LMajor keeps it UK with four cuts of classic UKG and Jungle, and a hint of jazz.
At the end of the day, dance music is all about the drums. Sure, bass lines and synth melodies are nice, but nothing gets the ole hips swinging quite like the boom-snap-pop of percussion.
LMajor knows this better than most. His musical portfolio focuses on Jungle and UK Garage, two genres ripe for percussive creativity since they are not constrained by the even-beat template that is characteristic of house and techno.
LMajor’s percussive bravado is on full display in Can’t Do It, his latest release out on the London-based label Astrophonica.
Track one, “Can’t Do It,” is led by feisty Jungle beats. Snare hits stutter to-and-fro in chaotic bursts but are reigned back in by a warm bass drum that floats between notes, creating subtle melodies. It’s a calming chaos. Feathery pads peak through, along with short and soulful vocal cuts, hinting at a vocal showcase nearing. Then the climax – on the low end, a grimy, wobbly bass line cuts through the brash breaks. Higher up, a hauntingly powerful refrain: “I can’t do it / I can’t do it / I can’t do it alone.”
Track two, “Spinnin,” is a UK Garage tune, a cousin genre of Jungle. The opening beats are swung, leaving some hits open. We lean in a bit closer in anticipation of a beat that comes just a tick later than expected. It’s a game of percussive cat and mouse. Effortless chords join the ensemble, adding a sleek and melodic glaze. Right when we thought things couldn’t get any cooler, a walking bass line pops in, melding the smoothness of classic jazz with the funkiness of UK garage.
As dance floors begin to reopen in the Summer of 2021, it’s invigorating to hear a release like Can’t Do It. LMajor’s drums on Can’t Do It are unique enough to catch our contemporary ears, but raw enough to churn our animalistic urge to get down.
–Forest Lieberman
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