Future Rage

The paths of Dego McFarlane, Kaidi Tatham, and Daz-I-Kue have crossed many times during the past several years. Outlining the several entanglements would take a couple hundred words. Most significantly, the latter two are both members of rotating DJ/remix/production team Bugz in the Attic, while McFarlane is one-half of 4hero, the long-running duo that helped kick start the movement that Future Rage helps push forward. Anticipation for this LP has been building since CD-Rs of the title track began making the rounds in West London. Given a greater platform on Bugz in the Attic's Fabriclive.12 mix, "Future Rage"'s jumped-up propulsion, freakazoid synth wibbles, and contagious co-ed group vocals made it one of broken beat's biggest singles, up there with Afronaught's "Transcend Me" and 4hero's "Hold It Down." The trio throws a bit of a curveball on the first side of its album, leaning toward straight-up laid-back R&B more than any of its peers. Granted, the likes of "Getaway" and "Brighter Day" are much closer to a forward-looking update of Roy Ayers' late-'70s and early-'80s handiwork than R. Kelly's pop-driven 2000s output; however, it wouldn't be a stretch to place these female-led tracks beside Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. After a sparkling fusion instrumental and a brief interlude, the album takes on a more frenetic, percussive shape. Between the title track and the three numbers that follow it, the complex rhythmic templates -- leaving you to wish that you could sprout a second and third pair of legs -- are switched up with a striking finesse that will undoubtedly perk up any ears that were lulled by the first side. The album's only puzzling slip is "Look Who's Talking," a sore thumb of an MC-led tune that closes out the album in poor form. Why the bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album -- a superior and far more fitting end, with guest vocals from Donnie -- wasn't given that more-fitting placement is anyone's guess. ~ Andy Kellman|