- The ghettotech pioneer broadens his sound with mixed results.
- Take your eye off DJ Godfather for a year or two and his music might sound completely different by the time you check back in. In 2012, Brian Jeffries still made funky ghettotech with a techno and electro edge. By 2014, he was churning out Baauer-style bangers with titles like "#STFU!." In 2018 there's a new sound altogether, a modern and noisy style built for giant dance floors. This latest sonic mutation coincides with the revival of Databass Records, the label Jeffries has been running since 1996. The first two EPs, released this summer, were difficult to like, and the same goes for the third, New Detroit.
That said, each of its three tracks has redeeming qualities. Ignore the harsh synth sounds on "Elektro Rok" and you're left with a swinging Dirtybird-style beat and a strong melody built from guttural utterances. "They Wanna See My Footwork," with its rapid-fire kicks and skittering snares, would be a solid enough homage to the Chicago genre were it not for the cartoon synths that give the whole thing an infantile feel. "The D," the strongest track, starts nicely, with a smooth bassline, shaker percussion and deep-throated growls of "The D" set to a slamming 140-BPM breakbeat. But then another jarring synth line, this time shrill and stressful, bulldozes in and spoils the party.
Tracklist01. Elektro Rok
02. The D
03. They Wanna See My Footwork feat. Good Money