Seba Return to Forever

Words: Doug Morton
Label: Combination
XLR8R Rating: 8.5/10

With an impressive resume that includes releases on labels like Good Looking, Bassbin, Metalheadz, and his own Secret Operation imprint, Sebastian Ahrenberg is seemingly incapable producing anything less than brilliant drum & bass. His melodious side indulges itself on liquid jazz-roller “As Long as It Takes” and vocal anthem “Blaze & Fade Out,” while the technocrat in him lays down the law of beat mechanics with tracks like “External Reality” and “Special Ops,” a particularly dark and infectiously programmed number. An unlikely but pleasantly surprising remix comes from Swedish tech-house godfather Jesper Dahlback, who transplants the guts of “Break Selection” into a snazzy, filtered 4/4 thumper. Top notch.