Not to be confused with the hugely successful porn video series, Anal Lords, this is Richard D. James operating under yet another nom de plume. This time ‘round, the mad genius gets back to basics and shows his prowess with analog synths (specifically Roland‘s Microcomposer and the oh so coveted TR-303). Acid in the house! But it ain‘t acid house.
Tactile Spaced Out
These Hungarian boys can do no wrong at the moment. I‘ve been playing so much of their music. This one hasn‘t left the set for six months with its mystical, edgy intro launching into a fever-pitch melee of moody stabs, thumping bass, and thunderous noise sweeps all spliced together in perfect fashion and ready to raise the roof.
Outrage Patients
Another one of my faves over the past months. Outrage is finding his niche and it‘s good to see him getting the recognition. This blew me away when I first heard it-break edits aplenty immersed in a whirlwind of nasty noise surges, urgent tones, and bleak atmospherics fueled with bundles of energy to gel it together effortlessly.
Certain Criteria The Beggar/Baptize
A label that‘s been releasing some quality music over the past year or two and this is no exception. “The Beggar” is a heavy, minimal funky roller but it‘s the flip, “Baptize,” that is doing the most damage. Twisted melodics, slapping snares, and one of the most infectious b-lines I‘ve heard in a while!
T.I. U Don‘t Know Me
I like this cat. He makes up for simplistic subject matter with a gang of heart and straight up shit talkin‘. This is typical South semi-krunk with heavy bass and synths. The rhymes seem aimed at T.I.‘s arch nemesis, Lil‘ Flip-they‘re still tussling for the title of King of the South. On the real, I liked this song better after I saw the video with his jerky ass hand motions coordinated to the “U don‘t know me” part. The type of joint that sounds dope at a club after you‘ve had a couple of dranks.
Raashan Ahmad and Thes 1 Doin It
This track features hard, open drums, and gives me the feeling of an old school b-boy jam from the early ‘80s. The swift tempo of the beat propels the MCs, and Ahmad excels with his surreal wordplay as he flutters across the track. This is a good joint to warm up the dancefloor.
Turbulence Triumphantly
Triumphantly covers the classic roots-reggae themes: love your African princess (“Electrifying Beauty”); love your mama (“Mama”); fire bu‘n slavery (“Four Thousand Years”); fire bu‘n The Man (“Mr Big Man”); and praise Selassie (“Jah Jah.”) But even though Turbulence covers old ground, you‘ll still flash yu lighta for his roots-and-culture chunes and their R&B-style delivery. That‘s because every track brims with passion and sincerity. Bottom line: Turbulence is rough around the edges vocally, but his melodies will stick in your head.
Natty King No Guns To Town
No Guns To Town delivers message music roots reggae fans can skank to, but some lyrics are painfully trite, like on “Equality” when Natty sings “The fishes in the sea/and the birds in the tree/ they all have the right to be free.” Ouch. Still, even though the verse seems like something you‘d hear from Bush, it somehow sounds better than it reads-which is what counts (especially when yu under a big-head spliff). When the smoke clears, check out the melodious title cut-you‘ll value the message, even if you‘ve never run into Kingston shottas.
Burial Burial
People flock to UK dubstep artist High Plains Drifter‘s ill, Far East tracks like mosquitoes to skin cause he always brings rude rub-a-dub b-lines and spooky, cinematic samples aplenty. As the title suggests, this one‘s for the Todd Edwards garage freaks: four/four kicks, skittery snares and rolling subs. Pass me the Off!
Jammer & Footsie Right Hooks
Hyperdub keeps on pushing the echo-and-reverb boundaries of dubstep. Standout track “Southern Comfort” blasts air horns over a grayed-out bass pulse and a horn sample lost out in the cold. “Broken Home” has jerky drums rubbing against an unintelligible vocal sample in a way that‘s nearly unpleasant but rewarding. Complicated for hearts and feet.
