B-Burg - Dessert Island Disco

Livesciences' guitarist B-Burg proved his musicianship on 'Bohemian Raps', and now he proves his production and scratching skills on similarly-punned debut 'Dessert Island Disco'. A cheeky My Name Is bootleg, cut with samples of an old Rumplestiltskin audiobook, starts the show, leading on to the mellow spanish guitar loops and strings of the second track. Highlights include French MC 1sp on Ration of Alliteration, guest appearances from the 'Sciences' own J-Seal, and Irish rapper Jee4ce delivering a tune about the perils of having a hip-hop ego. Flies in the Night is as spooky and atmospheric as ever, It's Yours a fantastic scratch track, ennervating and melodic. This is a polished, laid-back album, deceptively simple at first but revealing more complexity with each listen, the scratching superlative and the samples fresh and eccentric. It sits well alongside Livesciences' album, and evokes the ghost of Wagon Christ and Mr Scruff without feeling derivative. B-Burg achieves his aim of painting with samples and scratches. [Bram Gieben]