This first in a series of two 12″s on Mouthwatering Records represents the debut release from Winterthur, Switzerland-based dub / dancehall-oriented collective Talen – a quartet apparently comprised of two Djs (Bux & Aunt One), and two producers (Uppernoise & Bobphonic). It’s certainly an impressive opening gambit also, with two new tracks featuring a couple of Jamaican dancehall veterans each receiving excellent remixes from Stereotyp and Sofa Surfers’ Markus Kienzl. On the A-side, ‘The Vibes’ sees Sizzla lyrically targeting “undercover cops investigating music” over a writhing backdrop of juddering steppers’ rhythms and pulsing distorted sub-bass that’s perhaps best described as digital rockers dancehall, particularly as martial snares shift into the centre of the mix amidst bursts of squalling treated guitar noise.
By comparison, Stereotyp’s reworking emerges from the eerie sound of air raid sirens before paring the instrumental backing beneath Sizzla’s vocals back to the barest, dry-sounding drum breaks and cavernous sub-bass, in what’s easily the most stripped-back, dubstep-centred track on offer here. Over on the flip, ‘Sniper Sniper’ sees Cutty Ranks reprising the same sort of gun-centred lyrical territory seen on his Bug collaborations over a seething backdrop of dark, buzzing synths, steel-edged rhythms and growling sub-bass, before Markus Kienzl’s remix takes things out amidst clattering bashment rhythms and hypnotically humming bass pads, the acclerated pace perfectly suiting Cutty Ranks’ rapid-fire, almost impenetrable flow of yardie slang. An extremely impressive debut release from Talen – and the 12″ also comes with a digital code to download additional remixes of both tracks by Al Haca, Dillon Dug and Alien Entertainment.
Chris Downton
