Majistrate‘s ‘Stronger’ album was released at the end of 2011, but is receiving a renewed promotional push to start off 2012 for the label it is issued on, Logan D’s Low Down Deep Recordings. Although already a steller name on the drum & bass circuit, ‘Stronger; is in fact Majistrate’s first full length album, as well as being a first for the label.
For the long-player, the Kent producer has teamed up with some big names. Collaborations abound, featuring artists such as Sly, Sensai and Cabbie as well as Heist, MC Trigga and vocalist Alicia King. With all this in mind, you know that the album is going to knock you into next week.
Whilst the album demonstrates Majistrate’s hold over a number of styles, the overriding flavour is an all-out assault on the dancefloor. The efforts which the producer goes to in honing his sound and technique for maximum pressure on the floor should not be underestimated. Opener ‘Alone’ has a crunching intro, before dropping into a heavy bass groove. The track sets the tone for rest of LP – both in stylistic terms, but also by showing off Majistrate’s abilities behind the desk.
Numbers like ‘Don’t Trust A Fool’, featuring SLY show why the producer is so popular with eminent DJs such as Grooverider and Crissy Criss. ‘Beware’ meanwhile, has an opening straight out of a black-and-white detective movie, before offering a number of different elements in the mix.
The vocal tracks, such as the title cut, ‘Future Love’ and ‘Fallen Soldier’ bring another angle to the record. ‘Future Love’ is perhaps the standout tune from ‘Stronger’, and shows a surprising turn from both the producer and the label. Shimmering, liquidy beats are paired to a driving, rounded bass, and the spooky future effects and vocals work really well. The track is sweet and almost heart warming in comparison with the industrial wasteland of the rest of the album. Fallen Soldier, which features Sly is another storming effort, complete with inside breaks and wobbling bassline. Another standout is ‘This Place’ with Cabbie, which builds with nice synths and headnodding beats, and – manages to mix jump up with a more airy, light feel. The track uses a slightly more layered approach, whilst the vocal snatch describes the vibe of the album.
With Majistrate’s reputation, the real variety which ‘Stronger’ exhibits was a genuine and pleasant surprise. The producer not only expands and develops his own jump up genre, he’s also not afraid to move outside it, with good results.
You can check out more from Majistrate on Facebook and Low Down Deep at
http://www.lowdowndeep.com. Make sure you check out the tshirts on offer!
