the new roots manuva album 'awfully deep' and single 'colossal insight'

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just heard these. album is great, really solid, and strong throughout. interesting electro-ish (but not retro) synth-based production, some fantastic material here. the single has equally interesting remixes. its got a good review in the new Q.

― ppp, Sunday, 9 January 2005 11:14 (twenty years ago)

the single didn't blow me away to start with
.. lots of negativity permeates the groove,

but yesterday i heard a few tracks off the album that were fantastic.

― mark e (mark e), Sunday, 9 January 2005 15:17 (twenty years ago)

hmm!! kinda excited i guess

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 9 January 2005 17:01 (twenty years ago)

Are those the real titles? Wow!

― mike h. (mike h.), Sunday, 9 January 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

yeah i've only given the single a listen so far, i wasn't feeling it so much... the verses are decent, but the hook and production i found a bit irritating. royksopp and jammer & mizz beatz mixes are a bit better.

― Mil (Mil), Sunday, 9 January 2005 18:11 (twenty years ago)

the album is so much better than the single indicates

.. 3rd spin and i am becoming seriously impressed .. the production is wild. lots of dubbed up styles mixed with some freaky electro noises (no its not all electroclash stylised ..) with some wonderful dancehall beats time to time ..

― mark e (mark e), Friday, 14 January 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

I've only been able to check out the single and I like it alright - if what you guys are saying is true I can't wait to hear the rest.

Hmm... maybe I should head over to the gmail request page.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 14 January 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

SWING YOUR PANTS!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 15 January 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

I haven't been able to register an opinion yet, but I am eager to trademark the phrase "Deeply Awful" so I get paid every time some hack uses it.

― What's this place, Biblevania? (natepatrin), Saturday, 15 January 2005 19:43 (twenty years ago)

too much electro...too little weirdness

― karl76 (karl76), Saturday, 15 January 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

I am LOVING this record.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 09:24 (twenty years ago)

this is great-- when does it come out in the US?

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Saturday, 12 February 2005 22:50 (twenty years ago)

April 19.

― JoB (JoB), Sunday, 13 February 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

I really, really like this album.

― The Lex (The Lex), Sunday, 13 February 2005 20:30 (twenty years ago)

if i've never liked roots manuva, is there any chance i will like this?

― Shmool McShmool (shmuel), Sunday, 13 February 2005 20:34 (twenty years ago)

No.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

It's definitely a grower, I'll say that much. I've been listening to it for nearly a month now, and I'm still not totally sure what I think about it.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

I'm listening to this for the first time now and I'm loving it. "Babylon Medicine" is the best Timbaland imitation EVER.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 13 February 2005 22:51 (twenty years ago)

i listened to it again yesterday for a second time... its rather bleak / jaded innit? feels like it'll take a lot of listens before i could really form an opinion on. 'chin high' is about the only track that seemed to stand out from the pack.

― Mil (Mil), Monday, 14 February 2005 03:33 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

revive

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 12 March 2005 17:33 (twenty years ago)

I've come full cirle with this album...Mil is right re: its bleakness, it's missing a lot of the enthusiasm of the first two albums..took me a while to get used to its atmosphere..I'd still rank it below the 1st two, but I respect it as a close third (and more ambitious than most hip-hop)

― Space Is the Place (Space Is the Place), Saturday, 12 March 2005 18:13 (twenty years ago)

Are we gonna have to start having Ol' Dirty Bastard/Lee Scratch Perry/Wesley Willis type worries about Roots? All I heard was this little blurb in "Q" saying "he may have almost went insane creating this album". "Awfully Deep" is some scary shit.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 12 March 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

there are times when he seems satisfied with his moderate success: "I've smoked a lot of trees/I've made a few G's" (paraphrased), but this album seems almost transitional to me in some ways..even though it touches on some bleak issues that could translate to a sense of urgency, it doesn't share the urgency that makes me go back to Run Come Save Me, or even something like Dalek's Absense (which is equally bleak)....as far as his mental state, I'd say his disillusionment is earned..Run Come Save Me was such a monster of an album and yet, not many people have heard of it outside of the UK..This album will obviously do nothing to change that (there's nothing close to Dreamy Days pop-wise) so it will be interesting to see where it takes him (or if this is indeed, as he hints, his last LP)

― Space Is the Place (Space Is the Place), Saturday, 12 March 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone actually know the full story about what went on between "Dub Come Save Me" and this? The HHC interview is the most in-depth that he's done to promote it, and even that only seems to hint at what happened (vague references to a breakdown). The best I can understand is that his management company basically forced him into an asylum of some sort?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 12 March 2005 19:16 (twenty years ago)

Also, we need a "Rolling 2005 UK Hip Hop Thread", because "It's Over" by Skinnyman ft Nu Breed = hot.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 12 March 2005 19:17 (twenty years ago)

The best I can understand is that his management company basically forced him into an asylum of some sort?

