Mark Bionic: Rancid Roller (What Matters) / Hijack ft. Slice MC [ INNAR042 ]

Fresh from a string of releases on Monarch Records, drum&bass producer Mark Bionic comes correct for his debut on Inna Riddim with a pair of precision cuts. On the intro to the A side, ‘Rancid Roller (What Matters)’, it’s all eerie pads and Weltanschauung as a sampled voiceover probes the big questions and builds up some serious gravitas. But then a buzzing lead cuts through the introspection like a circular saw, and the track title’s promise is delivered with a rolling breakbeat accompanied by tight drum-rolls and the flare-ups of a tortured synth. Mark sustains the energy onto the flip, ‘Hijack’ with a stepping beat and growly bassline setting the scene for Slice MC‘s lyrical paean to pirate radio culture; half-time breakdowns and dubwise FX give the track a faintly nostalgic twist. Two hefty tracks make one rock-solid release.