January’s traditionally a quiet month. A time for cutting back on the excesses, giving up those little luxuries and being a bit more frugal with things. Not so for the D&B world. We stormed into 2010 with a spate of stunning NYE line ups across the globe and haven’t stopped since!

There’s been some cracking singles — Lenzman’s “Bittersweet” b/w “Rags To Riches,” Survival’s “Secrets” and Netsky’s “I Refuse” — and that’s just for starters. There’s been the stunning debut EP, Noir, from the much-hyped man of the moment, Rockwell, landing on Kasra’s Critical Music, as well as some tasty remixes from all the usual suspects – Spor, Danny Byrd, Sub Focus, TC and Logistics, among others. Not forgetting, of course, some killer mix CDs to kick start the new decade into a fine shape.

Yes, we’re talking about the Hospital Mix 8 by Logistics, 4Hero & DJ Marky’s Kings of Drum & Bass’ and the highly anticipated D Bridge & Instra:mental’s Autonomic Fabriclive 50 mix.

So, without more ado, here are the top ten releases from over the past month.

1. Rockwell / “Noir” (Critical)
Kicking off with creepy, thriller film-score hurried piano keys and scattering breaks, threatening bleeps and clicks, and a thumping dark b-line, “Noir” is an evocative auditory journey and one of the most incredible pieces of artistry I’ve heard for a long time. Can’t give this man enough praise, but safe to say, he’s set for big things in the coming year, and this EP on Kasra’s lauded label, Critical Music, is just the start of it. The rest of the EP is composed of the beautiful glitchy, slowly pulsating Calm and moody, brooding number, Tribes, plus a quirky collab with Zero T called Bone Structure. Absolutely mind-blowing stuff here from Rockwell.

2. Hadouken! – “Turn the Lights Out” (Spor RMX) (Surface Noise)
If ever there was a winter warmer of a tune, this is it. Not in a slushy, sit-at-home-by-the-fire way, no, no, no! We’re talking full-throttle, adrenalin-flowing, heart-pumping, tear out D&B of the ultimate sort here. Spor, who is best known for his unique tough industrial neuro-tech productions, and his innocuous electro alias, Feed Me, transforms “Turn The Lights Out” into one helluva D&B monster with a cacophony of gritty synths, pummelling bass, stabbing drums, twisted beats and sped up vocals. Vitriolic and abrasive, addictive and energetic – what a remix! (Piece of additional D&B trivia for you – it was actually Noisia who produced the Hadouken! album, For The Masses on Surface Noise.)

3. Sub Focus / “Could This Be Real” (Ram Records)
Surpassing all expectations with the now ubiquitous smash hit single “Could This Be Real,” Sub Focus has received widespread Radio One day time play out, swiftly soaring to the top of the D&B charts and even entered the commercial market with this killer tune. Is it the catchy house vocal, the melodic piano keys, the lovely, warm atmospherics or the savage bass-in-yer face, wonky b-line? I’m not quite sure, all I know is it’s absolutely fan-bloody-tastic! Shout outs to the SF D&B remix, which is getting a lot of love from the big boys, and the dubstep mix by Bristol boy, Joker.

4. Survival feat. Christina Nicola / “Secrets” (Audio Tactics)
Audio Tactic’s head honcho, Survival, steps up to the table with a couple of deep, late-night rollers that mark the sixth release on the Audio imprint; beautiful, sparse, melodic productions with a fantastic contribution from vocalist, Christina Nicola on the A-side on “Secrets.” A single, chunky, rhythmic drumbeat initiates us into the main body of the tune, with a few bleeps and distorted vocal snippets amongst the poignant soundscape so clearly evoked.

5. Danny Byrd feat. Liquid / “Sweet Harmony” (Hospital Records)
For those of you who were around for the original, this will be a nostalgic trip down memory lane to the heady days when jungle was only just beginning. Danny Byrd’s remake of the early ’90s rave anthem, featuring Liquid himself, is an upbeat modern interpretation, with classic Hospital-branded orchestral flourishes and hands-in-the-air factor, but staying true to original with iconic vocals and those piano chords. It’s a resounding thumbs up for this one, heralding a new lease of life for a tune that defined a generation.

6. Lenzman (feat. Riya) / “Bittersweet” (SGN:LTD)
This gorgeously Bittersweet flavored track marks another strong release for Friction’s offshoot label, SGN: LTD. Riya’s honeyed vocals compliment the rattling breaks and soul-infused piano keys, which tend to dominate Lenzman’s work, with a catchy, curiously squeaky riff overlaid on the main body of the tune. It’s a distinctly sunshine soaked, summery tune — perfect for shaking the winter blues! You may recognize “Rags To Riches” on the flip as well, which made some high profile appearances on various mix CDs last year and saw the Dutch artist soar to success — a superb single all round.

7. Netsky / “I Refuse” (Spearhead Records)
With releases on Spearhead, Future Retro, Talkin’ Beats and Hype’s Liqweed Ganja imprint, Belgian-born Netsky has recently been scooped up by the prestigious Hospital Records as their latest signing. He is already touted as a name to watch this year and with his most recent release on BCee’s Spearhead imprint, it’s not really surprising. “I Refuse” is full of lush lyrics with sonorous sound effects and a nice deep b-line, plus the uplifting anthem, with twinkling synths and rolling breaks, “Midnight Express,” on the flip.

8. D-Bridge / “Inner Disbelief” (Exit Records)
Larger-than-life D&B don D Bridge’s collaborations with the Instra:mental duo have resulted in some of the most impressive and cutting edge D&B in the genre’s history. Their renowned Autonomic podcast series has made them a worldwide phenomenon and the release of their recent Autonomic mix on Fabriclive 50 officially acknowledges this. It’s near impossible to single out one track from the collection to highlight, but the acapella of D-Bridge’s “Inner Disbelief “sits so poignantly and beautifully within the mix it deserves special praise.

9. Heist / “Moonshine” (Co-Lab Recordings)
I wasn’t 100% convinced when I heard this on the back of a “Pleasure” track on the pair’s very own Co-Lab Recordings, but Moonshine is definitely a bit of a grower. It’s a low-end, growly bassline number, with gnarly sound effects, textured atmospherics, a sprinkling of synths and some virtually inaudible, movie-sampled vocal mutterings amongst waves of grungy bass. To make an odd, although not altogether irrelevant, analogy, it sounds a bit like an incarcerated grizzly bear would if he made D&B. Grrr!

10. Pessimist / “Whispers of Scandal” (S.P.Y Remix) (Touched By Records)
Brand-new label Touched By Records sees its debut 12” release this month with Pessimist’s “Whispers of Scandal,” with a nice S.P.Y remix on the flip. Deep, minimal, sci-fi flavours predominate here, with a shimmying, exotic twist from S.P.Y in his excellent re-lick. The label is full of great potential, with tracks lined up from upcoming D&B talents alongside remixes by Zero T, Sinistarr and Kasra, so a warm welcome to these guys. Watch this space.