Competition: Win Upfront Critical Music Vinyl

Rockwell’s ‘Underpass’ was recently used on a BBC3 documentary (narrated by ‘Pretty Ricky’ from KISS 100 no less) that explored the biological effects of cannabis; the track soundtracking 3D studio max like graphics of how the smoke merges and eventually dominate the cells in the bloodstream, becoming the adjoining signifiers and eventually controlling behaviour once they get into the brain. It was a recognisably brilliant sync choice, with the rolling bassline and fractured nature of the rhythm accentuating the anxiety and underhanded scare tactic the program tried to present.

Now, much has been written about the rise in popularity of drum and bass of late; with the sound diversifying, switching to a half step and smothering itself in a sea of synthesized atmosphere - something that 'Underpass' for us personifies. People like dBridge and Instra:mental – operating as Autonomic – have also defined a different sound palette, moving away from their strictly up-tempo 170bpm beats and in turn creating a whole host of interesting music at differing tempos. And whilst the Autonomic material may reside in the gulf between genres, purposefully distancing itself from the dancefloor status quo, there are still labels comitted to releasing nothing but the best in forward thinking, rolling drum and bass. For us, Critical are one such label.



Always on point whether shooting at the dancefloor or at the more atmospheric echelons of a soundsystem, Critical has a strong heritage like aesthetic and the scope between all the styles the label represents is nowhere better presented than in the recent Critical Sound of Drum & Bass compilation released on iTunes. Whilst Rockwell’s sounds might be a little less clattering, with the trademark d&b heavy handed snares replaced with wooden percussion and found sounds, the same groove and weight that’s been present in the genre since the early days is always there. And it’s the same too with tracks like ‘Third Glance’ from FD, or the pure junglist momentum of Breakage’s ‘Staggered Dub,’ they’re clearly made with a knowing nod to styles that have come before.

As Resident Advisor put it earlier this morning: “Critical has, for the most part, remained faithful to the genre's core tenets of tuff breaks and low-end ruffage. The Jungle is still very much there.”

Ahead of the label’s upcoming residency - now in Room Two that features scene luminaries like DJ Die, Total Science and Break alongside young guns like Spectrasoul and Cyantific - on the 18th March, label boss and the general of generosity, Kasra, has opened his vault once again, putting together an exclusive competition for the readers of this website.

To win a bumper pack of exclusive vinyl including the latest Rockwell EP, the newest single from Enei and a 10” from FD amongst others simply email us the answer to the following question...

Q: Which producer, predominantly known for his work within dubstep, appears on the Aria EP?

The winner will be notified by email. Competition closes at the end of February.

Catch Critical Sound as it steps up to Room Two with DJ Die B2B Break, Kasra, Spectrasoul, Cyantific, Total Science, Jubei, Octane & DLR on the 18th March. Advance tickets and full club line up, including details of Ramadanman’s FABRICLIVE 56 album launch, here.