Kevin Martin's previous album as the Bug, 2003's Pressure, was a vital, visceral blast of digital dancehall and exploratory dub; 2008's London Zoo is darker, grittier, tougher, and all the more exhilarating for it. The basic template is similar: rough-hewn electronic productions that are rooted in dancehall and hip-hop but don't feel remotely conventional, laced with hard-hitting toasts and vocals from a bevy of sharp-tongued guests. But Zoo ratchets up the intensity in both sound and substance, creating a striking symbiosis of sense and sonics wherein the dread and righteous rage expressed by the vocalists are equally evident in Martin's furious, foreboding beats and basslines. In both regards, London Zoo is an extremely potent, relevant record for its time, capturing an energetic spark that feels tied to the creative renewal of dubstep (a genre that Martin may have helped to germinate, and which in any case scarcely existed at the time of the last Bug album) as well as the tormented spirit of a city ground down and galvanized by recent socio-political developments, both local and global. Look no further than the opening lyrical salvo -- "So many things that get me "angry"" -- from veteran British reggae MC Tippa Irie, who rails about everything from suicide bombers to global warming to Hurricane Katrina over a kinetic ragga thump. As insistent as it is, "Angry" feels practically mild (and certainly peppy) in comparison to much of what follows: the ferocity of Warrior Queen (the doggedly propulsive "Insane," the hypnotic, bass-blasted "Poison Dart"), the apocalyptic, steely-eyed R&B of Ricky Ranking (ominously funky "Murder We" and solemnly soulful closer "Judgement") and, especially, the grim, severe tracks which feature Flowdan of the grime collective Roll Deep -- the dread sermonizing of "Jah War," the industrial menace of "Warning," and the utterly bone-chilling "Skeng." Such is the album's strength -- the power and inventiveness of Martin's productions, the astuteness and aptness of his guest selections -- that any one of these tracks could be singled out as a highlight. (And the remainder aren't far behind; the washed-out calm of "You & Me" and lone instrumental "Freak Freak" do offer a respite of sorts, as they're merely spooky rather than gut-wrenchingly tense.) Taken as a whole, London Zoo is simply a masterful statement, and one that cries out to be heard: as intense as it is, it's hardly inaccessible -- hooks abound in the vocal contributions and Martin's grooves, while sometimes discordant and oppressive, are never less than riveting.
Reggae Friday returns after a very long hiatus to discuss one of the best records of 2008. The Bug also known as Kevin Martin is a UK-based producer, musician and journalist. He has been making music for two decades. His work spans multiple genres from industrial to hip hop to dub and dubstep. It is his work with dubstep that brings him here to Reggae Friday. His work with Anti-Pop Consortium...
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Ninja Tune just sent word of the upcoming new album from The Bug! I'm so excited! I've been posting about the singles for almost a year now and we finally have a tracklist and everything today. The album is called London Zoo and will be released on Ninja Tune on 7 July in the UK. The Bug creates blazing toxic dancehall riddims and London Zoo features some of the hottest ragga vocalists in t...
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One more treat to paint the weekend red - Kode 9 (who played a W-I-I-I-I-C-K-E-D set in SF last night!!!) made an exclusive mix of tunes off The Bug's yet-unreleased new LP, London Zoo. You can download and listen to it for free from FADER Mag anytime you like:The Bug - London Zoo mixed by Kode 9 Kode 9 is a total sweetheart. You may recall he also gave us the exclusive preview of the then-un...
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London Zoo, the latest missive from London's Kevin Martin, a.k.a. The Bug, is heavy enough to be one of those peak statements, an album that feels like the logical culmination of the notorious producer's 20-year career. That's quite something, considering Martin's participation in projects like Techno Animal, God, Ice, and more recently Razor X Productions. The scope of this album, however, cha...
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It's true! The Bug will hit the Bay Area next week for 2 very special performances in support of his brand new album London Zoo. First up a FREE show at Amoeba Records on Haight Street - Monday Sept. 22 at 6pm. Then, on the following Saturday (Sept. 27) they'll both be at Surya Dub in SF. And the icing on the cupcake is Maga Bo will also perform at Surya Dub on the same night! Surya Dub is ...
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The Bug has a "Poison Dart" that he's aiming at future dub massives. The noise-dub producer recently signed to Ninja Tune for the release of his new album, due sometime next year. Ninja Tune must be pretty excited about The Bug's new music, because they just released a wicked video for his latest, "Poison Dart" featuring UK/Jamaican chatter Warrior Queen, and pressed two EPs for it, each with...
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That's right, I'm putting my own spin on the new MOG theme Toxic Tuesday because I'm not a big fan of posting music I don't like. Plus, I'm a HUGE fan of what they call Toxic Dancehall.I 1st heard the phrase Toxic Dancehall as a description for The Bug's music, somewhere around the time he was working with Rootsman (2001? maybe). I'm not sure what the proper definition of Toxic Dancehall is,...
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For those Bug fans who haven't heard the new album yet, here are some of the tunes from London Zoo for you to hear:You probably remember the video for "Poison Dart" featuring Warrior Queen. It's been out for awhile and I gushed about it for ages. I love this vid: The Bug & Killa P & Flowdan - "Skeng":Yumm, I also love Flowdan's voice... The Bug - "Angry" ft Tippa Irie:Fierce! Another one of m...
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A Random Selection of Pitchfork - pt. 1Now, I suppose that a disclaimer must be included with the post: that title with the "pt. 1" could totally be amisnomer, as I don't know if I will make another post on the subject, but I suppose that depends on the offerings.I decided to start with Pitchfork's top 50 albums of 2008. Perhaps I should have started with the top 500 songs or something, but I l...
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Reggae Friday returns after a very long hiatus to discuss one of the best records of 2008. The Bug also known as Kevin Martin is a UK-based producer, musician and journalist. He has been making music for two decades. His work spans multiple genres from industrial to hip hop to dub and dubstep. It is his work with dubstep that brings him here to Reggae Friday. His work with Anti-Pop Consortium...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Angry |
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| 2 Murder Me |
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| 3 Skene |
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| 4 Too Much Pain |
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| 5 Insane |
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| 6 Jah War |
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| 7 Fuckaz |
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| 8 You & Me |
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| 9 Freak Freak |
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| 10 Warning |
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| 11 Poison Dart |
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| 12 Judgement |
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 "London Zoo")
