I recently asked Dom (Sonar’s Ghost) to do a chart of 5 tracks or releases he enjoyed in 2025. It turned out that not only did Dom supply the chart, which I posted here, he also wrote up his thoughts on the releases, and where he can see the modern jungle scene going over the next few years.

But he didn’t stop there, as he went one step further and put a mix together featuring some of the tracks.

The theme for the mix is a simple one. Recorded using two Technics SL 1210’s, its a vinyl only selection with one deck reserved for tracks from 1995 and the other for releases from 2025.

The full tracklist for the mix is at the end of this post.

Now, over to Dom…

In the Hardcore/Jungle/DnB Multiverse, where the past, the present and the future all exist in a surreal ‘whenever’, we have now reached the point where there is more newer old sounding Jungle (let’s make that the shorthand for now) then there was made at the time. The most obvious 20 and 30 year cycles for my favourite eras have now passed, and we enter the final throws as I started to make and release music, with the death of breakbeat science looming. As the ease of mixing bland 2-step dominated, those of us with more adventurous taste moved away. The below chart of new releases gives me hope that the future thread of the multiverse can at least survive and out perform the entirely retro cycles. And the brief return of this blog can help us all celebrate, calibrate and circumvent the multiple timelines of our culture.

V/A – Just Beats (Over/Shadow)
Pugilist & Tamen – Source (Ruff Kutz)
Andy Odysee – Obsidian EP (Odysee Recordings)
Freegroove – Passion Projects Vol 1 (Universal Process Recordings)
Settle Down & LMajor – Trying EP (Repertoire)

With Freegroove here being the most knowingly 93/94/95 leaning EP, it was a surprise treat when gifted by Hughsee of Distant Planet. Seek it out, fans of Future Retro, Parrallax and other similar labels will be impressed. This leads to an honourable mention, “Future Retro 50” marks a pause for many, many years of sterling releasing from Mr Reaper, and it contains a VIP of mine and Outrages latest Future Retro offering “The Wait”. This is yet to be released, and has been pushed back into 2026. The Sonar’s Ghost “Rinse Out” EP on Foundation has also been delayed into 2026 but I play “Give It Up” from the test press in this mix.

On ‘Just Beats’, Over/Shadow hark pack to the classic Pizza Hut version of Moving Shadow’s answer to Enforcers “2 on 1”, and modernise it to the silver foiled delivery chain now dominating fast food culture. But with the package a delivery of my favourite new hopes for breakbeat culture. Sure there are plenty of Amens, Hot Pants, Thinks and Funky Drummer’s peppered about, but the detail, the luscious pads, the contrasting deep subs are all present. No angry robot pigs, no constant metallic drones. Just positive, forward facing Jungle.

This repeats through the remainder of the EPs on my list. “Source” is billed as a tribute to Source Direct, reminding me of my homage records over the last 10 years, this touches on every era without ever feeling lazy. And an EP that chucks in some variation in tempos, now your talking! Settle Down and LMajor does similar, with the sliding pitch offering options for different times of set and vibe. The simple bang for your buck strategy gets me every time.

Andy and Tilla have been remastering and reissuing for a while now, but along with the classic remasters and remixes of Source Direct collabs on Mirage or Photek alias Phase 1, the newer work (over many EPs) are absolute gems which I was happy to discover when chancing a purchase of this EP at The Run Out. This, along with Galvatron, Peeb, Pixl, Duburban and the gang, have revitalised my love of the breaks. And Obsidian more than any EP shows a possible future of Drum and Bass where no one gave up, our collective pallet matured and sound and drum excavation kept moving on, challenging ears, dance floors and aging DJ’s. This was how Sonar Circle was described in 1997, and a reminder of this spirit, and finding it still alive is heart warming.

So facing the dilemma of the end of the 30 year cycles, as we go in to 96, tech step, hoover bass and then onto clownstep and Neurofunk, I’m not worried. There are goldmines through the years, the resistance that popped up in Nucleus and Paradox on Renegade Hardware or GLR offshoots, the early to late 2000’s Bassbin era, Fracture and Neptune, Digital and Spirit, 2008 offerings from Dub-One, Nebula, Equinox or Chris Inperspective. Dghon, Code and Subtle audio, Polska, Rupture…they are all still fighting. And consider Footwork to be part of this fight. When Nectax or Sherelle dabble in it, 15 years after it was ‘cool’, maybe it is time to appreciate it is part of the resistance, and that the breakbeat canon will include this drum machine skippy ‘kids music’, now adored by kids who are in their 30s.

In summary, it is like surviving Christmas time. A little bit of everything, in moderation. 2-step made well is nice, but not for 4 hours on the trot. Mix it up. Go backwards, forwards, up, down, round and enjoy it all. And if you can, unlike me, don’t overthink it.

Good luck and light into the new year and beyond,

Dom.

Sonar’s Ghost – All Vinyl Mix (95×25) Tracklist

The Sentinel – Heavy Vibes (Basement)
Essence Of Aura – Intruder [Icon Roller Remix] (Over/Shadow)
Dillinja – Heavenly Bass (Logic Recordings)
Sonar’s Ghost – Give It Up (Foundations)
Mirage – No Tomorrow (Odysee)
Andy Odysee – Dirty Little Secrets (Odysee)
Alex Reece – I Want You (Metalheadz)
Puglist and Tamen – Source (Ruff Kutz)
Studio Pressure – Presha’ [Ray Keith VIP] (Spectrum/FFRR)
Freegroove – So Sharp (Universal Process Records)
Fokus – On-Line [Recoded] (Eternal Soul)
Settle Down and LMajor – Last One (Repertoire)
DJ Crystl (MI5) – I Can’t Understand (Deep Jungle)
Duburban, Peeb and Pixl – The Method (Over/Shadow)
The Basic Influence – Still Waters [95 Mix] (Hardleaders)
DJ Sofa – Hyoervigillance (Repertoire)
T-Power and MK Ultra – Horny Mutant Jazz [DJ Trace Remix] (S.O.U.R)
Unknown – Real World (DSM Promo 05)
Skanna – Find Me (Skanna)