Railing - Astonishing cry from the original Dynamite

It was Roni Size's birthday last month. And Dynamite MC's birthday too, friend and member of Roni Size's Bristol drum and bass group Reprazent. A chance to wish them both happy belated birthdays and also an opportunity for me to mention their stellar and Mercury Music Prize winning New Forms and in particular drool over Railing, it's opening track:

Evolving from the posse of friends that formed around the birth of the Full Cycle label in 1993 by Roni Size and fellow Bristolian DJ Krust, Reprazent was the full embodiment of Roni Size's vision, melding tight chopped up propulsive jungle beats with live drums and double bass in give it a jazzy vibe. Railing is his mission statement, like a Nineties Electronic version of the Sex Pistols' Holidays In The Sun, served by his spokesman Dynamite MC as he delivers the message:

"Yes, something of a different pace
Fresh, It's a 97' made taste
Now, I believe the time is right
How, stepping from the left to the right"

And before you know it's all over in a little over 2 minutes: it's absolute genius. There's something effortless about it, every single line by Dynamite MC is incredible, something so rare in music whilst the beats are simple, not overdone but just quick enough to let Dynamite glide over them. When Ms Dynamite started making a name for herself a few years later, rapping on Sticky's excellent uk garage track Booo!, some mistook her name for Dynamite MC but one listen to this and you'll never forget who the original Dynamite is, the original master from Bristol.

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