This one’s for all the birthday kids who’ve been dropping hints about gifts all year, but didn’t get what they wanted. The best gifts are the ones you give yourself. Exit Records, the British label that’s claimed to have either invented or perfected every definition of drum’n’bass, is celebrating its hundredth catalogue number with a series of unfortunately sometimes too short compilations that deal with the varied and already sufficiently told history of the genre and its offshoots.
After the second part focused on the minimalist sounds of so-called liquid drum’n’bass and had to declare the dance floor a forbidden zone, »Exit100 Part 3« goes back to the classic dark route with a penchant for increased speed. And it goes down really well. The opener, »Unique Style« by Xtrah and SP:MC, uses a yearning vocal sample and drives it through a jungle of breaks. Wagz, on the other hand, serves up a club track with »Scorpio«, which reminds me of old Cimmix tracks with its subtle wobble and lashing beat. Even if it seems that the future of drum’n’bass can only be told by looking at its past, this is a birthday party you should definitely get yourself invited to.
