Roots Manuva – Slime & Reason

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you will no doubt have been eagerly anticipating the new Roots Manuva LP Slime & Reason just as much as I have. Officially out on 1st September on Big Dada, but emphatically reviewed right here on Jus Like Music and right now.

Since appearing on the Blak Twang single Queen’s Head back in 1994, our man Rodney Smith has released five LPs on Big Dada (the Ninja Tune hip-hop imprint) – but here we are on the cusp of his sixth full release. Roots Manuva is well renowned for his gritty street-narrative lyricist style and his array of hip-hop beats, often laced with ragga or dancehall influences. Who could forget the immortal Witness (1 Hope), often seen as the king of UK hip-hop tracks – but although it is tracks like Witness that spring to the forefront of your mind whilst thinking of Roots Manuva, it’s the albums that he has delivered that pay him his reverence.

Tracklisting:

01. Again & Again
02. C.R.U.F.F.
03. Do Nah Bodda Mi
04. Let The Spirit
05. Kick Up Ya Foot
06. A Man’s Talk
07. Buff Nuff
08. It’s Me Oh Lord
09. 2 Much 2 Soon
10. Do 4 Self
11. The Show Must Go On
12. I’m A New Man
13. Well Alright
14. Struggle

The LP begins with the second single, Again & Again, a party banger with a definitive ragga angle – this is simple, yet effective, and there is no denying that the chorus is addictive. Up next is C.R.U.F.F., a darker tale with a bit of grit, but just as likely to get that head nodding. Then it’s straight into the hypnotic dancehall track Do Nah Bodda Mi – if this catches you in the wrong mood then you might reach for that skip button, but – and although it is early in the review to say – this LP has huge grower potential and after a few listens it will grow on you like beautiful fungus!

Let The Spirit brings us into proper banger territory. This is a wicked blend of contemporary electronic sounds and tight hip-hop beats. Not sure I’ve heard a Roots Manuva track quite like this before, but it’s a sure fire winner. It manages to combine catchy electronic synth samples with a progressive beat and that oh-so-smooth Manuva cypher. You’ll be sticking this one on repeat, that’s doctors’ orders.

mp3: Roots Manuva – Let The Spirit

Continuing the trend of ear-catching ditties, Kick Up Ya Foot hits it hard with strong beats and stabs of various samples. It’s hip-hop, but not as we know it. Perhaps it is testament to Roots Manuva’s years of success that he’s never really played the hip-hop game strictly by the book. A Man’s Talk contributes levels of depth as a track offering a darker narrative and a more serious tone. Poignancy meets tight production in a track that acts both as a head nodding beat affair and a thought provoking tale for the lyric-heads. Buff Nuff, the first single to be taken from the LP, is an uptempo dancehall affair with a mean bassline and chorus, another killer that wont let you sit still.

The second half of Slime & Reason begins with one of my favourite tracks from the LP, It’s Me Oh Lord. This is quintessential Roots Manuva. Tough beats, heavy bass and a ridiculously slick cypher. Rodney’s rhymes always deliver with such brutal honesty and on this track we get a prime example of this fact. The production is tight and it all just comes together. Top tune.

mp3: Roots Manuva – It’s Me Oh Lord

Carrying on in a similar vein is 2 Much 2 Soon. This track with it’s horn stabs and synths has an eerie sense of depth and sincerity and as Roots sings; “there’s too much, too soon, too little, too late”. Given that we have quite the array of hip-hop beats, brass, singing, rapping and synths, this at no point sounds over-produced or seems over-bearing, it’s intricate with its balance and provides smooth execution. Do 4 Self is a slightly lighter track, but carries a good groove nevertheless – riding on the cusp of glitchy electro, whilst staying accessible to the urban fraternity. The longest track on the LP is The Show Must Go On, at six minutes long. Less upbeat than a lot of the tracks on the album, it relies more upon the sung verses and the fresh narrative on life and its various pitfalls.

As heard recently on the Jus Like Music Volume 26 podcast, I’m A New Man begins the final section of Slime & Reason. This is more proper banger material. Hard beats and electronic stabs cruise wildly along with the Manuva words. The penultimate track is Well Alright, and from the get-go it seems to be vintage Roots Manuva, sweet melodies and treacherous rhythms. At parts of his cypher, Roots takes an almost more raw tone, and it’s definitely fresh sounding. The Struggle acts as the outro and it’s a steady, soulful affair – calm, yet firm.

It’s worth mentioning that besides Roots Manuva’s obvious contributions, Slime & Reason also features guest production from both Toddla T and Metronomy. Combined efforts have given us an extremely fresh sounding LP that will struggle to be classified purely under any one genre – but for someone that has been billed as the Saviour of UK Hip-Hop in the past, Roots Manuva has never really sounded quite like his supposed contemporaries. Slime & Reason has some off-the-bat bangers, for sure, but the real beauty is in the repeated listens. It’s definitely a bit of a grower and on various levels it will get that head nodding at one point or another – get it checked, it’s out on Monday (1st September).

