BASED almost entirely in England, Drum 'n' Bass (then called Jungle back in the day) emerged in the early '90s and has started to gain a foothold locally.

The latest Drum 'n' Bass album to be "dropped" by a local musician is Children of the Monkey God. This 16-song creation by hometown son Brian Swan is bursting at the seams with some of the most rhythmically complex dance music, relying on fast polyrhythms and breakbeats.

What makes this album worth having in the CD collection is the different music genres this album embraces. When one hears Drum 'n' Bass tunes, it's usually instrumental and consisting of nothing but blazing fast drum machines and thundering bass.

While "traditional jungle" does have more overt reggae R&B and dubliners than most hardcore, Children of the Monkey God has taken this genre to the next level. The first cut, Rudeness, smacks of the rootsy and culture basslines complete with reverberating vocals.

The second track, Let Me Have Peace, is smooth although the pace is a blistering one to say the least, and one can hear the jazz influences throughout the tune.

Holding down the vocals is his wife Nic, who scatted and sang on Taking You Down, which is a refreshing change from the garden variety of Drum 'n' Bass that sometimes inadvertently pigeonholes some really good material.

The standout track on this album is I Do Got The Blues in which Brian opens with an electric bass guitar solo and the remaining instruments seem to fall effortlessly in place as Nic's vocals complement this song which has a gritty/edgy feel to it.

This tune is quite danceable and even if you are rhythmically challenged, you can nod to this tune and be "in the pocket" in no time at all!

Much to my surprise, Brian can belt out a tune as he and Nic provide the vocal for Super Sleuth and perhaps in a future release he may sing lead vocals.

Lovers of a pure electric bass sound, clean-sounding drums would enjoy the tune called The Gift. Again Nic Swan proved she is no slouch when it comes to providing worth of a song such as this. The second standout track was When Ever I smacks of that urban flavour that can be equally at home on the local airwaves or in the underground club scene.

While jungle never slows its pace to develop a groove, Children of the Monkey God reminds me of going on a road trip, you can set the speed on cruise control and chug along, or kick it in high gear and hang on for the ride of your life.

This album is a keeper and I have added it to my slowly growing collection of Drum 'n' Bass music and the second CD from the 1 Undread series.

It is almost impossible to watch a Japanese animated series without hearing a Drum 'n' Bass tune and lovers of Soul Coughing would have remembered the tune recorded for a Betty Boop video!

During a conversation with Brian he gave me perhaps the best titbit when it comes to music: "Music should take you on a journey, hills and valleys and it should be able to tell you a story. It shouldn't be like crossing the dessert."

Having taken that to heart and listening to this album, I have to admit this album is a musical oasis. This album doesn't rely entirely on cold, synthesised, computerised music to call itself a tune, but actually has warmth and depth to it and would be a great addition to the CD collection whether you are a DJ or a bona fide audiophile.