Various Artists – The Flavours EP 6

Label: PlayazScore: 6.5/10

Hype and Pascal’s Playaz imprint has widened it’s scope beyond the jump up arena they basically owned for many years and have been doing so with their Flavours series of EP’s, which has now hit number six. 

You’d probably think it’s all about Survival’s Didgy on this collection. The rolling beats and war horns certainly help it standout that’s for sure, and not just for the fact its from a producer who’s more at home releasing on labels such as Dispatch. But that’s why the Flavours EP’s work, presenting work from new and established producers who Playaz fans might not be so familiar with. There’s no doubting Didgy is militant as fuck, a D&B call to arms if you will but another standout for me is the increasingly impressive output from Jaydan. His contribution, She’s Heaven, almost echoes early Brookes Brothers. Sweet vocal usage, soft subtle melodies and warm bass make it the track I gravitate to the most. Good to see more non jump up inspired beats from Jaydan, who’s Lonely Day’s off his Journey’s EP is highly recommended listening. Incognito’s Reckless is a slice of minimal, shuffling tech funk, again highlighting the contrasting styles on offer.

With further tracks from Mob Tactic’s, Nerve and Dialogue making up the rest which personally didn’t really do much for me, it’s fair to say that part six of this series is a mixed bag. Though it’s nowhere near the league in terms of overall quality compared to the first three, the contributions from Survival, Jaydan and Reckless should swing some interest.