Baobinga & Co. – Joint Ventures (2011) [Build] // Grade: A-

If you recently saw Resident Advisor‘s premiere of their new feature series Real Scenes, you’ll immediately notice there’s something special going on in Bristol. Is it the water? Is it their awesome night life? Does it have something to do with their enthusiasm for rugby and hot air balloons? Why is there so much incredible music coming out of Bristol lately, particularly involving dubstep and bass music culture? Rather than ponder, it’s better to just enjoy it and embrace all the unique, active talent in this thriving city. This is exactly the mindset of bass music Bristolite (or is it Bristolonian?) Sam Simpson, better known as Baobinga. In his latest release Joint Ventures, Simpson shows just how to join forces and dish out some slick club anthems.

If you’re a fan of dubstep, take one look at the tracklisting: Baobinga collaborates with what looks like the lineup or guestlist for some epic festival you never heard of. When I first saw this, I thought “uh-oh, this could either be really good or really bad.” Fortunately it’s the former. This is coming from someone who is very critical of most albums that consistent entirely of collaborations. Really though, who in recent history pulled it off well other than Gorillaz? I think Baobinga’s selection of forward-thinking, like-minded talented friends saved him from a contrived collection of disjointed singles. Instead, the album comes across as the best summer outdoor all-night party Bristol has to offer. Well-played, Simpson!

The album kicks off with an 80′s out, roll-up-the-sleeves-of-your-blazer synthline with “Heartburst Riddim,” a collaboration with the king of gangster melodies, Ginz. Right off the bat you get the fun of a song from a Brat Pack movie soundtrack, the slow “CLACK!” skank of a purple dubstep tune and even some hands-in-the-air, almost Swedish House Mafia-ish synth chords in the chorus. This opening track demonstrates Baobinga’s dedication to eclecticism, amazing sound design and sense of fun. Though distinctly different in terms of tempo, rhythm and mood, Baobinga’s constant in Joint Ventures — and also his greatest strength —i s in his drums. Damn dude, every song on this album has crisp drum kits and infectious, stand out rhythms. He can make sparse, boom-SMACK dubstep anthems like “Make Me Feel” on his own just as well as he can make loopy, rolling left-field garage with Hyetal on “Anything For Now.”

While most tracks on Joint Ventures are grade-A examples of his overlapping taste with his collaborators, Baobinga is not afraid to venture into new dimensions. I think the most surprising, innovative and refreshing track on the album is the unexpected direction of his collaboration with Gemmy, “Rockfall.” Here we see Gemmy — like Ginz, known for futureworld melodies — go off the deep end into an acrobatic bouncey blend of hip hop, drum and bass and his signature purple sound. “Barbakan,” his tune with XXXY on the album, is a wild, thumping and hard-hitting yet slow-and-housey banger. It sounds like a new direction for both their styles, and the only context I can imagine partying to this would be someone voguing and bush-whacking through the Amazon Rainforest with two gold sabers.

If there were anything to change, it would be that Joint Ventures is one or two tracks too long. Most of the songs are long anyway, and with so many memorable tunes, some of the other in between riddims district from favorites. Though I’m all for the chaotic, slap-you-in-the-face Untold remix, it feels too anxious compared to how smooth and playful the rest of the album is. Likewise with his collaboration with Guido “Bumba,” its mood seems unclear compared to the other awesome team-up from the two later in the album, “Ballin’.” Those tracks aside, Baobinga and his Justice League of bass come out on top in the end.

- Rx