DJ Suv Albums (2)
'Drum 'N' Bass Mix'
Release Date 5/6/2003
Tracks 19
Label Razor & Tie
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
During the late '90s, the drum'n'bass scene endured a long dry period, characterized by arid, brittle beats and nearly unrelenting effects paranoia. When it came roaring back a few years later, an unlikely source -- the music and DJs of Brazil -- proved the catalyst for a return to soulful sound and varied stylistic mix. Though it may surprise a few listeners to find one of the key figures in tech-style jungle making a smooth transition into a new scene, SUV's 2003 set for DMC is all the proof anyone needs. Simply titled but subtly compiled, Drum 'n' Bass Mix makes complete his move from Roni Size sideman and Full Cycle producer to soulful, Brazilian-tinged man about town. A pair of own productions done in sunny Sau Paulo for the Trama label, with vocalists Max de Castro and Patrícia Marx, illustrate that SUV is very comfortable with the sound, his wicked production sense compensating for any sense of profiteering (it was in much the same circumstances that DJ Marky hit the British charts with "LK [Carolina Carol Bela]"). To prove he's hardly a gold-digger, SUV spends plenty of time in the Western Hemisphere, slotting a couple of crucial ragga tracks -- a Smith & Mighty remix of Big Youth's "Jim Screechy" and a More Rockers track called "Ridim." Interspersed are a few of the old breakbeat-mayhem tracks that Full Cycle fans will appreciate, tracks from J Majik, Total Science, and Ray Keith (the latter remixes SUV's "Give It to Me Now"). A winner right off the bat, Drum 'n' Bass Mix takes its place next to Marky's Movement: The Brazilian Job as an excellent look at the future of relevant jungle. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Of all the members of Reprazent, Suv has enjoyed outsider status for longer than perhaps should be expected of a producer involved with one of the most successful drum'n'bass acts operating in the genre. While Size and Die dominated the floors and Krust offered up his deep space take on drum'n'bass, Suv quietly pushed out his own limits -- whether by flipping time signatures or through quiet remonstration of scene politics -- and his sound has been on the cusp of greatness for years. This album is Suv's deliverance. Entrenched in the sonic language of drum'n'bass but unrestricted by it, Desert Rose is a culmination of free beats, every track containing elements that seem to spring from the most unlikely corners -- taking its inspiration from flamenco, salsa, and Moroccan influences while retaining the Bristolian bass rumble makes for a diverse and enjoyable album, certain to appeal to every spectrum of listener. ~ Kingsley Marshall, All Music Guide
