Atomic Funk – Danny Byrd (2018)

Danny Byrd is one of my favourite Drum’n’bass producers. His use of rich harmonies and melodic basslines doesn’t sound like anyone else in the genre. He proved it again when he released this album, which is something as rare as a D’n’b album with only good songs thoughout. The first single #7 takes us right back to the late 90’s when D’n’b was quite new, and it contains everything you would like from a classic roller; an electric bass breakdown, a synth bass drop and an Amen break. The four following singles #1, #3, #4 and #5 are also good but not the strongest points of the album. My personal favourites are #8 which has some funky acoustic guitars and basslines, #11 that sounds like it could have been made on a trackpad and also has one of the heaviest drops, #12 with its rich brass chords and again both synth bass and electric bass, and #13 again with a funky bassline. Danny might have written better songs, but in its whole, this is his best album to date.