Loopzilla Underground | Sound on Sound

"The Monkey is Back!" screams the back cover to this latest in the Loopzilla series. Big Fish Audio are currently near the very top of the sampling tree when it comes to providing modern and credibly streetwise sample material for the post-hip-hop generation. Presented as a no-nonsense construction-kit release, Loopzilla Underground is essentially 60 full-on kits, generally lasting 30 seconds, with each of the constituent parts presented in solo form following the main body of the track. Following a more or less identical format to Wall Of Vinyl 3, the quality and range of sounds you get are easily comparable, but Underground covers perhaps a slightly wider territory stylistically. In amongst the construction kits are pseudo-jazz moments, light funk motifs, and even a healthy chunk of orchestral influence which, if anything, gives Underground a perversely mainstream feel. There are good amounts of live playing in the form of drum kits, bass, brass, organ and guitar – the last of these being particularly effective in managing to encompass retro tongue-in-cheek 'twang' and 'wah', with some fairly impressive riff and lick work present on tracks 61 to 68.

Tempos range from 89 to 100bpm and, as we have come to expect from Big Fish, the sound quality throughout is superb. Of particular note is the way in which the raw recordings have been doctored at the mix stage to include some fairly wild stereo panning moments, and some highly creative EQ and side-chain gate effects. As for additional processing, much of reverb work has been left out, giving the end user maximum flexibility. There are 13 tracks at the end of the disc which feature a good number of spare live drum tracks as well as some way-cool vinyl scratching and seven low bass tones in the key of C.

As with Wall Of Vinyl 3, the 'retro thang' is one of the main driving forces behind Loopzilla Underground and, although the vast majority of the material offers an interesting fusion of old and new, I felt the release could have done with a slightly sharper 21st century outlook, instead of frequently relying on established musical forms from the '60s and '70s. That said, the producers are clearly on to a winner in introducing so many unusual instruments into their hip-hop melting pot (who knew flutes, xylophones and Farfisa organs could sound so bad-ass?) and on the strength of Loopzilla Underground it's going to be quite a while before this series climbs up to the top of the Empire State Building to be shot down by biplanes. Long may the monkey rule!