I’ve been into New Zealand’s FreQ Nasty since stumbling upon his album Freqs, Geeks And Mutilations back in 99. I’ve seen him numerous times live and he never fails to blow shit up! Anyway his new FabricLive Mix cd is a banger and he starts it off with Saul’s Pledge Of Resistance! Here’s a review of it and the track-list…
The kind folks over at Fabric have a keen ear on all things hot nowadays. And it’s not only that, they also continue to present compilations that appeal to a wide target audience. Whether you’re into house, minimal, techno, hip-hop or progressive, the Fabric instalments offer an extensive catalogue for all your earcandy. After the brilliant and rather commercial Fabric 41 and 42, taken care of by Luciano and Ame respectively, Fabric now aims at the underbelly with the upcoming release of the latest in the FabricLIVE series: number 42 by Freq Nasty. Who, you might say? His name might not ring a bell to most, but Freq is one of the undisputed leaders of the UK underground. And what he’s giving ya ain’t for the faint-hearted. His sound is best be described as a highly energetic mix of frenzy bass-lines, beats, drums, breaks and roaring synthesizers: a clash with only the hottest in break-beat, jungle, Baltimore, dubstep, ragga, electro and all things ghetto. Come get some!
“It’s balls-to-the-wall from the very beginning! But that’s the way I’m playing these days”. says Freq on his mix. It’s bass-line and breaks all the way through, just different permutations of them." You can say that again! From the very first tune, Freq takes you on a bass and breaks-driven trip through the hardest in UK underground beats across 24 tracks. The alarm on track one, an acapella from Saul Williams, introduces the frenzy that lies around the corner, before blasting off with Santogold’s vs. Switch & Freq Nasty’s Creator. A fierce piece of hiphop with M.I.A.-esque vocals that provides a solid intro. Peacemaker by Freq Nasty vs. Proper Things then takes the mix to its first highlight: An industrial clash of irregular rhythms, modulated synths and Jamaican vocals emerges. Pure dance-floor hysteria! Duckalicious (Baobinga’s Thugalicious mix) by Madox mixes Baltimore with crunk, hiphop and electro into a freakin’ hard gangsta rocker full uplifting vox and an insane synthesizer weep in the background, after which Bring It On (mixed by one of London’s hottest dubstep artists Rusko) by Leon Jean-Marie takes care of a breaky heavy-hitter with absolutely insane bass-lines. Pitchblack dubstep in its best form that’ll have the speakers vibrating to the max. Cadence’s House Music sounds like DJ Godfather on crack: straight-forward ass-whipping ghettotech loaded with freaky synth effects and oldschool electro beats. A true ghettoblaster best served in a shiny Cadillac with 30" rims and a whole lotta er… women.
"Two thing are bound to happen after listening to this mix. 1. Your adrenaline level is way beyond healthy. 2. You feel the immediate urge to go clubbing. "
L-Vis 1990, one of the most original artists in the underground scene than skyrockets the mix with an uptempo ghettotech/house/whateveryouwannacallit banger with cut-up vocals, gut-busting bass-lines and slamming 4-to-the-floor-drums after which it’s time for one of the biggest clubhits of this year: ZZT’s Lower State Of Consciousness, pitched up to fit into the mix. It might not sound too properly in the mix, but it provides a nice chilly vibe (well, relatively that is, it’s still psycho as hell…) between all the bass and beats madness. Rob Sparx’s 2 Faced Rasta (Reso Remix) brings back the chaos after which we are thrown into a rather stoned atmosphere with God Smiled by Lee “Scratch” Perry and co. One for the coffeeshops! (the Amsterdam kind…). The chillin’ isn’t for long though, as March Of The Cowboys kicks in with a instrumental-based break-beater remarked by slamming drums. So does Freq Nasty on his own production Come Let Me Know, after which Baobinga & DJ Nasty really turn the club upside down on the Baltimore ghetto-banger State Of Ghetto Jackin’ in which vivid kicks are combined to a brilliantly bouncing synthesizer melody. Funfair-techno? Perhaps, but play this in the club and you’ll end up with a damaged floor and an equally ruined roof.
