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Murkage Dave is back with a brand new music video for Swordfight In A Chicken Shop

Patta x Keep Hush returned to Skatecafé for their third ADE takeover, curated by Passion DEEZ. This year’s event championed Amsterdam’s underground sound, past and present, with a lineup of DJs who’ve helped shape the city’s vibrant nightlife scene and those who will carve a path in coming years True to Keep Hush’s roots, the night was a celebration of underground club music, blending jungle, garage, dubstep, UK funky, drum and bass, and bubbling; reflecting the diverse and boundary-pushing energy that defines Amsterdam’s dance culture.

Patta x Keep Hush returned to Skatecafé for their third ADE takeover, curated by Passion DEEZ. This year’s event championed Amsterdam’s underground sound, past and present, with a lineup of DJs who’ve helped shape the city’s vibrant nightlife scene and those who will carve a path in coming years True to Keep Hush’s roots, the night was a celebration of underground club music, blending jungle, garage, dubstep, UK funky, drum and bass, and bubbling; reflecting the diverse and boundary-pushing energy that defines Amsterdam’s dance culture.

Patta x Keep Hush returned to Skatecafé for their third ADE takeover, curated by Passion DEEZ. This year’s event championed Amsterdam’s underground sound, past and present, with a lineup of DJs who’ve helped shape the city’s vibrant nightlife scene and those who will carve a path in coming years True to Keep Hush’s roots, the night was a celebration of underground club music, blending jungle, garage, dubstep, UK funky, drum and bass, and bubbling; reflecting the diverse and boundary-pushing energy that defines Amsterdam’s dance culture.

Patta x Keep Hush returned to Skatecafé for their third ADE takeover, curated by Passion DEEZ. This year’s event championed Amsterdam’s underground sound, past and present, with a lineup of DJs who’ve helped shape the city’s vibrant nightlife scene and those who will carve a path in coming years True to Keep Hush’s roots, the night was a celebration of underground club music, blending jungle, garage, dubstep, UK funky, drum and bass, and bubbling; reflecting the diverse and boundary-pushing energy that defines Amsterdam’s dance culture.

Patta x Keep Hush returned to Skatecafé for their third ADE takeover, curated by Passion DEEZ. This year’s event championed Amsterdam’s underground sound, past and present, with a lineup of DJs who’ve helped shape the city’s vibrant nightlife scene and those who will carve a path in coming years True to Keep Hush’s roots, the night was a celebration of underground club music, blending jungle, garage, dubstep, UK funky, drum and bass, and bubbling; reflecting the diverse and boundary-pushing energy that defines Amsterdam’s dance culture.

Patta x Keep Hush returned to Skatecafé for their third ADE takeover, curated by Passion DEEZ. This year’s event championed Amsterdam’s underground sound, past and present, with a lineup of DJs who’ve helped shape the city’s vibrant nightlife scene and those who will carve a path in coming years True to Keep Hush’s roots, the night was a celebration of underground club music, blending jungle, garage, dubstep, UK funky, drum and bass, and bubbling; reflecting the diverse and boundary-pushing energy that defines Amsterdam’s dance culture.

Patta x Keep Hush returned to Skatecafé for their third ADE takeover, curated by Passion DEEZ. This year’s event championed Amsterdam’s underground sound, past and present, with a lineup of DJs who’ve helped shape the city’s vibrant nightlife scene and those who will carve a path in coming years True to Keep Hush’s roots, the night was a celebration of underground club music, blending jungle, garage, dubstep, UK funky, drum and bass, and bubbling; reflecting the diverse and boundary-pushing energy that defines Amsterdam’s dance culture.

Patta x Keep Hush returned to Skatecafé for their third ADE takeover, curated by Passion DEEZ. This year’s event championed Amsterdam’s underground sound, past and present, with a lineup of DJs who’ve helped shape the city’s vibrant nightlife scene and those who will carve a path in coming years True to Keep Hush’s roots, the night was a celebration of underground club music, blending jungle, garage, dubstep, UK funky, drum and bass, and bubbling; reflecting the diverse and boundary-pushing energy that defines Amsterdam’s dance culture.

