Drum ‘n Bass has been written off as a genre seemingly every other week yet still has the audacity to keep breathing and retain it’s credibility. As one of the torch bearers, Roni Size has done more than most to maintain it’s presence in the mainstream, not necessarily as his purpose but rather as a consequence of his talent. His latest album see’s him doggedly sticking by his beloved drum ‘n’ bass and over a colossal 18 tracks and with the help of 19 collaborators he attempts to stretch the somewhat limited boundaries of the genre.
The vast majority of ‘Return to V’ is made strictly with the dance floor in mind. Best heard in the early hours of the morning in a dingy club whilst attempting to remember your own name, it’s frantic stuff. The bass lines are designed to rupture your bowels and the snares and cymbals attempt to scramble what’s left of your brain. Tracks like ‘Bump ‘n’ Grind’, ‘Out of Breath’, ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’ and ‘Rise Up’ would send most dance floors into delirium. Outside of the club environment it’s a little more hard work. Take away the big speakers, the sweat and dodgy door staff and it’s more than a little overwhelming.
To his credit the load is lightened by his blatant disregard to be pigeon holed and obvious love of music in general. Therefore he’s not afraid to throw in some straight down the line party hip hop in the shape of ‘Problems’ featuring Blaze. A welcome respite it is too. It doesn’t end there either, ‘Trouble’ featuring Rodney P utilises some proper old school acid house breakdowns to great effect that could yet spark a renaissance in hugging complete strangers whilst sucking a dummy (without becoming a Tory MP).
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On several tracks he eases back slightly on the throttle to allow a more soulful sound break through and he’s roped in some sublime singers to help him out. ‘Time’ features Darrison in a hip hop tinged, laid back drum ‘n ‘ bass workout, ‘No More’ moves into R’n’B territory with a skittering drum undercurrent featuring Beverly Knight and ‘Sing’ features Jocelyn Brown doing her stuff over house stabs and an upbeat drum ‘n’ bass backing. These more soulful moments ease the pressure of the more full on majority and could yet yield another hit for Mr Size.
At 18 tracks it remains too much to take in one sitting (to these battered ears at any rate). However, when dipped into in manageable segments it offers up some real treats. Drum ‘n’ Bass continues to surprise then and Roni Size once again retains his position at the forefront of innovators in dance music. Some constants are good to have around aren’t they?
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