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[Maddslinky - "Lost On Tenori St."]
“Lost On Tenori St.” by Maddslinky, otherwise known as Zed Bias, feels like summer in city streets also prepared for winter extremes. This calypso infused parade of drums features bright but deep steel drum melodies as its focal point. While steel drums have a tendency to be weightless, getting lost in carefree sunny skies, Bias grounds them with some heaviness here. Perhaps they aren’t steel drums at all, but rather a tenori’s idea of them. Carried along by a skittery tropical beat, everything progresses thoughtfully, if a bit imperceptibly at first glance. Melodies trot along at length, occasionally dipping deeply into reverb until emerging in new patterns (as does the beat from time to time). Rewound sections find their way in new scales. Polyrhythms slowly build into integral foundations. It’s refreshing in mood and musicality. - MS
[Max Romeo -- "Protest To The M1 (Pacheko Version)"]
Urgent yet subtle, stripped down but full bodied, up-to-date and still unique. Venezuela’s Pacheko manages to balance all these facets with his version of Max Romeo’s “Protest To The M1″. Although it’s basically all subs and drums, it has a richness provided by an intricate beat, colorful conga layers and creative use of dub effects. The rhythmic bass and quick footed percussion develop a compelling argument for action in line with the tone of Romeo’s calls to protest. But it’s shrewd and doesn’t overtly force the energy. Instead, it creeps up on you. Pacheko’s move toward a drum-oriented palette is in line with many of dubstep’s contemporary actors, yet he brings to the table a characteristic sound he can call his own. - MS
[Scuba - "Before (Deadboy RMX)"]
Deadboy’s interpretation of “Before” is very fast, clocking in at around 147 beats per minute, but it manages to accelerate calmly like a high performance vehicle on the Autobahn. The bass adds to the speed of the path he’s chosen and warms its passengers from the frost the track seems to be trying to outrun. Passionate static melodies whip about its contours, while the soulful keyboard patterns and vocal remembrances of the origial echo off into the receding darkness. Throwback synth stabs make an appearance near its coming dawn. It’s almost as if this is the climax of a narrative started by the dusty, boom bap original by Scuba. - MS
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