Who Said

Previously unreleased, Manchester, 1991. Betonska hits hard with their second release travelling back to an essential period of dance music history. A record blending rave, downtempo, ragga, dancehall, and early hardcore/breakbeat; a crossover which continues to shape and define some of the most innovative sounds of contemporary club culture. Produced by Philip Kirby, with vocals/rap by Martin Merchant (together Two The Hardway). On the A side Graham Massey (808 State) accompanied them on the synths, and Howard Walmsley played the saxophone on the B1 and B2. All tracks were recorded in 91 in Phils house, where funnily enough Massey co-wrote Army of Me with Bjrk!. Find more info about it in the text below. The whole release consists of solely 91 originals: a deliberate choice to not take it out of context. The A side serves two versions of Who Said?, a mysterious midtempo jam with a jumpy acid line, organic yet punchy drums and a mesmerizing lead synth, played by none other than Graham Massey. The instrumental version has a more elusive feel to it, while the Vocal version tops it off with toasting by Manchesters very own Martin Sugar Merchant. Both tracks were pressed on the earlier test pressing from 91, but have never been released officially before. The flipside boasts two mesmerizing versions of Hot Number. Driving proto-jungle rhythms and Sugar Merchants ragga vocals, are fused with secondary vocals by Phil and a saxophone solo by Howard Walmsley to form a seamless and smokey sonic concoction that will get bodies moving. Whilst the B1 surfs on a slick breakbeat rhythm with a deep bassline, the B2 bounces on a 4/4 beat with a pulsing hardcore bassline.