Various
Artists
Ninja Tune: You Don't Know
*****
Label
compilations rarely get better than those released by Ninja
Tune, a label that for its 18-year existence has been fiercely
independent constantly throwing out funky, engaging and interesting
new tunes.
As label compilations go new offering You Don’t Know is
the daddy – a three CD sprawl of amazing music covering
three labels (Ninja Tune plus hip-hop offshoot Big Dada and
twisted-pop imprint Counter Records) and a mind-numbing array
of genres.
You Don’t Know acts as a signpost for where the label
has come from and where it is going, and while it does throw-up
some older label classics like Mike Ladd’s rare 1998 rap
classic ‘Blah Blah’, the majority of the tunes are
rarities, reworkings and unreleased tracks making it a totally
fresh experience.
The cream of the recent label crop is present, including the
fuzzy rock-soul of The Heavy’s ‘Coleen’, the
smooth acoustic wonderment of Fink’s ‘Pretty Little
Thing’ and the shoegaze-inspired soundscape of Yppah’s
‘Again With Subtitles’, illustrating a label at
the top of its game.
Add nine unreleased tracks from some of the labels biggest acts,
Coldcut, Cinematic Orchestra, and with the stand out funky-turntabalism
of ‘Donkey Ride’ the brilliant Mr Scruff.
Each and every track has its merits and to use a tired old cliché
there really is something for everyone: the ethereal, experimental
hip hop of Clouddead, rockin’ drum and bass from DJ Kentaro,
the manic disco punk of The Death Set.
Rarities from Roots Manuva and a very-rare deleted 12”
track from Diplo make this an absolute must have. It would be
easy to write a hefty document on how great each track on this
release is, but to cut it short: if you are a fan of hip-hop,
drum and bass, folk, dubstep, house, rock, punk, jazz and everything
in between then You Don’t Know is for you.
Throw what you think you know about Ninja Tune out of the window
and let this compilation fill you in on what you don’t
know – it is the best musical knowledge you could get
right now.
By
Marcus Reilly
