Goldie vs SBTRKT 'Inner City Life' (Bootleg, 2009)

Soulful, post-dubstep type re-rub of Goldie's drum'n'bass classic.

I'm a bit behind on my homework - this little gem was snuck out in 2009 before SBTRKT hit the post-dubstep news.

This is a lovely, rolling re-edit that respects its forebears while bringing the beats up-to-date, playing off dark drum and bass against SBTRKT's brighter flavours. It then drops out the vocal and moves into a passage of SBTRKT niceness with some twisty synth action. The vocals and shifting synth strings of the original are brought back and it develops into a fusion of the spirits of the old and new.

Very nice indeed.

Download Goldie vs SBTRKT 'Inner City Life' (post-dubstep, drum'n'bass, remix, mp3) (Mediafire)

Boymerang 'Still' (Prototype, 1996)

Drum'n'bass excursion from Bark Psychosis main man.

After being a key part of Bark Psychosis and before becoming a go-to-producer for the likes of British Sea Power, Jarvis Cocker and These New Puritans, Graham Sutton reinvented himself as a dubplate-toting drum'n'bass moodscaper. Not much evidence of his post-rock, indie past in here.

'Still' is a dark and powerful tune, mixing precise beats and omninous, rumbling layers of atmospheric noise. Darkstep, I believe it was called. For a couple of hours one Monday afternoon in 1996.

Anyway, labels aside, it's a great tune and worth hunting down the sole Boymerang album - 'The Balance Of The Force' - to hear.

Download Boymerang 'Still' (drum'n'bass mp3) (Mediafire)

Tortoise 'Taut & Tame (Luke Vibert Remix)' (Thrill Jockey, 1998)

Intriguing battle between languid postrocking and rubbery drum and bass. Music is the winner.

Tortoise's poised, evolving postrock of 'The Taut And The Tame' is teased into a laid back piece of jazz and bass by former Mo'Wax face Luke Vibert.

It opens with frantic, pattering drums that set a pace that the bass completely undermines. It's slow, thoughtful and very spare, allowing trademark vibes to enter and resonate before Vibert brings the beat back. This time it's a trademark, mid-paced, piece of big-box-little-box-bubblecar-fish drum'n'bass rhythmic delight. And we're steppin' like it's 1999.

Originally released on 12", it was collected onto the 'Remixed' album but both are now out of print.

Download Tortoise 'Taut & Tame (Luke Vibert Remix)' (postrock, drum and bass mp3 download) (Mediafire)