Anyone who was a D&B fan at the turn of the millennium will remember the impact that “liquid funk” had on the genre. A rebellion against the techno-fuelled aggression that had dominated the scene for several years, liquid funk was spearheaded by then Radio 1 DJ Fabio and led to the rise of some of drum & bass’ most respected artists and labels, from the mighty Calibre to the unstoppable Hospital Records.
Now, a decade and a half on, you might be forgiven for thinking that liquid funk’s moment has passed. One listen to the playlists of Radio 1’s elite will tell you otherwise, though. While the name might no longer be on everyone’s lips the echoes of its sound still resonate today. You can hear them in the UK #1 singles from Sigma, you can sense the euphoric overtones and rib-rattling basslines at feel-good drum & bass nights across the globe and over half a million subscribers worldwide follow the sound on Liquicity’s own YouTube channel.
Since its inception the Liquicity brand has become a behemoth, selling out events across Europe and connecting their YouTube community in online and offline situations. Meanwhile their compilations go from strength to strength – two of their previous albums have hit the #1 spot both in the iTunes Electronic chart and the Beatport Top 100 Releases chart.
‘Escapism 2’ is the second instalment in Liquicity’s compilation series which invites you to soak up the glorious sound of liquid funk circa 2014. The first edition received an incredible amount of love topping both the Beatport Top 100 Releases and the iTunes Electronic Album charts and the follow up looks set to replicate that success.
Coming with a selection of established drum & bass producers alongside some of the hottest new talent the genre has to offer including Logistics, Dkay, Seba, Jenna G, Murdock, Maduk and Future Prophecies ‘Escapism 2’ is undoubtedly Liquicity’s most ambitious project to date, but one listen will show you that ambition has paid off. Packed with glorious, melodic drum & bass that’s at home in your headphones as much as it is on the dancefloor; this is one compilation you can’t afford to ignore this autumn.
01. Murdock, Submatik & Jenna G – Good Luv
02. Maduk – Believe (Logistics Remix)
03. Hugh Hardie – Colourful Language
04. Seba – Lose Control
05. Maduk & Vandera – Never Stop Loving You
06. Fliwo – Calling
07. Dkay – Cherokee Heart
08. Franklin – Colours (Whiney Remix)
09. Loz Contreras – Baby It\’s You
10. Future Prophecies – September (Maduk & Champion Remix)
11. Phaction – Someone ft. Katkin Willow
12. Nexus & Tight – Odyssey
13. Dualistic & NCT – The Unknown
14. Qbig & Zenith B – Echoes
15. Rameses B – Memories (VIP)
Out now on Beatport.
