Hint-Driven From Distraction(2008)01. Keep Your Shirt on Feat. Laura Vane
02. The Mist Lifts 04:42
03. Afro Love Forest Feat. Kinny
04. At the Dance
05. Got A Pulse
06. One Woman Army Feat. Laura Vane
07. Snake Patrol Feat. Gavin Stenhouse
08. Mutes and Drops
09. Muddled Morning Feat. Rizzle
10. Scrawny's Beat
11. I, Silverfish Feat. Rup
12. The Tremmuh
Link Hint is back with "Driven From Distraction" - his
first full album on Tru Thoughts. This killer mix
of instrumental and vocal tracks sees Hint
exploring the eclectic styles of music that have
excited and inspired him over the years - from hip
hop to electronica, fiery soul to straight up
dancefloor bombs - whilst pushing boundaries for a
new, unique sound. Stunning guest vocals are
provided by long-time collaborator Laura Vane; the
prodigious teenaged MC Rizzle; and Tru Thoughts and
Zebra Traffic label-mates Kinny and Rup. Hint has
been rocking dancefloors and releasing music of a
stunning quality for the best part of the 21st
century (notably, Hint was invited to record a Peel
Session at Maida Vale in 2002) and this new long
player is set to bring his unique and accomplished
skills as a producer and composer into the
limelight once and for all. He released his debut
album, the cheeky and chilled "Portakabin Fever" on
Ninja Tune in 2003 and has since released a handful
of EPs on Tru Thoughts, which have attracted
excellent reviews and acclaim from the likes of
Laurent Garnier and DJ Andy Smith (Portishead) and
many other DJs and tastemakers worldwide. The
"Driven From Distraction" album provides a first
and long-anticipated CD release for some of the
biggest and most sought-after cuts off those 12s
such as "I, Silverfish" (with Rups masterful
stream-of-consciousness MC?ing), "The Tremmuh" and
"At The Dance" - along with a host of amazing new
tracks.
The opening song, "Keep Your Shirt On" featuring
Laura Vanes soulful vocals, sets the mood for the
album it is pretty stripped down and electronic,
but energetic at the same time. On the deeply
melodic "Afro Love Forest", conjuring up images of
an exotic leafy glade, Tru Thoughts label-mate
Kinny gives a stellar performance, exercising the
reaches of her stunning vocal range with soaring
melodies and a darker undercurrent. "At The Dance"
has become something of an anthem since it came out
on the EP of the same name late last year. The rush
that it captures, at the moment when the massive
bassline kicks in and the energy level goes through
the roof, has made it a powerful DJ weapon.
Bringing a lighter tone to the album, "Got A
Pulse", with its infectious guitar riff develops
and progresses into one of Hint?s most catchy
compositions.
All the vocal tracks are intentionally quite
"poppy", with short intros, tight arrangements and
attention-grabbing sounds, such as the other Laura
Vane-voiced gem, "One Woman Army", a fiery
soul/boogie style track with catchy vocals and
melody and Hints trademark quirky beats and riffs.
"Snake Patrol", an instrumental featuring Gavin
Stenhouse on guitar, continues the "boogie" theme,
and the 80s-style synth lines layered over the
guitar parts Illuminate Hints fondness for
exploring interesting and seemingly strange
combinations. A lush, full track that harks back to
some of Hints earlier material, "Mutes And Drops"
has a chilled, blissful organic sound. In a change
of direction, newie "Muddled Morning" features the
talents of Rizzle - in Hints words, an "insanely
ambitious" 16-year-old MC who picked up on Hint?s
music through the wondrous medium of MySpace and
proceeded to hassle him for a couple of beats. With
an aim to keep on representing his own experiences
and day-to-day life through his music (whilst he
says most of his contemporaries in the MC field are
starting to rhyme about stabbing people on the bus
and the like) Rizzle is a fun and refreshing
presence, laying a hip hop/grime rhyme onto one of
Hints chunkiest beats yet. "Scrawnys Beat",
another new track, is a dancefloor bomb that evokes
that feeling of being totally overwhelmed by the
sound and the pressure coming out of the speakers.
"The Tremmuh", probably Hints biggest hit to date,
wraps up this album in style and will leave you in
no doubt that Hint is on top of his game
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