What with the drum & bass scene going all nostalgic over the last few months, Shy Fx no stranger to updating the odd classic himself has decided to go one better and release a full compilation of old skool tracks. And, as you might expect from a stalwart and connoisseur like FX, the choice is on point throughout all 11 cuts.
Opening up with the bass fuelled breakbeat and chipmonk-style vocals of Studio 2's brilliant 'Dirty Games', this collection is a wicked and wild rampage down jungle's memory lane. Jo's 'R Type' comes with amusement arcade sonics, devilish beats and softly exploding bass; DJ SS applies some cunningly reversed vocals to renegade snares and ragga gunshot bizznizz on 'Rollidge'.
Undercover Agent's 'Oh Gosh' goes even further into junglist territory with it's ragga samples and dubwise b-lines while Trace's mix of T Power's massive The Mutant is present and correct with the dark, potent Hoover line that presaged the whole tech-step movement.
Shy FX's classic hip hop sampling jump up track 'This Style' is featured, as is 'Wolf' (with it's recognisable howl sample) and his even bigger classic with UK Apache, Original Nuttah (a tune that Shy in fact recently updated). A fine retrospective of the good ol' days and a timely reminder that drum & bass has always had a funky edge that moves bodies in an instant.