MUSIC

Harking back to the dark, industrial, instrumental hiphop of the 90’s, conjuring up nostalgic thoughts of listening to Tricky and feeling the pre-millennium tension, Scalper has delivered a vast, rich, mood-inducing debut album of outstanding quality. But the real treat is that he is now living in New Zealand…

For the last 10 years, Dominick Martin has been writing liquid drum & bass as ‘Calibre.’ During that time he’s become one of the most prolific and respected producers in the scene, inspiring intense devotion with his distinctive soulful grooves. Shine A Light is his much anticipated downtempo album, and it’s bursting with loveliness.

When I say “best thing to come out of England this year” I am always quickly rebuked. This is the exception to the rule. And this time I know I’m right – ‘cos mercury told me so…

Critical Music is the D&B label run by Kasra, ‘producer, DJ and all-round-good-D&B-egg.’ Like many other labels born out of frustration with the current state of a genre, it represents a specific sound within that genre – in this case, a sort of dark but elegant minimalism.

Hyperdub is the London-based record label founded by respected dubstep producer, Kode 9. This double CD showcases the best of Hyperdub’s last five years of releases, from producers including label founder Kode 9, uber-glitchy Coltrane-descendant Flying Lotus http://www.myspace.com/flyinglotus, and elusive mainstream crossover success, Burial.

It’s Liquid Recreation’s birthday but you get the presents…

Dear Ninja tune, I love you. I remember the first time I loved you. I was young and wide eyed and ready to fall in love. Whilst I could have fallen into the arms of almost anything willing to nurse my eager spirit – it was you that found me, tickled me under the chin and whispered some of the greatest musings a human spirit can bare in my relentlessly grateful ear. Ta, ta very much aye.

Since its conception, forged like a phoenix from the ashes of NYC’s scorched Bronx in the seventies, hiphop has stretched its prickly little digits to almost every heavily populated area around the globe. Where there are many people, there is wealth, leading ultimately to awesome water slides, and poverty. Thanks to the wonder that is globalisation, hiphop is becoming the voice of numerous impoverished areas the world over.

In a dance music scene dominated by heavily manipulated neo-pop-house and electro, the invention of dubstep, as well as its exponential growth in New Zealand, have been interesting to watch.

From the harmonica bursting through the shimmery opening track, past the lilting loveliness of sleeper tracks such as ‘Lost on the Motorway’ and onto the lengthy meander of the closing track ‘Could Not Be More Wrong’, the Calico Brothers could not be more right.