Ramadanman - 'Work Them/Fall Short'

How does David Kennedy do it? Is it his secret twin brother or Ben UFO on the side helping him through all these brilliant releases, or is he just so talented and efficient it's beyond belief? I'm going for the second option, although it would interesting to see if Ben UFO does have any secret output on the Hessle Audio label that himself and Mr. Kennedy both run. Ramadanman's latest offering comes in the form of the highly anticipated 'Work Them/Fall Short' EP which has been released on Loefah's ever growing Swamp 81 label. This is just one of a number of great releases in 2010 from Kennedy, who has also produced the 'Ramadanman' EP, 'Glut/Tempest' EP, as well as his 'Down With You/Higher' EP as Pearson Sound.

'Work Them' will no doubt be the track that gains the most attention, with its constant play on the underground scene by Joy Orbison, Ben UFO and Kode9 over the past few months leaving followers drooling over the possibility of the track's release. The tracks infectious and hypnotic vocals and snapping drum beats are perfect for the dancefloor, with the extra layer of smooth synths enhancing this relatively simple but brilliantly effective track. Place this one next to Addison Groove's 'Footcrab' in the collection, with both Swamp 81 releases sharing the similar format of driven drum beats and frenetic, looped vocals.

'Fall Short' is a cleaner and more reserved track than its previous, calling back to previous works from Ramadanman in terms of its style. Once again, as in the usual Ramadanman format, interesting drum patterns are prominent throughout, giving the track its overlaying structure, dominating the tracks foreground in the most part. Kennedy also adds extra layers over the main drum beat in track in the form of his wonderfully arranged synths, as well as the amazing distant female vocal snippets which pull at the heart, and give the track that added emotion which for me is essential. These moments of emotion complement the more concentrated breakbeat patterns, resulting in a track that is as suited to home listening as it is to being dropped at 1am in a club.

The EP is now available on 12" from Boomkat (http://boomkat.com/vinyl/318478-ramadanman-fall-short-work-them), Chemical Records (http://www.chemical-records.co.uk/sc/servlet/Info?Track=SWAMP006) and also Juno. The tracks are yet to be released for MP3 download, but should be available in 2/3 time from both Boomkat and Juno in an MP3 format.