ZOMBY - Mercurys Rainbow

After nearly a decade in the making, Zomby finally dispatches Mercurys Rainbow, his astonishing and uniquely formulated dedication to Wileys series of Eskibeat releases, aka the cornerstone of grime. Originally recorded over an intense couple of weeks while suffering from circadian dysrhythmia, Mercurys Rainbow documents Zomby riffing on intricately hand-programmed arpeggios, using theories of color and its relation to the sonic chromatic spectrum -- the circle of fifths -- to place an expressively avant spin on the Wiley Kats sliding Triton squares and frozen, post-garage drum patterns. Rather than simply imitating Wileys foundational unit of grime currency, Zomby innovates with a structure of bewildering, modal styles, refracting 16 diamond-cut permutations according to a color-sound spectrum of tonalities. In the process he effectively loosens up and liquefies the Eski riddim, rendering its bones and sinew in varying states of reactive, physical deliquescence or GIF-like micro-organisms. For dancers and DJs, the fluid contours and viscous, displaced rhythmic anticipation of Mercurys Rainbow suggests myriad geometries for movement in-the-mix, and serves to single-handedly put to sleep a whole genre of also-ran, prosaic future grime" through its methodical, inventively ground-up construction. While its difficult to say with certainty, if Mercurys Rainbow was issued at the same time it was created, it may have arguably altered the course of UK grime instrumentals in much the same way Wileys original template coined a whole new genre, essentially making it the last word in grime futurism, proper. Master and lacquer cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy; Limited edition vinyl." - Modern Love.