Bleep

Equiknoxx Music’s Nick “Bobby Blackbird” Deane momentarily steps out of the collective to unleash his very first instrumental cut. Despite emerging as a result of a near-fatal vehicle accident in 2015, ‘The Master Blenda’ is one of those joyously infectious tracks that, like a neat, slim novella bursting with character, is impossible to put down for long. Luscious horns champion the ska/2-tone rhythm on the main track, while the b-side’s dub mix propels the beat along with dubbed out echo and a house-flavoured beat. Bobby Blackbird flies the coop. Usually making his home in the Equiknoxx crew, here we find Blackbird dropping his first-ever solo single. ‘The Master Blenda’ is markedly different from Equiknoxx’s typical futuro-dancehall sound, too. This track is far closer to classic ska - horn section and all - in a manner that recalls genre legends like The Skatalites. Indeed, the only hint that this is a modern-day joint is the track’s crisp production and chunky, buzzing synthetic low-end. This old-school approach extends to the single’s B-side dub, a classic-sounding production that nods to King Tubby and Scientist. All in all ‘The Master Blenda’ is an intriguing development for Bobby Blackbird.