This year saw not one but three MCs and vocalists (Riya, Coppa and DRS) releasing full-length albums with music written by a roster of dnb artists. Moreover, DRS has done a project like this before (I Don’t Usually Like MC’s But…). In fact these LPs are a some kind of compilations, where you can hear tracks of completely different flavours, but all of them are led by vocals. Obviously, such artists are looking for original ways of self-expression, and this tendency has been growing for years, and it’s not just drum & bass. However, the aforementioned names are not the first ones in the game, so we decided to recall those who previously released albums in such format.
Joanna Syze – Rodina
The first one in this list has to be the deeply emotional and profound album from the Bulgarian vocalist Joanna Syze. Her debut LP, released in 2011 via Ohm Resistance, is a really diverse work that comprises euphoric as well as dark and melancholic songs, not to mention the variety of genres. The participants of this project mainly were heavy dnb artists from the likes of Zardonic, Cooh, Katharsys and SPKTRM, thanks to whom the LP turned out to be really expressive, but the most memorable thing is the sensual vocals of Joanna herself. Rodina also contains more calm tracks, written in collaboration with Cause 4 Concern and Russian dnb scene veteran Protech. We should also mention that the whole range of tunes was written together with the Bulgarian-born Tyhh – her close friend, who is currently working on Joanna’s next album.
Sadly, right now Joanna is seriously ill and she has been collecting donations for a long while. Nevertheless she will soon release a collaborative album with Tyhh, with all the money going for her treatment. LP entitled Surrender will also include remixes from The Sect, Cooh, Zardonic and Counterstrike, and we’ll post about it again when there is more info. Meanwhile you can make a donation via this link.
Jenna G – For Lost Friends
Moving on to the album with a more smooth and traditional sound. Jenna G has been familiar to the dnb lovers for about 15 years, including those who heard the output of Un-cut and her collaborations with Netsky, The Qemists, Mutated Forms and other bangers that were gifted with her melodic vocals. But let’s take notice of the For Lost Friends LP, released in 2006 via Bingo Beats. It’s full of positive and groovy tracks that were produced by none other than Commix, Nu:Tone, Total Science and a plenty of other highly talented artists. For Lost Friends also comprises the liquid anthem In Love, featuring Chase & Status and Switch and probably known to you.
Tali – Dark Days, High Nights
Another pretty female vocalist, whose effort we couldn’t ignore, is Tali, the New Zealand’s native. She already has two albums behind her back, and the first one – Lyric On My Lip – was released as far as 2003. However we are more interested in her 2011 LP entitled Dark Days, High Nights. The producer list on it includes dubstep artists as well as those who make dnb, like Lynx, Atlantic Connection and Shimon, who happens to be the owner of AudioPorn Records, the label that put out the album. The track that we consider the best one is this musical collab with Fourward:
Dynamite MC – World Of Dynamite
Yes, the first half of this LP is strictly hip-hop and UK garage vibes, but the other 8 tracks were written by some of the best dnb producers of that period. And we are talking about the Dynamite MC’s debut album, which came out way back in 2004. Among the dnb tracks you can hear both dancefloor bangers and summertime rollers from the likes of DJ Marky & XRS, High Contrast, Roni Size and Zinc. This LP also includes the tune The Scene, which sees Dominic giving a credit to the whole dnb scene. Although our favorite one has to be this cut from Origin Unknown:
MC Fats Collective – We Gotcha LP
Here is the most recent one that came out just a year ago. It’s actually a whole pair of releases: We Gotcha LP Combination 1 and Combination 2. They feature the biggest names in techstep and liquid funk, such as Dom & Roland, Total Science and Alix Perez, as well as Break, Die and Calibre with some interesting non-dnb stuff. All 32 tracks are provided with the cheerful, easy-going and bright vocals of MC Fats, who’s been pleasing the dnb fans for many years. However the launch of this project was caused by a really sad occasion: Will needed the money for the leg amputation, so that all the cash raised from the album sales went for the treatment of MC Fats.