UGLY SIDE OF LOVE

Reissued by Domino subsidiary label Double Six under a newly respelled name (Malachai used to be called Malakai, you know), this fine album was originally released last year via Geoff Barrow's Invada label.* Billed as "the B-boy Syd Barrett", Malakai's Gee takes the helm on vocals spewing all manner of perplexing lyrics (check out the Dose One-like verbal spillage on the final track, name-checking Cheryl Tweedy, Bella Emberg and Judy Finnegan) whilst the sample splicing of mysterious producer Scott Hendy commands attention from the background. In fact, the music on offer makes for a winning blend of '60s garage, psychedelia, and dusty proto-trip-hop fodder. Speaking of trip-hop, Geoff Barrow of Portishead takes an executive producer credit, and it'd be interesting to know how much of a role he's had on this album. Certainly 'Only For You' was co-written by Barrow, and you can definitely hear that '90s Bristol, gothic soundtrack twang in the sample selections. (Article paru sur le site Boomkat)