Ninja Tunes
Imagine that Rick Rubin in his Def Jam days had managed to lure Public Enemy’s Bomb Squad production team away from their love of James Brown and Maceo Parker nudging them instead towards the high-octane sounds of heavy metal. This is Qemists’ vibe picking up on the promise The Prodigy offered to British rave fans looking for a synthesis of drum ’n’ bass and rock ’n’ roll. Ten years after the “electronica” pan flash Qemists have put these two sounds back on a collision course although they have a tin ear for melody. Once you listen beyond the screaming guitars and pounding drums there isn’t much on offer. Still it is a new direction for electronic label Ninja Tune. The British electronic music scene is undergoing a tremendous amount of experimentation and hybridization and Ninja Tune with its recent signings of Qemists and The Bug has demonstrated that it intends to cover all of its bases. Hopefully it’ll take them to more interesting places.
