In a just world, Kemistry & Storm’s DJ-Kicks would have been just the first of many triumphs. The pioneering UK duo had gotten their start on London pirate radio in the early ’90s, two of the only women to rise to the top of the overwhelmingly masculine drum ’n’ bass scene; in 1994, with Goldie, they cofounded Metalheadz, perhaps the most iconic drum ’n’ bass label of all time. They were known mainly in the underground, but in 1999, the fledgling DJ-Kicks series tapped them for a set, making them the first junglists to helm a mix for the franchise. Released in January 1999, it marked their breakout moment, giving both them and the scene a major push into the spotlight. But just four months later, Kemistry was killed in a road accident while the duo was returning from a gig. Decades later, her absence remains acutely felt (Storm continues DJing while keeping the memory of her friend and partner alive). This record is a reminder of what made them so special. In 17 tracks, many of them from the Metalheadz catalog, they cut a winding path through dark, tech-y steppers (Dom & Roland’s “Trauma”), sun-kissed jazz (Sci-Clone’s “Everywhere I Go”), apocalyptic Amen workouts (Test’s “Static [K7 Mix]”), and boundary-breaking tracks that still sound futuristic today, like DJ Die’s “Clear Skyz” and Goldie’s “Hyaena.” A landmark set, it’s a tribute to their original vision and a melancholy suggestion of avenues they never got to explore.