City Limits, Vol. 2

Album Review

Although the London-based producer appears keen to show that there's more to the dubstep sound than emphatic wobbling basslines, Deep Medi label staple Silkie's Solomon Rose, aka the second and final full-length installment of his City Limits series, is an eclectic collection of 12 largely instrumental tracks suggesting that he is quite content to stay underground. Indeed, there are no Chase & Status-esque pop melodies or Magnetic Man-style star-studded collaborations to be found here (although the latter's Skream lends a hand on the sparse gritty dub of "Untitled"). Instead, the Anti-Social Entertainment Crew's most prominent member focuses entirely on a sophisticated and ambient, if occasionally self-indulgent, sound that appears to have been influenced just as much by his hometown's classy jazz bars as it has his pirate radio station beginnings. The soulful hookup with French dubstep producer Von D, "Snowed In," and the sci-fi-tinged "Only for You" contain the kind of mellow piano chords and smooth sax solos you'd expect from a Kenny G record, while "Feel," the reggae-sampling collaboration with New Zealand duo Truth, and the summery ode to his favorite festival, "Outlook," continue the laid-back chillout vibes. But as if to appease the bass culture aficionados, Silkie finds space to combine the genre's signature beats and basslines with a more down-and-dirty production, whether it's the jungle throwback "Selva Nova," the disjointed grime of "Rock da Funk," or the industrial electro of "Taxi Me Get." With most tracks clocking in at over six minutes, Silkie's knob-twiddling tendencies could do with being reined in a little, while other than a few snatches of 2-step-garage diva wailings, there's a complete absence of some much-needed vocal hooks. But in a scene littered with identikit bass drops and repetitive 140 BPMs, City Limits, Vol. 2 is still a distinctive and intriguing record that impressively manages to bring something new to the table. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi