- Metalheadz revives a UK hardcore classic with an on-point remix from Detboi.
- The 25 Years Of Metalheadz series is an exciting prospect—represses of classic tracks with new remixes—but it's unfolding in unexpected ways. For one, the 25th anniversary of the drum & bass label was actually in 2019. And this third volume comes before the second—the first was John B's untouchable "Up All Night." (It's not on purpose—vinyl manufacturing delays, naturally.) The chosen classic this time, "Drum Trip" from 2 Bad Mice side project Kaotic Chemistry, didn't even come out on Metalheadz. It came out on Moving Shadow. Oh, and the original master recording is lost to history. None of these things seem to matter when you put on Detboi's remix of "Drum Trip," stretching out the three-minute original into eight minutes of tension and release, with glorious sound design and mixing that feels like a reverent reimagining of what "Drum Trip" might have sounded like with more advanced technology.
"Drum Trip" came out in 1992, a pivotal track bridging the breakbeat hardcore era with jungle and drum & bass. It sounds slow by today's standards, but the heft of the drums is undeniable, and the breathy vocal samples give it that air of film noir mystery which would define drum & bass for decades. How do you approach a remix? These kind of revival remixes are usually pointless, but there's life to Detboi's effort, which carries on his love for rollercoaster-style lifts and drops. There are so many drops in his "Trip Remix" that it feels like a multi-part suite. Madcap's remix turns it into a contemporary roller that's not as flashy, though the wild, bucking basslines are a treat.
That leaves the original. Instead of using an iffy vinyl rip, Metalheadz tapped Wheeler to rebuild "Drum Trip" from the ground-up, and his version is remarkably accurate, down to the grittiness of the breaks. Of course, you could just pull up the original on YouTube, but for anyone who wants to own it on vinyl or play "Drum Trip" out, Wheeler's mix will do just fine.
It's touches like these that make Metalheadz' 25th anniversary project seem more substantial than a victory lap. Rather than repackaging old hits, they're reaching deep into drum & bass history, matching tracks with kindred producers and even reverse engineering music instead of passing over it or using an inferior copy. This is only the second volume (or the third, depending on your view), but it shows that the label is committed to doing it carefully.
TracklistA1 Drum Trip (Detboi's Trip Remix)
B1 Drum Trip (Wheeler Rebuild)
B2 Drum Trip (Madcap Remix)
Drum Trip (Detboi's Low Ends & Amens Remix) [Digital Only]
Jupiter 2021 Rebuild [Digital Only]