Within the genre of electronic/dance music, drum and bass has been the most under-appreciated form of music being circulated. In the early 90’s I remember walking into the local head shop every now and then to the sounds of crazy sped up drum beats layered with vocals and heavy cymbals. I would listen, but back then I really did not understand the structure of the music. Fast forward to today and drum and bass is the freshest, most energetic new music being created within the genre of electronic/dance music. Dara came to America in ’95 with a vision and a unique style that has always been cutting edge, taking junglists into the future. Other DJs listen to his mixes to see what the next hot track will be. On Future Perfect he comes armed with tasteful selections of mainstream tracks and a wide variety of D&B to conquer the dance floor.
The mood on the mix goes from aggressive beats to funky bass to soulful sounds to high-energy roller beats. Opening up the floodgates of drum and bass, Dara makes your head bob to the kick of “Blue Rose” by Teebee. Nobody puts a song into a mix better than Dara. Whether he’s dropping in a vocal or controlling the vibe, the results are always the same, perfect and tight. On “Bleach” by Universal Project the creeping wave is layered with a sped up vocal sample that quickly pauses, then with a grunt the song slams into beat. “Bleach” is definitely a tune for the pure junglists. The mix is tough and heavy in the early moments, then shifts to a heavy funk, the get up and down style of D&B with mainstream favorites “Need You” by Ink & Dylan and J-Majik’s “Tell Me”.
The album is loaded with a star-studded line up of artists ranging from Decoder, Future Cut, Kosheen, and High Contrast. Dara gets major kudos for the amazing ability of taking different styles and sounds of D&B to create a solid cohesive record. Kosheen’s (Slip and Slide) “Suicide” will be on the shout for a rewind without a doubt. “Suicide” is just one of those songs that could make any mix an instant classic. It’s got a gorgeous vocal track, a sophisticated loop resembling the weird noises of Dragonball Z being sampled for vibe, and a crushing bass line to follow. I have already heard local DJs spinning this record with audiences screaming for another listen.
I’m a big fan of DJ Dara’s previous releases, Full Circle and From Here to There, but Future Perfect puts Dara in a class all by himself. Future Perfect gets the seal of approval with a solid gold stamp.
+Sarzyniak
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