It's time for the Procurator!
The Highland Mob EP is the first release from Edinburgh born and bred producer Proc Fiskal - otherwise known as Joe Powers - and out on Hyperdub. Like a Scottish relation to the recent faster Grime productions Lewisham MC Novelist has coined 'Ruff Sound', Proc Fiskal ups the energy of the stark cubist rhythms of the early Grime of Wiley and Ruff Sqwad by accelerating and retooling them to fit the faster 160bpm grid, engineering a delirious hybrid that also subtly makes explicit the relationship between Grime and Jungle and Happy Hardcore.
The EP starts with £, which is the most classically 'Grime' sounding of the tracks, with 8 bar switches, chord stabs, sino-motifs and a bassline that ripples underneath.
Lamentation combines airy swing, rolling percussion and chunky dubwise bouncing bass that recalls Digidub.
Skulka opens up the flipside with surreal whizzing, wheezing and gunshots, dropping into a rolling melodic bassline and caffeinated strings.
Acidic Hoes has a bassline that bubbles and warps with an airy melody whirling over the top and incidental coughs and sword clashes.
Proc Fiskal's debut EP is joyfully aggressive and an energetic contrast to the slowing down of most contemporary Grime, plus it mixes into Footwork really well too...