the bug - london zoo

this is fuckin great. the most cohesive yet varied, accomplished thing kevin martin might have ever done.

i could see it charting except for the scary, disgusting bass. yeah there's a lot of already released material on it but it just works. one of my albums of the year so far i reckon.

  Quote

Kevin Martin can easily be described as an eclectic producer. Over the years he has collaborated with, remixed and produced for a great many artists across a wide range of styles. While The Bug is the project for which he is most known today, in the wake of dubstep’s popularity (and Martin's association with Kode9's Hyperdub label), this new album shows just how pointless it would be to try and box The Bug’s music into any one ‘sound’. Across 12 tracks, Kevin collaborates with 8 MCs and vocalists, including Flowdan, Warrior Queen, Ricky Ranking, Tippa Arie and Roger Robinson, to deliver an apocalyptic soundtrack. The music grabs you from the first bars of opener Angry and only starts to let you go as the mellower Judgement rolls in at the end. The pressure stays firmly on throughout, as The Bug switches tempos, styles and sounds whilst keeping it all firmly grounded in the reality of the all-encompassing bass. The vocalists all deliver great performances, lyrically and sonically, and even the more energetic tracks, all released as singles, take on a new dimension as they’re removed from the dancefloor and fitted into the album’s whole.

 

London Zoo is a remarkable tour de force, an album that truly feels like a statement of the times and further proof that Kevin Martin is a sonic warrior unlike many other.

fuckin a.

i'm listening to the first track right now.

warning is fucking bibilical

i am very partal to flowdan as an mc. the spaceape track is pretty old now, but unlike anything else spaceape's done

most definitely getting this.

The Bug is niicce, and this seems niiccer

  kaini said:

the spaceape track is pretty old now, but unlike anything else spaceape's done

I have heard that Spaceape flow before(hell, atop's quoted it on this board somewhere months ago), but only on a really old Kode 9 dj mix, and I'm pretty sure it was over a Kode 9 rhythm. Know anything about that?

p.s. This record is pretty great. But I think I may have liked the singles the most.

you are correct, was previously fukkaz by kode9+the spaceape, this is fukkaz by kode9+the bug

That flowdan Skeng track is wicked.

It reminds me - kode 9 played some track at bf weekend with flowdan emceeing over it which was amazing, difficult to describe but basically every 4bar verse started aggressively and then tapered off into a whisper, and repeated like that. The beat was basic ragga kick kick snare but it was fucking HEAVY. Anyone help me out?

skeng was released more than half a year ago. but yeah, it's an awesome track. especially after i heard it on a proper system.

  Amen Warrior said:

That flowdan Skeng track is wicked.

 

It reminds me - kode 9 played some track at bf weekend with flowdan emceeing over it which was amazing, difficult to describe but basically every 4bar verse started aggressively and then tapered off into a whisper, and repeated like that. The beat was basic ragga kick kick snare but it was fucking HEAVY. Anyone help me out?

there's a remix of poison dart that's a lot like that.

SO GOOD!

Got this today and it's shit-hot.

  Quote

It reminds me - kode 9 played some track at bf weekend with flowdan emceeing over it which was amazing, difficult to describe but basically every 4bar verse started aggressively and then tapered off into a whisper, and repeated like that. The beat was basic ragga kick kick snare but it was fucking HEAVY. Anyone help me out?

Sure i heard somewhere that kode 9 was working with flow dan as well & they had done a few tunes toghther. Maybe this was one of them?

But yeah london zoo is a wicked album!

damn this is getting rave reviews!

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/bug/londonzoo

it's quite an album; i like it best when played LOUD

warrior queen holds a special place in my heart

you and me both bro

anything i've ever heard with her mcing, i have loved

checkit is my ringtone :)

  playbynumbers said:

it's quite an album; i like it best when played LOUD

all the bugs stuff is meant to be played loud

he's a structural and health hazard when he plays live :angry:

  On 12/17/2010 at 9:08 AM, usagi said:

This album has been a revelation to me and I've been playing constantly for the last two years.

 

I'd love to hear other artists of a comparable style, any suggestions?

poison darts an amazing driving song, although kind of get the feeling you should be mowing everyone down in gta style rampage.

similar artists?

kode9 and the spaceape, (get memories of the future if you don't have it, it's awesome) digital mystikz.

Jah rastafaraaiii

10 years, blad. I remember listening to this like it was yesterday. an incredible album that was not talked about enough. it blew my mind open in a way that was at least as landscape-changing as my first Ae or AFX albums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMMq2mnEW8I

cool vid! yes, perfect album. still going back to it!