Thunder Gutter by Epydemix is a rocky break-beat bouncer while Living Like A Hustler by Backdraft ft. Sporty-O sounds like Junkie XL (waaaay back in the day) vs. Chris Cornell vs. Insane Clown Posse vs. Public Enemy. Famed rapper KRS-One gets remixed by Freq Nasty on Sound Of Da police, resulting in a heavy breaker and provides a solid bridge to the absolutely mad How You Like Me Now? (Rico Tubbs Gangsters Mix) by The Beat Monkeys. This is oldschool break-beat mixed with slamming jungle and a dubstep element here and there. The bass on this one will blow any clubber off his socks, hands down! Angola’s hottest (word) sound system Buraka Som Sistema packs a punch of Kaslemba Wegue Wegue (mixed by Reso). “Wegue Wegue Wegue!” Punch beats, soaring bass-lines and a fat punk attitude create a devastating groove well worth checking out! Full speed clubbing frenzy! Freq Nasty and Heavyweight Dub Champion’s Snared is a nice interlude, but it’s the firm criminal vibe on TRG’s Oi! Killa! that once again fuels the mix with raw, low-down dirty bass. It doesn’t get more underground than this! This is the real McCoy… check out the bass-line on this one and be amazed! Viva Tibet by Freq Nasty vs. Bassline punches everyone on the dance-floor a black eye with a down-tempo beat blow fest mixed to a motorcycle bass-line and sampled vocals, right before the criminally insane Godda Get It by Radioclit vs. No Surrender takes charge with a howling hip-hop/crunk/dubstep killer that may sound funny at first, but you better not be joking with this one! The mix then finishes with the brilliantly sung Above & Beyond Dem by Nate Mars ft. Jahdan, a Jamaican ragga ballad featuring two spaced out rasta’s on vocals while torturing speakers with a series of punchy kicks and a deep bass.
Two thing are bound to happen after listening to this mix. 1. Your adrenaline level is way beyond healthy. 2. You feel the immediate urge to go clubbing. And not just anywhere, but in the very depths of the filthy and raw London underground scene. Freq Nasty delivers a pretty psycho mix of the hottest in dubstep, breaks and ghetto-banging butt-slammers across 24 killer tunes that ooze with energy, adrenaline and above all a fantastic vibe. The mixing’s fast but effective although a bit sloppy here and there. You might encounter a few strange breakdowns during the mix due to an unorthodox choice of records, but this is actually quite adventurous rather then disturbing. Once again, this mix ain’t for you mum and pops, but for all UK clubbers, break fanatics, B-boys and fly girls, and those who like to hear what’s the current trend in UK underground.
Track-list
- Saul Williams - Not In Our Name
- Santogold Vs Switch & Freq Nasty - Creator
- Freq Nasty Vs Propa Tings - Peacemaker
- Madox - Duckalicious (Baobinga’s Thugalicious Remix)
- Leon Jean-Marie - Bring It On (Rusko’s Granny Smasher Remix)
- Reso - If You Can’t Beat Em
- Cadence Weapon - House Music
- L-Vis 1990 - Change the Game
- ZTT - Lower State of Consciousness (Original Munich Version)
- Rob Sparx - 2 Faced Rasta (Reso Remix)
- Lee “Scratch” Perry Vs. The Moody Boyz - God Smiled (Remix)
- Tayo - March of the Soundbwoyz
- Freq Nasty - Come Let Me Know (Acappella)
- Baobinga feat. DJ Nasty - State of Ghetto Jackin
- Epydemix - Thunder Gutter (Dub)
- Backdraft feat. Sporty-O - Living Like a Hustler
- KRS One - Sound Of Da Police (Freq Nasty Breakbeat Bacon Mix)
- The Beat Monkeys - How You Like Me Now? (Rico Tubbs Gangsters Mix)
- Buraka Som Sistema - Kaslemba Wegue Wegue (Reso’s Aguadente Mash Mix)
- Freq Nasty Vs Heavyweight Dub Champion - Snared (Freq’s Donkey Kong Mix)
- TRG - Oi! Killa !
- Freq Nasty Vs Bassnectar (Dub) - Viva Tibet
- Radioclit Vs No Surrender - Godda Get It
- Nate Mars Ft. Jahdan - Above & Beyond Dem
DEVASTATING!!!