- Bugz In the Attic are a UK based broken beat supergroup consisting of 9 members all of whom partake in production, live performance and production under their own separate guises as well. The Bugz have already released a FabricLIVE mix CD to critical success and have also been responsible for a slew of remixes and they share these remixes with their fans with their new album, Got The Bug.
The Bugz back up Macy Gray's husky vocal offerings on When I See You with an urban UK flavoured rhythm dropping a dirty, growling bassline combined with a funky synth hook. Vikter Duplaix's Looking For Love gets an even dirtier and buzzier bassline, bouncy tech effects and a much more syncopated breakbeat.
4 Hero's already made a classic out of Hold It Down with remixes done by Wookie of the Exemen, Agent K (aka Kaidi Tatham who plays keyboards for the Bugz) and a cover by the Quantic Soul Orchestra. Here the Bugz give the already funky and jazzy tune a sweet synth and string riff, a cool bass line and a slight pitch change in the middle. For their remix of Nitin Sawhney's Rainfall the Bugz have invited Rodney P to spit his treademark ragga flows and quick delivery over a light grimey beat. Rodney should lend his vocals to more grime/2-step tunes as he sounds very much at home doing this style as he is with hip hop.
The Bugz then drop down to half tempo for their remix of Gene Harris' Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong an old Blue Note records which appears on the Blue Note Revisited compilation. For this remix they've gone the whole nine yards and invited vocalists to resing the vocals with a full rhythm section comprising of keyboards (played by Kaidi of the Bugz), guitar, trap kit and string ensemble. The tune then speeds back up to the usual broken beat tempo of 130 bpm during the second phase.
Got The Bug also includes a brand new Bugz In The Attic tune, Booty La La which slightly shys away from broken beat and features a funky disco beat and catchy bass line melody with vocals provided by M'pho and Bembe who in some ways sound like Erykah Badu when they do the "la la's". There's also a wicked triplet style break in the middle. As a bonus track Bugz producer Afronaught drops a remix of a Bugz tune from 2000. Waiting features the vocals of Beverly Armstrong and rides on the same broken beat meets space jazz flavour that the Bugz are known for.
As a treat to Bugz fans the group have also taken the tunes (in different order) and dropped a mix CD to appeal those who loved their FabricLive mix from earlier in the year. The Bugz sound can be described as being rich in flavour and full of texture, as they provide full sounding beats mixed with quirky effects and the funkiest of vocals. Got The Bug should appeal to fans of the Bugz sound as well as the original artists who they've provided remixes for.