Yeah, I wanna know more about this, too. Somehow I can't really imagine it coming down to just him being disappointed with his record sales, SITP! (which weren't bad, anyway - he strikes me as too wise a guy to have expected US MAINSTREAM MONSTER BREAKTHROUGH, and he came in at just the right time in UK rockcrit - meaning during the phase after ppl started going "hmmm, mayhaps we should investigate this 'urban british' thing", but before the "a-ha! grime!" moment - to have gotten quite a lot of crossover success. Dude should talk to Fallacy if he thinks he's got it bad!)

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 12 March 2005 22:54 (twenty years ago)

I'm not sure about this album... Only given it two spins so far but there's no "Witness" on there and the production is a little dull, the rapping laconic. Maybe it will grow.

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 13 March 2005 21:41 (twenty years ago)

As much as I love him, Fallacy really only has himself to blame. Did he think after just one underground smash Virgin were going to give him any sort of publicity push at all? Considering he's not mentioned at all on the Virgin Records homepage, and his official website hasn;t been updated for two years, I'm guessing he's been dropped. I know he put out a white label a few months back that people were talking about... "We Move"? Any idea on what he's up to? You'd have thought his old mucker Twang would have put him on his album...

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 13 March 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

Pitchfork review = fucking stupid

Summary: "It's all about grime baby grime! Grime is the new hot shit! Oh, this isn't grime? Then to hell with it".

In other news, experimentation is to be discouraged and if you don't sound as though you could have walked onto the set of "8 Mile" and battled anyone at anytime, then don't bother making records.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 28 March 2005 23:21 (twenty years ago)

christ, that review encapsulates so much of what I hate about bad music writing, in particular the creation of idiotic false binaries.

despite all of this the comparison of roots manuva to tricky is otm. but it's not a bad thing, tom breihan you fool!

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 28 March 2005 23:26 (twenty years ago)

very curious about this

― who's asking? (nordicskilla), Monday, 28 March 2005 23:36 (twenty years ago)

I just happen to be listening to this album properly for the first time in a few weeks and it's a lot lot better than I remember it. At first this was a clunky, boring album but now I hear something special going in the production - tracks start off all small and solemn and get bigger and bigger and more majestic as the track progresses. It's kinda rare to get this style in a lot of hip hop and I can see even Geir really liking this album.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 28 March 2005 23:41 (twenty years ago)

it is a really brilliant album,.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 28 March 2005 23:42 (twenty years ago)

geez that review is absolutely atrocious.

― Mil (Mil), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 01:16 (twenty years ago)

that review is absurd, but i wouldn't expect much better. americans can "get" or at least "get past" grime, because, as i've always said, it's not really hip-hop. throw hip-hop proper at them with a british accent and they get all confused and stuff. i LOVE this album. along with the new Wasteland CD, it's the best thing I've heard all year. love the soft pink truth mixes of collossal insight, by ilm's very own drew daniel, too.

― stelfox, Tuesday, 29 March 2005 08:44 (twenty years ago)

Pitchfork's own Drew Daniel... ;-)

― JoB (JoB), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 09:00 (twenty years ago)

PURSUE IT! PURSUE IT!

Wow! I can't stop listening to this now - a real grower! "The Falling" is great too!

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 09:38 (twenty years ago)

Am I right in thinking those are snooker balls that are sampled on the title track?

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 09:53 (twenty years ago)

The album really is a grower.

That review becomes even more hilariously bad when you realise that Roots Manuva charted 20 places ahead of Dizzee Rascal this week, and that So Solid are now all in prison or on reality TV. Yeah, I'm sure Manuva's really annoyed he's not followed them there.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 09:56 (twenty years ago)

throw hip-hop proper at them with a british accent and they get all confused and stuff. i LOVE this album. along with the new Wasteland CD, it's the best thing I've heard all year.

