This week, Matt’s growling. Subsonically.

DOG – Bitten (EMI)
Bitten begins with a pulsing, subsonic growl which you may recognise from a certain car ad featuring a bull wrestler, and it’ll almost certainly trouble your bowels. It’s the first single from a collective who fuse drum ’n’ bass production and hip-hop with punk attitude. A bit like The Prodigy, but after they’ve grown up, stopped trying to shock and left the production in the more than capable hands of Leftfield. It’s worth it for the growl alone, which deserves to be turned up very, very loud.

watch bitten video
listen to bitten

Manitoba - JackNuggeted (Leaf)
The first taste of breezy, leftfield electronica from Dan Snaith’s second long player, Up In Flames. More of an EP than a single, JackNuggeted is backed by three non-album tracks. Warm, glitchy analogue noises and even REAL instruments like acoustic guitars give these tracks a soul so often missing from electronic music. Understated vocals worthy of the Beta Band complete the wash of pastoral sounds, creating a mix as relaxing as a warm summer evening.

Grandadbob – Mmmnn (Southern Fried)
A limited release from Norman Cook’s Southern Fried label, Grandadbob has managed the tricky feat of producing house music which can move you emotionally as well as getting you to wiggle your arse down in his tool shed. A catchy, muted bassline is topped with Tori Amos-style vocals provide by his supposed granddaughter Vanessa. There’s also a very good B-side which really is like Tori remixed by a Werther’s Original and a lawnmower.

Massive Attack – Special Cases (Virgin)
One of the best tracks from the slightly one-dimensional 100th Window. Ironic, considering it’s the brainchild of somebody called 3D. Featuring the plaintive vocals of Sinead O’Connor, it’s dark and brooding, and seethes with unanswered questions - the kind you wouldn’t voice unless you were feeling really, really down in the dumps. There’s signature Massive Attack production but it ain’t close to Unfinished Sympathy. Still, Massive Attack’s off days are better than many people’s masterpieces.

Clearlake – Almost the Same (Domino)
Smiths-y shoe-gazing material from Clearlake’s second album Cedars, produced by Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde. It’s well executed and pretty catchy but you kind of wonder what the point is when they’ll never achieve the longevity of The Smiths, because The Smiths were The Smiths and Clearlake are, well, Clearlake. Top marks for trying though… Matt Walton 20 February 03

All singles released 24 February 03.