Another week, another killer ’90s throwback riddim coming exclusive from another one of my favorite production houses, um, trucks. Another field of heavy deejays touch down on one of the most audacious beats to come out of Jamaica in recent memory, called the Tun Up. Audacious not only for pure badness but also because instead of hitting over Showtime or some other time-honored track the evil geniuses at Truck Back just decided to hit back their own ricochet drum sounds from way out in 2007, box them in the head with some 2010 spacebass and call it Christmas time. The Gearbox, of course, was the vehicle for Erup’s 2007 crossover beast “Click mi Finger” (he’s yet to top himself but Erup is still a good yout’). And lets face it, this is not the worst idea they ever had, because when I say there is nothing wrong with those drums I mean THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THOSE DRUMS.
Download: GP121 Tun Up Blend
Wildlife! f. Major Mackerel, “Galang So” (Buckup EP)
Bramma, “Yu Bad” (Tun Up riddim/Truck Back)
Bunji Garlin, “No Time fi Bad Mine”
Faada Fresh, “Real Man”
Harry Toddler, “Good Up, Good Up”
Elephant Man, “Wine & Dip”
ZJ Liquid, “Wifey Matey Link Up”
Tony Matterhorn, “Gal Wine”
The intro of course is Swiss nutter Wildlife! making sublime teutonic dancehall (also exclusive!) with criminally underrated veteran Major Mackerel chatting over a riddim that’s sounds like the Acid Hall riddim backwards masked into some intelligent drum & bass. This is the lead track (the Douster refix is good too) off an EP of all dancehall-inspired productions, entitled Buck Up. Which brings me to the segment called Stuff a Gwan: Buck Up releases next week November 22nd and as mentioned, the long-awaited Banana Clipz EP on Bersa Discos/Ghetto Bassquake drops right after on the 26th. I premiered the “Coupe Cumbia” track two blends ago and have previewed almost all the others in some form in this column, at one time or another…almost. Meanwhile, back on the veldt, brilliant Ghetto Palms photog Krisanne Johnson—who shot, among other things, an army of teens wilding out to kwaito and house in Jozi for the Africa issue, and Gyptian’s FADER feature (first ever! Can you believe that dude just won a Soul Train award?) is raising funds to continue her documentation of young women coming of age with HIV/AIDS in Swaziland. Go to kickstarter and drop a dollar in her camera bag—you can donate it in my name, 'cause today happens to be my birthday.
