Red Eye HiFi – ‘Raise The Alarm’ EP

Mancunion label NB Audio have had a strong first year. As 2014 draws to a close, the label team up once again with local sound outfit Red Eye Hi-Fi for the fourth EP release in their catalogue.

Here at The Noise Gate we only have good things to say about the Red Eye crew; having been to enough of their parties to know they’re equally serious about raving as they are about creating consistently on-point and original music. Their new EP sees a continuation of their characteristic sound with heavy dub reggae vibes pushed throughout, alongside features from local talents Fox, Jah Screechy, Sangy, Yemi Balatiwa and Kwasi Asante.

Title track ‘Raise The Alarm’ features an onslaught of militant vocals from Manny veteran Fox, who winds out melodic bars atop a carnival-mad 100 BPM tune built on a rolling sub and snappy snare pattern. ‘Weh Screechy Weed Deh’ features Jah ‘Walk N Skank’ Screechy telling the story of a failed police raid at his house. Set over a bashy, bass heavy rework of Capleton’s ‘Hurrican Riddim’, Screechy tells the tale with humour and tact whilst having a wee dig at the officers in references to the futility of their search.

‘Lose It’ features Room2 Records’ Sangy, taking on a genre-defying 138 BPM beat and riding the track’s swinging rhythm with a tight, speedy flow. Bubbling drum patterns and a sinister synth line lay under hype-up lyrics that will undeniably work their best in a club situation, with Sangy delivering the energetic refrain “get dumb start moving, lose to the music, lose it, buss up the show’s how we do this”. Calling out “this one’s not for the students”, Sangy’s bars focus mainly in the club but also touch upon Manchester life more generally in subsequent verses.

Closing track ‘Im Free’ features the original don Kwasi Asante alongside an uplifting vocal from Yemi Bolatiwa. Set to a bouncy reggae beat, Yemi’s conscious and uplifting vocals finish the EP off on a relaxed high note. This is probably my most listened to track on the release: her voice is soft and sweet but cuts a nice rhythm into the existing beat, and then of course Kwasi comes in to do his thing with exercised rhythmic tonality.

All in all, this release is fire! On ‘Raise The Alarm’ Red Eye’s winding productions are matched by a mix of vocal features from various local talents, spanning artists of various persuasions. The EP builds on the HiFi’s reputation as innovators of the traditional dub reggae sound, working in more modern club sounds as well as featuring mixed-genre vocalists.

As the crew continue to go from strength to strength, we advise you keep your eyes peeled for more from this lot. Check out a preview of the EP below now and pick up your own copy of the new release here.

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