Benga At Juno Download

Review: Not to be outdone by fellow Magnetic Man cohort Skream arising on the Non Plus imprint, the imperious Benga conjures up two hot steppahs for Kapsize. Perhaps a playful retort to all those "stadium step" slights aimed at the Croydon triumvate, "Faithless" marries a jagged guitar riff to an abrasive 4/4 beat whilst the bass heavy lower end gives proceedings the requisite swing. For us it is all about the "Where were you in 96?" hardcore dynamism of the B Side "Acid Lies", where a spacious industrial beat is attacked from all sides by the most devious of acid lines. Subtle klaxon pitching and ruff neck attitude patrol the nether regions with aplomb.

Review: Oh Benga. Where do we begin? Emerging from the depths of Croydon in the early noughties, Benga has been a pioneer and pivotal lynchpin in the ever-burgeoning dubstep movement. His previous albums, Newstep and Diary Of An Afro Warrior remain amongst the most influential long players of the genre's history, alongside commercial crossover collab with Coki, "Night" and a slew of other high profile releases on labels such as Tempa, Tectonic, Hotflush and Planet Mu. Firmly cementing his reputation as one of the scene's most pre-eminent figures, Benga brings us "Phaze One" - the first in a series of EPs on the seminal Tempa imprint. Bookmarked by the delightfully named "Baltimore Clap" and "No Bra, No Panties," the EP kicks off with jittering, dark riddims and aggressive slapstick, breathy tones. As digital bonuses, "Transform" - another bleepy bad one, and the aforementioned cheeky sampling, dancehall-esque "No Bra, No Panties" - conclude the EP with a resounding two fingers in the face. Great stuff.