In 1995, UK producer Goldie proved what was possible with a drum ’n’ bass album on Timeless, a two-hour affair whose epic, 20-minute title track signalled a newfound sense of ambition within club music. When Roni Size and Reprazent countered with 1997’s expansive, Mercury Prize-winning New Forms, the Metalheadz capo had no choice but to go even bigger.
If Timeless marked Goldie’s leap into auteurship, Saturnz Return blows his vision up to widescreen proportions, beginning with “Mother”, an hour-long expanse of ambient classical that breaks open, halfway through, to reveal one of his toughest beats to date. The rest of the album oscillates between eerie ambient soul like “Truth”, with vocals by Goldie himself, and peak-time breakbeat rollers ranging from lush and jazzy (“Dragonfly”) to sleek and futuristic (“Fury - The Origin”). Among the curveballs: “Temper Temper”, a punk ’n’ bass maelstrom featuring atonal guitar by Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, and “Digital”, a pitch-perfect piece of D'n'B/hip-hop fusion fronted by KRS-1. This edition includes a set of classic remixes from peers like Grooverider and Optical—MJ Cole’s skippy UK garage dub of “Believe” is a highlight—while newly commissioned remixes from Martyn, Djrum and even Peruvian tropical-bass duo Dengue Dengue Dengue demonstrate the lengthy shadow that Saturnz Return continues to cast decades later.