- Ruff Cut, Mella Dee's debut EP, is a fresh proposition. As a member of Mista Men, the Doncaster producer has hewn close to the sound of his region, producing energetic takes on bassline for the likes of Unknown to the Unknown and Cheap Thrills. That genre's influence is apparent in his solo record's choice of sounds, but its hyperactive pace is considerably sedated.
It makes sense to compare Mella Dee's approach with that of Kowton, who found his sound by dropping dubstep to house speed while retaining the textures. The deliberate jungle of Zomby's "Labyrinth" also comes to mind, particularly on "Fazed," which reduces a slender, vocal-led roller down to 120 BPM. The other two tracks are even slower. "In the Bits" similarly entwines an R&B sample with a shuffling, swaggering flow. And the rude, grime-inspired "Gassed"—perhaps excessively—samples "Crazy Titch Merkin Da Cab Driver," in which the temperamental, now-incarcerated grime MC narrowly avoids being parred by a cab driver. It's difficult to tell what Mella Dee is doing other than taming a frenetic genre—similar results could no doubt be achieved by playing bassline tracks at the wrong speed. But as it stands, Ruff Cut draws unlikely lines between the UK underground's colorful exuberance and slinky, experimental house.
Tracklist A Gassed
B1 Fazed
B2 In The Bits