RAVETRX 14 Down The Dip

Ravetrx is back on Sherelle & NAINA’s Hooversound imprint, and it’s a real headturner. If the UK artist’s first contribution to the label was unapologetically ‘90s-facing, ‘14 Down The Dip’ is practically legging it back into a muddy field somewhere along the UK’s growing network of motorways. One thing’s for sure—we’re gonna be here all night.

Ravetrx sets the stage with sounds of a single airhorn and distant crowd before launching into a pounding groove. The title track snapshots a rave well underway: fresh off the M1 and checking out the usual suspects: speedfreaks stepping to white-noise kicks, teens screwfacing to rascally rave synths, and someone swaying wide-eyed to those happy hardcore piano lines.

‘Ruff Enuff Stuff’ goes out to the system heads, rolling the EP into jungle tekno via Patois vocals, crisp breaks and subs. But don’t be fooled by these warmer frequencies—on the flip, Ravetrx jumps back into rave mayhem with ‘On A Mission’, amens going head to head with a snarling bassline. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any heavier, Hooversound label-mate Nova Cheq finishes up the EP with a merciless gabber rework of ‘On A Mission’, sizzling with twitchy acid that’ll speak to the restless and underslept.

An essential cop for the hardcore junglists out there!