Walkin’ Target

A pretty heavyweight proposal here: Ashtech is a reggae bassist who works with Gaudi and roots MC Cheshire Cat, instantly recognisable from Leftfield’s Chant Of A Poor Man. The vibe is best described as quality, cutting roots through a 21st century filter: times Gaudi’s dubby production lends a deep, paranoid groove to proceedings, while the live element shines through for an organic, authentic feeling.

The tracks with Cheshire Cat are, at their peak, mesmerising. Earthforce blends smooth reggae with caustic, galvanised beats whose rhythm is perfectly complemented by Cat’s skippy delivery. Essential Credential sees the vocals delivered from the other side of a megaphone, and Gaudi’s wall of sound makes something that could have been quite normal sound positively otherworldly.

Beat Da Drum, Gringo! is a misty-eyed, slowdance prayer to rhythm, where the music takes a backseat to the energising sunshine of the vocals. It’s at times like this when you realise that the combination of talent has that spark that can completely lift you emotionally, while giving you that prevalent sense of something new being created from recycled ingredients.

While there are decent dub moments (Mahayana, Individuality, Imaginary World) there is a tendency for some of the more sparse, run-of-the-chill tracks to just sit back and coast along. This is frustrating: the combination of musicians prove themselves to be at their best when fully-energised, and it’s a pity when the vibrant post-Roots that was hitting you on one track dissolves into headnod in the next.

These frustrations dilute the punch of what could have been an essential album. What they have achieved, when it works, is a completely fresh interpretation of one of the oldest musical styles in the world. When it doesn’t work, you get the impression that the producers were having much more fun in the studio than we’re having in our music-hammocks.

Ashtech would be brilliant live, I’ll bet my house on it. I’d also bet my second house on them one day producing something so utterly incredible that the world is forced to sit up and listen. Walkin’ Target isn’t quite fully realised in that respect.