Despite owning around 5000000 records that could be lazily described as electronica, leftfield hip-hop or even god forbid trip-hop, I haven’t really paid as close an attention to that scene as I probably should have done the past couple of years. Still for all that one label has managed to ping its way into my conciousness, 2600 Recordings.
With an attention to detail that would put many of their elders to shame, the label have really made a name for themselves the past year with a tidy sampler compilation and Buddy Peace‘s superlative Wolf Diesel Mountain set to their credit. For those of us that still have a fetish for the physical product it’s equally pleasing to see a label that has gone to great lengths with its releases to date to ensure the quality of the packaging and design has so far met the high standards set by the music itself, the limited edition box set of WDM will long hold pride of place in my music collection.
Their first artist EP proper comes in the shape of ‘Time To Run’ by Tempa (no relation to the dubstep label, which confused me at first) and there’s no sign in any let up of quality on the six tracks of tip-top instrumental hip-hop on offer here. From the oriental Film Noir stylings of Nightfall Maneuvers to the time the end credits roll with Lost Souls’ rain spattered ghostly jazz workout it’s all killer, no filler, though stand-out track for me though must be ‘Fall Back’, which sounds to these ears like an early more interesting outtake of Gnarls Barkleys ‘Crazy’ before an A&R man waved a shotgun and chart position sheet under Danger Mouse‘s nose.
As you’d expect the physical product itself is looking mighty fine too, with the fancy artwork holding not just the six tracks on CD but a lathe cut 7″ for all you vinyl fetishists out there. All in all another great release from a great new label who have managed to find their feet with almost disconcerting ease.
[audio http://sluttyfringe.com/media/2%20Fall%20Back.mp3]
The EP is out on the 8th of December and will fly out fast, we reccomend you bookmark this and subscribe to the label’s mailing list.
