Single Track Review

Mistabishi – “Falling In Love” – Falling In Love EP

Mistabishi has always proven himself to be a fantastic producer – he got his name out there with a few remarkable EPs before slamming his LP, “Drop”, on the table like it was the winning domino. Tony Coleman (head honcho at Hospital Records) has mentioned that Mistabishi will be making another full album this year, and if the Falling In Love EP is any indication of quality, we’re in for it. We’re not ready. His album is going to shake the drum and bass scene yet again, and we just can’t prepare for it. It’s going to laugh at our sad attempts to pile sand bags.

The bassline in this a-side doesn’t play around. The moment you hit play on the track it dropkicks the grill off your speakers and pimp slaps your ears across the room. Deep and rugged roots reggae vibes from the vocalist come through and just absolutely tears up just before the drop, when the drum track rushes in through the fog of war with the heavy artillery screaming havok and rips whatever is left of your speakers into nothingness. This isn’t to say it’s overly brutal. It’s measured force, applied with precision.

The vibe this track throws down is deep, slick and sexy. It would fit perfectly during a scene where James Bond is sneaking around his quarry’s lab/home/office, looking for the big clue and narrowly avoiding the guards posted everywhere. Just like Bond, this track is sly and cunning but will gladly apply some force in liberal amounts; it’s not afraid to give you that right hook to the jaw.

Then the b-side of the EP kicks in, and that’s a whole new story of greatness. Get this EP if you’re a Drum and Bass fan, no hesitation.

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Album Review

Bop – Clear Your Mind

This album needs to come with a warning: “Not for use in clubs. For personal use only. Do not listen to while using heavy or motorized equipment.”

Bop’s first album is nothing short of genius once you give it a proper listen. On the surface, it’s very “clicky” – there’s just not a lot there. Then you go about your day while it plays in the background, tailing you around like a quiet and cute dog. From time to time, you remember it’s there, and the musical pup wags its tail at you with a few notes – the more you pay attention, the more personality you see in it.

Each song feels delicate, like a piece of fine china. The percussion is very dry and muted; you can hear it, and it’s quite present in the mix, but it’s not overbearing. The beats fall into place like raindrops on a window – transparent, but still there. It gives the songs a clean feeling without removing the substance of it. The instrumentation is sparse and very wet feeling with echo draped over the xylophone-ish tones. The real beauty comes in the background pads and fills. Long, soft swaths of sound linger in the background and mingle with the instrumentation’s echos and reverbs, giving each piece background and body.

You can’t very well drive to this in your car. You can’t jump around the room to it. You can’t slow dance to it. However, it’s the perfect soundtrack to existing. Who wouldn’t want to exist with a melodic little pug walking behind you, sometimes wagging a little quarter note your way?