As one of the elder statesmen of the Hospital Records stable, Nu:Tone has been toiling away fairly quietly for the last couple of years, making way for the arrival of some younger, flashier labelmates – the glam 80s influenced Cyantific and even his own kid brother Logistics, who turned the d’n’b world on it’s head with his epic double album debut Now More Than Ever. But now it seems, it’s time for Mr Dan Gresham to reclaim his place in the spotlight with Back of Beyond. Cerebral, soulful, futuristic and an absolute joy to listen to, this is timeless drum’n’bass music.

Nu:Tone eschews fashions and fads, and neatly sidesteps easy genre classification – he is equally as comfortable in brassy fast soul territory as he is in deep, progressive land. There is a subtle old-school theme running through the album (echoed in Chris Goss’ ‘Space Invaders’ inspired artwork), which serves to bring together the different styles and moods into a compelling, cohesive longplayer. The one constant across the whole album is the sublime beat programming. There are very few better d’n’b beatmakers on the planet. Generally speaking there seems to be a shift toward the fast, percussive style pushed by labelmate High Contrast, and it serves as the perfect canvas for the sonic and thematic explorations of a drum’n’bass master.

Beliefs is an epic opener, and a telling sign that this is not going to be 50 minutes of sonic wallpaper. The gargantuan lungs of Pat Fulgoni combined with a distinctly acid house synth line is magical. System is an all-out fast soul spectacular (with vocals from regular collaborator Natalie Williams) that would make Tony Colman proud. What’s Your Pleasure is on a slightly more 70s ‘Loveboat’ tip – bold, brassy and upbeat.

Missing Link and Take Me Back show off a more progressive Nu:Tone – very sparse and Nordic, melodic but minimal. While they don’t instantly grab you by the throat like some of the hookier numbers, they are incredibly nuanced and sustain repeated listening. And then just as a lesson in contrast after all that serious business, Jet Stream is pure yacht-step – naff, vacuous, and absolutely fabulous.

Nu:Tone has well and truly earned his place in the upper echelons of drum’n’bass music. Not just as a prodigiously talented producer, but as an artist pushing the boundaries of the genre and making beautiful music in the process.

Absolutely essential.