Into the Dragon... Plus

Tim Simenon's Bomb the Bass exploded into the U.K. singles charts with their debut single, "Beat Dis", in February 1988, reaching the #2 spot. Initially little was known about the people behind the record as it appeared from nowhere and was released on an unknown label: Mister-Ron Records (as it turned out, an imprint of Rhythm King Records). Reputedly costing £500 to make, "Beat Dis" was a record of moment, marking the shift away from expensive studios to more homemade setups and utilising the increasingly affordable sampling technology that was at the heart of the band's output.

This awesome reissue of 'Into the Dragon' - their debut album from the same year - remains a successful blend of breakbeats, samples & scratching, which includes contributions from Merlin, 23 Skidoo, Nellee Hooper and others. There are four bonus tracks too, made up of alternative mixes of hit singles taken from the original release. The CD booklet includes sleeve notes and a U.K. discography.

Bomb the Bass has since gone on to produce several other fantastic albums that have continually refused to be formulaic or predictable. The development of the sound / direction is a lasting feature of their output.