DJ SUV
"DESERT ROSE"
(FULL CYCLE)
2LP/CD  [RELEASE: OCT 2001]

The first artist album on Roni Size’s Full Cycle Records label has arrived! Having enjoyed UK Top 10 success with Krust as the Fresh Four with 'Wishing On A Star', DJ Suv (the man once described as the “Lee Perry of drum’n’bass” for his heavily reggae-tinged beats)  has turned to Flamenco as another major influence for his ‘Desert Rose’ album.

A deep offering here from Suv (who also records as Bigger Star), with ‘Desert Rose’ exploring Latin, South American and Asian themes rather than any tempo, design or formula, though there’s still a wealth of material for the drum’n’bass head to get their teeth into. All tracks tell a different but equally powerful story, set somewhere in the “Silk Route” in Asia.

Opening with one of Jumpin' Jack Frost's and Gilles Peterson's favourites 'Nina' (also to be found on Gilles' new "Trust The DJ" compilation), the brooding jazz-step of ‘Yo Soy’ and firing bassline rollers ‘Asian Cast’ and ‘Guitar Band’ hit the floor head on, as do the ethereal sounds of previously released single ‘Alfombra Magica’ and the Amen bombshell ‘Flying To Nowhere’. ‘Alhambra’ and ‘Food Of Life’ offer a more subtle drum’n’bass recipe, with their edgy flamenco ambience geared more towards a listening experience, while a pure experimental edge surfaces with the nervy fusion of snaking techno lead lines and handclaps on ‘Flamenco Cybernetico’, a track that is pulled off with hypnotic aplomb.

Produced in “true Bristol fashion”, ‘Desert Rose’ is an unusual, compelling album giving drum’n’bass a completely new dimension, and comforting DJ Suv as one of the most forward-thinking producers around.