BnB Review: Fabriclive 56: Pearson Sound / Ramadanman

Written by Manu Ekanayake

dubstep/bass

David Kennedy (aka Ramadanman, Pearson Sound and various other entities) is one of the biggest names in UK bass music, so he was the logical person to go to for a fabriclive mix on the subject. And what a subject it is…

‘UK bass music’ is as wide-ranging as the deliberately vague genre label suggests – you can hear everything from dubstep to African beats, with a side-serving of house and even some techno at fabric on a Friday night these days, as the ‘post dubstep’ revolution means that genres now mean even less than they did a few years ago….or a few weeks ago… or a few days… you get the idea.

So David Kennedy (as we’re going to call him because ‘Ramadanman / Pearson Sound’ is a bit much every time) has put together a mix that shows off just why his label, Hessle Audio, is able to boast a residency at fabric – it’s all here, from the hammer-blow bass-flex of D1’s Subzero (for all fans of ‘proper’ dubstep), to tropical house from Julio Bashmore's Battle For Middle You, via From The Drop, which unites the production skills of UK garage innovator MJ Cole with the lyrical prowess of grime godfather Wiley.

And that’s not even half of what’s going on here, but we’re not going to describe every track, as that would take far, far too long. Instead let’s just say that despite the disparate set of music united here, the one thing that keeps it all together is the bass… and Mr Kennedy's own productions, which litter the mix (we count 9). From his unreleased Pearson Sound opening Hawker, which sets the tone in relatively restrained style, to his soaring J.Doe Them track with Joy Orbinson, which backs onto Picon, another unreleased Pearson Sound number, we can see the different ground he’s treading both with his new Pearson Sound alias, and as a DJ / producer who’s really coming into his own as an artist.  As modern dance music changes at a startling rate, grab this release to see just where it’s at right now.

Rating: 8.5/10

Label: Fabric Recordings

Release date: Out now