Coldcut - 'True Skool'

The dancehall beat is almost bollywood in style

Single Review by Alex Burden | 16 May 2006
Label: Ninja Tune
The latest single from those masters of career change (DJing to VJing to producing radio plays in conjunction with the Antartic Survey – ok that last one isn't a career but it's one strange job) come back with a new "crypto-Egypto pop-dancehall beat". I have no idea what that means, but 'True Skool' has a bit of bhangra feel to it, scratched into the familiar spine-tingling voice of Roots Manuva. The dancehall beat is almost bollywood in style, and Manuva's "cooler than cooler than cool" drawls are true to form. The other four tracks are a mixture of the same song in acapella, instrumental (ideal for your own bedroom cut and pastes), and two remixes by Sway and Spank Rock. Sway's version is a bit heavier and has forgone the crypto-Egypto for some evil bass and rumbles, bestowing a serious tone upon it, while Spank Rock strip it down and add their own flavour. The differences between mixes are perhaps too subtle, and do not vastly improve on the original. [Alex Burden]