@KralTunes
Welcoming in the new year with a seasoned vet of the remix, mashup scene, SMOOVE has been filling dancefloors for nearly 2 decades with his infectious rhythms. His newest release, the WACK DYNAMITE E.P., will surely continue the trend. If you are a fan of the album, ‘GRAVY,’ then this will be the peanut butter to your jelly.
Featuring samples from the likes of Eddie Bird, Bob Marley, De La Soul, Michael Jackson, and countless others, there is an abundance of grooves jammed into these brief 35 minutes.
The best one is “Rocky’s Knockout”; it’s a mashup of LL COOL J’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ and the best of the ‘Rocky’ soundtrack. It is so well orchestrated that I could almost imagine lounge singer, old Pete from the 2nd floor, bouncing around his living room in a fit of joy! (Hint: Pete was a BIG fan of the Rocky soundtrack; conversely my boss@tonightatdawn was not a fan of his). Second runner up “Big Bird” funkifies the Eddie Bird’s classic just a tad more than the original.
The sampling parade continues with ‘I’m A B-Boy’ which samples SMOOVE’s own “I’m A Man,’ (a sample in of itself – and the remix circle continues). “De La Marley” takes the covered-to-death “Could You Be Loved” and introduces captivating background beats over the timeless vocals.
I won’t say this is a flawless record; “Music’s Taking Over” (featuring Michael Jackson) would be much more welcome if it was about 3 minutes shorter.
Fortunately, end track,’One More to Grow On,’ rounds out the album with a fine, bouncy piece to round out the punch of Smove’s entrancing tunes. Guaranteed to burrow into your ears for days, the WACK DYNAMITE E.P. will leave you shaking like you were a regular on the SOUUUUULLLLL TRAIN!
Tonight at Dawn 