If you're going to do your drum & bass knowledge, you need to be up on the V Recordings family of labels. Philly Blunt and Chronic were two of their more popular sister imprints, giving the one and only Bryan Gee an area to drop tracks that didn't fit into the V mold, many of which were done by the V stable under varying aliases. We love when Bryan gets hype and starts bringing these imprints back toward the light, and this Warehouse Music compilation (which is set to drop on February 24) highlights a collective that V (and their surrounding labels) have been giving shine to, but this time it's on a different level.
Instead of the more upfront, dancefloor party-ready sounds, this 24-track opus feels deeper. With producers like Need For Mirrors, Command Strange, Mr. Joseph, Optiv & BTK, and others throwing in some distinctly devious sounds, you get a feel for where Chronic's going, even if label mainstays like Roni Size and Dillinja (under his Capone guise) are found with some interesting bits. The name of the game is keeping things more "stripped back" and "raw," which they've definitely achieved. You can preview all 24 tracks down below, but know that this compilation also has another ace up its sleeve: DJ Bailey's mixed it. Boom. This could be one of the more intriguing drum & bass releases of 2014.
And if you wanted to do more knowledge on Chronic, here are Bailey's top 10 essential Chronic tracks.
