Lotek Hi-Fi – Mixed Blessings (Ninja Tune)
Reviewed by Sadie O., 4/5/06
British reggae/hiphop trio with creative production and several styles of toasting/rapping. AT LEAST AS MUCH HIP HOP AS REGGAE. Close associates of Roots Manuva. One of the toasters has a VERY deep voice, which adds enormously to the overall mix.
Several minor FCCs – I’m going to make a clean copy, because this is really good shit. I like 4, 5, and 13 best.
1. **4:38 spoken intro, slightly downtempo skank-dub with really fun vocals. Minimalist, sometimes riddim seems to go askew. Great sound, though.
2. *3:02 tune-up intro, midtempo halting hip hop riddim, Sandra Melody raps in addition to the guys.
3. 1:55 Midtempo bubble dub with nice singing.
4. ***3:52 great midtempo dance syncopation with toasting and melodica. Oh, this is fun! Oh dang, “shit” at 1:04…
5. ***3:48 What a great noise! Midtempo patchwork of sounds and quotes with cool dance beat and raps.
6. *3:45 slow start, very downtempo snank with mysterious sax and sweet dancehall vocals.
7. **1:11 Ha! Vocal beatbox and crazy rap. Silly fun!
8. **3:36 sounds like “motho focko” at 0:36. Midtempo hip hop with syncopation, Roots Manuva and Sanda Melody. Great!
9. *4:11 midtempo reggae bubble with singing.
10. **3:54 midtempo dub, minimalist riddim, singing and toasting, violin. Moody.
11. 4:03 midtempo hip hop with some orchestration. “Shit” at 0:27.
12. 3:25 slow, almost circus waltz sound with rather unsettling raps, including Sandra Melody.
13. ***3:04 cool midtempo beat and complex rhythms in the rapping. “damn” at 1:47 and 3:03.
14. **3:30 crazy! Midtempo reggae beat with little operatic bits mixed in with the hip hop.
15. 1:07 slow violins, no beat.