Cali-based Banana Stand Sound is back for their fifth instalment of potassium-infused bass trickery, this time enrolling five artists to run the controls. As with all their previous releases, the tracks here are hefty enough for most sound systems, but for 005, Underslung and crewdem push forward things a bit by incorporating road-ready grime from Nights & Aerotonin and the chopped up, but not slopped up RnB riffage from TryTryDieDown that the Boxed gang has been repping.
Bristol’s OH91 who is more known for his grime contributions goes full dubstep with the aptly named “Meditation” which opens with spaced out pads and Peter Tosh prophecies soon crumbles underneath a rumbling sub bass as star gazing synths percolate atop it. It’s a spartan affair with not much in-between to write home about. A steel-eyed drop that is supposed to induce a dread ends up fizzling out and the rumbling sub comes back with the percolating synths returning again. While stumbling out of the starting block, Nights & Aerotonin provide a much needed boost with “Jazz Lick”. Though it seems a bit of a misnomer as there isn’t a Bill Evans piano theme or a horn within earshot, just pure road ready grime. The track’s momentum makes up for the lackluster opener from OH91 and soon its builds itself into a nice little alien funk that’ll move feet and elicit some quality bars (hopefully) from any willing MC worth their salt.
The second half of the plate shows more promise, as TryTryDieDown channels his inner Gundam, deftly splitting a classy soul or RnB sample (100 points to the person who tells us where the sample comes from!) into a shifty grime inspired jaunt with “My Boo”. The string section tugging our heart strings and a quality guitar lick peppering the funk alongside. While not as aggressive as Gundam or a Spooky bootleg, “My Boo” is soft and sweet with just enough weight to make a breath of fresh air for 005. Closing, Denver’s Crix Saiz merges grime, trap and dubstep into a potent potable with “Warriah” which splices Big Narstie patois (probably ripped from an Uncle Pain video) with dungeon growls and classic low slung 808s for a slab banger that is equal parts trap and dubstep. However, as the track enfolds the constant, almost footwork-esquw chant of “Warriah” becomes more of nuisance than a rallying cry for a good ol’ fashion skank.
Banana Stand Sound’s fifth slab of wax seems a bit of a stumble, considering their past releases. The dubstep found here is a bit too spartan and comes off almost as rough sketches more than fully fleshed out tune, however the grime bits from TryTryDieDown and Nights & Aerotonin redeem the release with a nice mix of sweet and sour which redeems the plate.
BS005 is released March 10th and available to pre-order from the Banana Stand Sound Store.
