[Swamp81]

Dubstep is now large enough that by calling something “dubstep” you’re not actually saying much at all — unless you happen to be talking about the new Digital Mystikz album. Case in point: Ramadanman’s latest 12″ on Loefah’s Swamp 81 imprint. Most signs point to the d-word, and yet the music found in the grooves is much harder to define. That’s somewhat typical when discussing David Kennedy’s music these days. His rhythmically focused but experimentally produced tracks on his self-titled Hessle Audio doublepack or the Glut/Tempest 12″ on Hemlock (which could desperately stand a repress) hover aimlessly above juke, UK garage and funky without earning any one label. This unclassifiable melange continues on the Fall Short/Work Them single, shoving aside chin-scratchers in favor of those who need the floor for dancing.

The fluttering ocarina trills that open “Fall Short” fall into sub-bass sinkholes that dump dancers in a dank and unfamiliar territory. Treated vocal samples and fleeting synth melodies provide some light at the end of the tunnel, but they disappear around a corner fairly quickly and leave listeners on their own to navigate its winding rhythms. It’s an interesting track that’s more about the experience than any notion of pay off, which is reserved for the already quite popular flipside. If the incessant repetition of fellow Swamp81 release “Footcrab” didn’t grab you, “Work You” might be enough to put you off the label. But like “Footcrab” it’s the force and rate of repetition that makes “Work Them” such a stand out tune, especially kitted out in smartly programmed and equally furious percussion and bass. It packs about as much energy as possible into its seven minutes, and is sure to make any self-respecting set of speakers bumping with delight. I’d usually conclude by telling you to keep an eye out for David Kennedy, but at this point it’s almost a given that records emblazoned with one of his names is worth owning. Another infectious if unclassifiable record from Swamp81 and some essential wares from a man who releases them regularly.