Mala – Mala in Cuba

Mala in Cuba finds the dubstep demi-god attempting to redefine his praxis through collaboration with a host of top-level Cuban musicians. Easing the listener in by way of the supple and evocative Mulata, Mala makes it clear that he’s not interested in compromising his bass weight and by the time we get to Changuito it’s obvious that something very special is going on, as claustrophobic high-pressure bass bridles moodily against frenzied percussion and layers of delirious, droning horns.

It’s a delicious marriage of balmy euphoria and low frequency menace but it’s not the only trick Mala has up his sleeve: Calle F is an enveloping, jazzy workout whilst The Tourist is the sound of Mala letting his hair down, looping a gentle acoustic bassline and blissing out to some gentle Cuban vibes. Exciting, hypnotic and impeccably produced, what could so easily have been a curio is, in the event, something of a masterclass.