HYPE

Future Troubles

Not much has been heard from Bobby Dixon's Digital B label so far this year but suddenly all at once come five cuts to the same rhythm. Just like the London buses. And what's more, not one of them sounds like a "typical" Digital B record. Digital B's most high-profile artists have lately been such names as Cocoa Tea, Morgan Heritage and, until his untimely death, Garnett Silk. Like other top flight outfits Penthouse and Xterminator, Digital B is identified with the more "conscious" modern-roots end of current Jamaican music, its rhythms loping and rootsy, the overall sound more melodic, restrained and spacious than the raw dance hall side of nineties reggae.

Well, none of these records sound like that. The World Talk rhythm, on which all five records are built, is a staccato dance hall killer more typical of labels like Fat Eyes, Shocking Vibes or how yu fi sey that? World Talk features that syncopated two beat piledriver bass popular in the dancehalls at the moment. Into this, what sounds like a digitised footdrum cuts a rapid, machine gun fire onslaught.

All five are great and it seems unfair to pick out just one, but Future Trouble's Hype just shades it as the standout cut. Future Troubles, though big in the Jamaican dancehalls, has not so far struck it big on vinyl so this could be the one that kicks it off for him. It's a typically uncompromising dancehall lyric with Future Troubles advising his listeners "if you see me in a fight, don't intervene" and kicking off the piece with the drawled observation "Check it out, Brick Wall" and commenting drily towards the end "Taking money's what Brick Wall's all about." A curious observation, since the Brick Wall label, like Digital B itself, is the property of the same Bobby Dixon, so perhaps an interesting story is there.

All these cuts are no holds barred, take no prisoners ragga. Lady Saw spits fire in characteristic fashion with her 10 Duppy in which she promises to see off not just one but ten duppies and that even if "they could a send a coolie duppy with a glass of rum, me nah run". Should you ever meet a duppy, follow Lady Saw's example who makes sure she always "walk with mi lime and mi two camphor ball".

The other cuts, all excellent, include Ghetto Life from General B and Real Bad Man from Angel Doolas and Captain Barkey, and a cut from new artist Spinace. It's a tribute to the versatility of the best JA producers that they can keep serving up surprises and keeping things fresh.

Previous Records Of The Week:

Beenie Man & Goofy- Dark Glass

Augustus Pablo 10" dubplate

Terry Linen-Your Love Is My Love

Mr Vegas-When The Cock Crow

Danny Browne's All Purpose rhythm

Lauryn Hill- Lost Ones (yard remix)