Review Summary: Subtlety not included
Although Danny Byrd has been signed to Hospital Records for about 10 years now, his output has always been somewhat slim. His debut album, Supersized, was released in 2008, following just a couple of single productions over the years. Lucky for him, they were big hits (in the DnB scene, that is). But he apparently realized that he couldn't rest on his laurels forever. So a measly two years after his last output, we have here his latest album, Rave Digger.
Just looking at the cover art gives a good hint on what's going on inside the package: the Byrdman literally digs for a 90's rave party, which emerges bathing in bright, pink neon light. The skits included on the album try to further expand that concept of a modern-day rave party, reporting about a massive event that's going on in a stereotypical abandoned warehouse, somewhere. The tracks are then of course the music being played at the venue. Byrd forgoes the more darker tones of the productions of that time, and instead focuses on a more happy-go-lucky sound, with plenty of female vocals and pop elements - the extremely cheesy synths. These are usually chopped up in his characteristic style, giving the tracks a sort of momentum, which always builds towards the climactic drop, typical for drum & bass music.
The 'Big 3' of the album are
Ill Behaviour,
Tonight and
Sweet Harmony, which were all released as singles by the way. The first one is obviously the most popular, as it popped up on the day-time Radio1 playlist in the UK, among others. It's ideal party material with its great hook, fast-paced drum sample and the vocals of I-Kay. Sweet Harmony has a playful piano bit included but can't keep the interest for its whole 6 minutes playing time. Tonight features Netsky and the result is a nice mix of the typical Netsky bass sound with the poppy, modified vocals of Byrd himself. If it was a slower track, it could have easily been included on Daft Punk's Discovery.
The typical DJ will be happy enough with these tracks alone, but it's interesting to point out that there is almost no filler to be found here. Sure, the remaining tracks are not as good as the three singles mentioned, but none are really skip-worthy. Standing out from the pack is
We Can Have It All, also the only non-DnB track on the album. Byrd samples a typical rave vocal around a breakbeat in the intro, until the track blows open with a relaxing, trancelike melody. Think Experience-era Prodigy for a good comparison. The rest is fairly interchangeable, although
Hot Fuzz is a personal favorite of mine.
Recommended for gents even remotely interested in drum & bass, the album is an entertaining listen. With Rave Digger, Danny Byrd has released the equivalent of a Die Hard movie: it's mindless fun and fast-paced, with the occasional hook/one-liner making the result stand out from the crowd. See you in 2 years, Danny?
