First off, garage nostalgia. Just as the new millennium was getting into swing, a raft of 2-step releases were penetrating the charts and mainstream radio stations - a lot of it cheesy, but undeniably unique. Few of us can deny wondering what exactly was that ‘boink’ Craig David claimed to be all over. Much as some of the garage tunes reaching the charts could be weak and annoying at times (were you ‘loving it, loving it, loving it’?) overall the genre produced a rich body of material that remains obscure to anyone who didn’t take the time to discover it. It produced a musical legacy in the form of dubstep, grime, funky and bassline that continues to evolve in exciting ways. UK DJs like Sinden and Toddla still include some highlights from garage’s earlier era in their sets, and you can’t help but brock out when you hear tunes like ‘Ripgroove’ in the dance:

Last week Mike Skinner of The Streets fame was on 1Xtra promoting his upcoming release ‘In the Middle’. Unfortunately, it’s more of the mediocrity we’ve come to expect from him over the last couple of years. It has a catchy enough hook, but his lyrics lost potency midway through the second album, whilst his spoken word delivery misses so much more than it hits. This new track’s inclusion of drum n bass tempo does little to save it. What’s far more interesting is the mini-mix he brought along with him. As it starts with the loop from ‘Has It Come To This’, you’re immediately transported back to a time when his music really was something to note. Over five minutes there’s a breathtaking number of bangers: ‘187 Lockdown’, ‘Where’s Your Love’ and so on.

Say what you like about Skinner but with that mini-mix, he really captured the essence of a broader movement within the scene right now: the mission to revisit that sound of the glory days. This nostalgia is evident in a number of tunes just surfacing. Crazy Cousinz have put their trademark funky touch to that old stinker ‘Sweet like Chocolate’ by Shanks and Bigfoot. Remember that one? Never a very interesting effort, the success of that single owed to its catchy vocal that was decidedly ‘girly’ in more ways than one. The remix itself is just another notch on the Cousinz bumpy bedpost of reworked r’n’b vocals and isn’t likely to be anything more than generic.

On the other had, Leeds bassline pioneer Witty Boi has crafted a track that masterfully combines elements of garage old and new. ‘Badman’ features Romeo (of former legends So Solid Crew) on mic duties. Witty skilfully keeps the vocal to a minimal refrain, just enough to conjure the heady hype of So Solid’s heyday, letting the squelchy bassline and stabbing melody do the talking:

This probably isn’t going to be on release for a while yet, and perhaps it will arrive in time to accompany some updated information on the So Solid comeback album which we are told will drop some time this year. It’s easy to forget just how influential that group really was when the outstanding memory of them tends to be ’21 Seconds’ (still a great tune no matter what anyone says) and murder charges. The group, together with other crews like Pay As You Go essentially paved the way for grime. It’s interesting then to see former PAYG man Wiley chase down a more commercial route than So Solid were willing to go. His appearance on the latest Crookers single ‘Business Man’ might show some of canniness as an industry player, but the tune doesn’t quite achieve banger status. The production and vocals sit nicely together such as they are, but neither really get off the ground to any great extent.

It’s really the younger names in grime that have successfully pulled off the cross-over hustle. Back in October 08 Bassfiles had flagged the campaign of one Tinchy Stryder, which over the month reached the finish line with a No1 single on the UK charts, entitled of all things, ‘Number 1’. Enlisting the N-Dubz vocalists, this is really just a pop tune notable more for its mainstream success than any serious musical contribution. Again the interesting thing is the influence that garage has had on the latest generation of grime man. When Jammer was in Dublin last February he talked about the fact that whilst he and his peers grew up listening to US hip-hop, the teenagers were raised on a steady diet of UK urban. It’s clearly the influences on these young artists that have made them that much more exciting than their US counterparts. Thus Chipmunk’s forthcoming single ‘Diamond Rings’, whilst pop too, offers something fresh in its convincing use of an obscure ska from the Busters Allstars’ ‘Pipeline’:

The second big theme that promises to see bass music move in another interesting direction is the degree to which Jamaican dancehall artists are embracing funky. The effects of this are just being heard. As something that started in London bashment clubs, it’s fascinating to see this cross pollination being carried back to the islands with such strength. Already the first few ‘remixes’ are getting play: Aidonia on ‘Inflation’ by Crazy Cousinz and Lady Chan on Sticky’s ‘Text, Text, Text’. There’s also been queues of dancehall DeeJays letting rip over Donaeo’s ‘Party Hard’. Check The Heatwave’s refix of this latter tune to see how well their ‘bashment meets funky’ vibe is sounding. Gabriel Heatwave, on a recent blog entry, highlights the influence of funky on a number of recent Jamaican productions. Similar to the uptake of dubstep by American hip-hop artists, this is likely to have an enduring effect in the future.

Another development which shows the reach of funky beyond its own corner is the release of Toddla T and Hervé’s collaboration ‘Shake It’. These two producers are far better know for carving out their own idiosyncratic styles: a more digital dancehall in the case of the former, and a more urban electro in the case of the latter, so it’s definitely different to hear them produce something that’s so generic. Having said that, this track still hasn’t found its way onto the playlists you’d expect it to, even when remixed by Donaeo. Does this suggest scene tribal lines? The track itself is fairly solid: percussive beat and lively synths with a vocal courtesy of long time Toddla collaborator Serocee. Whilst well produced, you could argue that it isn’t the most crucial track either of them have been involved with, and maybe that’s enough to explain the limited enough impact it’s been having.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnZDFbClo98

Bassfile’s final thought is a return to the funky-Jamaica connection and this time in reverse. Reggae of all kinds has long been associated with parochial themes, which have included at times the various potential catastrophes that have threatened the small island population. In the late 60s when an outbreak of dengue fever was at its peak, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires released a stirring Ska instrumental of that name. Forty years later we have this:

Probably as well that the pandemic seems to be letting up!

If you want to send any music to Johnny, hit him up here.