Download of the Day: Big Dada Sound, "Showtime"

Continues the Bolero thread begun with the James Gang week before last.  Released as part of the Ninja Tune Xen Cuts set in 2000, this track features Roots Manuva, TY, Juice Aleem, Mike Ladd and Toastie Tailor (all but the first of whom I’ve never heard of because I generally don’t know shit about hip-hop) and wouldn’t necessarily be out of place on any ragga/dancehall collection from that period.  

Big Dada Sound was apparently never an artist as such but a one-off showcasing a bunch of folks on the Big Dada label (the hip-hop arm of Ninja Tune).  Dada’s still going strong and currently includes on its roster Busdriver and Spank Rock, who so wowed them at last year’s Pitchfork festival.

I’d say I love this track for its off-beats and posse vibe but that’d just be lingo I cribbed off reviews on the web.  (Though I do.)  What I really love is the “Showtime fuckah! Death to a knucklehead” refrain.  Or whatever they’re saying.

If you haven't checked out Xen Cuts, it's highly recommended.  The first disk is mostly hip-hop while the second and third veer increasingly into jazzy and ambient sounds without hardly ever losing the beat.

Free download: Big Dada Sound, Showtime (4:48)
Buy Xen Cuts here.