Kurbz + Friends – Knockout EP Review: BoujeeBass TV’s New-School Smackdown

Some EPs feel like a producer making a statement, and some feel like a whole crew kicking the door in together. Knockout EP definitely lands in that second category. Built around Kurbz and backed up by Pengo, R!PT!DE, Burntboi and AARXN, this BoujeeBass TV release is six tracks of pure new-school low-end trouble.

What I like straight away is that it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is. This is fast, rough-edged, 175 BPM drum & bass made for dark rooms, sweaty reloads and speakers that are probably being pushed harder than they should be. It’s not trying to win you over with some grand concept or crossover sheen. It just wants to hit hard, and honestly, sometimes that’s exactly what you want.

The full tracklist is stacked:

• Knockout – Kurbz & Pengo
• Stomp – Kurbz
• Hallucinate – Kurbz & R!PT!DE
• Ruining It – Kurbz & Burntboi
• Ghosts – Kurbz
• Time2Go – Kurbz & AARXN

That alone tells you a lot about the EP. Kurbz is clearly the anchor, but each collab gives the release a slightly different angle. It feels less like a random collection of tunes and more like a proper snapshot of the lane BoujeeBass TV has been pushing lately: energetic, grimy, DJ-focused drum & bass with a lot of attitude and very little filler.

Knockout – Straight to the Jaw

The title track with Pengo is a perfect opener because it gets to the point immediately. “Knockout” feels exactly like the name suggests: direct, physical, and not especially interested in subtlety. The intro builds enough tension to give DJs something to work with, but it doesn’t drag its heels. When the drop lands, the bassline comes in thick and aggressive, all blunt-force energy and sharp rhythmic movement.

There’s a nice balance here between rawness and control. The tune is obviously designed to cause problems in the dance, but it never feels messy or half-finished. The drums snap cleanly, the low end holds its shape, and the whole thing moves with that proper “one more wheel” energy.

As a first track, it sets expectations really well. This EP is not about slowly revealing itself over ten listens. It wants you to know what kind of night you’re in for from the first punch.

Stomp – No Mystery, Just Pressure

Then you get “Stomp”, which might be the most honestly titled tune on the record. There’s no trick here. It stomps. Big drums, rude bass, very little wasted motion. If “Knockout” comes at you swinging, “Stomp” feels like the tune that keeps the pressure on once the room’s already gone a bit feral.

What makes it work is how simple it is in the right places. The rhythm is easy to lock into, but there’s still enough variation in the bass phrasing to stop it feeling flat. It’s a classic case of knowing exactly what lane you’re in and committing to it properly.

This is the kind of track that makes a lot more sense the louder it gets. On headphones it sounds good. On a system, I can imagine it being one of those tunes that makes people suddenly lean forward like they’re bracing for impact.

Hallucinate – Twisted Midrange, Weird Energy

The link-up with R!PT!DE on “Hallucinate” is where the EP starts to get a bit stranger, in a good way. There’s a little more weirdness in the sound design here, a bit more bend and warp in the bass, and the whole thing feels less straight-line than the opening two cuts.

It still hits hard, obviously, but it has that extra touch of “what was that?” in the midrange that makes you want to run it back. I always like tunes that feel a little bit unstable without fully falling apart, and “Hallucinate” definitely lives in that zone. It sounds like the room’s starting to wobble at the edges.

That makes it one of the more memorable cuts on the EP for me. It’s still very much a dancefloor weapon, but it’s got a bit more personality baked into the bass work.

Ruining It – Greasy in the Best Way

“Ruining It”, the collab with Burntboi, might be the filthiest thing here. It’s got that properly greasy, low-slung bounce that makes you screw your face up before you’ve even fully processed what the bassline is doing. Where some of the earlier tracks feel more punchy and upfront, this one rolls with a bit more swagger.

I can see this being one of those DJ favourites on the EP because it leaves just enough space to mix around while still having a very clear identity of its own. It’s nasty, but it’s not overstuffed. The groove carries it as much as the sound design does.

And honestly, there’s something very satisfying about a tune called “Ruining It” sounding like it might actually ruin the next two tracks in your playlist by comparison.

Ghosts – The Longest Track, The Deepest Mood

In the middle of all the collabs and all the immediate impact, “Ghosts” stands out for being a bit longer and moodier. At over five minutes, it gives the EP a little breathing room without killing the energy. It still fits the overall sound, but there’s a bit more atmosphere in it, a bit more space around the drums, and a slightly darker emotional pull underneath the weight.

This is the track that made me think Kurbz isn’t just interested in writing short, rude club hitters, even though he’s clearly good at those. “Ghosts” feels a little more patient. It still belongs in the rave, but it also feels like something you could sit with outside of that context and actually let unfold.

That extra bit of depth helps the EP a lot. Without it, Knockout would still be strong, but “Ghosts” gives it a bit more shape and contrast.

Time2Go – Closing on a High-Speed Note

The closer, “Time2Go” with AARXN, is a smart way to end things because it feels urgent and snappy without just repeating what came before. It’s got that “last ten minutes of the set” energy where people are already locked in and you just want to keep the intensity up one more time.

The bassline here feels tighter and more clipped than on some of the other tunes, which gives it a slightly different flavour. It still bangs, but there’s a cleaner edge to how it moves. That makes it a nice final chapter rather than just another brute-force rinse-out.

Ending on a collab also makes sense. The whole EP feels communal, so finishing with another link-up underlines that crew energy one last time.

Why This One Works

What makes Knockout EP work for me is that it knows its role. It’s not trying to be an album, and it’s not trying to impress people with range for the sake of it. It’s a compact, high-energy release that gives you a few different shades of modern, rough-edged drum & bass while staying consistent enough to feel like one body of work.

You’ve got the immediate slap of “Knockout”, the blunt-force stomp of “Stomp”, the twisted midrange weirdness of “Hallucinate”, the greasy roll of “Ruining It”, the darker mood of “Ghosts”, and the sharp final push of “Time2Go”. That’s a good spread without ever drifting away from the central identity.

It also feels like a solid marker for where BoujeeBass TV is at right now. The label has clearly been building a lane for this kind of energetic, newer-school D&B, and this EP feels like one of the cleaner snapshots of that sound.

How It Lands for Me

I always come at these from the same angle: not as a producer, not as a DJ, just as someone who got pulled into drum & bass through playlists, uploads, random rabbit holes and then never really escaped. So what I’m usually looking for is simple: does the release make me want to replay it, and can I picture it doing damage in the right room?

With Knockout EP, the answer’s pretty clearly yes on both counts. It’s got enough variety that I’m not bored by the end, enough personality that a few tracks really stick, and enough weight that I can already imagine which ones would go off hardest on a proper rig.

If you like your drum & bass fast, rude and built with the dancefloor firmly in mind, this one’s easy to recommend. It doesn’t overcomplicate things. It just lands the punches and gets out of the ring with the crowd still shouting for more.