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Review: Rob Lord
I ALWAYS thought that you had to finish your career and be in
the happy twilight of retirement before releasing a compilation
or biography. But as we’re in the age of Jordan releasing
her biography at 25, then Fingathing can sure as hell release
their ‘best of’ after three albums.
Anyway. If you’ve got as much good stuff as Fingathing,
why not?
If you know nothing about Fingathing, then they are a little
more interesting than your average band.
Sneaky is an electric double bass player and DJ Parker is the
DJ. Their tracks are built around strong, powerful baselines overlaid
with whatever samples and scratches that Parker can pull out of
the hat.
Parker being a DMC finalist knows what he’s doing when
it comes to laying down scratches.
So, three albums and five years later, here we are with Time
Capsule, tracks personally picked by Fingathing themselves.
Bursting open the album is Head To Head, a brooding
Rocky-style fight tune where searing basslines compete with scratches
to create a bruising, bustling meat cleaver of a track.
Wasting Time is the opposite, a soothing, emotional
bassline is complimented with uplifting flute and stumbling, plodding
beats.
It really is the anti-Head to Head and showcases that
even with just the foundation of a double bass and a pair of decks
anything can be made.
The crescendo of Wasting Time is the blending of disparate
elements until they become a lovely ear massage.
Drunken Master is the epitome of less is more. With
no obvious drum beat, it just the baseline arouses the aural interest
and builds the tension.
Vocals are hard to come by on Fingathing records, maybe it’s
the rarity that makes their find all the more worthwhile.
Slippin [which is also reviewed on Veba
vs Grand Central] is that prime example. An explosion of a
tune where Veba rises above hard ass beats and a relentless bassline.
Sorry boys, Veba wins this outstanding vocal performance.
Superhero Music and Music to Watch Aliens By
are cracking filmatic scores peppered with samples.
There is an element of consistency of sound and style that is
uniquely Fingathing.
The dark and dirty brooding bass and ripped up samples define
this duo in our clean living modern world. This can lead to a
little repitition, but they always pull it out the bag with an
unexpected vocal sample squeezed though a helium balloon or surprising
emotion in the middle of a brutal onslaught.
I suppose if you have the other three albums, then this is not
for you. If you don’t and you fancy some crazy assed mashed
up bass and scratches, then you can’t go far wrong with
Time Capsule.
Fingathing are playing live to support this album and Indielondon
will be there - you should be too. Finagthing provide legendary
live performances. If you like the music, you’ll be blown
away live.
Related story: Fingathing
at Ritzy, Brixton
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