- Montreal's Collect-Call is an eclectic label that has the distinction of releasing Mall Grab's debut EP, in 2015, along with a stream of odd releases from young names like MATTLACK and URA. Dust-E-1, AKA Alex Sheaf, is their latest discovery, one who shares in the current breakbeat fascination of many fellow Canadians. But instead of putting breaks underneath dazed house tunes, Sheaf serves up jungle.
It's striking how on-point Sheaf's jungle workouts are. The A1 cut, with its psychedelically time-stretched vocals and dive-bombing drums, could be right out of 1993, while "4 The Thorough"'s hyped-up bassline and disco strings tease memories of 4Hero. But even at high speeds, there's a sense of restraint. Sheaf likes to leave spaces between the drums, so the snares and kicks of "Ruff Cold" sound deliberate, not frenzied. That style goes a long way on the EP's highlight, "Rims," a piece of pared-down ragga jungle with the catchiest bassline you'll hear outside of old Smith & Mighty records.
Towards the end of "Rims," the rhythm flips into a chopped-n-screwed sample of a '90s King T classic, melting jungle down into half-time hip-hop. There's a similar contrast at the heart of "Roots Of Rodi," which lashes a smooth adult-contemporary jam with breakbeats until it morphs into an upbeat roots reggae jam. Even when he is just riffing on old jungle, Sheaf does it with a flair that makes his take more than worthwhile.
TracklistA1 Ruff Cold
A2 Roots Of Rodi
B1 Rims
B2 4 The Thorough