Western Lore is only a little over three-and-a-half years old, but already its releases are some of the most sought-after drops around. Filed under ‘modern jungle’, but with a sound and look that encompass the broader spirit of rave, it’s a home for hypnotic, ruffneck beats that bring together elements of techno, house, drum & bass, trance and more.
The label’s origins lie back in 2014; founder Alex Eveson had seen some success producing breaksy liquid d&b under his last name and with his label Channel 82. But with vinyl sales dwindling the imprint became impractical, and he found himself disillusioned with the clinical sound dominating drum & bass — all clean, surgical drum-work and crisp mix-downs. He longed for the crunch and the dirt of the ‘90s sounds he grew up on.