ALBUM REVIEW: Phineus II's FR027 (2023)

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Released on Future Retro London in December 2023, prolific jungle producer Phineus II's first solo release on the label is regarded by many fans and fellow producers as a modern jungle classic - filled with samples, tough breaks and the distinctive edge that many rave releases of the early 90s had. Spread over two 12" vinyl and eight tracks is a sonic journey through the mind of one of the underground's most loved and respected producers.

Recorded over the span of a decade in his home somewhere in England, every track captures the distinctly different and interesting style he is able to capture in his music and this album demonstrates that brilliantly thanks to heavy tracks such as the seminal E Takes Me (a track recorded when he went under the name "Squatski) and heavy rollers such as Selector Sayz (my personal favourite on the album, however it sure is hard to pick!)

All of the tracks on this album were sequenced, recorded and mixed using classic hardware that many iconic rave and jungle records used - ranging from programs on the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST computers to classic samplers and hardware of which have been showcased via the production and sound. This gives all of the tracks featured a particularly rough sound which is not present on other releases not just on Future Retro, but on most jungle and rave music that has come out in the past five years or so, making this particular release (and the majority of his work) extremely memorable for new time listeners and devoted, long time fans.

To add, the eclectic samples (and the odd bit of turntablism sprinkled in) keep every track fresh and full of interesting and strange ideas, making every listen more rewarding and refreshing (also because it's bloody good too!)

As an example, the samples on this body of work range from reggae accapellas to films such as Marked for Death to fat, dark and kick ass funk breaks which are manipulated, edited and pitched in true jungle fashion to pure perfection in every way possible.

Thanks to all of these reasons, since FR027's release eight months ago it has been a staple in my listening for an extremely long time, and that sure isn't going to be stopping any time soon. To add, it has since become one of my all time favorite albums, making this release the first in the jungle genre to do so.

Overall, this is a fantastic body of work by Phineus II and it demonstrates his production ability and unique ideas fantastically, hence why it is receiving an extremely high score from me.

Rating - 9.5/10

You can find FR027 here:

Streaming

Vinyl

Phineus II's YouTube

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