Thing is, I don't think I've heard any US hip-hop that sounds like Roots Manuva either. Even as early as the first album there's a density and a smokiness and a real bass-heavy dubby feel that I don't hear in US hip-hop.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 10:03 (twenty years ago)

Dizzee has also charted much higher that Roots in the past as well though. Difference is that Dizzee single this time round really was pretty pisspoor. I suspect that Roots has sold more albums as well.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 10:05 (twenty years ago)

Re: my penultimate post, its highly possible I've just not been listening in the right place, of course.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 10:07 (twenty years ago)

Matt DC OTM. Roots Manuva is essentially HipHop but his production and rapping style have more in common with dindgy London basements and Jamaican bashment dances than US HipHop or UK Grime.
I'd really really like to see a team-up with Andrew Weatherall at some point in the future. They've both got that smokey bubbling feel to their music.
Watch this space for my Roots "Chin Up" versus Squarepusher "Tomorrow World" mashup.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 11:42 (twenty years ago)

that review is absurd ~~but i wouldn't expect much better.~~ ~~americans~~british people can "get" or at least "get past" grime, because, as i've always said, it's not really hip-hop. throw hip-hop proper at them ~~with a british accent~~ and they get all confused and stuff. i ~~LOVE~~like this album.

― strng hlkngtn, Wednesday, 30 March 2005 11:54 (twenty years ago)

I'd really really like to see a team-up with Andrew Weatherall at some point in the future. They've both got that smokey bubbling feel to their music.

two lone swordsmen started off a set with "Witness (One Hope)" when they did a radio mix for bbc a coupla years back (can't remember which one now, and google isn't cooperating, but i'm pretty sure it *wasn't* an essential mix) and i remember thinking then how natural the dubby production and electro-flavored bleeps went with weatherall's style.
would love to hear a collab of the two

― rentboy (rentboy), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 13:35 (twenty years ago)

They have been within close range of each other... And I'm sure Awfully Deep co-producer Steve Dub would have no trouble hooking the two up.

― JoB (JoB), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 14:38 (twenty years ago)

Is this out in the U.S. yet?

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 14:47 (twenty years ago)

April 19th

― superultramega (superultramarinated), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

Chin High, what a tune!

― pete b. (pete b.), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 10:09 (twenty years ago)

Yes yes!

It's asking for a drum'n'bass remix!

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 10:12 (twenty years ago)

What an awesome album. Better than Run Come Save Me I think, on my second listen. "Chin High" should have been the first single, so heavy!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 01:58 (twenty years ago)

Am I vindicated yet Dom? Seeing as I was saying all this way back when? Do you owe me money now?

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 09:53 (twenty years ago)

Nick Southall, "Awfully Deep" is easily the best rap album of the year so far. I am sorry for doubting you.

How the fuck is that Edan album, which is two singles and a shedload of filler, getting better reviews than this?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 09:55 (twenty years ago)

for all grime nuts wanting to hear roots go grime, they can check out the jammer remix of the first single. its fab.

― ppp, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 11:45 (twenty years ago)

in case you missed the remix mentioned above :

http://ireallylovemusic.blogspot.com

(unless ppp was referring to the other jammer remix with mizz beatz!)

― mark e (mark e), Thursday, 28 April 2005 08:20 (twenty years ago)

ten months pass...

In summary, this was the best rap album of 2005.

And, so far, "Alternately Deep", his new outcuts LP, is the best rap album of 2006. "No Love" is massive, and Roots is now apparently the "black George Clooney".

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 13 March 2006 13:12 (nineteen years ago)

still not totally sold on roots - his stuff is really lightweight to me, which is odd, cos everyone talks about his dubbiness. but his dubbiness is about as heavy as i dunno, zero 7 or someone. he makes rap for students, 30 something people who want something to play at dinner parties, and people who listen to stoner music and think dub and reggae is only cool cos they can get fucked to it

― okok, Monday, 13 March 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

no need to get racial.

― The Man Without Shadow (Enrique), Monday, 13 March 2006 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

which is odd, cos everyone talks about his dubbiness. but his dubbiness is about as heavy as i dunno, zero 7 or someone.

hmm, have you heard Zero 7's 'Lo' OR Manuva's 'Highest Grade Dub'?

'Awfully Deep' on the Kidulthood soundtrack isn't it?

