[Note: This review is based on the CD version of this album. The vinyl version is cool, but I don't buy vinyl, I buy CDs, and all of those vinyl tracks are on the CD.]Here's one package I have been waiting for. Ever since I heard Amit's "Erazer" on L-Plates, I've wanted to delve deeper into his sound. There are some fanboys who assume that the tracks he produces are not DnB because there's no heavy emphasis on the drums. That's a decent argument, but the tempo and pace of each tune fits perfectly with any DnB set you can throw together. And Amit tends to eek more feeling and emotion out of tracks that don't have much going on. While other soundboys cry over the lack of minimalism in modern DnB, they totally neglect the vast spaces that Amit leaves inside each and every new tune that gets released. It's almost as if he has a limit of tracks on each production, and then leaves it up to the listener to fill in the space, which all but enhances the experience for heads like myself.
This being Amit's first full length album, there were some initial thoughts going into this: can you truly listen to "half-time DnB" for almost 80 minutes? Will the "Eastern" sounds that he was coming with, tune after tune, be prevelant throughout this disc? Is he just a one trick pony? Well, in order, the answers are Yes, No, and Hell Fucking No. The fact that he can throw some slick political undertones to tunes like "Live In India", with it's random pull-back sounds and "fascist" sample towards the end, to the aggro-march of "Swastika", which sounds like Alec Empire-esque fury on slow motion, is pretty ill. The samples overtop "Swastika" are spoken in almost a chant, sounding almost like a call to arms against whichever government is fucking up that day. "Too Many Freedoms" skanks along with a call-and-response feel of the bass and the echoed chime sounds. The bass and kicks drive the track into a spacefunk zone that not too many producers are willing to cross into these days. Outrage steps in on the CD opener, "Unholy", to assist Amit in an epic roller. My favorite dub sounds run red throughout this track -- distorted vocal samples, THICK bass, random snare hits, and that feeling of despair... it's a perfect way to start this journey of a disc.
For cats like me who don't buy vinyl for whatever reason, we are treated to some of Amit's previous releases on here. His most recent, the heavily rinsed "MK Ultra", the aforementioned Eastern-vibes of "Village Folk", and "Erazer", which sounds a tad dated compared to how far Amit's sound has progressed in the last 4 years, but it is a good reminder of how solid and singular he truly was in his beginning stages. This CD has 3 tracks that are previously unreleased: "Live In India", "True War" and "Night Shift". Each track provides a different side to Amit's talents, and they all stand out for different reasons.
In the end of the day, if you want your sound dubby and to the left, this CD is where it's at. It shows us that a) Klute is the fucking man at spotting talent and b) Amit is no fluke. I can only hope that this not even the start of the race; funny thing is, if Amit were to perish tomorrow (God forbid), I could grow old listening to this CD. You pick up new things upon each listening, and there is just enough variation that you will truly not get bored.
rock the dub score: 9 out of 10 for consistency and leftfield production.
For more information on Amit, check out his page on the Commercial Suicide site. If you want to purchase this album, check out this link, this link, this link, and try this link right here. One.
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