'Underground Journeys' - Haka (album review)

Creating beats that defy logic can’t be simple but Haka makes it sound easy. The logic defied is that very musical beats can’t bang as hard as their grittier stripped back brothers. On ‘Underground Journeys’ Haka provides a range of subterranean UK MCs with instrumentals that marry the melodic (the strings and keys) and the mucky (the drums).

The more R’n’B tinged tracks really stand out here: both ‘Makes Me Say’ and ‘N.A.M.E.’ are songs about ladies and both feature rapper N/A – a name to watch, especially since Haka is producing on his forthcoming album. N/A also raps on ‘If Road’s Your Life’, a warning story of what happens when you live foul. ‘All Luv’ is all intertwined guitar and organ licks and Big Cakes, Logic and Kalldean provide fitting and positive vocals and ‘Make It’ has that 'No Woman No Cry' feel to it.

Elsewhere the competent cast of MCs, who sound better on a closer, second listen, rap about the standard fare. Most of the tracks here work well as stand alone tracks and as a collection of tunes that’s OK. A little more focus on compilation and a few more original lyrical concepts will see this producer go far – his beats are very high quality, some of the best on the scene.

'Underground Journeys' is available now for a very reasonable £5 from Haka's website.