Pressure Drop - Elusive

There are few who can lay claim to making such innovative and quintessentially music, with their roots buried deep in reggae, soul, funk, hip hop and the warehouse party culture that spawned the UK dance scene - Pressure Drop are true originals.

Somewhat overlooked and ignored by the greater public, the Blood Brothers partnership of Dave Henley and Justin Langlands, has survived a decade plus of genre-bending, fickle sub-set audiences. Paying more than a token gesture to a dietary upbringing of dub and reggae, this is one of their finest and richest works, a theatrical festival of lush strings and culturally tuned lyrics mixed with an abundance of different and varied instrumentation. Taking basic structures from a mainly downtempo palette of soul, lovers, hip-hop and emotional orchestration, Pressure Drop have produced a mature album that flows consistently, painting cinematic landscapes that disregard convention and fashion. With a large portion of the album comprised of Anita Jarret and Galliano's Constantine's singing, Henley and Langlands flex their producers' skills to the max, allowing the vocals to breathe amongst the rich array of sounds that surrounds them. A highly listenable album that demands critical applause for its originality and depth.

"Elusive" is a mix of electronic, jazz, soul and classical instrument sounds, underpinned with the deepest darkest bass notes. These thread together the eclectic tracks in this collection like a gorgeous charm bracelet, but each track on its own is polished, sophisticated, and oozes quality. For me, the soundscapes powerfully evoke images: a quiet seascape at night ("Foetus"); a poem performed in a smoky basement lounge somewhere in the small hours ("Sounds of Time"); a jungly tropical island paradise in hot sun with crashing surf ("Dusk", anomalously).

As a whole, "Elusive" transcends anything of a similar genre - comparisons are useless, because quite simply it does everything better than everything else. It's a mystery why this album hasn't reached wider publicity. Beg, borrow or steal a copy of "Elusive" and savour the joy of having unearthed a secret gem.

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