Fresh has not only raised the bar on drum & bass production as a whole, he’s also brought his own abilities up another level. “Floodlight” is not just a drum & bass track, it’s a cinematic piece of music that deals with the story of two ravers walking towards a club. We hear music in the distance as they get nearer the club, then the door opens and…..slam! Without spoiling the rest, all I will say is look out for the mega-switch after 16 bars of the main drop-fucking baaad!!
DJ Zinc Steppin Stones
We all know what Zinc is capable of. This track is for the mixing crew-if you like to roll out mixes from start to finish, this is the one. From the raver’s point of view, this is what you call party music-even though it’s another Amen tune, it still works well, with a rift similar to “Casino Royale” and slamming breaks. The word “anthem” springs to mind. Zinc with another anthem-what a surprise!
Calyx Head Hunter
Calyx has shown his talents over the last year or two with a different edge that is the Metalheadz policy, as we all know. How would I describe this track? Well, Goldie would say it’s a “fucking b-boy track,” with b-boy stabs that growl at you and extremely phat drums and deep strings that make it a definite thumbs up!
Big C What’s the Sp?
What we have here is a solid, bass-fuelled techno mash-up of Christian Vogel’s haywire beats, Dave Tarrida’s scary subbasses and rapper Max Turner’s off the wall rhetoric-and it works! This thing brings back fond memories of the Brighton sound of the ’90s, but with better plug-ins. Remixer Si Begg keeps this on a fun level (I play his mix out), and Like A Tim’s mix gives us an oh-so-hip ’80s version. Me like it a lot!
Jake Fairley Boozing & Losing
I first encountered this label a few years back, and was pleased to hear how forward-thinking and refreshing its output was. Now with a distribution deal with Kompakt and some enticing new releases, this one really stands out. Three tracks of driving, bassic bliss with production technique to die for. The main track here, “Boozing,” is destined for greatness, with probably the fattest bassline I’ve ever heard.
Various 10/100
Kanzleramt is one of my favorite labels ever. Based in Berlin, it’s constantly provided beautifully crafted soulful techno, and this EP showcases some of the label’s finest talent. With tracks by Heiko Laux, Alexander Kowalski, Diego and Johannes Heil, this is a must buy with the lineup alone. Faves include Diego’s trademark over-compressed stabathon, Heiko and Teo’s “K Tune” and Alex’s driving “We Keep On Rocking.” Quite!
Various Artists The Incredible Melting Man: A Year In Review
What a lovely way to make the neighbors complain! With bass that ranges from large and pooling, like on DJ Scissorkicks’s remix “Red Skull,” to the contained, cascading throb of Subtropic’s “Black Velvet,” this breaks comp plays like a primer on the versatility of low-end. Remixes and tracks by Hatiras, the Phat Conductor and Myagi punched up with propulsive breakbeats make for an energetic ride. Did I mention it comes with an 11-track bonus disc mixed by D-monic? True.
Fragile State Voices From the Dust Bowl
The downtempo duo of Ben Mynott and Neil Cowley returns with their second original chill-out LP, but be warned: its charm is marred. The epic guitar backbone of “King for a Day” evokes images of a man with long, wavy hair atop a cliff, passionately wanking on his filtered guitar as a camera swivels around him in his moment of musical abandon. Meanwhile, the flute and slow build of “At Last” and the gently swaying strings and filtered piano of “New Bassa” aim for a questionable sort of sincerity. Voices From the Dustbowl is an album too safe for even home listening.
Murs Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition
2004 is the year of perfect hip-hop pairings. First, MF Doom and Madlib find their pre-destined match with Madvillain, and now Murs-the most promising rapper to emerge from the West Coast in years-meets Little Brother’s 9th Wonder, a producer who can provide him with musical empathy and an album’s worth of dynamic, soulful, timeless beats. Murs is still hungry, but a tad more in control on Murs 3:16, and the result is a must-own album full of visceral, situational rap. From “The Rain”‘s effortless reconciliation of Murs’ sensitive side to “And This If For”‘s frank discussion of the black and white divide, this is essential stuff.
cLOUDDEAD Ten
cLOUDDEAD has always been the best of the Anticon/Mush alt-rap stable, walking the fine line between sublime musical and poetic brilliance and art-school nonsense with a tangible finesse. Ten is a more focused and developed album than its 2001 predecessor, constructed from fragments of Americana, concise imagism and driving, nostalgic themes that stay with you for days after listening. It’s almost impossible to convey the brilliance of this album without adding myself to the list of pretentious pundits doing cLOUDDEAD injustice, so I will say only this: imagine the best American free verse-from Whitman to Kerouac to Sarah Jones-set to the most evocative soundtrack conceivable, and you have Ten.