Patta x Awake NY x Marshall took over the Oroko Radio for Fête de la Musique at Chop Chop, broadcasting live from the heart of Paris. We amplified not just the sound, but the spirit of our community: bringing music, energy and connection straight to the streets and beyond. From sunup to sundown, the beats flowed through our all-day radio takeover, uniting listeners and passersby in a celebration of culture, community and sound. Big love to everyone who tuned in, pulled up and kept it alive. Until next time.T.NO x YENTZYZHajarCho RoomAlissa ZaddiAQWEANinafterdark

A new cut from two of the finest in the kitchen. Skirt Steak is here — Roc Marci laces sharp talk over Alchemist’s medium-rare production. No filler, just flame. The Alchemist pulls up in the Patta x Avirex — heavyweight leather, heavyweight bars. This ain’t just music, it’s tailoring season for your eardrums. Stream it now. Let it sear.

There’s a storm coming and it sounds like Road Fever. Compiled by Amsterdam-based, Curaçao-raised sonic explorer Rozaly and mixed by DJ Intl Prostyle in Saint Lucia, Road Fever is a blistering, 55-and-a-half-minute ride through the raw, rhythm-forward heart of contemporary Caribbean music. Released by Soundway Records, the compilation is a powerful testament to the evolving sounds of the region, built on riddims designed for movement, sweat, and release.At the core of Road Fever is a bold idea: to strip back the Caribbean party track and let the riddim speak for itself. These instrumentals, born from the streets and carnivals of St. Lucia, Dominica, and Guadeloupe, are usually foundations for vocalists. Here, they’re presented raw and unfiltered - standalone expressions of rhythm that punch, pull, and pulse with life.Rozaly, a DJ, curator, and researcher known for his previous work with Patta on our recent Marshall collaboration is committed to challenging the limits of Caribbean musical memory, describes the experience best: “Once you hear it, you can’t unhear or unfeel it.”And what you hear on Road Fever is nothing short of a sonic collision. Built from FL Studio percussion packs, chopped DJ samples, distorted vox clips, and synth riffs that could cut steel, these tracks sit at the intersection of trap, drill, dancehall, sped-up Haitian konpa, and Angolan kuduro. The BPM rarely dips below 150 so the energy never lets up.With contributions from both established and underground production crews - including Krome Productions, Viral Riddims, Ransum Records, Veaygel Productions, Shazdown Mmw, DJ Demafidem, ScarnX, Slaughter Arts Media, and a poignant appearance by the late trailblazer G6 Productions (RIP) - Road Fever is as much a celebration as it is a time capsule of a regional sound on the rise.The compilation zeroes in on two of the most electric genres coming out of the Eastern Caribbean: Dennery Segment from Saint Lucia, and Bouyon from Dominica and Guadeloupe. Both styles are defined by their fierce minimalism, DIY ethos, and relentless drive - music best heard through walls of speakers on carnival trucks or blasting from a cracked phone speaker with the volume maxed out.“This is a musical movement with an entire history,” Rozaly says. “And so many relevant reasons why it still exists, and why it exists the way it exists right now.”Road Fever is out now on vinyl, digital, and a limited cassette edition mixed live by DJ Intl Prostyle. It drops alongside a short IG reel-formatted film created by Rozaly and filmmaker Selwyn De Wind offering a visual companion to this urgent, body-moving release.Whether you’re a fan of Caribbean music or just looking to feel something different-louder, faster, rawer - Road Fever is essential for all collectors.

Unknown T has officially dropped Time Flies—the track that’s had the streets buzzing since last year. Fans have been eagerly awaiting this moment, as the song was making waves long before its official release. The wait is finally over, thanks to Janet Jackson clearing the iconic sample that took the track to another level.  2025 is proving to be another landmark year for UK rap, with artists like Unknown T continuing to push boundaries and gain recognition on a global scale. As the genre keeps evolving and thriving, it’s clear that UK rap’s influence is only getting stronger. Time Flies is just the latest example of how the scene keeps leveling up, and we are here for every second of it.

