Another superb release from Pressure Drop’s One Eye imprint. The label owners team up with DJ Rocca from Italy’s infamous Maffia Soundsystem and deliver a broken beat future classic where funky fractured beats entwine with reversed keyboard chords, all pinned down with a rolling sub-bassline. Fans of Bugz In The Attic will love this.
Various Artists Rebelfuturism
Damian Lazarus’ mix album is consistently tight, and it’s also a little bitchy-a curt and hot hybrid creature of electro, house and techno with a knockout ass that’s looking to score. Just not with you, unless you’re rightly cocksure and flick your hair just so. Lazarus gets things going right with “Shake,” a shimmying banger that sings to “shake yer shame off,” before moving swiftly to Le Dust Sucker’s sparely tribal “Mandate My Ass.” Oh hell yes.
Zen Revolt
Smelly bizzness from Kevin Ranks here. Zen’s a fussy bastard-he was gonna scrap this tune but I had to tell him “no” and give him a slap. This is a typical Zen tune: heavy two-step beats, crashing snares, and growling bass. Me and SS have been smashin’ this everywhere-it’s a full-on club stomper that guarantees a rewind.
DJ SS Anger Management
Everyone knows this one, although some people think its called “Aftermath.” SS is on an angry one; first “Stress Related” and now this-this man needs some counseling. Tribal intro, bangin’ beats and an angry bassline defiantly blow up the dancefloor on this track from the long-awaited S-Files LP. I’m just about to start working on the remix of this, so look out for that too.
Baron Final Answer
This one’s the nuts-I wanted this for Grid but the tight arse wouldn’t let me ‘ave it. Grimier than “The Way It Was,” bouncier than “Nosher,” it’s gonna be bigger than anything Baron’s done yet. It makes you nod your head, stomp your feet, laugh and then shit your pants. It starts off with a spooky intro and drops into typical Baron madness before dropping again into some old skool ruff-in-the-jungle bizzness. Massive.
Crate Soul Brothers Swinging With Miss Goodnight
Good music comes from anywhere, like this broken bossa number featuring production from Hungarian Crate Soul and German-born remixes on an Italian label. Go straight to Augsberg duo Panoptikum’s 10-minute future free-jazz adaptation, which sounds like a Coltrane/Herbie Hancock/Dego jam session. Hot! Also on Ohm, This Information’s “Galaxy Blues,” a Rhodes-drenched broken cut backed with Yannah’s off-kilter remix. Spins my world!
DJ Dez Natural EP
Hip-hop connoisseurs should seek these five new instrumentals from Detroit’s Dez on his follow-up to the “Mass Destruction” EP. Dez is Slum Village’s DJ and son of percussionist Humberto Nentue Hernandez, but if you’re expecting rough, rugged ‘n’ energetic beats, stop right here. These rhythms are polished and laidback with remnants of Chaka Khan and Tribe spliced amidst clean snare hits and lazy loops. Great DJ tool.
Wagon Christ Sorry I Make You Lush
Luke Vibert’s career has both echoed and contradicted that of fellow Cornwall, UK, electronic legend Richard D. James (a.k.a. Aphex Twin). Whilst the majority of the latter’s work has been released through the same two labels, and his image masterfully manipulated into that of a genius/madman, the former has flitted between the great electronic indies, releasing seminal works (Tally Ho on Astralwerks) and mediocre records (Musipal on Ninja Tune) and crafted an image that bridges the mysterious and the blasé. It is for these reasons that Vibert (also known as Wagon Christ) has always seemed more endearing than James, and his gigantic fan base won’t be disappointed by this latest venture. Vibert’s lovingly ironic acid-house references are present to emotive effect in “Sci-Fi Staircase,” while “Shadows” reminds us that certain individuals were making the horribly-named folktronica way back when. Vibert’s magic lies in making disparate sounds into songs in the truest sense, and he does so beautifully here.
Rebel Uprising Million In One
This piece of real life is delivered by Deedermama (front man of Asian Dub Foundation), wiv’ the MC energy that we’ve been used to from the original ADF sound. Rebel Uprising rears its ugly head in relation to the wars that control the human system. Will be released on the next State of Bengal album,Truth Time, as well as the forthcoming Rebel Uprising album. Check www.betelnutrecords.com for the release schedules.
Marque Gilmore G’s Dread
A strange track that’s not yet released; it’s on the [BBC] Radio 1 playlist [yet] still maintains an underground feel. Recorded across three years, most of the sounds [are produced by] Gilmore’s mouth, nose and other parts of the body as well as the infamous Arif Durvesh on tablas and vocal drone. Technically a dance track, but wiv’ serious performances by both musicians.
