Something Massive from NickyNutz! a full LP of pure junglism on the seminal Ruff Guidance imprint!
NickyNutz’ full length foray into the jungle begins with an ‘Ambush’of half time beats and rolling breaks with samples from 1969 Western ‘The Wild Bunch’ and dark shards of synth in an early 94 style. ‘I Have Come Here’ is a claustrophobic creeper with a steady build of layered breaks, menacing subs before a sample of the late ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper in ‘They Live’ announces the onslaught of noir like fx and crunching amens.
‘Journey’ opens in a soothing ambient fashion with a tribal drumbeat. This journey is a peaceful one that rides on a calm ocean of amen breaks and mellow percussion. Next it’s time to get ‘Technical’ with fear inducing growls and a Metalheadz style double pitched break that alternates with a 93 style punchy beat. It’s not long before the motherload of tunnel bass drops and arouses your excitement!
‘Something Massive’ is the aptly named title track with more of that dark 93/94 Jungle artistry, this is perhaps one of the darkest numbers on this album, something to revel in because we don’t get enough of the darkside these days! Ready for more beat mastery? ‘Mystical Rodopi’ will satisfy that itch with pitched up/down breaks and Eastern melodies.
Next up is ‘Mangroves’, a tribute to the swamps of Florida? This track certainly brings out the ‘jungle’ in Jungle music with tropical beats and mystifying ambience. ‘Afro Junglist’ keeps up the rainforest themed soundscapes with more tribal percussion layered over nicely spliced breaks. ‘The Jungle Wins’ acts as the third in this junglistic trio with a deep in the night eeriness that will give you spine shivers!
‘Awakening’ quickly shifts from euphoric melody to a fest of pounding and addictive drums before shifting once again into a heat filled explosion of Reese bass. We go ‘Deep in the Jungle’ with an increased tempo and a heightened level of spookiness and warp bass. The album close with a remix of Mshcode’s ‘Dusk Fragments’, a yrack that first featured on the Anomally imprint. Here the 140 Jungle Breaks are swapped for uptempo Jungle beats while keeping the haunting floating qualities of the original. In short, this LP is a Jungle music masterpiece.