Interview by Joe Leonard-Walters | Edited by Passion Dzenga Launching in 2021, Echobox has been forging a path for community radio by showcasing the diverse characters and concepts that surround them. In this feature, we will be looking into a few of the broadcasts that you can tune into so get locked in and don’t touch that dial. Today, we're diving into the world of experimental electronics with Oneven, the creator and host of PITCH SHIFT on Echobox. Known for its spontaneous and raw approach to live electronic music, PITCH SHIFT has become a staple for boundary-pushing sounds and thought-provoking conversations in Amsterdam’s electronic scene.   Oneven’s show is about community, collaboration and celebrating artistry over clout. Since its inception, the show has showcased both local and international artists, offering a platform where creative minds break down their sounds, setups, and stories. Whether it’s DJ Beukeboom’s live Baile Funk set or Stefhanja’s seismic-inspired soundscapes, Oneven’s open format invites the unexpected.   It’s not just about genres or trends - it’s about diving into the essence of sound and discovering what drives each artist to create. From exploring groundbreaking music gear to hosting icons like Chase Bliss, Oneven’s unprepared, organic style has made PITCH SHIFT a space where authenticity reigns.   We’ll be talking to Oneven about his love for music tech, why live electronic performances deserve more attention in Amsterdam, and his dream guests, from Aphex Twin to Madlib. Plus, we’ll touch on his views of the city’s evolving music scene and why he believes in staying rebellious and raw. Let’s shift some pitches and get into it! You can catch up with this show now on Echobox Radio. Your show has turned into a real touch-point for experimental electronics in Amsterdam. Why was it important to do something so collaborative?I think the show has a healthy mixture of experimental and more traditional electronic music. My first ever guest was DJ Beukeboom who did a live Baile Funk show, but yeah we do also occasionally dive into the more abstract areas of electronic music. It depends on the artist I invite. I never think of genres when finding guests, but rather about what motivates someone to pursue a certain sound, is the sound representative of their background, etcetera. This is important to me as it helps me filter out artists in it for clout vs. Artistry. Anyhow, in terms of collaboration it depends on the guest, some shows go down like that, others don’t. The behind Pitch Shift is simple: an artist comes over, plays some tracks and we talk about how they made it and how they translate their ideas from a studio setting into a live show. But since the show is called Pitch Shift it occasionally goes in a completely different direction. Sort of like when you pitch shift a sample: you have the source material, but what you do with it can change the outcome completely. This also means I never prepare for any of my shows. This works best for me cause it allows the interviewing part to be spontaneous and authentic. I could write down some fictional backstory about why I do this, but honestly it just happened organically. I love it because when the pressure is on your brain starts coming up with some nice questions on the spot. As to the importance of the show: It was and is still important to me to shine a light on artists that perform live. Amsterdam is flooded with DJ’s which is cool, but there are not enough opportunities for live electronic music. To my knowledge bookers are a bit afraid about someone turning up with a whole studio worth of equipment, but really it can be done with just one or two pieces of gear. All in all I just wanted to be selfless and give something back to the community. In my own past experiences I noticed a lot of shows were done to promote the host, that was my inspiration to do things differently. You also talk a lot about technology in music, where did the obsession with music gear start?Growing up in the 90’s there was a lot good electronic music being shared on a commercial level on the TV so it was fairly easy to get exposed to the works of, for example, Aphex Twin. Also video games had a ton of great soundtracks that peaked my interest in the tech. I was always opening up electronics and fucking around with circuits trying to make sense of all those alien components. It’s just so happened I’m naturally attracted to technology that is also used to make electronic instruments. Perhaps I would have been into trains or planes if I hadn’t been exposed to electronic music. That said, I’m still quite into watching videos on how a cockpit works. I like gear a lot, but these days it’s a more a novelty. Like yes a 5K euro 8 voice poly synth sounds good, but there are 15 year old kids out there making absolute bangers on a shitty old laptop. Ultimately it’s all about being able to create and express yourself with as little latency between your idea and output so whatever works best is what you should go for. I am now mostly using a laptop with Ableton and Max/MSP to produce and in the mixing stage run things through hardware. Computers are so powerful and you can basically do anything you want once you become proficient with the software. In my opinion it is a far more exciting place to be than in a studio with tons of analog subtractive synths. Also not being dependant on a physical space is amazing for your creativity. All you need for electronic music these days is to be interested in learning, some software and a pair of decent headphones. Only thing that sucks about computers is that they are built to become obsolete, near impossible to repair as a consumer and some software becomes outdated. What have been particular highlights of your show?My recent ones with Tyler and Liz from Chase Bliss and the one with Stefhanja are my current faves. Chase Bliss was personally amazing to me cause I love the pedals they make. They are really pushing the limits of what you can do with guitar pedals so I was very happy to learn they have a European office in Amsterdam and that they were down to come to the studio and talk. My show with Stefhanja was really fun to do too. She has a device called the Geofón which is made by LOM Audio. It’s like a microphone, but made to detect seismic activity. We ran the signal through a bunch of equipment and made some beautiful soundscapes and textures. It was pure expression and it turned out so nice. We both had no preparation so it could have gone horribly wrong, but in the end I think our honest enjoyment is what kept it going in a good direction. Dream guest?Oh there are multiple ones. Autechre, Aphex Twin and BoC are obvious ones, right? Would be a very autistic show in the best way possible. But also would love to have Madlib or The Alchemist on. I listen to their music more than electronic music(it is technically also electronic though) to be honest. It’s so raw, organic and inspiring to me. Big fan of the Freddie Gibbs records they both did. Actually I know The Alchemist is a fan of Patta and visits Amsterdam often so maybe someone should make this happen. Live beat making on the Echobox airwaves… lets fucking go. Also dead ones would be Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk. Kraftwerk’s influence on music is unparalleled. Computer World laid the foundation for most of the stuff you hear now. What's most exciting to you in the Amsterdam music scene right now?I’m a bit of a hermit and this is probably not the answer people want to read but honestly, compared to The Hague and Rotterdam I think in general Amsterdam is lacking rawness and rebelliousness in the electronic scene so there’s not much for me personally