Mark de Clive-Lowe – Tide’s Arising (Antipodean Records)

Kiwi via everywhere beat maker Mark de Clive-Lowe has been on the broken beat periphery for a long time, sprinkling his magic on Bugz in the Attic joints and generally getting love from the London gang at the centre of it all. His two albums and more than 100 releases tend to the soulful end of the spectrum, though it’s hardly catholic, drawing on Latin rhythms, house, hip hop, electronics and so on. Obviously he’ technically gifted, but although nuanced, the mix of sounds can often pass by in a featureless sheen. Broken beat, like deep house or acid jazz, cuts a fine line between well-executed sonic wallpaper and hot exciting music. Here, it’s more the former, though guest vocals from Californian rapper Capitol A, sharp tongued lyricist Lyric L and Bembe Segue shake life into seven out of 13 of the rhythms, especially in the contrast between Mark’ percussive brew and thick hip house rhymes from the Californian rapper, who has previously worked with Brooks, The Roots and Jazzanova.