Harking back to the days of Fingers Inc., Theo Parrish, Malik Pittman, Rick White and Moodymann drop a slice of dirty Detroit techno soul; 4/4 kicks, old skool 909 hats and killa synth Rhodes bounce along in typical Theo style, but it’s the haunting vocals from Bill Beaver that send the track out of this world! Hypnotic from start to finish, this is one for those that like it deep.
Early B History
A genius producer in Kingston dug up this long-unheard reel with deejay Doctor Early B chatting on it. The slow, bassy riddim sounds like a Channel One, Roots Radics sin’ting-the kind of jam that Eek-A-Mouse or Yellowman and Fathead would ride-and Early B delivers an intelligent, plainspoken account of slavery and its repercussions in Jamaica. With an Earl Dunkley track also available on said version, this makes a visit to your dub vendor essential.
Lessons
High Contrast High Society
Releasing a sophomore album in the current drum and bass world-a scene plagued by formulaic tracks and said to be dying its death-is a risky venture, but if anyone’s up to the challenge it’s Lincoln Barrett. His music, influenced by multiple genres and unpredictably complex enough to interest even the most jaded d&b head, speaks for itself, be it the super-funked out hotplate of the moment “Racing Green,” the grime-infused “Angels and Fly” or MC Dynamite’s clever lyrics on the title track. If drum and bass is dead, then Barrett’s proved the afterlife was worth waiting for.
Various Artists Metalheadz: MDZ 04
Known for raw energy, uncompromising edge and the skull head that’s become iconographic in drum & bass, the 10-year-old label is back with another collection of dancefloor goodies. Highly noteworthy on this compilation are Photek’s haunting, complex “Age of Empire” and the eclectic beats and twists on John Rolodex & Synoflex’s “Novocain.” These two gems are supported by a foundation of fierce breaks and aggressive basslines that hold the remaining tracks together in a solid structure. Sadly the disc is unmixed, but it’s nonetheless going to be a definite staple for any head.
West Coast Scavenger West Coast Scavenger EP
I’m diggin these six weird and wonderful downtempo, experimental beat combinations from the likes of AO Response, Instrumental Ward and Radioinactive. These hazy, jazz-horn-steeped soundtracks’ only equivalent might be the first three singles on Mo’ Wax circa ’94. It’s good to see some hip-hop kids more influenced by mushrooms, Burroughs and Dadaism than Courvoisier, Rush Limbaugh and capitalism.
No Comment You Know (What You Find)
Dave Taylor (a.k.a. Solid Groove) has teamed up with Jesse Rose (Induceve and house leader Jamie Anderson of NRK, Artform) to found No Comment. “You Know” is a broken-Latin hurricane in the style of percussion master Spiritual South’s Green Gold. Let it reign! Taylor is also in the group Switch with Trevor Lovey, whose punchy “Lotta Living” (Freerange) rocks-steady with pulsating bass, wailing sirens and superb clipped beats.
The Royals Dubbing With The Royals
Jamaican singer, producer and bandleader Roy Cousins was active with his group The Royals from 1968 through 1979. They released a number of devastating vocal harmony albums in the style of that era, typified by trios like Wailing Souls, The Viceroys and the Mighty Diamonds-groups that could literally make you feel their “sufferation” and woes, singing songs written on ghetto corners from the depths of their hearts. The Royals line up changed often and Cousins went on to produce brilliant music for Black Uhuru refugee Don Carlos, singer Earl Sixteen and the conscious DJ Charlie Chaplain. This second collection of Cousins’ work on Pressure Sounds captures his extraordinary dub works recorded at the great studios of the time-King Tubby’s, Harry J’s, Tuff Gong, Channel One-with engineers like Prince Jammy, Scientist, Lee Perry and Errol T on the mix (he kept all the recording sessions notes, included in the CD booklet). This was the zenith of the classic dub era; contemporary producers can’t achieve with today’s digital technology the eerie sounds and punch-out board techniques heard here. Snippets of the Royals, Prince Far-I, I-Roy and even Gregory Isaccs voice echo amongst slices of trumpet and rolling waves of B3 organs. These 19 tracks express the majesty of reggae and dub at their peak, and mystery of how much we’ve yet to learn about the musicians, engineers and lost recoding sessions that Cousins helped define.
Cut & Run Cut & Run
Must-have nu-skool breaks remixes of pop-rap Americans Twista and Ludacris that will have dancefloors in serious Deekline (hint, hint). Both tracks are so well produced, hooky and familiar that I doubt the artists being flipped will be mad at this. Electro synth lines and dub keyboard stabs make for a romp that Afrika Bambaataa or Smith & Mighty would probably rock at peak hour. Fire, fire!
Alpha Zeta Everything’s Different
The mighty MC Azeem seems to be everywhere at once these days; he’s appeared on Bay Area labels Wide Hive, Bomb and others in rapid succession. For Alpha Zeta, he teams with beatmaker DJ Zeph, whose Sunset Scavenger (Wide Hive) album is still smoldering. With Azeem’s clear, insightful, rapid fire rhyme skills and Zeph’s stuttering, uptempo b-boy breaks and hot scratches conjure a dreamteam of Grandmaster Flash and J5. From start to end, A-Z kill it.
