Filastine

The foreknowledge that Grey Filastine is a percussionist biases me towards thinking that this mentality is the source of his extraordinarily polyrhythmic song structures. Dirty Bomb posits a somewhat Mediterranean sensibility, where rhythms, harmonies and instrumentation take in Spain, France, North Africa and the Middle East. Never far from the abstract and literal cultural referencing is the grounding element of hip-hop's boom bap gone global. At its frequent best, Dirty Bomb is hypnotizing. Bursting out of the gate with two strong tunes, an early highlight is "Fitnah," which juxtaposes the magnetic vocals of Jessica Skeletalia Kenney with tiny bells and room-filling bass. Next up is "From The South To The West," which, true to its name, smoothly transitions from one rhythm to the next. Fans of glitch will find as much as those who love global urban beats. Filastine's studious approach and murderous sense of focus elevates this above the soulless clatter that so often characterizes overeager computer musicians.