to get excited about.I’m generalising of course as places like Bar San Francisco and events such as Weather Report at Bar Theo are great and resonate with me on a personal level. In the end I think that’s what counts, having a few places that you like to visit. Weather Report always surprises me as I go in blind. To me It’s not even about liking all the music, but seeing people use music as a tool to express themselves will always get me excited.I don’t have much interest in most clubs as they feel too image driven. Would much rather see someone unknown play amazing and unexpected shit they love than another Instagram famous DJ play whatever is trending if you know what I mean. I think Amsterdam clubs have a lot of potential, but we need to remember what made electronic music special in the first place: fuck playing it safe and fuck status. Be rebellious and treat every event like it’s your first and last and don’t worry too much about opinions. Next up we’re diving into the world of Het Kan Wel with Sara Liz and Wies, hosts of the most eclectic and spontaneous breakfast radio show on Echobox. It’s a potpourri of music, conversations, and unfiltered thoughts - where everything is possible. The name itself, Het Kan Wel (It Is Possible), was born from a wild King’s Day party in a bathtub, a playful declaration that nothing is truly impossible - though some things are better left undone (like moving to Mars). Sara Liz and Wies are the kind of duo who embrace the unexpected, bouncing from obscure beats and electronic sounds to slow and soulful vibes all before lunch. Their musical tastes may clash at times - Sara Liz loves starting the day with high-energy beats, while Wies prefers a more gradual wake-up - but that’s exactly what makes their dynamic work. Over the years, their friendship and music tastes have intertwined, creating a show that’s as unpredictable as it is refreshing. Inspired by the casual and humorous format of Charlie Bones’ Do!! You!! radio show, Het Kan Wel feels like an open invitation to just exist, be playful, and let whatever happens, happen. From bird sounds to bold musical statements, the duo’s chemistry keeps listeners guessing and makes space for serendipitous moments. We're gonna take a turn with this week's edition, switching to Dutch so we can  properly champion Het Kan Wel (if you want to get familiar but are not a Dutch speaker feel free to ask your favourite search engine to translate the following chapter). You can catch up with their show now on Echobox Radio.Wat is het verhaal achter de naam van jullie show, Het Kan Wel? W: Het verhaal is ontstaan op een vrij liederlijke en uitzinnige nacht na koningsdag, in een badkuip tijdens een diepte interview in het huis waar wij destijds samen woonden. Tijdens het interview kwamen we allen tot het inzicht dat vrijwel niets niet onmogelijk is.Verder (en nuchter) daarover nadenkend kom je er achter dat alles wel kán, maar je sommige dingen beter kan laten. Zoals bijvoorbeeld naar Mars reizen.  SL: “Wies en ik woonden lang samen, acht jaar in een huis in de Vogelbuurt, ook met Veer en Daaf en Boontje, het hondje. We grepen momenten voor een feestje vaak met velen handen aan. Op een van deze feestjes op Koningsdag dus,  begon een vriendin ons te interviewen in bad en wij vertelden dat we een band waren begonnen (lees; dit is dus fictief, wij hadden verzonnen dat we een band waren). Er werd doorgevraagd en wij gaven een heel interview over onze hit “Het Kan Wel”. De tekst van het liedje was niet bijster intelligent, mede door het tijdstip en alles. Maar wij vonden onze ‘hit’ bij het huis passen en zo is ons huis steeds meer Het Kan Wel gaan heten. Het Kan Wel is een mooie zin om in verschillende gemoedstoestanden te zeggen: overmatig enthousiast, verdrietig, schuldbewust of teleurgesteld. Als je de klemtoon van de zin verandert, krijgt het ook een andere betekenis. Of als je een liedje opzet dat niet ‘in tune’ is met het vorige (het wordt voor mij snel erg zalvig), dan zeg ik vaak tegen Wies: ‘Het kan ook weer wel’.” Tijdens de pandemie waren het vrienden in Antwerpen die een online radioshow begonnen genaamd Tijden van Nood. Alle makers konden vanuit hun woonkamer inpluggen en via muziek op de hoogte blijven van elkaar. Toen is de show officieel zo begonnen te heten.  