Ragga-jungle-techno compilations are a dime a dozen, but this one stands out for several reasons. First of all, although information about its component tracks is exceedingly sketchy, there are some common threads running through the program -- most notably the presence of vocalist Wayne Lonesome on no fewer than nine of its 14 tracks (despite the fact that they come from a wide variety of producers and studios and are formally credited to an equally wide variety of artists). Second of all, there is a raw, almost punky urgency to this music that sets it apart from most of its obvious referents. Reggae and dub elements are everywhere (especially on the opening and closing tracks, both dubby instrumentals provided by Paul Dickow), and the vocals are almost exclusively rapped in a Jamaican dancehall style rather than an American hip-hop style. But most of these songs are produced with a cramped, compressed, slightly distorted sound that gives them a slightly frantic atmosphere. There is violence here, but it's not explicitly celebrated -- rather, it's hinted at on disturbing tracks like Rootsman's "Killer" and Wayne Lonesome's sonically insane "Who Wan Seek War" (presented here in two separate mixes by Tech Level 2 and
Soundmurderer & SK-1). By the 15th track that sound does start to get a bit tiresome, but taken in measured doses this is an exceptionally powerful example of how fruitfully the worlds of reggae, techno, jungle, and dub can cross-pollinate. ~ Rick Anderson