VIDEO: Talib Kweli – The Perfect Beat

Exclusive new video from LOUD.com for the track The Perfect Beat from Talib Kweli’s 2007 LP Eardrum. The video features the legendary KRS-ONE and the footage was recorded during a recent performance at the Shrine Auditorium in LA.

It’s a banger of a track from Talib Kweli and it has a hint of that old skool Dilated Peoples vibe about it – which is only a good thing! The video, as you will see, shows both fellas doing what they do best and rocking it on stage like true pros. Eardrum was a slept on LP from last year, I reckon, so if you didn’t catch it first time round then it you should definitely get that situation rectified now.

mp3: Talib Kweli – The Perfect Beat feat. KRS-ONE

PODCAST: Jus Like Music Volume 26

Volume 26 of the Jus Like Music Podcast has literally just dropped! A wide selection of the finest tracks that have been encroaching on JLM ears recently. Mostly new tracks with a pinch of classic or overlooked. All class, either way.

I was under the impression that if you read this blog, then you knew about the podcast. But apparently not! Even though I put the details of the podcast in the sidebar and on its own page, it still goes unnoticed by some. Hence I thought it would be a wise idea to make a blog post with each new podcast – so no excuses, slackers, get it downloaded!

Podcast RSS feed URL

Volume 26 tracklisting:

1. TM Juke and The Jack Baker Trio – Spread It On feat. Alice Russell
2. Hint – Afro Love Forest (Feat. Kinny)
3. Flying Lotus – Rickshaw
4. Super Smoky Soul – Geek Beat (Hud Mo Re.Twirk)
5. Roots Manuva – I’m A New Man
6. SonnyJim – Stack Ps feat. Orifice, English and Smoke Darg
7. The Bamboos – Can’t Help Myself Featuring Ty
8. The Natural Yogurt Band – Chit Chat
9. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Birthday
10. Amy Winehouse – You’re Wondering Now
11. Emiliana Torrini – Me And Armini
12. Kutiman – No Reason For You
13. Lizzy Parks – All That
14. El Michels Affair – This Songs For You
15. The Neil Cowley Trio – Clumsy Couple
16. J.A.M – Jazzy Joint Ft. Jose James

A lovely spread, I’m sure you’ll agree. We’ve got tracks from the new TM Juke and The Jack Baker Trio LP (due to drop 8th September on Tru Thoughts), Rickshaw from the Flying Lotus LA EP 1 X 3 (out now on Warp), exclusive new track I’m A New Man by Roots Manuva (from his forthcoming Slime & Reason LP out 1st September on Big Dada) and also Can’t Help Myself by The Bamboos featuring Ty (which is the B-side to the King Of The Rodeo 7″ out on Tru Thoughts).

mp3: Roots Manuva – I’m A New Man

Also big props to Hint for a banger of an album with the recently released Driven From Distraction on Tru Thoughts. Speaking of Tru Thoughts (which I do quite often!) Lizzy Parks‘ LP, Raise The Roof, is due out on 22nd September. You might recognise her modern jazz stylings from previous work with Nostalgia 77, but Lizzy is here in full effect with her first full release on Tru Thoughts.

Like the podcast? Tell a freakin’ friend or two!

Daedelus – Love To Make Music To

Thought I’d give it a minute to digest around this wonderful musical society we live in before finally divulging my words on Love To Make Music To by Daedelus. And now that minute has passed. Daedelus‘ third full LP on Ninja Tune dropped the other month and did, as predicted, cause a bit of a stir. But… for all the right reasons. You can buy it right now on both double vinyl LP, download and also CD.

Daedelus has long been known for his wonky electro-romantic ways, but it’s worth noting (for the newer fans at least) that Alfred Darlington (born Alfred Weisberg-Roberts) is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist and master of many genres. He was spinning and creating jungle and breakcore tracks back in the day and also has his roots in the West Coast hip-hop circles, collaborating over the years with such artists as MF DOOM, Lil Sci (aka John Robinson), Busdriver, Cyne and Prefuse 73. His stock is strong.

Something I have always admired about Daedelus is his ability to turn his hand to, seemingly, any genre. But it’s never a novelty act. Daedelus’ creations have a certain flair and panache that allow the most anti listeners to connect with the music. Sounds that you may otherwise turn your nose up all of a sudden become masterful electronic compositions that leave you feeling immersed in a sonic world where everything sounds Daedelus and everything sounds good.

