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Some of us can remember how it all used to be in the dance music world. In the early to mid nineties certain producers had such an impact on the UK EDM scene they eventually spawned a variety of sub-genres which we now know as main genres today. Drum & Bass, Warehouse, Rave and Jungle all stem from those ‘Old Skool’ days. @AQUASKYuk was conceived in the midst of these hedonistic days and now they are returning with an album that reflects their knowledge, their experience and of course their love for bass music.

‘Raise The Devil’ by Aquasky is the new album carrying a boat load of big names along with current fresh and influential ones in the underground scenes of breaks, nu-jungle and urban. The album itself should be filed within these genres along with DnB, dubstep, drumstep and good old fashion rave with tracks falling into the realms of reggae. This is for sure a bass heavy, party piece for the Bournemouth trio who are backed up to the max.

Right from the start of the first track – ‘Taken Over Me’ – this 16 track monstrous LP is very much relentless throughout. 140 beats per minute in this nu-jungle escapade after the teasing and progressive build-up to the first drop, then it’s all sound systems a go, full bore.

‘Girls Girls Girls’ has the grime and the unyielding, gutsy bass effects which is then followed by the track ‘And The Beat Goes’ with vocals from Roisin Brophy and the royals of the current nu-jungle movement – Pyramid on this ruthless and inhuman, old skool flavoured, junglistic groove. ‘Press Play’ does tone it down a little and doesn’t appear as frantic as the others; Acafool recites away with support from some filthy electro tweaks and some funky 80′s synths blazing away. Bex Riley vocalising her way on ‘Get Me Out’ suits a big room with plenty of arms and hands waving across the sea of ravers who may mistake this for a Chase & Status record and then we have one which falls into the vacinty of resembling a Nero record; The Cutline remix of ‘Take Me There’ featuring Aquasky friend Diane Charlemagne is a dark and dirty house tinged, moody dubstep stomper which was the last single the boys released. The breakbeat funk with a firm reggae vibe returns on the big collaborative track ‘Superbad’ along with Ragga Twins adding some depth with the bouncy bass slapping alongside Mr Thing, M-Tek and Pedro Slimer.

Now the tune ‘Frontline’ is a drumstep barrage of detonating wubs and subtle Kingston town soul with the lyrics of Tenor Fly which leads up to the dancefloor destroyer ‘Phantom’: A deep, dark and doomful onslaught of juddering and industrial bass clatter with The Engine Earz Experiment. This my friends is a top, top tune with absolutely, “ridonculous” bass levels.

Bex Riley returns again on the drumstep track ‘Cold Crush’ with a harmonious vocal track meshed within the frenzied drum track which are both shrouded with rabid dub effects. The title track ‘Raise The Devil’ contains classic Aquasky and shows us some breaks inspired dubstep which will always go down well. Drumstep beats within ‘Streets Of Rage’ with Deja dishing out some motivation within the fantastic sounding drum track and crowd uplifting keyboard tones which could quite possibly cause some terraferm chaos but that will certainly ensue when ‘Humble’ is dropped where the Ragga Twins – who are always welcome – appear once more accompanied again by Tenor Fly on this cracking reggae-breaks tune. The fun factor vibe is embedded within the tune and when it’s laid out, it is so much fun.

A big room feel is unleashed on the ravey ‘Change Is Coming’ and the echoing jungle beat again with ‘Stardust’ and ‘Small World’.

The album title and intention for the listeners is to get the clubbers to delve deep within their being and unleash the devil that lays inside. That is what Aquasky want and that is certainly what they will get. This album is a colossal beast of bassline brutality. Wicked!

‘Raise The Devil’ by Aquasky is released by Aquasky on their own ‘Passenger Records’ label and is out on November 11th 2011.

By the way, if you like the vocal sounds coming from the preview below and wish that you could produce something similar, check out these Aquasky approved ‘Monster Sounds’ on Soundcloud. These free Deep South Rap Acapellas are a great collection of original vocal performances which can be used for all styles of dance music, from Breaks, Dubstep, House and Drum and Bass. It could save you banging your head against a brick wall.

1 Phantom ft. Engine Earz Experiment
2 And The Beat Goes ft. PYRAMID & Roisin Brophy
3 Press Play ft. Acafool
4 Girls Girls Girls ft. Lee Mortimer & Daddy Freddy
5 Stardust ft. Roisin Brophy
6 Raise The Devil
7 Taken Over Me
8 Frontline ft. Tenor Fly
9 Change Is Coming ft. DeJa
10 Small World ft Didjelirium
11 Streets Of Rage ft. DeJa
12 Cold Crush ft. Bex Riley
13 Humble ft. Tenor Fly & Ragga Twins
14 Take Me There ft. Diane Charlemagne (Cutline Mix)
15 Get Me Out ft. Bex Riley
16 Superbad ft. Ragga Twins, M-Tek, Pedro Slimer & Mr. Thing