Is er een andere ontbijt-radioshow die jullie qua format heeft geïnspireerd? W: Natuurlijk Charlie Bones met de Do!! You!! radioshow. Toch wel een soort grondlegger van de ongedwongen radioshow, met veel humor, een breed scala aan muziek en lekker erdoor heen praten.  SL: “Ik heb veel naar Do!! You!! van Charley Bones geluisterd en ik denk dat ik wel elke maand een vogel laat horen, dus ook; “Vroege Vogels.” Hebben jullie een favoriete show tot nu toe? SL: “Moeilijke vraag, want er is zoveel niche en zoveel talent! Donnies Dreamshow, 1.06SS was een poosje na ons, ook echt heerlijk. Joy die nu na ons is, Friday is a Sunday, Recovery Chanel, BSS, Loma Doom… te veel om op te noemen.” W: Vind het ook moeilijk om te zeggen, het is zo leuk om te zien hoe iedereen in die opnamestudio zijn eigen wereld creëert. Het is heel grappig, want je wisselt elkaar natuurlijk af aan het einde van de show, maar dan treedt de volgende persoon altijd echt even jouw wereld binnen of jij in de wereld van de DJ voor je. Ik vind dat zo mooi om te zien, en horen. Maar als ik het moet zeggen: Friday is a sunday, recovery channel, BSS, Joygail.   Hoe vind je het presenteren als duo tot nu toe? Waar zijn jullie het nou echt over oneens? W: Voor we bij echobox begonnen, maakte we tijdens Corona al een show op Tijden van Nood. Een soort piratenzender opgezet door vrienden zodat we allemaal een beetje in contact konden blijven met elkaar. Dat was heel leuk, maar tussen mij en Sara Liz ging dat niet echt zonder slag of stoot haha. We maakte echt live ruzie op de radio soms, wat ook wel heel grappig is achteraf.  We hebben gewoon een vrij uiteenlopende muzieksmaak die soms een beetje botst op sommige punten. Sara Liz is soms vrijwillig bereid om keihard te knallen om 11 uur ‘smorgens, waar ik persoonlijk ook nog even wakker moet worden. Dat kan wel eens in het verkeerde oorgat schieten. Maar Sara Liz vind dat ik soms te sloom draai, wat ik echt complete nonsens vindt.  Ik vind het wel leuk om te merken dat hoe langer we bevriend zijn onze smaken naar elkaar toegroeien, en we tegenwoordig echt vaak dezelfde dingen heel vet vinden. SL: “Wij zijn er rijkelijk vaak oneens geweest over muziek. Beiden komen we uit een andere muzikale interesse en huishouden. Bij mij stond thuis altijd muziek aan van Kink Radio (techno-uurtjes op zaterdag), Moloko, veel elektronische muziek, beats, Burial, Prince en ik maakte bandjes van Afrikaanse obscure radio. In mijn wereld kan dit allemaal door elkaar heen en naast elkaar. Veel bewegen op muziek, het kan me echt even omsluiten, ahh ik hou zo van beats! Wies weet ook veel van muziek, maar kent meer instrumentale bandjes. Dus als ik plots de boel opschud… krijg ik wel een diepe zucht of scheve blik. Maar het laatste jaar heb ik wel steeds meer het gevoel dat we naar elkaar groeien of elkaars input kunnen waarderen.  Bij wat denken jullie nou: “Het kan niet”? Oorlog, Trump, Elon Musk, de anti-abortus beweging, te harde techno om 11 uur smorgens (lul niet Wies!), te veel witte mannen in 1 ruimte, eten met weinig vet en zout, naar mars gaan, de verkoop van sociale huurwoningen, fabel friet, grote Ego’s, dat alles een restaurant moet worden, veel vlees eten, niet nederig zijn, geen humor hebben laat staan zelfspot en enkelsokken bij mannen bij -3, niet zingen op de fiets en niet lachen om een scheet. Tune in to Echobox - broadcasting from below sea level every week, Thursday until Sunday.

