The Nextmen gained early acclaim as hip-hop producers, being very quickly catapulted from writing Herbaliser-style instrumentals into full on hip-hop production across both sides of the Atlantic. New LP This Was Supposed To Be The Future reputedly sees them taking a trip back to their DJ roots, collaborating with reggae MCs like LSK and hip-hop heavyweights like Kidz In The Hall, among others. Lead single Let It Roll is a funky nu-soul number, but it's the flipside - dubstep influenced Concentrate, featuring Dynamite MC - that really hits the right note. Effortlessly heavy, but with a careful structure: damn slick. [Bram Gieben]