Deadbeat ‎– Journeyman's Annual

More slow dub from Deadbeat. On JOURNEYMAN'S ANNUAL, he starts off more abstract, more spacy -- "Lost Luggage" seems to exist in between stations on a Moroccan radio before the rhythm finally chugs in. The dub rhythm on "Melbourne Round Midnight" kicks in right from the start, but it varies to an almost breaks-like syncopation on "Night Train to Paris." But aggressive drums and rap on "Refund Me" or the guitars on "Where Has My Love Gone" shows that he has different tricks up his sleeve. The harsh feedback of "Turbulence" adds an industrial feel to the riddim, while the sexual come-ons of "Gimme a Little Slack" is as straight-forward a booty call as I've heard. and its analogue, "Gimme a Little Dub" strips the track down to mostly beats and reverb. For more of the stripped-down dub, "Loneliness and Revelry" and the final track, a mix of Saul Williams' "Black Stacey" catapult us back into outer space. Far, far out.

What a powerful release. More tribal, more rhythm-driven than previous albums, with some amazing dancehall and dubstep rollers, and brilliant production.

"Lost Luggage" is definitely one of the best Deadbeat's tunes ever, gives me shivers... I was very happy to discover that "Journeyman's Annual" sounds completely different than "Random Brown", Deadbeat's last EP. Not that I don't like it, but it's not even half as mesmerizing as his distinctive blend of dub and electronica.

Some people may consider it "overproduced", but hey - having seen what happened to Coldcut, DJ Shadow or Bonobo, I have only one thing to say: RESPECT Mr Monteigh. Great work.