ECCODECK More Africa In US (Independent) Rating: NNN
Rating: NNN
With African Head Charge missing in action, Guelph producer Andrew McPherson has taken it upon himself to fill the rootsy world dub void. Eccodeck features McPherson mixing bass-heavy rhythms with vocals from Rwandan and Malian singers, live percussion and rubbery synth sounds. There’s a steamrolling groove to many of these tracks, and McPherson’s dub smarts are obvious, with vocals twisted and turned around, the bass pushed into your lap and horns bleating from deep within the mix. It’s hard to ignore the touristy vibe that sporadically rears its head in More Africa In US, though. The fusion between beats and vocals often isn’t convincing, and the mix occasionally sounds too studio-based. But when it works, as on the heaving Bodhichitta Dub, McPherson’s grooves are immense.
