Thavius Beck - Dialogue

Big Dada continue their mission to sign every single groundbreaking hip-hop act in the world. Perhaps because Thavius Beck laces his lyrics integrally with his beats, Dialogue is a daunting prospect on first listen. Grime-speed lyrics that encompass hermetic philosophy, vigorous social commentary and deeply personal reflection sometimes get lost in the heavy rush of electronic kicks and bass synths. However, repeated listens unravel more meaning and subtlety in Beck’s flawless double-time flow, encouraged by the sub-three minute duration of most tracks. The wonky rhythms of Hardcore evoke Rusty and Zomby, while the freaked-out 8-bit keys and challenging manifestos issued on 4 Part 2 are genuinely difficult to categorise. Smashing boundaries within electronic music and hip-hop simultaneously, it’s hard to be anything but awed by this album, though it's likely to scare less adventurous hip-hop heads and dance music fans. Buy it, play it, freak yourself out. [Bram Gieben]