Terror Danjah - Gremlinz (The Instrumentals 2003/2009)

Terror Danjah isn’t a household name, he’s not as well known as Wiley or Dizzee Rascal, but he’s considered by the grime cognoscenti to be the best grime producer ever.

In the words of Simon Reynolds:
"OUT OF THE HANDFUL OF GRIME PRODUCERS WHO’VE MADE SOME BEATS THAT WORK AS STAND-ALONE AESTHETIC OBJECTS - WILEY, TARGET, WONDER, RAPID FROM RUFF SQWAD - THE UNDOUBTED RULER IS TERROR DANJAH. HE’S ONE OF THE GREAT ELECTRONIC ARTISTS TO EMERGE IN THE FIRST DECADE OF THE 21ST CENTURY, A FIGURE AS INFLUENTIAL AS RICARDO VILLALOBOS OR DIGITAL MYSTIKZ."

And in the words of Wire Magazine, full page review for ‘Gremlinz’:
"THE MATERIAL ON ‘GREMLINZ’ IS SOME OF THE MOST OVERTLY OPULENT MUSIC EVER TO EMERGE FROM A DOWN AT HEEL PRODUCER. THE LATERAL MOVEMENT AND LUSCIOUS FLAVOURS HAVE OBVIOUS PARALLELS WITH THE HAYWIRE SYNTHS OF KODE9 AND JOKER, OR THE INTRICATELY WONKY RHYTHMS OF RUSTIE AND FLYING LOTUS....MUSIC THAT FEELS
DAZZLINGLY RICH TO THE TOUCH."

The title of the album is a reference to the Gremlin cackle Terror uses as an audio-logo to indicate a Terror Danjah production, much like Timbaland’s singing/beat boxing on his early productions. However, the comparison with Timbaland doesn’t stop there, both producers worked with a signature palate of sounds, adding to them occasionally, which make their productions instantly recognisable. Both producers use shifting, syncopated rhythms.

What makes Terror different was that he’s British, he works around the tempo of 140 bpm, and his music is part of the aggressive post-garage movement of grime. Terror also worked with both mcs and vocalists, from Nasty Crew, Skepta,
Wiley, to Shystie, Shola Ama and now Mz Bratt, he worked with the best mcs in the game when grime was the most exciting music around.

These tracks were mostly issued on limited vinyl releases on the Aftershock label, as either instrumental tracks for mcs to clash over and djs to play or as backing for mcs and singers. If you want to hear a precursor to Joker, and the new Bristol producers, here it is. Despite the pared down palette he uses, Terror’s productions are full of brilliant ideas, complex rhythms and pop hooks and until now, despite being lauded by those in the know, he’s been under-appreciated. This collection of his instrumentals, remixes and tracks for others, is a good chance to show off his singular genius to the rest of the world.

TRACKS: 3LP A: BIG-E-D: FRONTLINE (TERROR DANJAH REMIX) PIANO MADNESS DJ TARGET: POLTERGEIST (TERROR DANJAH V.I.P. REMIX) B: ZUMPI HUNTER HYPERPHONIX STIFF C: GREEN STREET SKEPTA: D.T.I. (TERROR DANJAH REMIX) RADAR D: SKEPTA: LOVE IS HERE TO STAY (TERROR DANJAH REMIX) PLANET SHOCK CROWBAR 2 E: LIMBO SPLASH HAUNTED (BOOGEYMAN INSTRUMENTAL) F: CODE MORSE (FT. D.O.K.) DJ MARSTA: FIBRE (TERROR DANJAH REMIX) RELOADZ

TRACKS CD : 01 BIG-E-D: FRONTLINE (TERROR DANJAH REMIX) 02 PIANO MADNESS 03 DJ TARGET: POLTERGEIST (TERROR DANJAH V.I.P. REMIX) 04 ZUMPI HUNTER 05 HYPERPHONIX 06 STIFF 07 GREEN STREET 08 SKEPTA: D.T.I. (TERROR DANJAH REMIX) 09 RADAR 10 SKEPTA: LOVE IS HERE TO STAY (TERROR DANJAH REMIX) 11 PLANET SHOCK 12 CROWBAR 2 13 LIMBO 14 SPLASH 15 HAUNTED (BOOGEYMAN INSTRUMENTAL) 16 CODE MORSE (FEAT. D.O.K.) 17 DJ MARSTA: FIBRE (TERROR DANJAH REMIX) 18 RELOADZ

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