| 01 | | Seat Yourself (Original)
| | | | | | | 02 | | Awfully Deep (Lambeth Blues)
| | | | | | | 03 | | Awfully Deep (Lambeth Blues Metronomy Remix)
| | | | | | | 04 | | Seat Yourself (Diplo Remix)
| | | | | | | 05 | | Awfully Deep (Album Edit)
| | | | | | | 06 | | Awfully Deep (Original Album Version) | | | | | |
(Clicking on 'Buy' will take you to the ninjatune.net shop where you can purchase the chosen item)
|
|
“It’s the R O D, the N E Y, that’s that bloke, that geez, that guy.”
Roderick Manuva returns with a blood ‘n’ thunder EP inspired by but not totally in thrall to the magnificent “Awfully Deep” album, now MOBO-nominated and generally agreed to have been a very surprising omission from the Mercury shortlist.
Awfully De/EP kicks off with a brand new track, “Seat Yourself,” a Manuva produced, crazed banger of a beat, the kind of off-kilter madness that works as soon as you hear it and then works even more with every repeat listen. Over it, Manuva and Ricky Ranking splatter lyrics of complete defiance, some anger and not a little humour. It’s a blinder.
Labelmate Diplo - fresh from production work for Kano and M.I.A. and a remix for Gwen Stefani - leaps into the fray and transforms the tune into a squelchy stomper with his trademark booming timpani kicks...
Now flip over. “Awfully Deep (Lambeth Blues)” is a live-in-the-studio re-work of the title track of the LP. After a successful UK tour ended at a sold out Brixton Academy, Rodney decided that he wanted to make a version of some of the album’s tunes with his live band. To help out in the studio (his experience with live musicians in a studio set-up being somewhat limited) he drafted in Damon Albarn, the pair having formed a mutual appreciation society after Manuva’s guest slot on the Gorillaz album. Having tried out a couple of thrashed out punk versions of the tune, Albarn sat down at the piano and started pumping out some wonky Clayderman, the band fell in with him and this marvellously downbeat, deadpan re-work was born.
But before the mood becomes too, too deep, check out the Metronomy remix. Joseph Mount is apparently an ex-rock drummer now living in Brighton. Who cares? The truth is he has turned in the funniest, funkiest slice of eighties-style lofi white boy soul you’ll have heard since Paul Morley was chucked out of Hall & Oates (he was, wasn’t he?) . It’s silly but in a kind of sublime way.
And to round off, the original tune in all its headcase glory. Still about as raw, heartfelt and emotional as anything you’ll hear this year. It’s the Awfully Deep EP. Get to the bottom of it.
|
|
