Hint

The roots of Jamaica run deep in the soul of Sussex-based producer Jonathan James. The proof is all over his third album as Hint, delivering a haze of irie riddims, as channelled through the raunchy beats of UK garage, future dancehall, break beat and other subgenres. Lead single "Aliens Enter" has T-Fly spitting rhymes like Lil' Calliope's "The True" over a massive, gamelan-flavoured hip-hop beat. "Watch The Media" tastes a little of classic drum & bass, care of a tastefully deployed amen break and a tight, Juice Aleem-like flow by Profisee, giving his views on the phone hacking scandal still rocking billionaire media tycoon Richard Murdock, a theme underlined by a sampled dial tone. Daily Intake yearns for a big system; it's designed to tantalize subwoofers and keep feet moving. This album may not resonate with the West coast crowd so much, but "Give It Up" wouldn't be out of place on a Chromeo album. The rest of Daily Intake would find a comfortable place in the record collections of those in the East that dig the likes of Poirier, the Bug and Bonjay/Thunderheist.