Drum&BassArena, a seminal fixture in the dnb and rave communities since 1996, hasn’t exactly been quiet these last ten years. They’ve been a news fixture in the scene, their founder, The Risky, has championed on with his hugely popular podcast and will be reviving it shortly as well, but a full compilation EP or LP has not appeared on the D&BArena label in ten years. Tomorrow July 14, that stretch officially comes to an end with The Breaks, D&BArena’s first EP since 2007.
The compilation features some of D&BArena’s founding producers like John B and Shimon as well as tracks from A.M.C. and Turno, June Miller and Bladerunner. The compilation, opens, unsurprisingly, with the ultimate throwback track by John B, “Energy.” This track is a high-spirited mashup of some of the quirky dnb legend’s most classic tracks. With a super-ravey opener that looks back to the early days of drum and bass, and a beat which seems like a sped up version of John B’s classic 1997 track, “Energy Field.” It’s a blast from the past with modern mastering and tempos, easily recognizable for the old school and translatable for modern EDM dancefloor vibes.
D&BArena’s founder and still head of the label The Risky has dropped heavy hints that The Breaks will be part of a series of releases, and says that he’s happy to re-enter the dnb market with the resurgence of breaks-based drum and bass.
“This EP series gives us the perfect platform to once again celebrate the genre we all love so much.”
It sounds like Risky and fans alike are looking forward to Drum&BassArena being back. The Breaks releases on Friday, July 14, available on Drum&BassArena’s website, or order on a number of vehicles here.