4 out of 5

Label: Furthur Electronix

Produced by: Ed DMX

Some deliciously raw jams from Ed DMX, starting with the fascinatingly dark and bleak Ambient Frog – a title that, for me, sits well with the tune’s swampy, dank beat – and building across four tracks to the B-side’s relatively more poppy, 80s-esque bobbers. While DMX Krew is constantly switching things up throughout his many, frequent releases, the last few years I feel have catered either towards the club or a more game-influenced vibe; it’s a lot of fun stepping back into more sparse territory here. The title track and Clean The Stylus (Ashley Break) are both bangers, juxtaposing the opening minimalism, and make great use of Ed’s organic production / synths and skill at fiddling with basic elements to milk out the most fun. The A-side’s second track, Bell Break, has to bridge the gap between the unique mood of the opener and these two more fiddly and bouncy tracks, and so it lags slightly behind, a little more repetitive than the others.