Jack Dangers

Along with Ben Stokes and Mike Powell, Meat Beat Manifesto’s Jack Dangers has released a series of stunning breakbeat records under the Tino Corp name. Complete with a heavy Latin vibe, mixed with some beautiful beats and football commentary samples, Dangers weaves these Tino cuts together for the majority of the album. And thank goodness for that, because it’s these Tino breaks that are the most precious. The album starts off with a brilliant Meat Beat Manifesto tune, “Shave My Head,” a track that fits well into the mould, with a strictly down-tempo groove and an underlining spy theme. That MBM track quickly clears the way for some seriously percussion-heavy numbers. Tracks such as “Kick It Dub” and “Ritmos Latinos” are standout tracks, with the latter equipped with some of the funkiest upright bass licks imaginable. Being essentially various break records melded into one offering, Hello Friends delivers just that: some head-spinning breakbeats that do their duty in serving up the beats we crave. The final two tracks (remixes of “House of God”) don’t seem to sit well with the rest of the blend, being more on the house/dance side — not an entirely great way to finish a otherwise fantastic and nearly flawless record. Still, the finale is not nearly weak enough to spoil the entire project that Jack Dangers has mustered together.