Main/Flex

On his 2014 EP Main/Flex, left-field hip-hop producer Lee Bannon goes so left-field that he might actually be in some neighboring genre. Jungle or drum'n'bass would be two possible categories as "RMF-3" pounds like a Grooverider cut from back in the day — and with the unexpected help of Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante — while "MFS-2" with Deejay Earl is the same sound broadcasting in space, as drum machines blast underneath the Orb-like bleeps and Tangerine Dream-ish soundscapes echoing above. The broken dubstep drops of "MFS-1" with Hak from the avant crew Ratking, plus the industrial grind of "RMF-4," make this one of the most aggressive Bannon releases to date, but "RMF-1" is absolutely angelic with some siren songs swooshing through the speakers, and it connects the EP to hip-hop, as the stuttering and snapping suggest this is the kind of trap music they play in heaven. Returning fans will find it all hangs together since the producer's love hypnosis and dark synthetic tones return in full force. Still, at an EP length and with a stern stance overall, buying this one first could be like seeing Prometheus before any of the other Alien films, so approach this dark matter accordingly.