niko - let me go

for this one i hadn't heard of niko before picking up her album a while ago but quickly found out who she was. she was a talented musician studying jazz and classical and taking part of various projects before taking a plunge into a different field when she guested on mr. scruffs “come alive”.

she signed onto grand central records and further on came collaborations with only child and aim on which the latter became a frequent partner. that included taking part in his live band and producin a big part of her first album. but it also included production from the likes of scruff, mark rae, rhys adams, lance thomas and martin desai.

on this track it’s rhys adams who is responsible for beats but i can honestly say that i don’t really know who he is. discogs tell me he’s a mark rae collaborator and has been involved in other grand central productions.

“let me go” reminds me of something like amy winehouse’s “in my bed” but with difference that it was released before it. it has that hard kind of jazzy hiphop beat and niko being angry but singing soulfully in her fury.

when i thought about doing an entry about a song from this album it was going to be about “an echo of quiet and green”. it comes before “let me go” on the album and had that swanky wonk that scruff’s beats is associated with but i think this song is a better song. also that intro with some hard drums & a great bassline just sealed the deal.

get this song in your head and get the whole album while you are at it. it’s quality stuff and i think it’s a shame that it was released prior to lily allen and ilk blowing up as it would have gained bigger success then.

buy here (junodownload)