Various

Born out of the Raw Fusion club night in Stockholm that has played host to the likes of Jay Dee, Jazzanova, Carl Craig and the Roots, the spirit of these progressive artists has been harnessed on the record label of the same name, headed up by DJ Mad Mats. While the styles of music on this particular compilation are steeped in hip-hop, house, soul, and techno influences, the one thing that unites these tracks is the upfront presence of bass. The low-end on these tracks tagged as "leftfield hip-hop classics” are ridiculously quake-inducing taking many of their sonic cues from one of hip-hop’s most influential current producers Jay Dee aka J Dilla. Dilla himself shows up on the mic for Dabrye’s "Game Over” and provides the minimalist thump on honorary T-dot residents’ Frank n Dank’s "Take Your Clothes Off” and the Midwest connection continues with the Detroit Experiment’s sublime "Highest.” But what’s noticeable is that the Raw Fusion club night, which has been running for the past eight years, has nurtured its own scene that can more than hold its own with the North American and Japanese artists featured here. Swedish production team Hearin Aid’s warped interpretation of Gang Starr’s "DWYCK” needs to be heard to be believed and the fractured beats and perfectly-timed bass drops on Andre featuring Emma’s "I’ll Do That” are proof positive that Stockholm should undoubtedly be earmarked for providing innovative hip-hop inspired vibes in the near future.