Getting Sick Never Felt So Good with Sick Music 2019!

Hospital Records’ juggernaut has returned and Sick Music 2019 showcases how wide-reaching the horizon looks for Drum & Bass this year.

As January 2019 rolled to a close there was a single compilation that I kept on repeat: Sick Music 2019.  The latest iteration of Hospital Records‘ venerable series devoted to the illest of beats, Sick Music 2019 offers a welcoming door to the veteran and newbie alike.  Featuring a selection of twenty-five brand new tracks and remixes, Hospital Records makes it more clear than ever that 2019 will be a giant year for Drum & Bass.

If we turn back the clock just ten years ago we find the first time Hospital introduced the Sick Music concept – “Expect the full gamut of the Hospital sound here – from experimental cuts to downright dancefloor anthems.” They even warned: “Quite simply, this is the most comprehensive prescription package since Tamiflu. Our advice – always read the label, and if in doubt consult your doctor or pharmacist.”

It was there in 2009 that Hospital upped the ante for all drum and bass compilations.  Now though, Hospital introduces the varied works by artists like Bop, Logistics, and Gridlock for the new year while smashing expectations on the demise of Fred V & Grafix, reinforcing the legs of Degs, or Hospital head honcho London Elektricity as we gaze into the new year.

Take a listen to Sick Music 2019 below, grab a copy on your favorite platform, and read on for some of the highlights on this compilation that’s filled with stunners.

Stream Hospital Record’s Sick Music 2019 on Spotify:

Sick Music 2019 is full of bombastic grooves and returns the genre to “funk”!

In a recent Hospital Records podcast, London Elektricity exclaimed with glee, “The funk is back!” and he was not kidding!  Capitalizing on the new groove in drum and bass, London Elektricity’s new tune “Funkopolis” offers plenty of the funk in his groove work. In fact, its clear that working with the big band reinvigorated more of his creative itches and it sounds like the year will be a splendid trip for the veteran.

Flip the page and wonder-MC Degs pops up twice on the compilation.  First, it’s on Whiney’s incredible mix of his debut track “Poveglia,” and second on the supremely touching “Lie Awake” where he is the guest to Mitekiss’ deft production.  Mark my words, this is a tune I can already say will be in my top ten all year!

From the foundation laid above, there is a collaborative piece by Makoto and Hugh Hardie, Bou and Unglued, and Inja and Whiney.

Massive works that mix both artists styles into something both unfamiliar and yet invitingly warm. Fans of liquid drum & bass will find Makato and Hugh Hardie’s “Bluebird” splendid. Then there are the two latest productions from Fred V & Grafix – now split into solo artists again. Fred V’s “Burning Me” is an ode to all that is now – radio friendly deep bass patterns permeate a style that some call future bass, while Grafix’s “Frozen” lives up to the wintertime chill it resonates with.

On top of this is a touch of the experimental styles that play out wonderfully on Hospital Records sub-label Med School Music.

Article 1: Enter Primate’s playful remix of Zephire’s “Despiration” – both chaotic and yet, it fits into the peg so easily.  Article 2: “It’s Not Techno” by Gridlok – clearly drum and bass and pulsating with the early sounds of Danny Byrd, and yet the repetitive spirit and effects work feel more honed for Med School. Article 3: Bop’s multiple years’ old inventive interpretation of Anile’s “Allergens.”  London Elektricity shared that they had the remix for years but could not find the right release for it – Sick Music 2019 was a grand choice!

For many, the most surprising aspect was the return of MRSA to Hospital Records.

The infamous drum and bass alias of one Mat Zo, MRSA always found a special place in Sick Music compilations. Mat Zo debuted the alias back on the original Sick Music in 2009 so coming home to ten years late just seems so appropriate.

The beauty of MRSA tracks lies in linking the core roots of drum and bass with the progressive and trance knowhow of Mat Zo.  “Nail Out” shines in the later – atmospheric synths layer in the cloudy upper layers of the track while the track maintains a foot in drum and bass tradition (the second break is wonderfully grimy with aggressive bass lines), it offers plenty of open roads ahead to enjoy.

Look, I could keep ranting about each track, but the point is clear: Sick Music 2019 offers everything the drum and bass fan needs.

It also offers a door for newcomers to walk through and explore numerous reaches of the genre.  Ironically, the album lives up to the title: Sick Music 2019 is one of the illest compilations in years. It is sick in all the right directions.  Go, run down to the chemist, and grab your copy today!

Hospital Records – Sick Music 2019 – Tracklist:

Fred V – Burning Me (Original Mix)

Degs – Poveglia ft. De:Tune (Whiney Remix)

London Elektricity – Funkopolis (Original Mix)

S.P.Y – Dusty Fingers ft. Diane Charlemagne (Metrix Remix)

John Holt – Police In Helicopter (Benny L Remix)

Inja x Whiney – Be My Cure (Original Mix)

Makoto x Hugh Hardie – Bluebird (Original Mix)

Flava D – Return To Me (Original Mix)

Bou x Unglued – Ascendant Man (Original Mix)

Mitekiss – Lie Awake ft. Degs (Original Mix)

Lakeway – War Dub (Original Mix)

Grafix – Frozen (Original Mix)

Logistics – Levitate (Original Mix)

MRSA – Nail Out (Original Mix)

Krakota – Reload (Original Mix)

Gridlok – It’s Not Techno (Original Mix)

Anile – Allergens (Bop Remix)

Impish- Hive (Original Mix)

Polaris – Alignment (Original Mix)

Pete Cannon – Ella (Original Mix)

Murdock – Headshot (Original Mix)

In:Most x Saikon – Untold History (Original Mix)

Zephire – Desperation (Primate Remix)

Dip Vertigo & Dr. Apollo – Red ft. Josh Phillips (Original Mix)

Walk:r – Solis (Original Mix)

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