Lynx & Kemo - The Raw Truth

  • Share
  • While drum & bass undoubtedly has roots in hip-hop, MCing has largely been relegated to live situations—and done only in a hosting/toasting style. In the odd cases where MCs have stepped into the studio, it's more on a track-by-track basis. Thus, Lynx & Kemo's debut album is a rarity: A considered and coherent MC and producer collaboration between American-born, German-based rapper Kemo and British wunderkind producer Lynx. You can hear immediately why the two chose work together: Kemo's lazy but precise flow goes well with his deep, smoky voice and fits perfectly to Lynx's sparse beats. A kind of urban industrial tribalism tinge is present throughout: Lynx has developed a sample-heavy, organic but rough edged sound that is refreshingly different from the polished synthetic approach that dominates drum & bass today. One is reminded of the mid-'90s work from producers like Dillinja, Roni Size and the Bristol crew and the hip-hop stylings of Danny Breaks. The steady but subtle beats, and rumbling and tumbling basslines of Lynx breathe a little bit of life into the classic drum & bass roller, a form too often forgotten in these anthemic times. Kemo's lyrics touch upon a variety of subjects. Hip-hop bravado and declarations of authenticity pervade album opener "Camera," while paranoia and Big Brother feature on "Global Enemies." "Deez Breakz" is a goose bump-inducing drum & bass history lesson with Kemo reciting the history of the genre, referencing anthems of years gone by over a cheeky but clever beat that sneaks in licks, samples and snippets from said anthems. But as nicely as Kemo's vocals lend themselves to the music, the various other vocal contributors aren't as successful. Kate Whitmarsh is half-grating on "Committing Love" and Spoonface doesn't do too much for on the Calibre clone "All You Own." Better are the handful of instrumental tracks like the drum-sparse and bass-driven "Tribes" and the escalating climaxes of "Semitones." And as a result, those aforementioned slight criticisms aside, The Raw Truth is a successful marriage of old vibes and new ideas. Highly recommended.
  • Tracklist
      01. Camera 02. Apocalypse feat. Bango Collective + Dennis Jones 03. Committing Love feat. Kate Whitmarsh + Mika Doo 04. Tribes feat. Malibu Rhodes 05. Global Enemies 06. Semitones 07. Glass Jaw 08. All you Own feat. Spoonface 09. One Love 10. Broken Glass feat. Alix Perez + DRS 11. Deez Breakz feat. Henree 12. Dangerous feat. Alix Perez 13. Raw Truth 14. The Real Thing feat. Tali + Vaceo 15. Hotriders feat. Master X + Simon Wiggins
RA