Up until now the Free the Beats compilations have been a fairly home-grown Australian affair. Concentrating on forward thinking electronica, whatever that means, but I hazard a guess at constructing contemporary patterns of representing sound formations using tools of the day. There is a can of worms there and for all thinkers out there – happy eating. However Volume 11 includes the talents of Dutch artist, Bas Vermolen, known as Art’s The Beat Doctor, opening the album with Mobieus travels. As you might expect it is loop based and mashed samples from all over the place being wrought into some form and thrown with aplomb all over the place. It does have a bass driven skunking attitude and a hint of eastern rhythm. Other worldly offerings are from ITZME from Brooklyn and Inkiman from France. The former delivers, For You, a hip-hop flavoured bass bomb that highlights an emcees general vocab range and wild long delays along with a plonking synth melody, attack rhythm line. It’s all machismo and fat attitude with a rough and ready production. The latter, Le Pays des masque, a slinky number with middle eastern rhythms, radio intercuts, a stop start hesitating motion, insidious vocals and kooky vocal beat samples. It’s a slow sexy little thing that would keep the swing on the floor.
Other tracks of note on the album are Junglemire’ Mow a fairly wacked out psychotic affair of bass stabs, jaunty fast beats and wobbly feeling. Being a dub album there are a few “Rasta’ inflected vocal tracks, the full sound of Ears ft. Wiseman Ali on Harmony which has the usual Rasta blag over a fairly phat tune and Domba’ Bipolar referencing biblical tomes as well to paste over a hip-hop and breaks slow dub with some nice call and response actions from the samples and machine. I Digress add Chew Chew to the pile a tight and well produced experiment in beat, dub and the right amount of wonky synth action.
The general flavor of the album sticks well to the dub template and there is a strong sense of it being a smoker’ delight and slightly affected afternoon laid back holiday vibe. Consume with the advice of your local substance provedore.
The album can be downloaded free from bandcamp.
Innerversitysound
