Search - Adam F :: Presents: Drum & Bass Warfare

Loud

resident_out_of_touch | Schenectady, New York United States | 03/30/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"there's not much you can say about this disc. i haven't heard the original Kaos record yet, but from what i've heard these remixes are the same general kind of stuff. this disc can be easily summed up: rough, sometimes techsteppy dnb breaks with eigth-note rapping over top. if you know roni size's stuff that he did with method man ("Ghetto Celebrity", "Judgement Day"), this is basically two cd's worth of that, only maybe a little more hardcore. standouts for me are the first three tracks, which comprise a hilariously epic intro and a near flawless segue into Roni Size's kickoff track. J Majik's mix of "Where's My..?" is excellent as well, one of the nicest beats on the disc in my opinion. also worth noting is the strange shuffled version of that mix at the very end of Craze's mix. what's that about?? very cool changeup, and interesting too, but who's idea was it to shuffle the eighths, j majik or craze?



the only thing i really have to add to the reviews here is that while purists will predictably bash this type of dnb/hip-hop (and it is certainly their right to) i think that this disc demonstrates the versatility of the style as much as anything. this isn't what you would call "pure" dnb, since it is based around vocals for the most part, while dnb is more defined by its instrumental characteristics. but sticking to "pure" anything inevitably results in stagnation, repetition, and eventual fading away (UKG, anyone?). we need people to push things in places they weren't originally intended to be, that's how progress happens. this is drum and bass put it a new context, almost like the latest step in the original ragga style's evolution from scrappy, minimal dub-plate remixes, to programmed soundscaped epics ala Timeless and New Forms, to ear-bleeder techstep like Dillinja, and now to a new form of hyped-up hip-hop/rnb rhythm.



i don't know who i would reccomend this to, but the list of participants is certainly what won me over in the record store: roni size, redman, j majik, high contrast, ray keith, ll cool j etc etc. it is what it is, and you either like it for what it is, or you don't. as i said, dnb purists might be offended by all those words on top of their beats, so if you need your breaks solo or need your hip hop under the 120 bpm mark, stay away."

Big disappointment

Eric Whitney | Boston, MA | 04/03/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first time I'm actually taking the time to write a user review for a CD purchased on Amazon. So why now? Because I feel people should be warned before shelling out their hard-earned cash for this album.This is some drum and bass with some heavy rap emphasis. I picked up this album because DJ Craze spun at a club in my area, and I thought it some amazing stuff that I heard. It seems that Craze does many different flavors of D&B, and while repetitive soundclips is part of the idea behind this kind of music, it's the repetetive spoken clips that just get *annoying*. If you like that kinda stuff, then more power to ya, order this right now. For me, this was a real waste of money.You want good D&B? Check out anything by Moving Shadow.(The only reason this CD received two stars instead of one is because the one star music rating is reserved explicitly for country.)"

Fair warning!

Donard Dwyer | Shreveport, LA United States | 03/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Adam F's latest production "Drum and Bass Warfare" is aptly named. This is not for the faint hearted. First time d 'n b listeners may want to try something else first, some Photek or High Contrast. The collision of d 'n b with hip hop is nothing new at this point. Goldie was widely criticized when he teamed up with KRS One in one of the first attempts at this clash of civilizations. Roni Size and others have subsequently collaborated with many rappers to mixed effect. I love d 'n b and hip-hop and this is the most inventive, earth-shaking fusion yet. Perhaps this succeeds because the project was first a hip-hop effort turned over to d 'n b heads for remixes. The result is a masterpiece, at least in my estimation. The remix work of Origin Unknown, Dillinja, Back2Basics and Rob Swift are masterful as you might expect. The reworkings by Matrix & Fierce, Bad Company U.K. and John B. are exceptional! Others are great as well. Rappers, Redman, MOP, Capone n' Noreaga, LL Cool J and others, achieve maximum effect. It sounds very ominous and futuristic if you like that sort of thing. A bonus mixed CD by DJ Craze is just icing on the cake. This is da WMD!"