DJ Dara
Future Perfect
Moonshine
The veteran of hard-edged drum n’ bass beats returns with another fairly eclectic mix of genre heavyweights. With such big names as Decoder and J-Majik on the roster, one would expect the sinister beats. Ask and ye shall receive. Burgeoning artists like Universal Project turn the early atmospheric sound quality of Future Perfect back into the realm of harsh, scraping bass and stiletto percussion.
Dara utilizes the 16 tracks to his and our benefit, as none exceed beyond four minutes or so, making for a wham bam thank you ma’am listen. No, I’ve not been into deep into the consistent thunderstorm of jungle or tech-step lately, and the bothersome diva vocals don’t score points in my book. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by even darker jungle styles of artists like Panacea, because most of this mix seems just a tad lightweight and at times, accidentally generic. Still, even though this record may not the perfect future as planned, it still makes for halfway decent home stereo or driving music.
Moonshine Music, 8525 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069; http://www.moonshine.com