Muallem

Munich Born David Muallem’s debut on Berlin’s Compost Label is an example of the global nature of hip-hop and funk, which in this case roots Muallem’s tech tweaks, broken beats and electro flavouring with a slew of guest artists. Frankie Splits is easy to digest, with Muallem’s penchant for simple melodies and threaded bass that is punctuated by understated instrumentals perfectly layer robotic but playful beats, and all is underlined by a soulful sensibility and imbued with a consistent groove. Some of the dance floor tracks like "Shanti Dance” and "Sweat” are fairly lightweight, but the funked-out ebullience of "My Life,” the bass-laced broken beat of "Cruising” and the synth-driven rhythms of "Down 2004” make the most of Muallem’s electro/soul marriage, as does the indie pop meets broken beat "Cheerleader” featuring Shawn Lee. Other highlights are "2 Hot 2Cold 2Tough” featuring Lyrics Born and "Having Fun with It” with Wordsworth.