“Lemon Riddim” is the grime meets dubstep release from Luton based producer, Gully Floss. The opening song is named after the e.p, “Lemon and grime”. This opens with an almost Eskimo sound for the main melody, which in 2011 is a refreshing return to old, alongside some form of flute. About a quarter into the song, it switches to some textbook Gully Floss sounds. These include a mass of claps and some unusual dubstep style wobbles. Note ‘style’. They are not generic in a sense of deep and overpowering like most, and in fact can just about be labelled as grime in a sense. Anyway, this harsh, industrial sound takes over the original Eski melody. It is a good opener to a potentially good e.p.
The second song, “Lemon riddim” is much harder on the ears. This time it switches between piano and wobble until the drop, which is sheer bass. Even the drums sound more dubstep influenced here, with an emphasis on the snare. As well, Gully Floss throws in the cockney sample of “Don’t get lemon Bill it don’t suit ya!” at every available pause. It is similar to Lemon and grime, but a little more raw.
Song three, “Infidel” features an Arabic string throughout the song, which once again is greeted with chaotic bass and square sounds. Again, the drums are centred around the snare, which should get people up and dancing. Whilst it would not be Gully Floss without the wobbles and energy of the track, the Arabic strings actually sound just as good and more chilled alone, but this is not a relaxed e.p by any means.
“Mrs grimey” is next, which returns to the use of square sounds. This time however, it is also used with a chopped sample of a female singing. Amongst heavy drums this sounds nice, and builds up to the inevitable drop. Once more, musical equilibrium is disobeyed and the basslines and wobbles enter. Like many from the e.p, this song is very, very experimental and is typical of the messy Gully Floss sound.
Song six, “Barbarian” taps into the dubstep feel of the e.p, with an early drop which ascends into chaos, using similar sounds to the above. The use of bass and wobbles combine to create a sound reminiscent of industrial machinery in overdrive. This is only paused by occasional breakdowns which give the listener a breather. On a side note, the drums are a nice feature amongst all the madness, and the patterns are definitely dance inspiring.
“JD and cocaine” follows, with a mixture of light synths and a digital sound mixed with more dubstep style drums. As per, the song soon erupts into life with ear-splitting wobbles which are again, dubstep. This may clash with some grime fans’ views, as it tends to go towards that direction a lot in the Lemon Riddims e.p. However, as mentioned before, this is usually a controlled wobble which isn’t totally brainless, and the rest of the sounds are usually grimy.
The final song, “Hammer of Thor” is probably the grimiest of the e.p. This time the wobbles are replaced with squares for the main part, but yet again that bass has to creep in. Nonetheless the body is grime, and this would sound at home with any number of MC’s who may chose to vocal the instrumental. It is a good end to the e.p, which generally speaking is a solid release.
Final Thoughts: Gully Floss clearly has his own signature sound. This is a combination of synths, squares, dubstep wobbles and samples. It is a chaotic mixture which is pulled off and sounds very unique. Most of the e.p and songs are dubstep influenced. However, grime fans should not be put off, as after all the boundaries meet, sharing the 140 bpm tempo and a lot of similar characteristics in between. It is not like the wobbles completely take over, and usually follow the same melody as the softer sound which opens the track. Overall Lemon Riddims is a good release, which has its share of good moments, and is very unique in its crazy, fast paced style.
Score: 8.5
Best Song: Lemon and grime
Best line: “Don’t get lemon Bill it don’t suit ya!”
Release Date May 16th 2011
Posts
