Various – Endangered Species

Real cold, techy, futuristic. Times when neurofunk had a musical core...

Talk about putting the boot to one's throat... this is the third proper album from the Dutch entity known as Black Sun Empire. They have numerous vinyl singles and EPs. When BSE do a full length work, you know you're in for a treat. Not only because they raise the bar for what drum 'n' bass is but because there is always a second disc of immaculately mixed sonic assault.

The foreboding atmospheres, the manically evil beats; it's all there. Like walking down a deserted lane in the twilight... uneasily knowing something is lurking in the treeline waiting for you, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end throughout this record. Some of the collaborations on this thing should be criminal. BSE work with Noisea, Chris SU and State of Mind on Endangered Species. They also introduce some fresh new talent via this monster in the form of Jade, who take my ears and impale them on a bed of fucking nails. Who is this? Or they... or him or her. It does not matter, Jade are going to be the next thing you all go crazy over. Like Amit or even Polar, Black Sun Empire push it into the red soundwise, their designs never bore nor do they grow ponderous. There is always some new trick, some flourish you'd never have predicted in what they do.

Endangered Species is going to make you MOVE. Whip smart arrangements which lead me to ask why anyone else bothers with this style run amok and off the chain. The classic stylings of Optiv make a rare appearance here also, it's literally stuffed to the gills with perfectly executed tech step deviance. You want mechanized synthetic anthems to beat the hell out of someone to? Look no further. This demon has already been scorching dnb nights across the planet.

Forget whatever flavour of gas mask appreciation happens to be running the nights at your club, Black Sun Empire are the real deal. Don't even try to fuck with it, they'll leave you picking chunks of your lungs out of your teeth from trying to keep up.