I decided to go back through my ‘miscellaneous’ playlist I’d made a few years back on my laptop and stumbled across the gem that is TWO FINGERS. This album was released back in 2009, and still today has a dominant place on most dance floors and sound systems.
I was surprised to find out that Amon Tobin is actually a Timbaland disciple! Amon originally made music for video games, but then teamed up with British drum and bass producer Doubleclick to make this album, which is a nostalgic rush of bass, dub and raucous vocals.
Sway guests on the majority of the songs but he was never really known as a grime rapper; to me and many, his roots are in poetry and his steadfast devotion to technical dexterity always stood in unmistakable contrast to the scene's others. My favourite line of his in this album is: "You can't describe pictures without the words."
Listening back again, it reminded of PLAN Bs albums and that ‘London vibe’ is oozing throughout. If you had to put it in a genre (which I hate!) its hard! An amalgamation of Grime, 90’s Old School Hip-Hop and Dub, produced impeccably by Two Fingers.
Straw Men opens the album with Sway on vocals with a real sense of starting not only a music album but a story.. Grime flow and production with elements of jungle sounds weaving throughout.
What You Know talks about ‘gangster life’ and running from the police! Its not my favourite on the album but it is catchy!
Better Get That feat MS Jade reminds me of M.I.A, awesome strong female lyrics with a real festival vibe! Im still singing the words to myself to this day!
Two Fingers – well!! This tune is the one that Two Fingers really shines through; his production is so tight and the sounds are enough to tear any soundsystem a new one! Its so heavy! “Two fingers in the air” indeed!
That Girl adds the Funk to the album. Picks up the pace very catchy, with a Freestylers’ vibe
Keman Rhythm has a Middle Eastern
vibe with Turkish sounding guitar samples and drums. One of the filthiest bass lines I’ve ever heard ever!!!
Jewels and Gems, lyrics by Sway are so good u want to listen back in slow motion, write them down and then read them back to yourself to make sure you didn’t miss anything!
Bad Girl by C?ecile is a concoction of very different elements – but it works!! Female on Ragga vocals, sort of country and western sounding guitar sample, or is it a Mexican stand off sample?!
High Life is a real surprise on this album! The beat is heavy electro. and Sway doing grime vocals on top! It’s a real surprise in the gem and the bass kills any dance floor!
Doing It with MS Jade on vocals bringing back that 90s vibe to round up the album and then you find yourself pulling the nastiest bass face due to the tailored bass line reminiscent of The BUG.
NOT PERFECT is my favourite on the album- it is so powerful. From beginning to end, every single of hair is standing on end! Toe curling bass frequencies transforms people into mentalists when they hear it!
Moth Rhythm rounds up the album with a cross between breaks, down beat and Dub
– can Two Fingers do no wrong?
The answer is yes, he can do NO WRONG.