UK Bass is a term first coined by the Wide crew to describe the fusion of Ragga, Hip-hop, jungle, Ghetto-tech & Booty Bass that they've spent developing over the last 4 years. In this time they've managed to create a sound unique to the British club scene and build an ever-increasing following which, due to the sheer diversity of the music, has attracted knowing heads from all corners...

With this mix Cutlass Supreme showcases the more ghetto-influenced side of the sound with original material from himself, Non Stop DJs and Debasser, fresh tracks from Chicago artists DJ Deeon and DJ Slugo while "reppin'" for Detroit are DJ Assault & DJ Godfather. Other UK artists featured are Si Begg and Ray Keith.

At worst Ghetto-tech & Booty Bass can be formulaic, unimaginative and irritatingly repetitive. Done properly, however, it fucking bangs.

From the outset Cutlass Supreme presents UK Bass doesn't really ask you to think too much about why it's so called - a shout of "do you want some bass?" followed by the descending break from Dark Smile leads us straight into a nicely doubled, cut-up of DJ Nasty's Bout to Bang. Furiously-paced mixing takes us through the featured tracks of DJ Slugo, DJ Godfather and various members of the Wide camp. The most notable being Drum Track by Cutlass himself with a huge descending bass-line and driving sub-bass and Blowing Bubbles by DJ Nasty with a delightfully filthy vocal.

The mix then steps up with Gator by Track Ghost, a crisply produced dark arpeggiated roller, followed by the sinister Furious by Non Stop DJs. The stuttering, bowel-movement inducing Bass that Killed Big Daddy from Cutlass is followed by brother Debasser's Step Up - touted by Muzik magazine as "essential UK Bass material". Keeping it strictly UK, he then drops S.I. Futures' Freestyle Disco - a massive tune with trademark Si Begg vocal samples and a devastating b-line. We then move back Stateside with some Ghettotech classics including the Return of the Terrortech, DJ Assault's genre-defining track, before the mix is wound down and then straight back up again with Ray Keith's jungle classic The Chopper cut up with Deeon's Let me Bang. Two more exclusive Cutlass & Debasser tunes keep up the pressure until the mix hits it's peak with the final track - Debasser's Dark Smile. Bomb!

Faultless and imaginative mixing throughout and an excellent blend of new and, in many cases unreleased, material alongside well known classics make this both a perfect introduction to those new to this style and an excellent addition to the collection of those already converted. Don't forget to listen up for the cameos and shout-outs………..

Bang it!

By Jimmy 'Zinger' Bolus

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