Stromba - Giddy Up

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 17 / 5 / 2005

Label: Fat Cat Records
Format: 12"

intro

Middle of the road avant-garde jazz and instrumental hip-hop from London-base duo Stromba

Producers James Dyer and Tom Tyler used to be part of the Depthcharge collective. From the middle of the 1980's 'DC' represented London's subterranean echo chambers with their sleaze, dub and mystic singles. Evidently a lot of 80's went into their Stromba studio outfit and here thy criticism cometh to halt. This single's mid tempo beat will grab you regardless of the copycat level. It starts with a nod and ends with gut feelings. Stromba follow the path of pre-indie hipsters Pigbag and Rip, Rig and Panic; yet their soundscape takes the guise of current dance music. The lead track 'Giddy Down' is all about jolly bumping and grinding, with a pattern of guitar licks woven over the thumping percussion. The B-side offers a dub, with the obligatory sample from Mikey Dread's 'African Anthem Dubwise'. With Duncan Mackay on melodica, 'Septic Skank' wins too little to save the riddim from being just a doll drum. The 'Giddy Up' reprise of the A-side adds a little more funk plus slices of a Norman Whitfield trumpet arrangement from the same Mackay. Very agreeable if rather unoriginal.

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