Lee Bannon

As a producer for Joey Bada$$ and the Pro Era crew, Lee Bannon consistently delivers beats that are linear yet still leave a notable mark, such as on Super Helpful's sublime The Help EP. In stark contrast to this lies the ominous Caligula Theme Music 2.7.5 and his oddball debut LP, Fantastic Plastic, both of which remained relatively under the radar, but lit enough of a fire to attract the attention of Ninja Tune. Which brings us to Bannon's latest overhaul, Alternate / Endings, a huge and lumbering behemoth thrown together from the rusty scraps of jungle and chewed up hip-hop. Make no mistake, this album is grimy, but it's got enough left-field elements scattered throughout to keep it from being just straight-up filth. The album's intelligent drum work, tender vocals, and hip-hop sensibilities magically fuse into a Frankenstein of a record, managing to be sinister yet completely intriguing. Realistically, Alternate / Endings is not for everyone, but anyone who's intrigued by the dark and unconventional side of things — or thinks that jungle needs a new platform — will devour this album.