derkhead

JME's new mixtape Derkhead is my favorite full-length collection of grime. Beats assembled in the bedroom, a slick & phuturistic visual iconography designed in the bedroom, bars written presumably in the bedroom (among other places). The bars themselves sidestep the uncompromising cultural specificity of grime's war talk: topics include hating on Javascript, eating right, JME's mum's surprise birthday party, trying to coordinate a night out, lyrically dominating your favorite grime website. I enjoy war talk, but I adore JME's words.

The music itself operates on the same plane as JME's words: sly, charming, strangely addicting. Utterly synthetic: discordant bass waves slip & slide around each other, computerized snares crackle and pop, the ghost of rave persists.

Bedroom releases are encouraging; imply that if the product is good, ideas are sound, and presentation & personality are compelling, then like-minded souls in other bedrooms will look & listen, place an order, become tuned-in. My current bedroom is on the second floor of a modest house in an oppressively peaceful neighborhood, but it's electric: lights on, Derkhead coming out the speakers, jacked (via an unsuspecting neighbor) into the blipstream.