As one of the finest examples to be heard from the cross-pollinating UK Dancehall, Ragga, Grime, and Dubstep scenes it has been Kevin Martin's project The Bug (as in wire-tapping) that has taken the morphology of this pan-genre evolution the furthest. Points of reference in his genre pushing (creating?) project has been as far-removed as ealy Industrial Noise, the muted Drone palette of Thomas Koner, the obvious Dub and Dancehall working of the bass, delay and rhythm, soulful intonations of Roots Reggae and the bravado of underground Hip-Hop and urban street culture. All delivered with a decidedly Punked-up consciously post-colonial, anti-imperialistic and globally aware political stance (translation: Confrontational). That he has also managed to develop a working relationship as a cultural hub and producer/selector with some of the greatest voices, Toasters, and MC's in the contemporary Reggae, Hip-Hop and Grime is a product of his other lesser known skills as a visionary musical curator.

The superb "Poison Dart" single with Warrior Queen, released in 2007, acted as a taster for "London Zoo" and implied a greater sens of the cohesion, fluidity and dynamics to his sound, the beats were more steppin' and the assault less frentetic than on the proceeding album, 2003's "Pressure". What we couldn't have speculated was that "London Zoo" would deliver not only a great single, but a consistent, heavily varied, diverse and solid album. Right off its the voices that make this spectrum apparent, the inflections, intonation, from London to Kingston Town, Martin's choice of MC's and Toasters is visionary. The Straight-up assault of Roll Deep's Flowdan on "Jah War", Ricky Ranking's soulful invocations on "Judgement", Killa P's booming annunciation of "Skeng", this powerful, charismatic cast of personages gives "London Zoo" its political voice, and Political with a capitol 'P' it is. Martin's work has always been a solid dub, bass, drum, drone, boom and thud of sonic assault and space, but not until "London Zoo" has he found a corresponding cast of MC's that could deliver on the same disconcerting heavyweight worldview his music has offered. Together they've forged this vision of the times in which we live and delivered it with the confidence and skills necessary to put a solid foundation on that vision. Elevating it beyond just political rhetoric or angst ridden rant, this is a music that delivers its message, and delivers it with BASS.