This review was initially written (for the most part) during December of 2022, but given the nature of that season and other work piling up, finishing this review got left on the back burner. I’m finally circling back to it now.
On November 18th of last year Charlie Fracture dropped “0860”; a living tribute to old school jungle and pirate radio culture. This eight track album is stocked full of chopped up crashing amens and booming basslines, all precisely selected for your aural listening pleasure. I grabbed my copy of the album on Cassette / Digi and there are vinyl purchase options available as of February 2023 as the album has since been repressed.
This project is one which is clearly close to Fracture’s heart as he outlines in the liner notes to the cassette. As someone who has largely lived on the periphery of any sort of dance music metropole, his description of how pirate radio provided to him “a gateway” into a world otherwise closed off from him due to his age at the time is something that resonates deeply with me. To be quite honest, as someone who is broadcasting a niche show on FM/Internet radio, hearing this story makes me hope that maybe some of the stuff that gets programmed on NCF might have a similar effect some day.
I can also relate to the unrelenting joy that dance music can bring. To the realization that something amazing is going on and to the overbearing compulsion to take part which I think characterizes the nature of many people’s experiences with this great body of work that has developed over the decades. “0860” is both a callback and a tribute to that past and Fracture has pulled out all the stops with this release to ensure that every aspect of it fits that aesthetic, from the promotional artwork to the track mastering to the classic samples and melodies that fade in and out throughout the album.
(I should note at the outset that this review is of the digital tracks that make up “0860”. The physical cassette is a mixtape including tracks from the album and several other dubplates.)
“0860” fits nicely within the larger throwback-jungle / hardcore revival that has been going on for about the last half decade, while still remaining fresh with it’s production and ideas. Online discourse around the hardcore / jungle revival has from my view been largely positive, but my take with respect to anyone who views this type of production as unoriginal or regressive really comes down to this: “I didn’t get to be there in 1993, I’m sure it was great and I love the way they did it before, but I’m looking to live that experience RIGHT NOW so let us have our fun”.
Having got that point out of the way, we can talk about the actual album. Every track pulling in those small but recognizable elements that you know from classic mixes and tunes made long before you (read: me) were able to get into the club. With “0860” Fracture has put together an album that really all Junglists ought to enjoy.
The first and title track “0860” sets the theme of the album perfectly, with vocals from Eastman spoken gently over the thumping amen breaks and static distortion surrounding the high hats (though that might be the fact that I’m listening to it on cassette right now). Relatively subdued compared to some of the other tracks on offer, “0860” is still easily one of my favourite tracks on the album, though favourites are extremely difficult to pick.
“Buzzing Crew” featuring Bluesy Gee is the first really proper banger of the album if you listen sequentially. Featuring a melody all junglists will know and love, the chopping amen breaks phase over a wild bassline in a way that is guaranteed to get ravers feet moving.
The third track on the album, “Booyaka Style” was one of my early favourites. From the first drop, the track comes roaring through the speakers with rising warm bass, scratch samples and crushing drumwork. The drums are fresh and punchy, while the track maintains the overall rugged aesthetic that runs throughout the album. A fantastic track and definitely one that will mash-up the dance.
Tracks four and five, “Telepathy” and “First Aid Kit” are more atmospheric, sparse jungle numbers. “Telepathy” is a subtle stepper, punctuated by a down-tuned 808 bassline. “First Aid Kit” in turn sees Fracture build on a slow progression. The track calls to mind work of producers like Seba and Paradox, with Fracture adding elements like quiet jazz licks and vocal samples as the track slowly builds towards a drop that doesn’t come until roughly two minutes in. “First Aid Kit” is properly progressive DNB, the likes of which isn’t really common in the days of “build-drop, build-drop” formulaic DNB; think LTJ Bukem’s “Logical Progression” and you might have a good idea.
“Blaze” featuring Bryan Gee fits the role of a halftime stepper nicely, despite being proper jungle. The way drumwork in the break spaces the emphasis in the music sufficiently well that it wouldn’t be out of place as a transition tune. With a rumbling bassline that sounds like an arcade machine dropping an atomic bomb and splashes of colour provided by key samples, the vocal samples bring the whole piece together in a slamming, dancehall inspired piece of tuneage.
“From The Very Top” runs over another beautiful set of amen choppage. Out of all the tracks on offer, it is in this song that you can most hear the echoes of the hardcore that drum and bass and jungle morphed out of. Breakcore-style drum rushes punctuate the track which itself is based around a massive 808 kick drum. As the song runs it’s course we’re treated to arcade bubbling, echoing, offbeat horn / organ stabs that don’t overall cloud the chilled out vibe of the song. Given the direction that I’ve been taking some of my live DJ sets I think you can expect that I am going to be adding this tune to some of my playlists for this summer.
“Kinda Late For A Sunday Night” is a delightful morphing roller of a tune. The intro melody and bassline evoke memories of Roni Size’s “Brown Paper Bag” before the track flips the script and hits you with a bassline more reminiscent of DJ Krust’s “Warhead”. The halfway point of the track sees many of these elements come back into play as a gated melody drifts over the breakbeats. All of this hits you before the first breakdown. After a brief pause the whole track comes back in force until winding down into a stepping break and the parabolic melody that has run throughout the course of the tune.
This concludes what was to be honest a pretty hard review to complete, if only because I adequately lack the language to properly convey the quality of what is on offer in this album. If you are a person who is serious about drum and bass, jungle or hardcore techno then this is an album which should be on your radar. One benefit to the length of time it took to write this review is that represses of the vinyl album itself, as well as the cassette version are available on Bandcamp again.
You can purchase them at the link below. Go get ’em:
Nickel City Frequencies // Official Website 