The Bristolian known as Roni Size (real name Ryan Williams) is an artist whose musical exploration in jungle and drum & bass has delivered varied results. If you are expecting flavours like those served up by Reprazent — his winning work with Krust and DJ Die — you might come away disappointed. On Take Kontrol, the artist mines his drum & bass roots — he calls the solo project "dancefloor cuts for the heads" — for an old school soul-pop vibe.
As a tenured member of the genre, Roni Size has the sound down pat. What seems to be missing is the "So what?" factor throughout the proceedings. Crisp cuts abound with numbers like "Just a Little," "Rum Come" and "The Jump Off," but the overall vibe is fleeting, missing that heavy rotation factor. Despite a firm hand on production, the inspiration for it all seems to be missing. It's an ordinary listen at best.
(Mansion Sounds)As a tenured member of the genre, Roni Size has the sound down pat. What seems to be missing is the "So what?" factor throughout the proceedings. Crisp cuts abound with numbers like "Just a Little," "Rum Come" and "The Jump Off," but the overall vibe is fleeting, missing that heavy rotation factor. Despite a firm hand on production, the inspiration for it all seems to be missing. It's an ordinary listen at best.