- Pearly Whites is a new label with a roster that, in some respects, feels like the brighter West London counterpart to the global explosion of East London-inspired grime. The beats are fast, broken and heavy on sampled vocals, but they're also brighter, favouring contours over jagged edges, pastel over neon. After a wide-ranging digital compilation earlier this year, label boss Lemzly Dale begins Pearly Whites' vinyl releases with help from London's Gundam, king of the effervescent R&B cut-up.
Gundam has long been a dark horse in the UK's ever-expanding club scene. His tracks, mostly edits, are infectious and giddy, their samples chopped with a ninja-like mix of agility and precision. The style makes his DJ sets feel impossibly breathless. On "Questions" (based on 50 Cent's "21 Questions"), the guitar sample loops back on itself perfectly, the quick stabs sounding almost romantic. On the flipside, Dale throws in another early '00s-sounding R&B cut-up. "Mercy" features more nimble chopping, harnessing the energy of a strummed guitar. These are simple loops, but they're done with an almost artisanal level of craftsmanship, making them feel like more than the sum of their parts.
TracklistA Gundam - Questions
B Lemzly Dale - Mercy