4 out of 5

Label: Cold Blow

Produced by: Ed DMX

The title of this track is a layup for just nodding in agreement with Ed: yup.

Ed Upton has shown my ears, over multiple decades, how a talented songsmith can make music I love, even when it’s not in a genre I’m particularly keen on. With DMX Krew, that equals a lot of synthy party jams, the kind of things that are probably most associated with 80s and 90s club tunes and exist in this self-aware middleground between sexy slinky cool and kitsch; I don’t listen to that stuff – especially modern iterations – and it’s probably likely that if you played Still Got It to me as my first DMX Krew track… I’d not pay it as much mind.

But that’s not the reality we’re in, thankfully, as I’m open to Ed’s pokings at all styles of electro, and Still Got It is simply an amazing, celebratory track. I always kinda forget that Ed’s vocals aren’t just shoulder-shrug additions, but rather pretty passionate and integral; he also finds a nice line between genre-silly and sincere with his lyrics – straight forward, but with injections of wit. The music on Still Got It is dense and funky, with amazing percussion and a killer break towards the end. I wish the conclusion was a bit “bigger,” but it’s still pretty masterful. And while I often don’t get much out of dub versions, the take here deepens the bass and limits the vocals down to the hook, and also gets rid of that aforementioned break… but it serves to highlight how intensely danceable the beat is! Both versions are distinct, and worth our time.

On the B-side, Paranoia is apparently a 90s era track, and it’s totally a good choice for pairing – this is the same style of Prince-y, funky jamming – but it’s probably the most limited track on this set. The lyrics are good, the hook is good; it’s also interesting having it side-by-side with a modern tune, as you can hear more nuance in the way Ed composes now, and more confidence in his vocals. Neither things I would’ve spotted without that direct comparison, though.

Lastly, Cold Dub is from the Kiss Goodbye album of the mid 2000s. Previously available, but another fitting addition in terms of style, and also just an amazing hook, with, like, a synth solo towards the end? Bonkers. The lyrics on this one are a bit silly (including a concluding pun I cringe at), but it is an excellent club track.