Kingston Book
The duo have, this month, released ‘Kingston Book’, an EP featuring various remixes of the songs ‘The Vibes’ and ‘Sniper Sniper.’
The tracks feature vocals from MCs Sizzla and Cutty Ranks respectively. The opening version of ‘Vibes’ is a lively urban track, with Sizzla providing ragga influences to supplement the bassline sound. It’s a powerful opening to an album that encompasses a wide variety of styles and influences. The concept itself is interesting, with two similar tracks forming the basis of the album, themselves being remixed under a number of different guises.
‘Vibes’ is remixed by Sterotyp, an Austrian producer famed for his minimal work. True to form, this is a far mellower affair, with a slightly sinister edge and a distinctive tech-infused dubstep – ahem – vibe!! There is nothing overtly ‘wrong’ with Sterotyp’s remix, but my housemate and I were agreed on the fact that the minimal bassline didn’t compliment Sizzla’s vocals.
‘Sniper Sniper’ is marketed as a dubstep tune, and this is very true of the original version. The song ebbs and flows between playful wideboy vocals and a classic dub breakdown.
The Marcus Kienzl version far outdoes the original in terms of production. In this incarnation dubstep meets breakbeat and techno, with hidden dancehall influences. It is an effort that is far more befitting of Ranks’ MCing.
The Alien Entertainment remix of ‘Sniper…’ is a standard liquid DnB affair. This is certainly the point of the musical spectrum where Ranks’ lyrics seem to lie best. There is a far greater harmony between the production and the performance than elsewhere on the record. The AE version confirmed to me what I had thought on first hearing ‘Sniper…’; Its sounds far better as an orthodox drum ‘n’ bass track than as the dubstep tune it is originally marketed as.
By far the best dubstep version of ‘Sniper Sniper’ is Dillon Dug’s jungle and dubstep hybrid. The tune is heavy on effects and drifts in and out of tech-heavy moments. Although not a fan of this newly emerging techstep movement, I do think such a sound is better suited to having no vocals. On this particular tune, the vocals seem a little pointless, and are almost lost amongst the various synth effects and beats.
Marcus Kienzl’s bonus remix is a harder, faster version of his previous attempt. The remix distorts the bassline into a sound that reminds me of Public Domain or Project Mayhem, bridging the gap between hard dance and a more urbane sound in a sound that could almost be a tribute to early Prodigy records. Again, this version really works.
The most enjoyable track on the record is saved until last: ‘The Alternate Version’ of ‘The Vibes’ is a tech-rock remix in the nu-rave mould. Rather than sounding ill-fitting, it makes the vocals sound much more playful and more club friendly.
New York Book
The second part of Talen’s EP features four versions of two different recordings, ‘The Morning Rush’ by Oddattee, and ‘Track This’ by Sensational.
‘Morning Rush’ is a really enjoyable rap track. Oddattee’s sound is modelled on British grime, as opposed to American or European hip-hop. The Bit Tuner Remix is excellent: a full-on fidget house assault on Oddattee’s voice. More than on any track I heard on ‘Kingston Book’, Bit Tuner’s remix encapsulates the message that Oddattee’s rapping conveys.
New York rapper, Sensational, produces a Cypress Hill-esque stormer, in ‘Track This’. The lyrics are aggressive, up front and in your face. The production is anthemic hip-hop; electrofied, ominous and threatening, just the way rap music should be.
After the passion and the power of the original, Al Haca’s version of ‘Track This’ is about as far removed as one could conceive. This remix is an ambient hip-hop track that borders on trip-hop. Again there are clearly British influences, in the form of Roots Manuva and Portishead. It is a melancholic end to a diverse production.
Talen’s latest venture is both a success and a failure, intriguing and predictable. The concept is exciting and ambitious and, although there are some wonderful moments, the project doesn’t quite come together on Kingston Book. This is down to the number of remixes on offer, and their similarity to each other.
New York Book is far more successful in what it is trying to achieve. The original tracks are excellent club tunes in their own right, and the remixes are both innovative and original. For me, it seems a shame that so much attention has been focused on the first record, and so little on the second.
Posted In Album Reviews, Nov 09 2009.
Words - Will