Smith & Mighty - Bass Is Maternal (1995/2018)

Re-Release of the First Album. Rob Smith & Ray Mighty, the Two Masterminds Behind the Sound-Aesthetic of the Smith & Mighty Sound System Originally Recorded this Collection in 1989 When Drum N Bass was Merely a Seed in the Minds of Its Progenitors.

Long credited as trailblazers of the sound that Portishead, Massive Attack, and Tricky made famous, this reissue of Smith & Mighty's landmark debut, Bass Is Maternal, stands as a testament to their incredible influence and heritage. As the predecessors of the famed Bristol scene, Smith & Mighty set a blueprint: a precise convergence of dub, reggae, hip hop, jungle, and techno, later deemed "trip-hop." Recorded in 1989, Bass proved prophetic, featuring several tracks that showcase a smattering of sped-up breakbeats backed by a throbbing sub-bass, years before that sound officially emerged as "jungle." Utilizing moaning echoes and skittering beats that seem to slide sideways, "Jungle Man Corner," "Drowning," and the title track all eerily foreshadow the future. --Tricia Romano