Leda Stray & High Class Filter – Venga

By Corey Maass

Venga, this EP from Leda Stray and High Class Filter, starts with a ghom and kuduro vibe, filtered through UK funky with a touch of South America. It’s hard as hell, as much global dancehall and bang as you can cram into a dancefloor tune. The label, Symbols, is out of LA. I picture choreographed mobs facing off in the streets of Hollywood, the sign overrun with vines. Dance battles ensue. Everyone is left panting, with smiles on their faces.

Continuing the motif, “Bengal” takes us further into the jungle. We’re surrounded by natives. The dance rituals have begun, drums sounding like gunshots. Soon it will be dawn.

And the final track, “Sphinx”, might just be that ray of sunshine. It starts off a little more straight-forward UK funky, carnivalesque. And then the bass. Ooh, the bass. No matter how fast you run, the wildebeests keep pace, just behind the tree line. The sun shoots rays through the branches overhead, causing deep shadows with bursts of light.

This EP feels like this moment in time. Grime, ghom, kuduro and UK funky come together, all contemporary sounds that have had a huge impact on me and the dance music I love.

Posted on June 4, 2019