Fresh from a London appearance at Tom Dubwise and Richard Fearless’ Holy, Parisian duo Froid Dub deliver their 5th album in as many years (not counting their score for the 2024 movie Fotogenico). A bionic baritone, a robotic relative of Chicago’s Sleezy D, acts as our MC. Hyping the crowd, and intoning track titles along the way. Guiding us, for example, through the stoned, sedated, machined mediation of Deep, where drums spin backwards and synths sing an icy theme. 

The Swap’s melody rides snapping snares and falls through metallic phasing, giving it an electro-industrial edge. Its programmed patterns a little Jahtari. Like Man Parrish’s Hip Hop Be Bop after having taken a huge bong hit. Positive And Natural moves to a sleepy, mutant Sleng Teng rhythm. Countering dramatic bottom end piano with an uplifting melodica riff. Too Digital increases the tempo a tad, and introduces spacey Sci-Fi effects. Resembling the sleek, shiny, stripped back, future, techno soul of Apiento, his pals, and Co. Diggin’ is heavier, offering us ominous oscillations, and buzzing, fuzzed axe-shredding like solos. Summerpump is a great seismic thump. Similarly, the closing number, No Sense, is an assured shot of slo-mo jack. Opulently orchestrated, chunky, chugging and ALFOS-friendly. Love, on the other hand, is a chilled acid dub study that some might even call ambient. Emotive, introspective strings undercutting its growling and gurgling TB-303. 

Froid Dub’s Positive And Natural can be ordered directly from DELODIO.