Sam Moir reviews Magnetic Man’s debut LP and discusses the project as a whole.

It is no coincidence that the two of the men responsible for propelling Dubstep into the mainstream have produced such a wide ranging piece of work. Under the guidance of experienced producer Artwork, the trio have offered something indicative of electronic music in 2010.

The opener, Flying Into Tokyo’s chilled out theme, some may even say it edges on classical music full of strings, this opening track is a statement to listeners that if you expected a record full of bass heavy music then you will be disappointed.

However, if you invested in the album to discover the multi textured scene then this first track prepares you for a 14-song rollercoaster journey.

But there are treats along the way and Ms Dynamite’s raga style collaboration on Fire is literally that. With her vocal complimenting this genre of music, it is great to see her again (after Redlight’s What You Talking About?!) work with this style of genre. The instrumental alone would pack a punch on the dancefloor but the vocal gives it that added kick.

Leading nicely into I Need Air featuring the heavily auto tuned Angela Hunte, a complete shift from the previous track. Lacking in bass, it may be but it’s dreamy themed approached still made it a dancefloor anthem – and a top 10 in the national charts.

While Anthemic may not be a highlight of the album, it is by no means a bad track with the slow beat and drag accompanied by a euphoric build-up

With The Bug, its whispering opening lines followed by the beats kicking and a darker vocalist continues the warm up before the album really kicks into life with Ping Pong that uses Atari style beats leading into another orchestrated set-up. This tracks shows you what Magnetic Man are trying to do, not create pigeonhole their music under the Dubstep umbrella but just create good, experimental music.

But it is the introduction of Katy B on Perfect Stranger really makes the album stand out as piece of work. With a simple drum loop accompanied by a junglist lift-off, Katy B’s vocals just add that extra dimension of it being a song as opposed to a beat.

Peaking at a respectable 16 in the charts, it highlights a sad fact that the more bass a tune packs, the lower it is likely to chart.

And so the mid way point of the album where the trio introduce what was the first offering of the LP earlier this year. Released as a free download, Mad is one for the purists with its bass kicks and a slow grind.

But the positioning of this tracks brings home just why this kind of Dubstep can only go so far. The experimental opening of the LP highlights just how wide ranging the scope is for variety of music and the talents of these three talented producers.

What would fans have thought if the entire LP had been built on Mad’s approach? The people who like the hard and dark side of the genre may have loved it but, realistically, the album would only have been confined to them.

The trio keep the journey going with a collaboration with Sam Frank on Boiling Water. Something surely born out of her featuring on Skream’s Outside The Box, a break heavy track that like I Need Air highlights Magnetic Man’s taste for the auto tune but the power of the lyrics gives the track a special feel.

K Dance, a track full of bubbling synths, appears slightly misplaced between Boiling Water and arguably the stand out track of the album, Crossover. Once again, the trio’s collaboration with Katy B really does deliver the goods. A powerful bassline full of drum hits and rolling synth pulsations, this beat would be a hit in itself. But Katy’s mesmerising vocal makes the tune magical.

The group have a few more change in directions before closing the chapter and the approach to Box Of Ghosts consisting of a continuous throb throughout complimented with brass-like and synth sounds gears you up for the album finale.

In a track surely dominated by Benga, Karma Crazy begins akin to Flying Into Toyko with the sound of violins but before long we are introduced to an array of dirty synth reverberations.

And so to the end of a 14-track journey on a collaboration with RnB star John Legend. Slated by some quarters of the mainstream who argue Legend sounds uncomfortable with the beat, the reality is completely the opposite. Getting Nowhere’s chilled dub compliments the soothing tones of Legend allowing the lyrics to breathe and thus closing the album off in style.

So to the Magnetic Man project as a whole because the album is only a part of the Magnetic Man movement. Three years on from their project funded by Arts Council England back in 2007, the trio now boast a two chart hits and a spectacular live show that is preparing to go on its first official tour.

But they have released the album that has received criticism from some quarters. While the mainstream press may be nothing to take note of, the Telegraph’s 63 word, two-star review shows the frosty reception the album has received. The same newspaper gave Skream’s Outside The Box a more extensive review earlier this year.

Maybe they were just riding the wave of hype concerning that particular LP but the hype around this has just as big.

The debate will continue about the album’s individual tracks but there is no denying the album’s success as a movement and piece of work. It is so refreshing to see a major label give three talented producers the musical freedom to produce whatever they want because when was the last time you heard an album so varied?

This is an album that contains a top ten hit that’s played on breakfast radio (I Need Air), an orchestral piece of music that your grandparents could listen to, and enjoy (Flying Into Tokyo) and there is the dark, bass driven music for the purists (Mad and Karma Crazy). Not forgetting a few big name collaborations on the record.

Sometimes people are just too sceptical and let the hype get the better of them but just remember, like Skream says, it’s not Dubstep anymore, it’s just UK bass music and UK bass music hasn’t been this strong in a long time.

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