Bleep

Slackk has become something of a figurehead for a new wave of instrumental grime producers, largely operating out of London and centring on the capital's Boxed club night, which Slackk runs alongside Mr. Mitch, Logos and the Oil Gang label. Him and others who share a similar aesthetic delight in twisting instrumental grime into far-out and visionary shapes - among them Rabit, Visionist, Novelist, Moleskin - are arguably making some of the most thrilling club music around right now. If you haven't already, now is the time to take notice. This context makes Slackk's album all the more exciting. He has released a slew of mixtapes over the years, as well as some killer EPs, and his radio shows are always essential listening. The brilliantly titled Palm Tree Fire sees him expanding his atmospheric take on grime beyond the confines of the club, weaving sparse magic on tracks like 'Burnt Ends', elastic melancholy on 'Crafty Tiger', dreamy mysticism on 'Three Kingdoms', building scorched landscapes on 'Hope You Got A', and taking things into more energised territory on the springy 'Ancient Dolphin'. It's a great album, and one of the strongest statements so far from this fertile scene.