Available on: Hyperdub 12″

‘Hookid’

One of two label debuts kicking off Hyperdub’s 2011 schedule, Morgan Zarate is one third of long-running electronic trio Spacek, and has been a revered figure in certain quarters of the UK’s underground for quite some time, coming from a background of r’n’b, hip-hop and soul, and lending his skills to tracks from Rahpela Saqqid, Musiq Soulchild and Ghostface Killah in the past. His Hookid EP, however, comes from a quite different direction.

Darker and bassier than Spacek fans might expect, Hookid opens with a grime-styled title track, a sweeping, multi-layered piece rife with sharp synths and thumping kicks that should instantly draw the attention of Terror Danjah fans. ‘Buh Bye’ follows in a similar vein, fusing heavy basslines and squelching, spaced-out percussion into something that subtly recalls Zarate’s r’n’b past. Final track ‘SP’ only clocks in at a minute long, but closes this succinct piece of space exploration nicely, and helps to further whet the appetite for Morgan’s full length album for the label due later this year.

Zainab Jama