Back In Stock As you might have guessed by now I'm a bit of a fan of the so-called 90's "Bristol Sound" (a.k.a. "trip-hop" which seems to be a more acceptable term nowadays than it did at the time) and it's therefore maybe no surprise that this record from Fergus Jones made such an immediate connection with me.
That's not to say this a trip-hop record or retro in any way, shape or form. In fact quite the opposite, it sounds pleasingly and refreshingly new, but what it does the same as the best records from that era is it effortlessly shifts across genres without ever sounding muddled, contrived or forced. And much like many of those records the binding force that makes this possible is dub. Not necessarily dub as a genre but more as a mindset or production approach. Displaying not just appreciation of the power of bass but also of the power of negative space and not being afraid to take a pause.
In fact I would be so bold as to suggest the phenomenal "Heima", a collaboration with Huerco S. and featuring the mesmerising vocals of James K, could be considered the dubstep generation's answer to Massive Attacks "Teardrop" and the exceptional "Tight Knit" that follows it (featuring Bristol natives Birthmark, ELDON and Withdrawn on the mic) the heir apparent to the stoned hushed Bristolian rapping that blew my mind as a teenager when I first heard Blue Lines. Whilst these two tracks are definite highlights the whole record really deserves your undivided attention and, much like the records I keep making reference to, are best enjoyed in their entirety from start to finish at high volume late at night on big speakers.
Hats off to Fergus and his various collaborators for the music and to Glasgow's legendary Numbers label for delivering it to the world.
Tracklist