Pressure

Since the critically acclaimed release of the Seismic 12-inch in late 2001, The Bug (aka Kevin Martin of Techno Animal, Ice, God, Curse of the Golden Vampire) has attracted high profile support from Andy Weatherall, Adrian Sherwood, Coldcut, Mark Stewart, DJ Rupture, Kid 606 and Aphex Twin (who was impressed enough to release Pressure on Rephlex). Pressure provides heavyweight evidence of the bassbin blowing, mechanoid mash-ups that have become The Bug's trademark sound. Having been indelibly marked by the skull-crushing impact of UK dub, and increasingly obsessed with ragga's bionic gyrations, The Bug crunches reggae's sub-genres into a physically brutal, psychologically deep, low-end feast for non-conformist dance-floor fiends. From the thug-step ragga of "Beats, Bombs, Bass, Weapons," to the electronic dub of "Live & Learn," via the dancehall punk of "Killer," Pressure ignites basement anthems and exhausts the echo chamber, as basstronic frequencies are mercilessly exploited. Ignoring the stagnant digi-dub scene, bypassing retro-fixated roots revivalists and avoiding ill-advised attempts at Xeroxing ragga's current trends, The Bug has formulated fearsomely original future shock for electro mainliners and yardcore fanatics alike. With maniacal MCs, blissful crooners and a metaphysical poet, the range of vocals exemplifies the free thinking range of this album. Intense.