DJ Pooch - The Skrufneck Strikes Back EP [Amen Brother AB-VFS 012]

Unleashed via the Vinyl Fanatiks-offspring Amen Brother in November of 2k21 is "The Skrufneck Strikes Back EP", a banging 12" vinyl release serving a total of four tracks cooked up in the studio by James Pritchard a.k.a. DJ Pooch. With the EPs title paying homage to Pritchard's very own short-lived Skrufneck label which put out three singles from 1993 to 1995 we're seeing DJ Pooch on a dark'ish, rolling, well ecstatic and stab heavy UK Hardcore tip with the opening tune "Amen Brother" whilst "The Whole E" harks back to the large scale euphoria of E-infused 'ardcore rave days in which both technoid and Breakbeat cuts could cater to the same audience which this pretty uplifting banger impressively proves - not only titlewise. Furthermore the B1 cut "Ruffneck Soldier" weighs in a scintillating opening Rave motif atop a rolling, sub-heavy foundation already pointing towards what should become Jungle shortly after with its rasta- x dancehall- x reggae-informed micro-cut vocal samples and gangsta bleeps before "Manifestations" rounds things off with chiming, crystalline clouds of sound alongside hard stepping (Proto)Jungle beats and spine-tingling, almost outerworldy synth layers for a closing. Excellent stuff. Get.