The eighth installment in the Rinse label's compilation series (released under the aegis of London's Rinse FM radio station) features the mixing talents of DJ Alexander Nut. Nut's chosen niche is the hip-hop/soul area, but here he displays a taste for a very particular flavor of hip-hop and soul -- he tends to favors clean, clear, maybe slightly chilly grooves with a pronounced swing. Prime examples of this tendency include Marco Polo's nimble-tongued but rather cold "Relax," the spare and markedly swinging "Clap Hands ...
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The eighth installment in the Rinse label's compilation series (released under the aegis of London's Rinse FM radio station) features the mixing talents of DJ Alexander Nut. Nut's chosen niche is the hip-hop/soul area, but here he displays a taste for a very particular flavor of hip-hop and soul -- he tends to favors clean, clear, maybe slightly chilly grooves with a pronounced swing. Prime examples of this tendency include Marco Polo's nimble-tongued but rather cold "Relax," the spare and markedly swinging "Clap Hands (Morgan Spacek Remix)" by Frank-n-Dank, and the weird, squelchy, science fiction-flavored "Get Familiar" by Bullion. But when he goes on a stylistic tangent the results can be startling: 1000 Names' "Melonball Bounce" sounds like Bassnectar trying to make a children's record; 2Tall's "The Most High" is explicitly dubwise and reggae-inflected; and Benga & Coki bring a jump-up jungle flavor to the mix with their "Night (Digital Soundboy Remix)." Best of all is the appearance by Roots Manuva, who reprises "Do Nah Bodda Mi," the best track from his most recent album. What it all adds up to is a distinctive but still nicely varied excursion in adventurous dance music. ~ Rick Anderson, Rovi
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