Zero G DJ Stakka Presents Firestorm

MC Rebbe The Rapping Rabbi reviews Zero G's DJ Stakka Presents Firestorm in The Technofile

Whilst Koncept ‘N’ Funktion is up to the minute, Firestorm is a little more retro in its outlook.

The work of veteran rave/D ‘n’ B DJ/producer, Stakka, it consists of 950 24 bit samples, that cover Everything from D ‘n’ B, through Jungle, to the pregenitor of both, rave.

Like K ‘N’ C, it ships on a single DVD, but unlike its D’n’B BB, this time there’s no virtual instrument involved. Instead, everything is supplied in multiple sampler formats including Acid, AIFF, Apple Loops, Stylus RMX, Rex2, Reason Refill, Kontakt, EXS24 and HALion. Simply copy the relevant folder(s) to your weapon(s) of choice and away you go.

I decided to check out the Reason refill, though I could just as easily, have used any of the other applications…or even copied the files to K ‘n’ C.

Once again, the sounds are bang on the money and break down (…breakdown…) as follows:

110 Breakbeats / Drum Loops
160 Percussion & Drum Kits
60 Percussion Loops
63 Basses
137 Rave Chords, Stabs & FX
14 Pads
50 FXs
15 Full Construction Kits

Unlike K ‘n’ F’s very contempory sounding drum loops, Firestorm’s drum loops are, for the most part, distinctly old school, featuring classic 90s rave breaks, countless Amen Breaks, pounding and heavyweight ‘Roller’ and ‘Thumper’ breaks and numerous other classics, though there are also some ‘funked’ breaks for Liquid Funk producers.

The Kits and percussion are a mixture of the specialist and the generic. Although you might already own some similar sounds, it’s pretty unlikely you’ll have everything that’s on offer and even if you do, you’re pretty unlikely to have them all together in one, genre specific place (unless you’re a serious programmer), making this section highly useful.

The bass patches are seriously nasty…we’re talkin’ “Where’s Jack The Ripper”…and then some, with just about every style of distorted bass, thumping kick bass, classic 90s rave Bass, Reece Bass, sub bass and, of course, Stakka’s own twisted basses, represented…and reprazented.

The FX run the gamut from phucked up instruments and drum sounds, to out there space atmospherics and space FX, whilst the rave chords and stabs (of which there are more than you can shake a knife at) take me back to a field somewhere outside the M25…you know the one I mean…

So if it’s retro D ‘n’ B sounds you want, Firestorm is definitely where it’s at. But don’t think it’s just about retro, as many of the sounds on offer are just as applicable to cutting edge D ‘n B production. Still, if you want the best of both worlds, Firesorm would be the perfect compliment to Koncept ‘n’ Function as between them you’ll have all basses (‘n’ drums) covered.

MC Rebbe The Rapping Rabbi awards Zero G DJ Stakka Presents Firestorm 5 bagels in The Technofile

More info: www.timespace.com

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