The prolific Manchester-based artist known as Robot Needs Oil has been found covertly recording downtempo, reggae, and hip hop fueled beats under the curious name of My Neighbour Is. His latest release for Cold Busted under this moniker, Ska-Kan-Ka, places his love of dub, reggae, and a solid skankin’ rhythm on display once again, much like his previous Metaphysical Juicer album on the label. There is a noticeable difference this time in that the songs have less dancehall and dub appeal, forgoing these reggae influences for a more strictly roots approach -- and even incorporating a slight balearic feel at times -- but still totally party rockin' in a ska-like fashion. Essentially this is island calypso meets American funk in a lighthearted blend … because it's done by a Brit, of course! It's just another day in the backyard of My Neighbour Is. He's blessed up his downtempo, hip hop breaks styling with an obvious level of respect and inspiration awarded towards the Jamaican sound.
Kid Loco - “A cool record for the summer.”
Doc Martin - “Rude boy!”
Tim “Love” Lee (Tummy Touch) - “This is great.”
Inland Knights - “Love it. ‘Ganja Day’ is my favorite but they’re all great.”
Double-D (Funky Fresh Radio Show / Radio X) - “Summer time is reggae time and here we go with that crazy neighbour … so much style.”
Quincy Jointz (Timewarp Music) - “This album is awesome. I dig all the tunes.”
Makossa (Makossa & Megablast / Luv Lite Recordings) - “Nice, solid vibes.”
Silenta (Roca Records) - “Massive! Deep! Warm bass all around. The dub / reggae sound at its best.”
Ben Mono (Undertones Gang / Plant Music) - “Lovely. I’ll definitely play some of these tunes.”
DJ Kid Stretch (Warriorz Records / Goodgroove) - “Summer vibes all around!”
Minus 8 (Compost) - “Wonderful, positive, and danceable reggae … just great!”
Djouls (Paris DJs / T.I.M.E.C.) - “Loving this … it sounds great!”
Jamie Topham (CDPool) - “Some cool carnival essentials.”
Diesler (A LIttle Something Radio) - “Great release from a really impressive label. A must-buy for fans of all things of a dubby nature.”
SimonG (Deep South Audio, New Zealand) - “This is timeless. Reminds me of a sunny session in the avalon field at Glastonbury.”
Deadbeat Disco Radio Show - “Mint! Really solid beats here. I’m always up for a bit of ska-influenced grooving! ‘Dub It’ is a cracker, but the whole selection is quality.”
DJ Chewy (Alphabeatsoup Blog) - “Cracking mix of roots, dibby and skanky sounds … it’s hard to pick between ‘Ganja Day’ and ‘Szynkwas’.”
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - “The tracks are killer across this album. There’s a killer dub vibe that permeates the entire release, and a clear love of the source material.”
Available now from Beatport and The Cold Busted Shop.