Foreign Light

構成数 : 1枚
合計収録時間 : 00:30:10
Audio Mixers: Aaron Ahmed; Tom Bell. Photographer: Andy Nicholson. Toddla T (Thomas Mackenzie Bell) has always maintained a refreshingly all-inclusive attitude toward mixing and producing, effortlessly blending dancehall reggae, grime, jungle, bassline house, garage, and any other number of styles into his DJ sets and recordings. Released in 2017, Foreign Light is his third proper full-length, arriving six years after the party-rocking Ninja Tune-issued Watch Me Dance, as well as a series of boisterous singles as part of Toddla T Sound, a collective featuring MCs DRS and Serocee and R&B singer Shola Ama. Also during this time period, Bell settled down somewhat; he had two children with his partner, BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac, and released music on a significantly less frequent basis than he did prior to 2012. The songs on Foreign Light are vibrant and more introspective than his past work. Nearly all of the songs feature vocals by Andrea Martin, a veteran R&B singer and songwriter who penned '90s hits for Toni Braxton, Monica, En Vogue, and other stars, and she lends an air of classiness and professionalism to the proceedings. Stefflon Don contributes a fierce ragga-rap to "Beast," and the album's title cut features stern rapping from grime MC Coco, along with its hard beat and woozy synths. The melodica-based instrumental "Foundation" and "Always" are plunges into sweet, sunshine-soaked reggae, with good vibes aplenty. "Tribute" is a brief flashback to the beginnings of the grime era, with deep, deadly sub-bass. "Magnet" ends the short album with one of Martin's most passionate performances, dramatically expressing simultaneous joy and sadness, and Toddla's basic, bouncy beat serves it well. The producer deserves kudos for making his most mature work yet. ~ Paul Simpson