all co-produced by Lime. I wonder if Jo was the main engineer/producer or if this was more of a romantic gesture by Lime her boyfriend at the time? If it was Jo who was the main engineer/contributor then she obviously had a talent for production (Apollo 9 and F-Zero are also pretty decent IMO). So then what became of Jo Millett after 1995?

'R-Type' is literally one of the strongest jungle tracks ever. Andy C would tease this up to four times in one set without actually dropping it [see his Innovation set in 1999]. The greatest drum & bass DJ of all time used to start sets with this even two years after its release in 1995, and still mixes it today 30 years later.

This warped heavyweight anthem has no key. It's actually in the distinct "key" of "drum & bass" – an opaque, subjective tonal centre that helped define the genre in the '90s where producers who likely had no music-theory knowledge blagged it. In this case, by pairing random video-game samples with 808 melodies that probably just "sounded right". It shouldn't have worked … but its unorthodox execution sounded brilliant. The sole melodies in this song are sampled from OG video-game hardware – bleak and dreary – they conjure images of escaping the mundanity of British society through the LCD-mucus of a Gameboy screen. The locus of the drums of 'R-Type' are a constellation of stabbing snares, carving out that syncopated groove. The bassline is bang on. This is how you want your 808s delivered: fat and relentless, pounding home the dark vibes. The arrangement is a strong point, with shuffling drum patterns building in then disassembling, like a dystopian Lego city captured with time-lapse photography.

Considering this was Jo's first ever release, there's a touch of beginner's luck about it. The stars aligned fatefully for every creative decision: samples, mix and arrangement. Perhaps a more seasoned producer weighed down by expectation could never have bottled lightning like this.

I just bought my copy for a tenner sweeeeet lol wicked tune !!!

Great release. What's made this so expensive though? Just curious.

I have a copy of this but imagine the future has not been centred on the wax, creating a strange sounding recording. Has anybody else got this press?

While ''R Type'' is a typical later Jungle 1994 style track rather than it's released date, it is very boring for my taste and very simple. For me is all about the totally different b-side ''imagine the future'' with it's previous darkside breakbeat/hardcore 1993 vibe, a track that sounds like something from RAM records of that era. Am i the only one who prefers the b-side of this release?

Buy the friction remix for a fiver , the original is on the b side. Easy

Seminal. Perfect Jungle / DnB track. Hard, Minimal, Dark, Deep, Rolling with a wicked bassline. I remember first hearing this at Lazerdrome in 93, and going back every week to hear it again. A classic of the era.

Yeah more piss-taking sellers doin wot they do best, i wont pay more than a score for one o these jeee

Came out at the end of 93 but was droped right through the 90s. in 95 every one was playing in there sets I thought there was a 95 remix but it was the original still sounding fresh