DJ Manny's new album 'Hypnotized' is full of fresh ideas which push the
footwork format of 160bpm hyper-rhythmic music in really enjoyable new
directions. He builds on the romantic themes of his last album 'Signals
In My Head' and evolves them with shades of blue, taking very natural
sounding experimentation into new moods and musical colour while never
making the album inaccessible. Arguably this is a fine successor to the
ground broken by DJ Rashad's 'Double Cup' album, which of course Manny
also worked on. 'Hypnotized' solidifies Manny's style, from relaxed
r'n'b rollers to moments of romantic distress - like 'WTF Goin On' and
the reflective 'You N You (ft. DJ Phil)', to more intense moments like
the dubstep inflected 'Ooh Baby' from the vaults, co-produced by DJ
Rashad himself. Other tracks like 'Want U Bad' retool Robert Hood style
minimal techno whereas dark, nervous belters like 'Turn Me Up' sound
like Paul Johnson at his most wild but welded to footwork rhythms and a
pumping jump up drum & bass-line. There are also moments of
enjoyably hype daftness like the acid and diva head-fuck of 'Opera' or
the old school Bukem style jungle homage 'Lost In Da Jungle'.
'Hypnotized' is an album that expands footwork's template with natural
ease and outstanding skill.
Tracklist:
1. Hard Drive (feat. SUCIA!)
2. WTF Goin On
3. Hypnotized
4. Ooh Baby (feat. DJ Rashad)
5. I Can Luv U
6. You N You (feat. DJ Phil)
7. Overnight Flight
8. Want U Bad
9. Turn Me Up
10. Opera
11. Lost In Da Jungle
12. Deep In My Mind
