NHS400 sees the celebration of Hospital Records’ 400th release since the opening of its doors back in 1996. It’s no surprise that such a huge milestone is supported by an impeccable selection of tracks with unique collaborations that span across the Hospital family. You’ll find brand new collaborations from S.P.Y x London Elektricity with Liane Caroll, Bop x Subwave x Degs, Makoto x Urbandawn with MC Conrad, Whiney x Mitekiss with Ruth Royall, Fred V x Logistics and Keeno x Polaris. With NHS400 marking a seminal milestone in the Hospital Records catalogue, what better way to celebrate the talent that constantly propels the label forward than with a special six-track EP to explore the ever-developing sounds of the label’s roster.
Hospital head-honcho London Elektricity teams up with fellow long-time comrade S.P.Y on ‘Find Another Fool’ featuring the award-winning jazz vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Liane Carroll, who is no stranger to adding her flair to drum & bass with her rich history at the label and her involvement on countless Hospital Records classics. The introduction will have your hairs standing on end as S.P.Y’s signature reese bass comes tearing in underneath eerie plucks and Liane’s dynamic vocal range.
Russian-based, minimalistic beat smiths Bop x Subwave join forces with one of the most distinct voices in drum & bass on ‘The Shade’. Degs uses the delicately crafted canvas from Bop x Subwave to convey his eternally important message of continuing to spread love and kindness despite the racial injustices and discrimination he’s faced. A remarkable collaboration with an indispensable meaning.
Makoto and Urbandawn roll back to the 90s with ‘Magic Eyes’ featuring the vocals of MC Conrad, a leading figure within drum & bass and a true pioneer of MC culture. Expect a euphoric hands-in-the-air piano breakdown that sets the tone before Urbandawn’s grizzly bass work drives the track into full-throttle energy mode.
‘Broken Bones (feat. Ruth Royall)’ sees the debut collaboration of Whiney and Mitekiss. They offer their majestic take on drum & bass with spacious synth pads, sublime saxophone riffs and the soulful vocals of Ruth Royall, all meticulously blended together into a solemn liquid roller.
Seeing through another first-time collaboration on the NHS400 project, Fred V and Logistics take no prisoners on ‘You Keep Me High’ which sees the combination of both Hospital stalwart’s styles infuse into a gritty banger drenched in warping bass wobbles and scorching drums.
Bringing things to a close, ‘Leviathan’ is the epic by product from former Med School maestros Keeno and Polaris. Historic choral melodies are beautifully juxtaposed with off-beat bass throbs and junglistic breakbeats on one of the most forward-thinking pieces of music to enter the world of 174BPM.
The NHS400 project will be available on transparent blue vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day UK on Saturday 24th October. Any remaining presses will be available via the Hospital Shop from Saturday 7th November.
