...written and compiled by spank.

Jonny L 20 Degrees (XL)

Remember Silver Bullet? 'Bring Forth The Guillotine' and all that? Well, he's decided to change his name to something a little more 90s and start guesting on people's tracks to relaunch his career. So here we have Silvah Bullet ranting in an annoying raggamuffin stylee. Jonny L's bass is as squelchy and as gutwrenching as it gets, but the beats here are nowhere near as imaginative as some of his previous work. The Scratch Perverts mix is better- laid back hip-hop with Mr Bullet reduced to an occasional turntable drop-in. 5

Dub Pistols Cyclone (Concrete)

Specialsy brass and widdly scratching abound on the radio edit, which is being played to death at the moment. Stretch & Vern build it up bit by bit from a stripped-down beat to the full monty on their Punk's Jump Up mix and dispense with the brass entirely for the Lebanese Dub. The Bushwacker mix uses the vocals far better than the original, over some nicely filtered bass noises, but it's the DJ Red mix that saves the day, just keeping the odd vocal snatch to prop up a full-on jump-up workout with some really tight breaks.7

Mulder Don't Believe(Urban Takeover)

Predictably formulaic stuff from the Aphrodite protegÚ, here sampling Public Enemy and, on the flip, Eric B & Rakim's 'Paid In Full'. Problem is, this time the beats are flimsy and the basslines sound like they've come from a Bontempi. Worth picking up only if you desperately want another PE-sampling build-up-break-down track in your record box. 4

Cypress Hill Tequila Sunrise (Ruffhouse / Columbia)

A classic return to full strength for the Buddha Monks- flamenco guitars and trumpets flourish over Muggs' hard as nails beats- forget the RZA and his increasingly dull Hammer Horror licks, The Soul Assassins are where it's at. The remix increases the tension, with Muggs insistently looping two guitar notes, but never letting the phrase complete itself. Awesome. 8

Monkey MafiaWork Mi Body (Heavenly)

Big Beat by numbers, massively uninspiring effort from Jon Carter. Brilliant live, this just doesn't translate. The Urban Takeover Mix shows that even if there's an awful lot of shite being put out on their label, Aphrodite & Mickey Finn can still pull out all the stops on the remix work. John Carter's own Bedwork mix is a cheesy house rework that does little to change my original opinion. 4

Bjork Hunter (One Little Indian)

"How Scandinavian of me," sings Bjork on this, whatever that's supposed to mean. Anyway, the original contains the world first military drum 'n' bass programming and some great string arrangements. German duo Funkstorung do some inexplicable things to 'All Is Full Of Love', putting in minimalist rhythms that really shouldn't work, whilst Mike Paradinas makes me think me CD player is buggered with the noises he layers all over the top of the original. One for the home, not for the dancefloor, but essential nonetheless. 8

Fatboy Slim Gangster Trippin' (Skint)

Norman Cook is a bastard. Whilst 'Better Living Through Chemistry' remains a firm Baggage favourite, for my money 'Rockafella Skank' is one of THE most annoying records of the summer- you can just imagine his gurning smug git face grinning as he drops it during his sets. This is no better- as catchy as flu and ten times more annoying. The fatwa starts here. 5

Pressure Drop Got To Be For Real [Grooverider] (Higher Ground)

After just missing out on the Mercury shortlist, Pressure Drop get the workover by their new labelmate and all-round God Grooverider. The bass is The Rider down to a tee- big and getting bigger all the time, threatening to take over from the vocal as the central part of the track, whilst elements of the original are worked effortlessly in and out. 7

Tuff JamNeed Good Love (XL)

Fucking appalling chartbound garage that sounds like you'd expect it to. Thump-thack drum kit? Check. Offbeat hihats? Check. Crap shouty woman singing about needing good love? Check. The remixes offer nothing new, except the odd nifty filter sweep. But that's over with in seconds. Unlike the song, unfortunately. 3

3PhaseSnafu Sessions (Novamute)

In sharp contrast, this is great. A vaguely electro rhythm track forms the basis for 'Dolly Rock'; 'Snafu' itself has a lot in common with other Novamute artist Plastikman in its use of intricate layering and quiet, less-is-more drum programming. 'Bongers II' takes the standard techno kick and hats, but arranges them in such a way to give them a new slant and 'Bruce' has a kind of semi-industrial feel to it. Proof that techno can be innovative and fresh and that formulas are made to be ignored.8

DJ Rap Good To Be Alive(Higher Ground)

The glamour queen of drum 'n' bass releases the second single from her forthcoming album. Like previous single 'Bad Girl', it's more of a mid-tempo breakbeat affair, with Rap leaving it up to the remixers to get hard and heavy on her stuff. The Deep Dish remixes are four-to-the-floor with some great dubbed-up vocal effects and Maas turns in a brilliant loping NY hip-hop mix and a Rhodes-soaked dub. 7

Made In Britain 7th Thief EP (Flo Records)

Not so much dark as pitch-black, Made In Britain's second EP continues the trend of schizoid hip-hop, with paranoid, distorted beats and whooping analogue noises backing Scalper's skittering half-rhymes. Vaguely reminiscent of Tricky, but without being so wilfully obtuse- there are beats here that make sense and which draw you in, only to spit you out twenty minutes later disoriented and slightly nauseous. 7