INCredible Sound of Drum'n'Bass

While Goldie is not the best DJ in the world, he is a decent "selecta," as the Jamaicans might say. For INCredible Sound of Drum & Bass the notorious head of the Metalheadz label reaches back into jungle's catalog, pulling out the classics--ironically, only four or five years old--and combining them with newer tunes. Tracks such as Doc Scott's "Here Come the Drums" and "Warning" by Codename John (a.k.a. Grooverider) are essential for any jungle aficionado, and both appear here. Careful not to neglect the new stuff, the man with the mouth full of gold teeth does not pick the trendy big-blazers, but rather more sophisticated, fine-tuned, streamlined records that work well with the airy atmospherics of the older singles. Johnny L's techno-stabber "See Red" mixes with Doc Scott's "Unofficial Ghost," while producers like Matrix and Fresh and Vegas make appearances, side by side with Source Direct and Shy FX. This is not a mind-blowing affair, but it is--as the U.K. jocks say--proper. --Tricia Romano