Review: For an artist with a name as old school as Pharoah, this man sure has some futuristic sounds. Following his previous epic dispatch on Liondub International ('Mirage'), once again he hits with more cosmic feels. Funky, forward-facing and full of surprises, there's a young Bensley or Whiney deep in the mix when you hear the glitches and shiny soul of cuts like 'Party' or 'Threshold' while darker sounds like 'Ganjaman' or 'B.I.G' show plenty of promise on his gullier aspects. First dynasty levels of talent here. Keep your eyes on this king.
Review: FACT: Norwich is currently 100m below sea level these days due to the pure heaviness of its many D&B residents such as T>I, Upgrade, Limited, Saxxon and Pharoah to name a few. Here we find Pharoah in a very generous mood as he returns to Liondub International with six almighty skin-blisterers. Armed with a deft knack of vocal manipulation and gut-punching bass, his cuts play with the contrasts with mischief and might. Highlights include the clipped string plucks, skippy beats and trippy pads of "Find You", the savage bass and funky vocal cuts on "Mirage" and the playful gunfinger-slinging, double-bass strumming "John Wayne." Ride 'em cowboy!
Review: Pharoah is one of the best recent talents in the current smorgasbord that is the D&B scene, his rough and ready sound blends jump up currents with jungle stutters and it's ideal for any situation. Origins carries on that trend on Liondub International and blimey, it's pretty damn good. 'Once' is our favourite, with a hypnotic sample that grounds its cracking percussive knocks within a framework of bassy shudders and groaning sweeps. It's top stuff the whole way through, and Pharoah shows off his diversity in production with the almost-liquid bounces of 'No Other', all the way through to the neurofunk injection of 'The Omen'. Next level.
Review: Having previously featured on Liondub's recent 10 year celebration annuals, anonymous Norwich artist Pharoah casts a whole load more black magic with his first full EP. Seven tracks of pure jump-up fire, there's no messing around as he weaves us through his giddy musical maze. Highlights include the manic rising tones of "The Mob", the pure stench and daggers of "Spells", the wonky grottiness of "Velocity" and the total malevolent pace and urgency of "Brain Eater". Don't you just love the smell of lasers in the morning?
Review: Liondub International's 10 year celebrations continue with a sense-shocking body slam into the future of the label and its ever-growing family of talented artists. Hitting hard like the label's ever-on-point Street Series, the rollcall reads like a who's who in gully talent: Dutta, Bou, Jayline, Vital, BlckHry and loads more. Whether you want to be completely twisted and spat back out by a brass section (Pharoah's "Fire In The Hole") you'd prefer to be hoovered by a jet engine then shot up into the stars (Jayline's "1408") or you're more into the idea of being rattled around in a big tin bassline can (Danny The WildChild's "Body Moves") this future shock has every physical experience contemporary (but heavily rooted) drum & bass can offer. And there's even more to come. Big up Liondub!
Review: Liondub are celebrating a decade of existence and they're doing a three-part compilation series covering the past, present and future of the label. By definition, then, these series' feature plenty of talent from all across the spectrum and time period of the genre. One of our favourite of the 26 cuts is Bou's VIP of Keep Away, a deliciously double-bass infused number that is both funky and heavy, the ideal combination, and he's flipped up the arrangement here with some precisely placed note changes. There are also features from Vital, Euphonique, Dutta, Marcus Visionary and more, with the overall vibe being one of toughness and power. Top stuff.
