Various Artists - N.S.G. / This One's Wavey

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  • Baobinga likes collaborations. This much is obvious. His percussive flex and perfectly metallic drum sounds are the ideal skeletons for other producers to project themselves onto, and his permanently jovial mood seems contagious, rubbing off on his many, many partners. His imprint, Build Recordings, has been a showcase for these collaborations, nailing down appearances from I.D., Untold, Cosmin TRG, and Ginz over the course of its short history. This fourth release, though, pushes Baobinga's percussion-heavy sound the furthest it's ever gone. Working with London funky/grime's resident clown Scratcha DVA on "This One's Wavey," the result is obscenely massive drum swagger on top of more drums, giant boulders that haphazardly smash into the earth. But it's also one of the most expansive and detailed grime-leaning tracks to come out of Bristol in a while, as the pair wrap the track in incandescent synths while generously embellishing the rhythm with all sorts of silly percussive noises. Working with Mensah on the flip, "N.S.G." is equally as infectious, pulling the synths way up in the mix for a spiritual sequel to Hyetal's anthemic "Phoenix." But while Hyetal was all about tethering his Top Gun down to earth with lightly melancholy passages; these two have no interest in subtlety. When those cocky synths aren't reaching for the heavens, the track is powered by the same indefatigably banging Energizer Bunny as "Wavey," with gritty Jokeresque basslines thrown to keep it all together. While these tracks aren't exactly parting the seas in terms of originality, they're propulsive, catchy and impeccably produced—the Baobinga triumvirate of excellence.
  • Tracklist
      A Baobinga & DVA - This One's Wavey B Baobinga & Mensah - N.S.G.
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