- Turbo-charged UK garage.
- UK garage might be back, but the latest revival doesn't feel like a carbon copy of what dominated commercial and pirate airwaves 20 years ago. On the surface, everything seems to be in the right place: skittering hi-hats, punchy bass and candy-coloured melodies that coalesce into bouncing grooves, like those produced by Conducta and his Kiwi Rekords. But the new strain feels more immediate. Maybe we have shorter attention spans these days, our poor brains beaten down by the internet's hyper-stimulation? Just give us the drop.
Whatever the reason, "Baby I Don't Know" feels emblematic of the pepped-up new school. It also directs focus northwards for what most people think of as London music. Finn, a youthful Manchester-based purveyor of vocal-led dance music, teams up with veteran Huddersfield-born UK garage and bassline producer DJ Q on an intergenerational 140-BPM belter. After a luxurious opening, the duo unleash sugary chipmunk vocals, staccato jazz licks and squelchy bass. From there, the pop groove loops. Like the recent output from Finn's Local Action labelmate India Jordan, "Baby I Don't Know" feels turbo-charged with a four-pack of energy drinks.
Tracklist01. Baby I Don't Know