Various Artists
Metro Breaks
Selected drum 'n' bass from Toronto
nice+smooth/TJSB/Koch

Despite insistance from major label types that jungle and drum'n'bass are recent offshoots of electronica, these sibling genres actually have roots in the ragga and hardcore techno of the early 90's. Toronto was the first North American market to accept these underground sounds, with junglists like Goldie and DJ Phantasy making their first appearances on our shores at parties in Toronto as far back as 1992. Surprisingly, it's taken half a decade for the city to develop its own scene of jungle producers, but if this collection is any indication, the folks who have taken up the task of throwing down drum'n'bass with a Toronto twist are quickly making up for lost time.

From the dancefloor jump-up of Visionary to the experimental sitar and breakbeats of Stereofreeze, the dark techstep of Kinder Atom vs. Nemesis to the loungey vibes of Dave Howard and Auracle, this sampler has all the bases covered, and it makes me confident that it won't take another five years for these crews to get some more material together.

Copyright © 1998 Greg Clow