There's Gs on these.*
Still picking up bits and pieces and tuning in occasionally (I have a wife and kid you know, I can't duck off the whole time!) It's as much fun as I get out of modern music these days, a real sense that in 10 years time this will matter. Strange to look at it like this (backwards through a decade-long telescope), but its something like a compliment. This music is SO FRESH its gonna last that long. That poster "Sticky, Semtex etc" is still up on the Eastenders set, though I noticed this evening it's top end has become torn and frayed.
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Major Ace: Countdown Special Delivery.
Decentred hiccoughing intro with a bassline sliding up in the mix. Multi-layered vocals like a Steelie & Cleevie dub. The Countdown rap (10,9,8,7 etc)** tossed back and forth between MC Neat and Major Ace. Confusion Fear of a Black Planet style. Maximalising intensifying deliveries squeezing all the space out of the riddim. Best track thus far this year (coo!).
Boo Kroo: BK Theme.
Touched on at Heronbone. Social Circles! Such style to issue a glorious piss-take like this alongside more "serious" joints, they're not quite V records, more SubBase. Quote: "We join our heroes working on a toon: "eh wat flex we need to make a toon, turn on the Playstation." (Ardkore) Novelty records ahoy! "Cmon guys this is too urban, think of the kids, you've got to go SUBURBAN."
Donao: Bounce (Miami Bass Mix).
Better than the original, by a long shot. Wicked tippity-toes rap by MC Bubble Bomb (?) the track gymnastically switching to Donao's creamy smoove chorus. Wiley disses Donao, and I've heard the Social Circles CD Promo of his solo LP, it's no great shakes, but you gotta hear this.
Shystie-vs-The Streets: I Luv U.
Shystie sounds like a charming young lady (cough). This is a terrible answer record I picked up because I'm a sucker for cheeky mementos. All the sex and drama sucked out of every media whore's favourite record. Heaven knows how they were allowed to used the riddim. I suspect Mike Skinner is lurking somewhere behind this, which leads one to calculate his career is more up the tubes than you'd initially have thought.
Aylesbury All Stars: Buss Red Light.
Suburban nastiness from Buckinghamshire. We're gonna knock you off the road. There's a number on the label so I text it: "JKrime. Lazy Journalist here. Buss Red Light. Would you really knock me off my bike? Peace. M." I should call it but... All those old mobile numbers on old Ardkore 12" White Labels you regret never having the chance to ring, like Gappa G's number on "Roach is Burning". They haven't got back to me yet, presumably consulting a lawyer.
All Out: Live Caller.
Slightly old-skoolish riddim (echoes of Some People's Dangerous) from this Acton crew. The idea is MCs "ring in" to the track and drop their rhymes. Acton is way out west. They're also representing Ealing W13 on this. East is where it's at unfortunately. Incredibly strange how this micro-geographical difference acquires such a massive significance. Still this track is fun and the fact that this is a peripheral record is another reason for it's existence, because the big boys just make riddims these days and save rapping for the PAs and Radio shows.
Youngstarr: Revival.
Boss riddim. Incredible depth to the production which is raw-as-carrots beats. Kind of like Deep Dish meets Rhythmatic (the production on those old Network tracks was pretty bad). Very much derivative of Wiley's sound, and no way as distinctive but pretty damn tuff nonetheless.
Wiley: Igloo Remix and Blue Rizla.
I wanted to buy these, but 8 quid! That's too much for ANOTHER riddim. It's symptomatic of the small runs these records get (1,000?) that the costs of producing them rockets. For 2,000 the producers probably only have to pay a few quid more, but then they can't guarantee to shift 'em. Wiley is an awesomely impressive figure. Right now he's getting stronger, more daring and distinctive every week. I think, no exaggerating here, that he's probably more important than George Clinton, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Sun Ra and Derrick May rolled into one. You want hyperbole, you've come to the right place. Igloo is overpoweringly funky and strangely for a remix, features drums while the original didn't. Actually fuck it I might have to go and pick these up. Falling for my own hype! What next?
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*eh?
**spelling raps suck, but counting raps...well that's an entirely different matter!