- Near-perfect new-school 2-step.
- "A nice problem to have" is a cliché used by football pundits and commentators to describe a situation where a manager has too many in-form players to fit into the team. This, in turn, leads to another football cliché, the "selection headache." This came to mind when I was browsing the releases and mixes Conducta's Kiwi Rekords put out in 2019. The label has so perfectly nailed a new-school take on old-school UK garage that it's difficult to sift out the essential selections. There also seems to be so much talent on the roster that someone is bound to be left on the bench—or get less shine. Prescribe Da Vibe doesn't make things any easier with I'm Here, his debut EP, which again is an excellent encapsulation of the poppy-but-rude sound Kiwi has cultivated.
Plenty of Kiwi's output is a tasty cocktail of speed garage and bassline, but Prescribe Da Vibe seems more of a 2-step man. I'm Here is evocative of a time when UK garage was in the early phases of its explosion, with the 2-step sound evolving but not yet dominating the charts. There aren't any full vocal performances on the EP (although "Nothing's The Same" comes pretty close), but Prescribe Da Vibe is a big fan of repeated sampled phrases. We get a nice balance of male and female voices, giving DJs multiple vocal vibes to choose from. Classic UKG organ sounds are another constant, bouncing soulfully off the choppy beats. In terms of the EP's highlights, there's a real selection headache here—it's much better that you check out all five tracks.
Tracklist01. I'm Here
02. Clearer Now
03. Just Chill
04. Nothing's The Same
05. In Control