Itchy Bastards scratch around in the sample barrel for something with which to adorn their tightly produced three-tracker Another State Of Mind EP and turn up a remarkably catholic selection of acapellas. This results, for starters, in none other than Eddie Van Halen jumping up on the opener and title track. Middle cut, Lovers Rock, finds the IBs exploring Chudy and Warson territory (or maybe it’s the other way around) by planting a mid-nineties housey/ rnb vocal from Kathy Brown atop a far more palatable bit of squelchy breaks and the whole thing is wrapped up by Ground Control. This grabs hold of early 80s Boston hip-hop/ electro outfit Jonzun Crew and drags them far from ground control into the orbit of Apollo 440-ish dnb with gusto.
(Out 1 May on Funk Blasters)