The Ironweed Project - Dust Bowl

Mixing blues with modern sounds is nothing new- Underworld and Moby have both had a go with some great results. But few have merged the delta and the decks better than the Ironweed Project. From the quality scratching on Perfect Day to the rumbling bass on the single Boom Boom Clap or the psychedelic guitar on Lovemakers, Ironweed has created something impressive in scope and depth. For example, the musical gumbo that is Brown Sugar blends a sweet sounding slide guitar and sensual female vocals with a Hammond Organ and traditional d'n'b drum loops. Yet Ironweed treats the Delta sound with reverence, clearly aware of the music's vast cultural significance. In Let's Swim Like Whales the intro features a story of racial discrimination and social displacement, underlined with a pounding bass beat to rival any hands-in-the-air anthem. Dust Bowl is simply a surfing pleasure to listen to. [Franck Martin]