Rinse:08 Alexander Nut

Nothing stings like a sucker punch. Swung from out of nowhere it connects and leaves you reeling, wondering what the hell hit you? Well mix CD Rinse:08 sees Alexander nut you fair and square between the eyeballs. And guess what: you never even saw it coming. I barely even saw it coming, and I’ve DJed after the man twice (at The End).

But Rinse:08 left me on the canvas seeing stars. It’s a heavyweight, first round KO.

I go deeper into what’s exceptional about this mix on the CD’s sleevenotes, but stepping back I think one reason is a simple factor as “selection.” Alexander has an ear for quality, much of which is unfamiliar yet grabs instantly. Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke, Morgan “Spacek” Zarate, Roots Manuva and Eric Lau all connect on a hip hop level. Then there’s Joker, Rustie, Zomby and Pinch woven seamlessly together. Dancehall and r&b go into the blend too, but Bullion steals the show.

And yes, I know, no one likes the term “w*nky” right now, not the artists concerned especially since Simon Reynolds’ K-clanger, but in many way this mix is the perfect encapsulation of what I saw when I first well-meaningly used the term: a seam of common innovation running through disparate multiple scenes: dubstep, grime, broken beat, hip hop and r&b.

In an era of access to unprecedented volumes of data, musical or otherwise, people complain the joy of discovery is being lost, that there are no more surprises anymore. Well all I’m saying is when you wake up with a purple bruise between your eyes don’t come to me looking all surprised. You’ve just been Nutted.

· Download Alexander Nut's Rinse shows from their blog. He headlines his CD launch party this Sunday at FWD>> with support from Mark Pritchard/Harmonic 313, Joker and Youngsta. If that lineup doesn’t somehow interest you, you’re on the wrong blog. Move along, move along, nothing for you to see here...