Ny*Ak fires the opening beatdown salvo,’U Don’t Understand’, and cooks up another of those loose, low riding, sample heavy and heady jams, reminiscent of Berlin via early Sound Signature that made last year’s EP for Intimate Friends via Rush Hour such an essential!
Next up Cape Town’s Jumping Back Slash, who’s been making some serious music, fusing elements of S.A House with Kwaito and, well pretty much anything else he can throw into the mix to move your assets. ‘Bloodlines’ however could just as easily have emanated from 8 Mile, a captivating piece of pure, crisply rendered machine soul back lit with township chants and emotive chords.
Mr ‘monkz himself handles B1, and to say this guy’s on a roll would be something of an understatement! Much like Graef and Co, ‘imgettintiredofyou’ is Deep House that dines out on a diet of Hip Hop, dirty hertz in the low registers and deftly manipulated sample work throughout - killer stuff!
Finally our truly global selection winds up in Moscow as another hotly tipped up-and-comer Lay-Far gives us ‘Many-Sided’. Fans of last year’s excellent EP on Fifty Fathoms Deep will know what to expect. Again, a loosely pieced together cut, hinting at West London vibes,and shot through with creative sampling and an undeniable ear for melody and groove that really shines.[info from wa]