in the mode

with more big-time backing than any junglist save toothy goldie, the roni size all-stars return with a punchy suite of material that sounds so crossed over it could snap. the big-beat drums continue to push drum & bass toward soulful house; the vocals by mc dynamite as well as guests method man and zach de la rocha continue to demand hip-hop respect; and the form is repeated, again and again, over and over, at 180 beats per minute. a funky key lick that might bob and weave in an able dj s hands goes stale quickly over the duration of a long-form cd, but still size soldiers onward with barely a tempo change. it s mystifying, as he holds so many live wires in his hands. though the complaint department is firing full force over this seemingly unfinished release, make no mistake that crisp organic jungle standards such as ghetto superstar will continue to define the name brand, setting dance floors into a kinetic frenzy for many seasons past the shelf date. --ian christe SKU:ADIB00004ZDFF

in the mode