Coco Bryce has been making a name for himself for a while now with his own take on the classic heavy breakbeat infused jungle sound and he has garnered respect from everyone from Annie Mac to Sherelle to Critical Music boss Kasra. Hold The Line marks his first release for that particular label and it is an impressive welcome to the Critical family as Coco Bryce delivers the quality we have come to expect from him and this meeting of forward thinking bass led musical ideas is a match made in heaven.
The EPs title track kicks things off and it’s a blissed out breakbeat driven with its relentless percussive feel getting things off to a strong start with a bassline that is just bubbling under setting things off nicely.
The next track U I Luv turns the energy levels up with some immense breaks and drums getting chopped up among some choice vocal samples to create an intense and vibrant sound bookended by a more hazy vibe.
Blacklist takes a more stripped back approach akin to Hold The Lines opening track but with a harder focus on the drums which gives the track a more expansive and open feel to it which works well. The EP concludes with the hardcore sounds of Sweet Gang and is a great way to finish things off, a knowing salute to the past but with an enthusiastic ear to the future, it encapsulates everything that makes the music of Coco Bryce so special.
This is a release that brings so many ideas to life all connected with the sheer love of the music and with Hold The Line, Coco Bryce has made an EP that is perfect for Critical. On the same note, the label provides a perfect platform for him to release his forward thinking music and hopefully there will be more releases from him on the label in the future given how strong this is.
Hold The Line in out now on and available to buy here.
I’m a music journalist based in the U.K. with a love for bass music in many forms from drum & bass and dubstep to hip hop and grime. Always looking to check out new music as well as digging back for the classics and attending as many events as possible.
