ALBUM REVIEW: Mala In Cuba
Recruited by Gilles Peterson as part of his tireless promotion of Cuban music, Digital Mystikz’s Mala travelled to Havana in May 2011 with the intension of working alongside local musicians and vocalists. Contrasting the sensibilities of Jamaican sound system culture against a breadth of latin instrumentation, the result is 14 beautifully mastered compositions. The menacing ‘Changuito’ and quaking swagger of ‘The Tunnel’ mark exhilarating moments of low-end menace, but for the most part, this is an understated and refined affair. Among the jazzier cuts, the preceding single ‘Cuba Electronic’ and the key-heavy ‘Tribal’ stand out, while ‘Change’, ‘Curfew’ and ‘Como Como’ evoke comparison to Massive Attack’s stoner interludes. Daisy Willows
Label: Brownswood
Genre: Dubstep/Latin
Rating: 8/10
Standout tracks: Changuito’, ‘The Tunnel’, ‘Change’
Further listening: Deadbeat ‘Eight’ (BLKRTZ)
Release date: 10th September
01. Introduction
02. Mulata
03. Tribal
04. Changuito
05. Revolution
06. Como Como feat. Dreiser & Sexto Sentido
07. Cuba Electronic
08. The Tunnel
09. Ghost
10. Curfew
11. The Tourist
12. Change
13. Calle F
14. Noches Sueños feat. Danay Suarez
RELATED POSTS: Video: Mala In Cuba *** Album Review: Deadbeat ‘Drawn & Quartered’