Love To Make Music To picks up where Denies The Days Demise left off. But this a continued musical evolution in the forever changing soundscape that is the life of Alfred Darlington. At 15 tracks long, this LP is a healthy feast of aural treats, spanning 55 minutes of electronic bliss. Remember folks; components make tracks, but journeys make albums – so let the journey begin…

Tracklisting:

01. Fair Weather Friends
02. Make It So feat. Michael Johnson
03. Twist The Kids feat. N’fa
04. Get Off Your Hihats
05. Hrs:Mins:Secs
06. Touchtone feat. Paperboy & Taz
07. I Car(ry) Us
08. I Took Two
09. My Beau feat. Erika Rose & Paperboy
10. You’re The One feat. Om’mas Keith
11. Assembly Lines
12. Drummery Jam
13. Only For The Heartstrings
14. Bass In It feat. Taz
15. If We Should feat. Laura Darlington

The proceedings start with Fair Weather Friends, a skewed yet catchy synth laden melody accompanied by a double hand clap led drum break. It’s an uplifting affair that builds and builds – for a better idea, check out the video:

Straight after that is Make It So featuring Michael Johnson. A steady beat and cymbal crashes are paired with 80s pop style electronic sounds and the smooth, yet ever so slightly haunting, vocals. Definitely a track for the summer – only the production techniques of Daedelus could make you nod that head and tap that foot to what is essentially a glitchy electro pop song. Oh, and there is a video to this one too:

The album then takes a grittier turn with the heavy Twist The Kids featuring N’Fa from Australia. Get Off Your HiHats somehow manages to make me enjoy what is basically a house a track of sorts, whilst Hrs:Mins:Secs finds great success in blending an old skool rave/near-on-gabba sound with hip-hop beats – absolute madness, so Daedelus.

Touchstone is a wicked, dark electro hip-hop track featuring Paperboy & Taz, a very addictive track that encompasses a mean break indeed. I Car(ry) Us then brings the album back to the airy romantic scape that Daedelus is so famous for – with elements of electronic organ and Balearic guitar strokes, this intricate composition holds its arrangement with both procession and organised confusion. Frankly, for what it is, it’s quite exquisite. But I Took Two drags us back down to the dark depths with its eerie electronic melody and vocal samples. Another fine example of using 90s dance stylings and refreshing them right up to the present date, it couldn’t sound more relevant if it tried.

mp3: Daedelus – I Took Two

My Beau, unlike the version initially released on the Fair Weather Friends EP, features additional vocals by Paperboy as well as Erika Rose and there is just something about this track that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. There is a miami bass vibe in there as well as rnb elements – when it plays… I cant sit still. You’re The One is a tripped out airy hip-hop track featuring the smooth vocals of Om’mas Keith, whilst Assembly Lines is a straight up sound clash between clockwork toys and backwards fair ground aural debris featuring some piercing vocals of a rather unique sounding siren – not entirely sure I’ve heard anything worthy of direct comparison as far as style goes.

The back end of Love To Make Music To begins with Drummery Jam, which is a mash up of sounds and beats that would certainly catch the ear of someone like Cut Chemist. Only For The Heartstrings is a track that wouldn’t have been out of place on the aforementioned Denies The Days Demise LP – if you can sit back and allow yourself to be consumed by the sounds, you’ll no doubt love this complex and beautiful composition, with it’s intricate layers and precise execution. Bass In It is a head nodding hip-hop trance featuring Taz on the mic and then If We Should acts as an outro to the LP, featuring vocals from none other than Daedelus’ wife Laura Darlington – it starts off sounding like something from an early Prodigy track, then the strings come in and the track breaks down into a gorgeous melodic broken beat track that really sets the tone as an outro. An appropriate ending to an eclectic blend of electronic songs that constantly takes you from high to low and all the avenues in between.

Love To Make Music To is certainly different. But ‘different’ isn’t a word anybody should be scared of or shy away from. More than ever it is different music that is becoming not only relevant, but actually essential in the modern market. Even if people don’t necessarily realise it at first, I think that generally a lot are craving ‘different’. Nothing is black and white anymore – I can barely classify artists into genres, but that is a positive thing – especially when the execution can be so perfect. How can I fault the influences of gabba, rave, house and such if it sounds so right? This LP is most definitely a sound clash of styles, but it has the Daedelus trademark all over it and I for one have fallen in love with it.

EXCLUSIVE: New Jon Kennedy Material

Today I have something special to share with you exclusively. A brand new track, called I Feel The Weight, from Jon Kennedy’s upcoming new LP, 14, due out this year on the US label Organik Recordings.

14 will be out in the not-so-distant future and will be available on double white vinyl, download and CD. Double white vinyl eh? Very swanky indeed!

mp3: Jon Kennedy – I Feel The Weight

Which ever format you decide to purchase 14 on, going by I Feel The Weight, it will be a wicked downtempo album from one of the UK’s finest. Heavy beats, sweet melodies and a killer bassline – everything we’ve come to love about Jon Kennedy and his marvelous music! Remember, you heard it here first!