- King of the VHS samples, Benny Ill, has been dipping into his wall of videos again to come up with his latest Tempa 12-inch. After literally reliving the "good ole days" with The Lost Tapes EP—four tracks of classic unreleased Horsepower material splaying the outfit's tough take on UKG—the resurgent team consisting of Ill and Matt HP appear to be stretching out into hip-hop. "Good Ole Dayz" at first strands us in a foreboding bird-filled country setting, courtesy of some obscure 1975 Australian film, before pianos and drum stabs transport us back to Ninja Tune territory, complete with cinematic vocal gasps and trumpet peals. It's light and airy, and unlike anything carrying the Horsepower name thus far, aside from the faint wobble here and there and its overall sense of swing.
"Justify" builds over another borrowed narrative that runs—untouched it would seem—for the length of the track, as though a film has been left playing in the background. Both more jazzy and classically steppy than "Good Ole Dayz," the track conjures up the likes of The Herbaliser, Kid Koala and pre-Island Records DJ Shadow—only with more of a roll & shuffle than straight cut & paste.
Tracklist A Good Ole Dayz
B Justify