At the dawn of this decade, a new electronic bass mutation emerged from South London, nurtured by the same anarchic spirit that fed jungle in the 1990s and dubstep a decade later. Led by low-end explorers Bok Bok and L-Vis 1990, Night Slugs grew out of a club night; the label collective’s output blended grime’s ominous rumblings with rattling dirty South snares, and pitched-up vocals with sweet, sticky trance synths. In 2010, foundational member Phil Gamble (aka Girl Unit) dropped “Wut,” an absolute monster of a track that became emblematic of post-dubstep’s possibilities but also proved to be the UK producer’s albatross, a sound he’d spend the rest of his career trying to outmatch.
Following the rise of similarly minded producers like Glaswegians Rustie and Hudson Mohawke along with Lunice and the organizers of Montréal’s Turbocrunk parties, Girl Unit answered “Wut” by wisely going in the opposite direction. Gamble deconstructed 1980s funk and freestyle for the minimalist, 808-driven instrumentals on 2012’s six-track EP Club Rez. A handful of DJ mixes, singles, and remixes followed in the years since—along with production work on Kelela’s genre- and club-smashing Cut 4 Me mixtape in 2013 and Hallucinogen EP in 2015—but it wasn’t until earlier this month that the London producer finally released his long-awaited debut full-length, Song Feel.
Gamble has pivoted once again: He said in an interview that he wanted to write structured songs with singers, rather than simple bangers, and Song Feel features a roster of vocalists including Kelela, Nigerian-Lebanese-Jamaican singer Taliwhoah, and Lionel Richie-approved songwriter Rush Davis, with a couple of instrumentals thrown in for good measure. Though the vibe is luxuriously produced and steeped in low-lit R&B and slow, soulful funk, the album lacks the radical instincts that once made Girl Unit one to watch. His music is now nearly indistinguishable from the pop and contemporary club that Gamble cites as an influence.
Atlanta MC Thast’s spicy verses ignite “Pull Up” even though the beat sounds ripped from a Sonny Digital type beats YouTube channel, and on “Sucker Free” Brooklyn MC Ms. Boogie slays over an ominously icy beat that sounds like it was rescued from the cutting-room floor. Gamble’s guests are Song Feel’s saving grace: Kelela sings and emotes flawlessly on album lead “WYWD” as a muted shuffle ticks and snaps in the background, and Davis’ songwriting chops elevate “Evidence” beyond your average Uber-referencing torch song. The album also serves as a showcase for North London’s Brook Baili, who shines on the gospel-tinged “24 Hours.”
When left to his own devices—as on the chopped-and-screwed “Roll” and the Jersey club-indebted “Pure Gold”—Girl Unit rests on formerly niche sounds that have been adopted by more mainstream-facing artists. The tropical sway on “Stuck” has become established on the charts since Popcaan linked up with Drake, and “Head” is an unremarkable take on LA neo-funk, its pillowy percussion and yearning vocal little more than a blank canvas that has yet to be filled out. Instead of rewriting the book, Gamble now seems to be playing by the same rules as everyone else.
