This is one of the great contemporary London songs for me, one of the small cross-genre epics the city throws out sometimes, like “Weekender” or “Avenue” in the early 90s – not through any particular lyric but something in the unstructure of the track reminds me of the city’s maziness, the way the song seems to keep turning corners and ducking down sidestreets to reveal something else fresh. “Nu Style” is nothing but hooks, a hawkers’ suitcase full of them – I mean, I guess the “Don’t you want a taste?” bit from the guy is a… chorus of sorts? But it also feels like a rest spot on a tour.
Your guide is Shystie, whose voice is full of beckons and secrets even if her lyrics aren’t anything astonishing. But your map is Dee Kline’s wobbling little low-end riffs (prefaced in the string samples and then recurrent as proper bass) – so much so that when Shystie drops out of the song with three minutes to run you feel happy to wander around by yourself, following a will-o-wisp Spanish guitar along the walkways and alleys.
(The video, putting a rather more sinister spin on the track, is for the shorter single edit – hunt out the 7-minute full thing.)
thanks for this Tom – I hadn’t heard it before and I love it
I prefer the single edit to the 7-minute version – the shorter one has a more banging chorus line (“You know that AIIIII, you know we hit em with the STYYYYYYYLE, you know we do this all the TIIIIIIME!”) and chopped up burbling bits. Also the extended guitar solo on the longer version is a bit too much like ‘I Don’t Smoke Da Reefa’.
But yeah – this is still in the running for my fave single of 2009.
#1 yes full credit goes to Kat for introducing me to it!
This is v. great but I definitely prefer the Ill Blu Funky Mix of “Pull It” which is in the running for my own single of ’09 – BIG DUTTY STINKIN BAD GYAL BAD GYAL, BIG DUTTY STINKIN BASS! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgmrnhU7RpQ
HANDS IN THE AIR SHO SHO WILE OUT
NO BAD VIBES INSIDE WILE OUT
IT’S A FUNKY TING RIGHT NOW!
(this has randomly cropped up on itunes on some Addicted to Bass comp, fyi.)
have downloaded the 7 minute version and listened to it (more than) a few times – it reminds me of Grace Jones’ version of ‘She’s lost control’ in its fierce babble over insistent rhythm – no wonder I like it
I would love to lear that guitar, anyone know where the tabs or music for it might be?