Well Deep: Ten Years Of Big Dada Recordings

When music journalist Will Ashon approached Ninja Tune's label boss Pete Quicke in 1997, and suggested running a hip hop label alongside Ninja, he probably thought that giving exposure to some of the more pioneering hip hop acts would be an interesting experiment.

Fast forward through a decade and it's hard to imagine the UK music scene without Big Dada. The label has a knack for finding and nurturing acts who manage to transcend the hip hop scenes that spawn them, without losing a connection to their roots. I'm looking specifically at both Roots Manuva and Ty here, but all across Big Dada's output there wave been leftfield splashes of genius - from the homegrown New Flesh, Infinite Lives, Part2 and Lotek HiFi to Spank Rock, Busdriver and other stateside acts - which have an appeal well beyond hip hop culture.

'Well Deep: Ten Years of Big Dada Recordings' is an attempt to pull together the best of the last eight years of Big Dada (the first two years already having been rounded up on a previous comp). So what's it like?

The 31 tracks across these two CDs are a game of tag between Big Dada's biggest, best-known tracks, solid tunes from the less well-known artists, and the best of the weird sh*t from American end of the catalogue.

On CD1, Roots Manuva, Ty and Wiley all drop big tunes, Clouddead show up with a swirly Boards of Canada remix, while Part2 keeps it on straight-ahead dub hip hop. The formula is heavy basslines, crisp beats, bloopy noises and lyrical skills, and it works.

CD2 serves up more of the same. In a good way. King Geedorah, MF Doom and Mr Fantastik get together on the perfectly produced headnodder 'Anti-Matter', Busdriver spits superfast on 'Supply & Demand', Lotek HiFi's minor key soaked 'Can't Believe' and Ty's uplifting 'Closer' are all highlights.

CD2 closes with Clouddead's 'Physics of a Bicycle'. This tripped out singalong was taken from the band's Peel Session, a provenance that reflects Will Ashon's philosophy of hiphop "I always thought the basic principle of hip hop was to keep moving, to constantly be trying something new. To be fresher than everyone else".

Big Dada make the point that this isn't a 'best of', but rather an overview of the label's history and philosophy. The balance between the big tunes and obscure tracks is perfectly balanced - the tracks are varied, but there's a consistent sonic thread throughout. Big Dada knows what it's about and sticks to its guns.

'Well Deep: Ten Years of Big Dada Recordings' is a brilliant compilation. If you've been hoovering up Big Dada albums and 12s over the last ten years, you might have a lot of these already. In which case, dig them out and relisten - hip-hop doesn't get much better than this.

If you like hip hop and your CD shelf isn't already weighed down with Big Dada, get your mitts on this as soon as you can.

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Well Deep: Ten Years of Big Dada Recordings is released on CD and DVD* (to be sold separately) on October 15th.

*The DVD is stuffed with a 30 minute documentary about the label, a Video Megamix by System-D 128 and over 30 videos from Big Dada acts (not the same tracklisting as the CD though). Perfect if you like your hip hop in your eyes as well as your ears.

Launch party: Big Dada Party @ Electrowerkz (over 3 rooms/1000 capacity), London - Fri 16th November 9pm - 6am
On the mic: ROOTS MANUVA + CADENCE WEAPON + WILEY + TTC (tbc) + MIKE LADD + INFINITE LIVEZ + JUICE ALEEM (+NEW FLESH) + XRABIT + SPEECH + many many more tbc. On the decks: DIPLO + SPANK ROCK djs (tbc) + MK + many many more tbc
Tickets £13 from www.wegottickets.com/event/20476

Tracklist

Big Dada Compilation CD1
1. Movement - Roots Manuva (4:13)
2. The Tale (Radio Edit) - TY (3:37)
3. Night Night Theme - Infesticons (4:05)
4. Colossal Insight - Roots Manuva (3:45)
5. Dead Dogs Two - Clouddead (Boards of Canada mix) (5:00)
6. Wherever We Go - New Flesh (3:46)
7. Wait a Minute - TY (3:22)
8. Fader Party - Majesticons (2:25)
9. Percolator - Lotek HiFi (3:20)
10. Dans Le Club-TTC (3:57)
11. Witness (1 Hope) - Roots Manuva (4:14)
12. Diplo Rhythm- Diplo (4:53)
13. Sweet Talk - Spank Rock (4:11)
14. My Mistakes (xxxchange Mix) - Wiley (3:09)
15. Hard Times - Part 2 (4:38)

Big Dada Compilation CD 2
1. 50/50 - Wiley (2:18)
2. Stick & Move - New Flesh (3:30)
3. Worcestershire Sauce - Infinite Livez (3:03)
4. Super Pretzel - NMS (4:53)
5. Monkey Theme - Infesticons (4:15)
6. Slang Teacher - Gamma (3:44)
7. Now's The Time - Diplo (3:08)
8. Supply & Demand - Busdriver (2:05)
9. Anti-Matter - King Geedorah feat MF Doom & Mr Fantastik (3:27)
10. Look For Me - Ty (4:14)
11. Killer Apps - Shadowless (4:12)
12. King Spitter - Big Juss (2:18)
13. Black Astronaut - Busdriver (4:00)
14. Can't Believe - Lotek HiFi (4:01)
15. Closer - Ty (5:06)
16. Physics of a Bicycle - Clouddead (4:41)

Written: 26th Sep, 07
Read: 2460 times

Well Deep: Ten Years Of Big Dada Recordings

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