Various Artists This is Jungle Sky Vol. VII (Jungle Sky)
Philosophical implications aside, this two-disc compilation from New York label Jungle Sky explores the intersection of speed-addled Bristol drum patterns, Manhattan cosmopolitanism and South Bronx block-party aesthetic. The hands-down (or hands-in-the-air) high point is the nightmarish groove of DJ Karlos & Evil Nice's "No Doubt." Equally impressive is Yellow Note's "The World is a Jungle," a charmingly scruffy union of tricked-out reggae and hard-step.
That's not to say that the artists of Jungle Sky have the magic formula fully figured out. They occasionally run into difficulty integrating rap and spoken-word into their tracks-MCs such as TC Izlam and Steele, however talented, simply fail to impress with the same regularity as many of their British counterparts. And, as with any cutting-edge Manhattan release, a certain degree of pretension is to be expected. Tracks like Drum FM's "Bach & Bass," an uninspired rehash of strings over appropriately hyperactive beats, come off as warmed-over stabs at originality. A mixed bag? Certainly. But as long as they subscribe to the philosophy of filling dance floors, Jungle Sky's DJs and MCs offer junglists more than enough to think about. B -Tom J. Clarke