- Tue, 2010-08-31 17:35
Firstly, it's worth stating that Roots Manuva meets Wrongtom - Duppy Writer is not a brand new Roots Manuva album; it's is a re-working of classic Roots Manuva tracks by DJ and producer Wrongtom.
Discovered by Big Dada (the hip hop imprint of independent London label Ninja Tune), Wrongtom came to their attention following the release of the sixth Roots Manuva album, 2008's Slime and Reason. Having requested the chance to fix up a dub version of the album's lead single Buff Nuff, Wrontom produced a dub laden version so heavy, he was immediately commissioned for a series of mixes. He turned them round in a fortnight and eventually rolled forward as the bonus disc on the limited edition version of Slime & Reason. The response was so positive, that Duppy Write was eventually born...
The album covers all four of Roots Manuva's main albums plus tracks from Dub Come Save Me and Alternately Deep. The lead track from the release, Jah Warriors, is a fresh new track featuring a new Roots Manuva collaboration with legendary Ricky Rankin. Wrongtom has announced that each track on Duppy Writer was approached as if it was an original track, not a re-work. The result has moved the Roots Manuva sound toward a deep, traditional dub rumbling, placing Roots back in the hazy swirl of sound system culture with deep skanking, dub echo and a direct focus on the skill of the legendary UK MC.
I Like Music caught up with Roots Manuva earlier in 2010 and asked him to explain the heart of his musicality;
Roots Manuva: I'm fascinated by the accents within music. Music has an accent. So...not just duplicating sound chords, duplicating reggae or duplicating rock...but being true to the natural accent. Being prepared to work with the mistakes. Things like the whole two-tone thing, The Specials and those bands who were adapting Jamaican music for the English situation - they came up with the whole ska sound. That's what intrigues me, the whole mutation of the communication. Coming from a place where they were heavily influenced by Jamaican and American music, but trying to re-invent it from an innocent, non-self conscious British perspective. To the point where you kind of accidentally fall on a new form. Like drum n bass and jungle, to two step, to dubstep, into forms that don't even exist yet....
