This was handed to me at a gig not long ago. It’s a beat tape, but it’s a good one. It comes in recycled brown paper slip, each one decorated personally by the artist himself; who plays in a band or two round town, and is perhaps best known in recent times for his work with local MC Nikkita, backing her live show and producing most of her beats.
This however is strictly a solo affair, half an hour of dedicated digging is what’s on offer. There’s those compressed snares, sitting atop the kind of beats that get me nodding, but just a little bit sideways to accommodate the swing. The crackle keeps coming back, the spoken word interludes come thick and fast, nothing’s longer than 2 minutes and it always moves on just before i’m ready, which is how it should be. It’s got that warmth, and ADD infused musical reverence which comes with the best sample based music.
It’s a familiar formula, but it works because it’s done here with a subtle hand, and an eye for detail. The only point at which I tune out is the Pete Rock-esque beat at track 18, but I’ve got a silly grin on my face 30 seconds later when Indian flutes start wailing over a truly weird break. Suckerpunch, who I think has now morphed into George Byrd, is one to look out for locally.
Tom Smith
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