L-Side & MC GQ – Shadow Beats Vol. 3 Review: Brazilian Rollers at the Top of the Game

Shadow Beats Vol. 3 in the Bigger Picture

“Shadow Beats Vol. 3” lands as the third instalment in a series that’s quietly been mapping out L-Side’s corner of the V universe. The original Shadow Beats and Vol. 2 leaned heavily into what he does best: tough but musical drums, basslines with real shape to them, and just enough dirt around the edges to keep things from ever feeling sterile.

By the time we get to Vol. 3, there’s a sense of everything snapping into place. The EP is only four tracks long, but it feels like a complete statement:

• Deep in the Trenches (feat. MC GQ) – 3:51
• No Stress – 4:01
• Vibes Dem – 4:10
• Bad That – 4:16

It’s the kind of tracklist that makes sense in both directions: you can run it front to back and feel a proper arc, or drop any tune into a set and get instant results. No skits, no interludes, no fat.

Deep in the Trenches (feat. MC GQ): Voice of the Movement

The opener, “Deep in the Trenches”, is the big headline grabber—not just because it pairs L-Side with MC GQ, but because it sounds exactly like what the title promises. This is frontline music: heads-down, rolling drums and a bassline that doesn’t need to show off to hit hard.

GQ’s presence is felt from the jump, but never in a way that crowds the tune. His style has always been about that balance between hype and control, and here it feels like he’s threading a line between storyteller and general, pacing the crowd while L-Side handles the artillery. There’s a real sense of trust between the two: the beats leave pockets of space for the vocal to breathe, and the vocal never fights the groove.

It’s also one of those collabs that makes perfect sense if you’ve been following V for a while. A Brazilian producer who’s become synonymous with the modern Planet V sound locking in with a UK mic legend who’s helped host some of the most important sets in jungle and drum & bass—“Deep in the Trenches” feels less like a novelty and more like something that should’ve happened already.

No Stress: Pressure with a Smile

After the vocal-led intensity of the opener, “No Stress” switches gears into a more stripped-back, instrumental workout. Don’t let the title fool you, though—this isn’t background music. It just trades direct vocal pressure for a more hypnotic, rolling energy.

The drums do a lot of the talking here. They sit in that sweet spot where everything feels loose and natural, but you can tell every ghost hit and shuffle has been dialled in with ridiculous care. The bassline doesn’t go full circus; it moves with a deliberate, weighted swagger, giving DJs these long, satisfying phrases to ride in the mix.

“No Stress” is the tune I can already hear holding a set together: the kind of track you blend over two or three others, letting it sneak up on people until they suddenly realise this is the thing making them nod that bit harder.

Vibes Dem: Carnival Energy in the Dance

If “Deep in the Trenches” is the war report and “No Stress” is the pressure cooker, “Vibes Dem” is pure release. The title really does say it all—it’s a snapshot of the dance when everything is locked in just right: lights low, system warm, bodies moving without overthinking any of it.

Sonically, it feels like L-Side letting a bit more colour into the palette. The low end is still serious, but there are flashes of brightness in the mids and tops—stabs, riffs, little percussive details—that give it a kind of carnival energy without ever tipping into chaos. You can imagine this one going off at festivals just as easily as in a sweaty club basement.

What I like most is how fun it feels without becoming goofy. There’s a fine line in drum & bass between vibey and cheesy, and “Vibes Dem” lands firmly on the right side of it. It keeps that V Recordings tradition of tunes that work as both serious DJ tools and big sing-along moments, depending on how and where they’re played.

Bad That: Last Tune, Low Lights

Closing the EP, “Bad That” dials the mood into something a little darker and more heads-down again. It’s not gloomy, exactly, but there’s a definite edge to it—a bit more grit in the bass, a bit more shadow in the atmospherics.

Structurally, it feels built for those deeper parts of the night. The intro gives DJs plenty to work with, the drop hits with that satisfying “ohhh” factor, and the tune keeps evolving just enough to avoid ever feeling static. There are little rhythmic nudges and bass variations that keep you hooked without demanding constant attention.

As an ending, it makes a lot of sense. Where “Deep in the Trenches” opens the door with a big vocal statement, “Bad That” quietly slams it shut with a nod and a screw-face. It leaves you wanting to run the whole thing back from the top.

Why This EP Hit So Hard

On paper, “Shadow Beats Vol. 3” is a simple concept: four tunes, one featured MC, no remixes, no fluff. In practice, it feels like the culmination of a lane that L-Side has been patiently carving out for years—rooted in classic V Recordings DNA but sharpened by the modern global D&B landscape.

A big part of the impact is balance:

• One vocal anthem that gives the EP a clear “face” and a talking point.
• Three instrumentals that cover different shades of dancefloor—rolling, vibey, and slightly darker.
• A consistent sonic signature so everything still feels like one story rather than a playlist.

Add to that the fact that Brazilian drum & bass has been on a steady global rise again—thanks to artists like L-Side putting out relentless, high-quality material—and it makes sense that an EP like this would resonate way beyond just the V faithful. It doesn’t chase trends, but it doesn’t sound stuck in the past either.

Hearing It as a Fan, Not a Historian

I always feel the need to say this: I’m not a producer, and I’m not out here playing main-room sets every weekend. I came to V and to L-Side the way a lot of people probably did—through late-night YouTube spirals, random algorithm wins, and the occasional “you have to hear this” message from friends who are deeper in the scene than I am.

That’s why releases like “Shadow Beats Vol. 3” hit so nicely. You don’t need to know the full backstory of V Recordings, Planet V compilations, Brazilian D&B history, or MC GQ’s legendary status on the mic to enjoy any of these tunes. They work instantly. But if you do know some of that context, the EP feels even richer—like a continuation of a story you’ve been quietly following for years.

For me, it captures exactly what I want from modern drum & bass:

• Enough musicality that I can listen on headphones and still get lost in it.
• Enough weight that I know it’ll absolutely flatten a club system.
• Enough personality that I can recognise who made it without checking the tracklist.

“Shadow Beats Vol. 3” ticks all of those boxes. Whether you’re discovering L-Side for the first time or you’ve been rolling with V since the CD wallet days, this EP is one of those releases that makes you proud to say you’re into drum & bass.