Merka
» Make & Do
Reviewed by voodoobass
/ Submitted 15-11-08 16:38
Label: Fat!
Format: CD
Genre: Electronica
As a avid fan of Westcountry beat-mongler Mark Ford, aka Merka's work since I first clapped ears on an early test pressing a few years back, I've been looking forward to this second album coming out for quite some time. Following on from 2007's excellent 'Bezerka', 'Make & Do' has seen Mark's sound evolve in some interesting new directions.
One of the things I love most about Merka's work is that for such a relatively new artist, he has managed to carve himself a very distinctive sonic niche. Through a combination of crate-digging and synth knowhow he crafts an intricate yet powerful sound which is in equal parts idyllic, frenetic, soothing and quirky.
Whilst 'Bezerka' was a superb collection of dancefloor breaks tracks which worked equally well in the home as in the club, 'Make & Do' is a more cohesive work that doesn't really belong to any particular genre in its own right.
Split into twelve tracks, the album is put together with the seamless DJ mix in mind. House and Breaks form the base of a stew flavoured with Jazz, Soul, Hip-Hop and Motown elements, spiced up with sprinkles of classic Detroit Techno, ambient pads and a measure of Electro-Lounge funk stylings reminiscent of seminal acts like Fila Brazillia and Funki Porcini.
This sounds like it might be a recipe for chin-strokery of the highest order, but the overall result is actually quite playful. It's jazzy, but not too jazzy, as the big chunks of gurgling electronic sub bass which suddenly blast from your speakers remind you. Just as things get really grimy, along comes a soothing flute sampled from who-knows-where to sweeten things up, or a harmonica, or an acoustic guitar, punctuated with some cut-up Hip-Hop vocals which somehow feel totally logical, and right.
With this album, Merka has gone beyond 'Dance' music to create an essential electronica opus that should and will find its place in the heart of many music fans and cement his place in the canon of the decade's finest producers.
I could go into tedious detail about how each track sounds and wax lyrical, but I won't. What I will say, however, is without question this is the best artist album I've heard all year. A resounding 10/10.
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