Review:
When it was announced that Kingdom was to be running a transatlantic counterpart to Night Slugs, Fade To Mind, there was always the worry that it may simply try to replicate the same formula as it's older brother. However, four releases in and it's developed a very singular aesthetic, as demonstrated by this debut EP from Massacooramaan. Pitched somewhere in the middle of Nguzunguzu's psychedelic, tribal R&B and frantic Chicago footwork, Dead Long Time is a wild ride through chopped samples and syncopated beats. "Dead Long Time" is characterised by its sweet marimba melody and autofire snares, while "Wijd" places pounding kickdrums over a gothic choral backdrop. "Bludgeon Riddim" meanwhile takes a hip-hop approach, albeit a threadbare one with gurgling samples, while "Jumble Yelp" is about as heads down as it gets, with an introspective sidechain riff underneath a juke rhythm. Footwork titan DJ Rashad even makes an appearance in "Aww Shit!", fusing his angular rhythmic approach alongside Massacooramaan's weird middle eastern melody. Warped, but fantastic stuff.