Riders Zone

Bailey's Soul Thunder compilation is one of the countless jungle/drum'n'bass albums to come out of Britain in 2002. Offering a steady mix of ripping synth lines, punchy bass hits, and scattered drums, this disc does an excellent job of blending the tracks into one solid mix. It is actually quite a hypnotic collection of tracks, seamlessly shifting from the grinding assaults of artists like Cujo and Lemon D to the frantic sample-fests of Sonic & Silver and Alpha Omega. By offering an eclectic bunch of songs, Bailey creates an atmosphere that continually throbs with overwhelming moments of sound just to pull back and deliver a warm blanket of synths and solo beats. It can be jarring at moments, but the nature of the genre makes this a minor quibble when so many of those moments result in a cathartic explosion of drums or a poignant moment of silence. By showing a wealth of variety within the genres it's limited to and tempering the ebb and flow perfectly, Soul Thunder is a collection that delivers a solid helping of intoxicating, percussion-heavy techno without sacrificing the booty-shaking appeal of the genre.