V/A – Obligated Records: Vol.2

V/A – Obligated Records: Vol.2

From the outside it might seem like grime is going through a fallow period. But peek beneath the surface and a healthy scene is underway, driven by people including Travs Presents, DaMetalMessiah, and Oblig. Over the years the latter, now a Rinse resident and label owner, has quietly become one of the UK underground scene’s most influential figures. Though he first gained recognition via grime, his reach as a DJ and label head of Obligated extends across a wide spectrum of bass sounds, from UK funky to garage and beyond, all of which are reflected in the diverse sounds on this compilation. Last year’s annual compilation from the Rinse resident was nominated for a DJ Mag Best of British award, and the follow-up holds to that high standard. 

Amid spacey dub shuffles (Bastide & Oliver Twist’s ‘Untitled R’) and funky mutations (Chris Guillotine’s ‘That Organ’), a highlight comes in the form of Dual Monitor’s ‘Rise & Set’ — a textural drum workout for peak-time. Elsewhere, there are knowing nods to classic grime heritage (JLSXND7RS ‘Locked Groove’ draws on the eski synths of Wiley’s ‘Morgue’ while Sir Hiss’s ‘Hey ft. Revrt’ nods to ‘And Again’ by Wiley and God’s Gift). Things also get techy and tough, with ‘Caught In Tac Stance’ by MJK, and trip-hopp-y with Small Crab’s ‘Teeth in the Current’. A disco instrumental is given the slow jam treatment in ‘The Music’ by the now-retired Mr Slash — a track that’s been floating around for 20 years and frequently prompted ID requests when Oblig dropped it in his sets. Grime 3.0 is alive and mutating — and Oblig is proving it’s as shape-shifting, weird, and experimental as ever.

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