Back in SOS December 2003 Oli Bell awarder E-lab´s Smokers Delight the full five stars. Since then this laid-back hip-hop collection has become recognised as something of a classic, and I´ve certainly recommended it to musicians on a number of occasions. Following a certain amount of corporate shenanigans, E-lab have transformed into E-quipped Music and have now released a two-DVD sequel to Smokers Delight, Smokers Relight Deux, containing around 5000 loops and one-shots in WAV, REX2 and Refill formats.



The undoubted highlights of this library are the MPC Loops & Vinyl Breaks folders, which are quite simply the most incredible hip-hop drums I have ever come across on any sample library. Impossibly punchy kick-drums,
razor-sharp crispy/crunchy backbeats, unstoppable groove, beautifully executed gutsy fills... Where can I buy a fresh bag of superlatives? It´s like some freak experiment combined the power of Platinum Essentials, the
groove of the original Smokers Delight, and the retro vinyl atmosphere of the Wall Of Vinyl series. If you´re doing hip-hop and you don´t check out these drums, you might as well pull your trousers up and retrain as a traffic warden! Furthermore, the beats aren´t locked stylistically to the library´s subtitle (´turntable jazz and loungin´ hip-hop instrumentalz´) as much as the rest of the library´s content, so applications as far afield as urban pop or the more menacing end of dance music would be well within range.



The only downside of such killer drums is that they rather put the rest of the library in the shade, even though it would probably merit a five-star review on its own. The percussion loops (featuring tambourine, shaker, conga, and mixed percussion) share the level of musicianship of the main loops, and work well in their more supporting role. The basses are really weighty and solid, if, by nature of the umbrella style, a little pedestrian, and there are some surprisingly useful curios in the Organ Beatbox Loops folder.



I found the remainder of the loops (largely based around riffs on electric piano, flute, tenor sax, trumpet, or vocals) a little restrictive stylistically, due to their being swathed in masses of delay and reverb ? perfect for the style as advertised, but not so hot if you might want to use the sounds in other contexts. Fortunately the one-shots folder has oodles of dry one-shot samples, which really showcase the library´s characteristic smokey sonics. The beat-makers amongst us are also blessed with 1400 drum and percussion one-shots, in case any of us are foolhardy enough to challenge the loops already supplied. In short, don´t let the silly name put you off: this library is simply unmissable. Actually, forget that. Whatever you do, don´t buy this library! That way I can have it all to myself.