Still Slipping (LP)

The keenly awaited debut full length from Joy O arrives as a proper friends and family affair, packed with guest co-production and vox by Herron, James Massiah, Bathe, Léa Sen, Goya Gumbani, and many more

Twelve years since his anthemic first single 'Hyph Mngo', 'still slipping vol. 1' shapes up as a definitive long-player/mixtape with 14 choice cuts that speak to breadth of his tastes and stylistic bonds. Also spirited with a number of voice notes sent from family during lockdown, it offers a vicarious glimpse into the personal world of an artist who has come to define a certain aspect of UK rave over the past decade, exerting a kinds spotless spin on mutations of UKG and sub-bass heavy techno, with shades of D&B-style production. Here he continues and expands that agenda with dips into woozy beatdown and drill alongside signature swangers, finely toggling the London pressure gauge to a modestly homely, home-listening and headphone vibe.

Personalised by the presence of family everywhere from the opener's sample of his dad, to the cover photo of his aunt Leighann, who introduced Joy O to garage and jungle at a formative age, the results prefer a slow burn intimacy over any raving madness. He keeps everything in-the-pocket and dialled down from Air Max bounce to Hush Puppy hustle from the Reese bass dembow of 'sparko' with Herron, to the lissom 2-step of 'born slipping', craftily drifting into a D&B lane on 'layer 6' and testing out soulful drill style on 'runnersz' and the bloozier ''rraine.' But the album is really defined by its vocals, with James Massiah (DJ Escrow ov Babyfather) nimbly dancing around 'swag' and Léa Sen lending some Morcheeba vibes to the tech house of 'better', with conscious bars by Goya Gumbani on 'Playground', each complemented by sprinkled samples of his family giggling and chatting.