For some people, turning ‘pop’ is akin to an insult.
For Toddla T though, it seems to be a badge of honour. The producer has always been aware of Dancehall’s cartoon side, it’s ability to throw in a cheesy pop melody over bubbling bass.
Now the beatsmith has put this into practise. Owing its spiritual home to a place somewhere between Sheffield, London and Jamaica new album ‘Watch Me Dance’ has a definite pop feel at times.
Typically eclectic, Toddla T throws in elements of house and British bass into the mix, once again pushing his music in new directions. Much more immediate than ‘Skanky Skanky’ the new album has crash-landed with a vengeance onto the ClashMusic stereo.
Sadly, it’s taken a bit longer to reach stores. First, ‘Watch Me Dance’ was leaked weeks before release before the PIAS fire destroyed all available stock.
Delayed by a week, Toddla T’s new album is set to birth a new single. ‘Streets So Warm’ owes its genesis to the producer’s time in Jamaica, first working with Major Lazer before returning for a solo venture.
Enlisting the aid of Kingston native Wayne Marshall this is one of the most straight-up dancehall efforts on the new album. A raw, reggae vibe moves through the track but there’s still plenty of Toddla T’s idiosyncrasies to get your teeth into.
Out on October 17th, ‘Streets So Warm’ will be accompanied by the usual flurry of remixes. Zed Bias, Serial Killaz and Ross Orton come to the fore as they twist and turn the single in new directions.
Listen to ‘Streets So Warm’ now…