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 13 March 2006 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

having said that i think the Coldcut track with him on it is quite poor, and i've still got time for Coldcut even today (altho not given the new album much chance so far).

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 13 March 2006 13:57 (nineteen years ago)

Chin High is terrific!

I'd imagine the rest of the LP is as solid? I found Run Come Save Me really hard to get into, plenty of great stuff on it, but the production was bafflingly odd & off, a real barrier to enjoying it.

― file under cozy techno (fandango), Monday, 13 March 2006 13:57 (nineteen years ago)

I prefer "Awfully Deep" to "Run Come Save Me" because its a lot more cohesive as an album, and its got an ongoing strand throughout it (even if that strand is basically a 12 track long suicide note).

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 13 March 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

yeh that put me off a lot

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 13 March 2006 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, thinking about it, the one album that "Awfully Deep" really reminds me of is "Electro Shock Blues" by Eels.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 13 March 2006 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

In summary, this was the best rap album of 2005.

apart from the naked truth!

alternately deep is remixes, right? all new ones, or some of the gazillions which floated around last year? i have an amazing 'colossal insight' promo with about five, inc the soft pink truth and jammer/mizz beats ones...

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 13 March 2006 14:06 (nineteen years ago)

If "Chin Up" had been on the MIA album then ILM would have jizzed all over it.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Monday, 13 March 2006 15:20 (nineteen years ago)

not just remixes - but extras tracks that came with singles, download only tracks etc

here's the full run down :

1. No Love
2. Seat Yourself (Miami Mix)
3. Double Drat
4. Nobody's Dancing
5. Things We Do
6. Check It (Remix)
7. Get U High
8. Colossal Insight (Jammer Remix And Revox)
9. Mean Street
10. Pep My Game
11. This World Is Mine (Plan B Studio Version)
12. Grown Man

1. Released on "Too Cold" cd single
2. Unreleased alternate mix
3. Download release in 2004.
4. Unreleased
5. Released on "Colossal Insight" 2 track cd single
6. Unreleased alternate mix
7. Unreleased
8. Unreleased edit of "Colossal Insight" vinyl and maxi cd release
9. Unreleased
10. HHC exclusive download
11. Unreleased
12. Unreleased

― mark e (mark e), Monday, 13 March 2006 15:55 (nineteen years ago)

I agree that Collosal Insight is better than Run Come Save Me. The latter veers wildly between awesome and a bit boring.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 13 March 2006 20:55 (nineteen years ago)

The first few tracks on Awfully Deep are great, as are the pair with dancehall(ish) beats.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 13 March 2006 21:04 (nineteen years ago)

five months pass...

"Ridin Thru Da Underground" by The Blacknificent Seven (Roots along with Seanie T, Karl Hinds, Rodney P, Este'elle, and two people you've never heard of before) is going to end up as one of my favourite rap albums of the year. It's weird to hear Roots just do weed verses again after two years of "Suicide is painless, y'ear me?" lines.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 20 August 2006 14:05 (nineteen years ago)

i liked roots before he felt he had to be all 'personal'

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Sunday, 20 August 2006 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

Witness the fitness is still probabily my favourite british rap song of all time.

― Rowlando for the kidz (Sam Rowlands), Sunday, 20 August 2006 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

SO glad I didn't give up on him after "Run Come Save Me"!
(which still feels like a Missy album on shuffle that one, despite the high points it just doesn't work as an 'album' at all, also plenty filler).

Awfully Deep is really, really great and a pleasure to hear end-to-end. Hooky, and sonically surprising.

― bad hair day house (fandango), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 23:07 (nineteen years ago)

What can "lots of negativity permeates the groove" possibly mean?

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 01:51 (nineteen years ago)

http://img.hmv.co.jp/image/jacket/190/01/9/5/838.jpg

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 01:53 (nineteen years ago)

Dom, have people really not heard of Skeme? I haven't been paying attention for a bit but he was getting quite well-known and well-thought-of last time I looked.

I have never heard of Jeff3 though.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 12:23 (nineteen years ago)

I love Roots Manuva. Such an original flow, like a cross between a fire and brimstone preacher and a crazy rastafarian toaster.

― chap who would dare to start Raaatpackin (chap), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 13:14 (nineteen years ago)

rickey. no fucking idea.

― mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 20:04 (nineteen years ago)

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