Chase & Status – The Druids EP

Chase & Status – The Druids EP

An essential early release from Chase & Status, The Druids EP is a four-track, double-12" set originally released on Bingo Beats in 2006, catalogue BINGO039. Issued during the formative years of the London duo's career, the EP captures the tougher, more underground drum & bass sound that established Saul Milton and Will Kennard as major forces within the scene.

The title track, ** The Druids **, opens the EP with a dark, heavyweight production built around hard-edged drums, deep bass pressure and the kind of tightly engineered rhythmic detail that became a hallmark of Chase & Status' early work. Alongside Believe, it helped make the release a popular DJ selection and an important early entry in the Bingo Beats catalogue, the label founded by DJ Zinc. Contemporary drum & bass discussions from the time already singled out The Druids and Come Back as tracks making an impact on the scene.

** Come Back ** features legendary jungle MC Top Cat, bringing a distinctly vocal-led, old-school flavour to the EP. His presence connects the production directly to the roots of UK jungle, while Chase & Status' production gives the track a tougher, modern mid-2000s edge. The pairing of heavy breakbeats, bass weight and Top Cat's unmistakable vocal style makes it one of the standout cuts on the release.

On the D-side, ** Havoc ** rounds out the EP with another uncompromising piece of early Chase & Status drum & bass. The four tracks demonstrate the duo's range at this stage of their career, moving between dark instrumental productions, deeper rollers and vocal-led jungle influences while maintaining a distinctly heavyweight club sound.

The Druids EP proved to be an important stepping stone for Chase & Status. The duo would soon move to RAM Records, where releases such as Dumpling Riddim / Disco and Hurt You / Sell Me Your Soul helped establish their reputation even further. The Druids EP itself reached No. 22 on the UK Dance Albums Chart, underlining the impact the record had beyond the underground vinyl scene.

For collectors of early Chase & Status, Bingo Beats, jungle, drum & bass and 2000s electronic vinyl, this is an excellent piece of the duo's early catalogue. A proper DJ-focused double-12" that captures Chase & Status before their later crossover success and at a point when their productions were firmly rooted in the darker side of the UK bass scene.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Chase & Status – The Druids

Side B

1. Chase & Status – Believe

Side C

1. Chase & Status feat. Top Cat – Come Back

Side D

1. Chase & Status – Havoc