- Swindle has always had a love of funk and jazz, which is pretty obvious from listening to his previous releases. Albums like last year's Peace, Love & Music show how useful both of those genres can be for the London artist, whose post-dubstep beginnings are now much looser.
On Swindle's latest, Funk & Grime, "Lemon Trees" provides the most ostensible funk, but really the EP's goal seems to be mixing genres. D Double E's vocal on that track reveals a playful ode to weed over the plaintive wah-wah guitar and G-funk synths. It vaguely recalls the track that made Swindle's name in early 2012, although the rock drums here detract from the kind of swing "Ignition" had. "Works Haffi Run" is more grime than funk, with a talkbox vocal as accent over a menacing melody, syncopated beat and Ghetts on his hustle. Flava D's "Mad Ting" remix makes a ravey bassline number out of the sawtooth grime original.
Swindle has got the chops and credibility to get MCs like D Double E and Ghetts on board his funk and grime hybrids, but there's a nagging feeling that, so far after Joker's purple wow period, such overt G-funk references feel a little dated. With no surprise delivered, and when we know Swindle is capable of better swagger, the EP feels a bit deflated.
Tracklist01. Works Haffi Run feat. Ghetts
02. Works Haffi Run feat. Ghetts (Instrumental Mix)
03. Lemon Trees feat. D Double E
04. Lemon Trees feat. D Double E (Instrumental Mix)
05. Mad Ting feat. JME (Flava D Remix)