While AntsLive & YS Sainté were in town to visit Patta Amsterdam for a meet and greet, the North London rapper took to the streets and filmed a music video for his single Crew Love in and around our beloved Zeedijk area which is home to our Amsterdam chapter store.Get familiar with AntsLive here.

Words by David KaneWhat Do You Call It? From Grassroots to the Golden Era of UK Rap took me over three years to write. It wasn’t supposed to. Deadlines came and went, and nine months before it was finally finished, I decided to rip it up and start again. Or at least start the start again. Part of that was driven by a change of start date, at first the book begins at the turn of the century a time fraught with tension (remember the ‘millennium bug’?), political machinations, and creative possibilities, where technology and culture were changing faster than it had for decades. But as I dug deeper, I realised I had to go further back, extending the scope to the start of the 1980s, when rap music landed on our odd little island, imported through the electro-driven hip-hop of Afrika Bambaataa, shaped by sound system culture, inspired by punk and accelerated by rave. And one name kept coming up. Thirty years ago, Tricky released Maxinquaye, and that album changed everything.By the early 90s, the excitement and promise of the UK hip-hop 1.0 had almost fizzled out. Dismissed by the media, denied by music industry gatekeepers, and only the most hardcore fans continued to show interest while the US was going through its golden into the gangsta era, attracting a broader—read, white suburban—rap music fan. There was friction within UK hip-hop, as Trevor Jackson, a.k.a Underdog and head of Bite It! Recordings, one of the few labels releasing consistently challenging hip-hop at the time, put it; “Everyone wanted to get a piece of a very small pie. Some UK foundational figures felt they owned everything and were entitled to success.” The energy in the UK had to come from somewhere and sound like something else.Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws grew up in Knowle West, a tough, predominantly white working-class area in South Bristol. Thaws was born to a Jamaican father and a Ghanaian-English mother, a poet named Maxine Quaye, who committed suicide when he was just four years old. His grandmother and various aunties brought him up. It was a happy, if unconventional, childhood despite being surrounded by violence;  “Where I come from, a lot of people are either on drugs, in prison or dead,” he later recalled. Fortunately, Thaws found solace in music. First, he was known as Tricky Kid, a rapper and sometime member of The Wild Bunch, a loose collective of musicians and artists who were so hip it hurt. They formed in the early 1980s and played at warehouse parties and Bristol institutions like St Paul’s Carnival, Special K’s cafe and the dingy Dug Out club. The influence of reggae sound system culture, punk, jazz, soul, and hip-hop were all present, but there was an unhurried melancholy to the music that was unique to a notoriously laid-back and diverse city.The Bristol music scene is a storied one, but The Wild Bunch — including Miles Johnson (a.k.a. DJ Milo), producer Nelle Hooper, Robert Del Naja (a.k.a. 3D), Grant Marshall (a.k.a. Daddy G), and Andrew Vowles (Mushroom) — were arguably the inception point and ruled the roost. Confident aesthetes, rolling around town on hi-tech mountain bikes decked out in Stüssy jeans and Vivienne Westwood shirts with an uncanny knack for sound. Milo introduced Tricky to the crew. He was a shy and sensitive teenager, but he had a supernatural talent for lyrics–sounding like a troubadour of darkness who had toked his way through a maze of marijuana. The collective dissolved in 1987, with Hooper joining Soul II Soul and Milo moving to New York, which left 3D, Daddy G, and Mushroom to form Massive Attack. Tricky appeared in three singles — “Daydreaming”, “Five Man Army” and “Blue Lines” — from the group's seminal debut album, Blue Lines (1991). A broody, epic sounding and insular feeling masterpiece, it helped redefine dance music and coin a new subgenre, trip-hop–a name almost every artist associated with it utterly detests, particularly Tricky. Both Tricky and, to a lesser extent, 3D rap with regional British accents, which was unheard of at the time, but the intention behind Blue Lines was to “Create dance music for the head, rather than the feet”, explained Daddy G. Yet Tricky was more interested in hip-hop. Tensions within Massive Attack (and The Wild Bunch before that) always seemed to be brimming close to the surface. While working on Blue Lines, Tricky produced the demo for “Aftermath”, a bluesy, smoky single with esoteric wood pipe samples featuring the dulcet tones of Martina Topley-Bird and Tricky’s haunting vocals. Tricky offered the track to Massive Attack as they were finalising their debut album, but 3D dismissed it, telling Tricky he’s “Never going to make it as a producer”. The single remained moored to tape, unreleased for a further three years. Shortly after the release of Blue Lines, Tricky departed the group and began working on solo material at a stoned snail's pace. Although ‘Aftermath’ laid the blueprint for what would eventually become his 1995 masterpiece, Maxinquaye (named after Thaws’ mother), a strikingly original body of work “Which acknowledged and accelerated what was new in the 90s, technology, cultural pluralism, and genre innovations.” As adroitly proposed by author Mark Fisher, a stark counter to the “reactionary pantomime of Britpop,” with its refuge in the past.That Tricky was even prepared to take centre stage was partly thanks to the mentorship of Mark Stewart, ex-frontman of legendary new-wave outfit The Pop Group and Bristol sound linchpin, who met Tricky via The Wild Bunch. Stewart is credited as ‘executive producer’ for Maxinquaye. If Stewart were the mentor, Martina Topley-Bird would often be framed as the muse (Tricky went on to have a romantic relationship with Topley-Bird). But in reality, Topley-Bird, who came from a well-off family with experience in the music business, helped influence as well as inspire the music for Maxiquaye, conceiving the jingle jangle melody of “Ponderosa” and provided an unexpected new take on the lyrics from Public Enemy’s “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” in “Black Steel”. The legend goes that Tricky met 15-year-old schoolgirl Topley-Bird outside his house, waiting for a bus and invited her to make a song on an impulse. That impulse continued in the eventual studio sessions, where all the vocals were recorded in the first take. Alongside the expected hip-hop, dub and soul influences, there is an art-rock weirdness to the sound, a sludgy filter over the percussion and, of course, that famed dark atmosphere with cracks of piercing light courtesy of Topley-Bird’s soothing vocal. “Let me take you down the corridors of my life.” Tricky beckons on “Hell Is Round The Corner”. Tricky was still in his early twenties when he wrote and recorded Maxinquaye. Yet, he had a pool of life experience to draw from, with no shortage of trauma and complexity, having grown up around gangsters with limited familial affection and often went looking for fights in Bristol’s nightclubs, wearing makeup and a dress. Drugs, sex, dysfunctional relationships, and a broader pre-millennium tension are subjects broached in the record. Despite this heaviness, he appears sensitive as he is streetwise and raw. Two things stand out from Maxinquaye and much of the music Tricky has made since. The first is how quietly Tricky raps, a silently disciplined zig to everyone else's clamorous zag, which demands the listeners' attention. The second is his androgyny as a lyricist; in “Suffocated Love”, a seemingly straightforward track on the inner dialogue of a couple where the man gets the sex, and the woman gets the money, isn't quite what it seems with sexual violence and man's dread of intimacy playing the background; “I keep her warm, but we never kiss / She cuts my slender wrists”. “I think ahead of you, I think instead of you”, Topley-Bird’ teases in response. It’s worth remembering that Tricky is responsible for nearly all the lyrics on Maxinquaye, a morass of gender-bending adventure and sonic contortion. In an interview with Mark Fisher for The Wire, Tricky admits his “Lyrics are written from a female perspective a lot of the time.” This takes us to the fourth significant collaborator on the album—there were others, including The Cure producer Mark Stewart and DJ Howie B, who got burned by the experience, but that’s another story—in the voodoo homage to the mother he never knew, claiming that she channelled his lyrics through him and Martina Topley-Bird. The album prompted universal and hyperbolic critical acclaim, perhaps the most memorable of which was David Bowie's 2,000-word paean in Q magazine. In this, Bowie, in typically Bowie-esc glossolalia, acknowledged the arrival of an heir to his shape-shifting crown (or tiara?) and also recognised that his own game might be up. “Here come the horses to drag me to bed,” Bowie concluded. “Here comes Tricky to fuck up my head.”Despite the success of Maxinquaye—the record proved a completely unexpected commercial triumph, reaching number 3 in the UK album chart, selling over half a million copies since, and regularly appearing in ‘best of’ lists—Tricky’s life didn’t get any easier. There have been battles with mental health, problems with guns (his cleaner’s young son accidentally set off a Uzi in his New Jersey apartment), and a hedonistic lifestyle that almost left him in financial ruin. Most tragically, Mazy, his daughter with Topley-Bird, took her own life in 2019.  Like all great minds, Tricky reminds us how noble, tortured, and downright absurd a creature humans can be. And he writes raps as hard as hell. What Do You Call It? From Grassroots to the Golden Era of UK Rap is out now on Velocity Press. The book is available directly from the publisher, all good book and record stores. It’s a book about the evolution of rap music in the UK, when hip-hop landed on our odd little island in the early 1980s. Shaped by sound system culture, inspired by punk, and accelerated by rave, A sound that has evolved from Britcore, UK hip-hop, and trip-hop of the late twentieth century to garage, grime, and drill. What Do You Call It? is also a story about what it means to be seen and to belong to this country. Get familiar with David Kane or head to your local Patta store to get your copy of Patta Magazine Volume 4 now.