The BugBest The Bug Albums Ranked

Fire

loudandquiet

9.0

“Going into a new release from The Bug (aka Kevin Martin), you can count on a few key things being in the mix: cavernous atmospherics, check; an incredible level of dub, dance, hip-hop, dancehall, hardcore and experimental music literacy, check; most importantly, punishing, relentless, life-affirming bass – check. All are present and correct on Fire. But there’s so much more to this record than tha”

London Zoo

pitchfork

8.6

“London-based producer the Bug knows bass, and on London Zoo, it hits at machine-gun intervals, leaving deep, tube-station echoes disintegrating in its wake. A manifestation of how London has mutated the sounds of Jamaica to its own ends, this monster dubstep/dancehall hybrid makes Burial's Untrue sound like Music for Airports.”

Fire

pitchfork

8.0

“Drawing inspiration from the abject state of contemporary Britain and nourished by fantasies of righteous violence, the latest album from the UK producer is his heaviest in years.”

Machine

pitchfork

7.6

“This anthology of instrumentals the industrial dub stalwart crafted for his pummeling live performances is some of his heaviest, ugliest, most damaged-sounding music yet.”

Pressure

pitchfork

7.2

“One of the more common criticisms of Jamaica's music from those who don't typically listen to it is that it's monolithic. That it all. Sounds. The. Same. I can't remotely agree with the sentiment, but those who have this idea in their head don't often care to reconcile with the possibility that they may be mistaken. There's no such problem on *Pressure*, as The Bug skulks around the dancehall unde”

Angels & Devils

pitchfork

6.7

“On Angels & Devils, the Bug's Kevin Martin bifurcates his interests, offering six songs of muddy dirges and six tracks of raucous, MC-aided bangers that will be familiar to fans of London Zoo. Grouper, Gonjasufi, Death Grips, and others contribute.”