Review:
Since donning the SBTRKT mask, one time broken beat producer Aaron Jerome has become far more famous for the booming intensity and restless rhythms of his productions than the sweet soul he was previously most famous for. It's something of a pleasant surprise, then, to see Jerome returning to his musical roots on this SBTRKT debut LP. While the trademark shuffling dubstep rhythms, future garage grooves and hurried broken beats remain, they're underpinned by a thick vein of sassy soulfulness - thanks in no small part to the fragile vocals of Sampha - and an overriding atmosphere of melodic beauty. It's a wise move on Jerome's part, because SBTRKT is a far better album than many would have expected; in fact, it's a bit of a belter.