Both as the Bug and King Midas Sound, UK producer Kevin Martin has been heavily invested in dubstep's Jamaican roots. The genre of course takes inspiration from dub and dancehall, but Martin highlights this more than his contemporaries, putting reggae elements up against low-end grime and the echoes of desolate urban soundscapes. His still-thrilling London Zoo from 2008 is the best example of this fusion and one of the defining LPs of dubstep's ascendancy. It's been a while since we've heard Martin in Bug form, though, and the genre has changed drastically since, splintering off into dozens of microgenres and regionally focused styles.
To reintroduce the project, Martin presents Infected, a double 12" (basically an EP) that features two new cuts and two pretty high-profile remixes. The EP is intended as a bridge between London Zoo and his next full-length, which is being described as a "dub battle" between him and producer Adrian Sherwood, who's known for working with Lee "Scratch" Perry and early industrial acts like Cabaret Voltaire and Ministry. The two new songs here are both solid. "Catch a Fire", which features King Midas contributor Hitomi, is nice and woozy but essentially an extension of the blown-out downtempo shuffle already explored on KMS' Waiting for You.
"Tune In", though, a collaboration with ragga-leaning rapper Roots Manuva, is a totally natural fit. The two are clearly kindred spirits, and Manuva's lithe toasting provides just the right contrast to Martin's grinding synth work. For the remixes, Martin makes some intriguing picks. Impressed by their epic 12-hour podcast earlier this year, he brought in out-techno OGs Autechre to redo "Skeng". A cool choice, but their brand of techy minimalism kind of saps the power out of the original. Hyperdub-affiliated newcomer Scratcha DVA, who turned heads with his wild "Natty/Ganja" 12", gives "Poison Dart" a UK funky overhaul, adding in the quick stabs of hollow bass that are inherent to the genre.
Both of these remixes work more as interesting genre overlaps than dancefloor jams, and as for the latter, the jury's still out on whether funky will ever make a significant impact stateside. (If the Fives' should-be megahit "It's What You Do" doesn't do it, it kind of seems like nothing will.) It's also tough to gauge the impact of a release this short-- if anything it serves as a good reminder of the Bug's presence and reason to keep eyes on his next big release. These original tracks and reworks do suggest, though, that Martin is still very deep into his own thing. In dubstep, where the trend cycle produces so much stylistic crossover, that's a very valuable characteristic.
