Shy FX & Breakage - Darker Than Blue

  • Digital Soundboy's return delivers on its sky-high expectations.
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  • In 2010, Red Bull launched its annual Culture Clash, inviting four crews from different genres to battle it out with the freshest exclusives, special guests and whatever else would give them the edge. On a smaller, less competitive scale, Digital Soundboy already had this concept down. Shy FX and his crew would spin music from across the spectrum of soundsystem culture with infectious energy, liberal use of the reload and the best MCs in the game. For the label's first release since 2015, Shy FX collaborates with one of his most versatile colleagues, Breakage, bottling their range of sounds and untouchable party vibe into a strong 15-minute EP. Darker Than Blue is Shy FX and Breakage's first officially released collaboration. They pull out all the stops, landing vocal features from, among others, devout Rastafarian and Kingston personality Ras Haile Malekot and UK garage sweetheart Craig David. The EP is also packed with nods to their influences. "Prelude" has all the staple ragga samples, the blistering “Michael Knight" is a nod to Knight Rider and "Always (Interlude)" opens with a classic, sound clash mantra: "Lickwood means rewind and gunshot means forward, you requested it so we rewind." There's an old-school masterclass in drum programming, "Rastafari," with Ras Haile Malekot. "I Got You," a stadium-ready banger, balances Tyler Daley's voice and lush chords with a tearout bassline (likely the contribution of Bristol drum & bass artist Break). It wouldn't be a Digital Soundboy package without a joyous slice of dub, and regular collaborator Mr. Williamz obliges with a righteous vocal on the duo's stepping beat, "Kings Highway." Craig David's cheeky cameo on the interlude is the cherry on top, a most-welcome way of saying "Digital Soundboy is back!"
  • Tracklist
      01. Prelude 02. Michael Knight 03. Always (Interlude) feat. Craig David 04. I Got You feat. Tyler Daley 05. Rastafari feat. Ras Haile Malekot 06. Kings Highway feat. Mr. Williamz
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