Artist: Seb Zito
Title: Truth In My Steps
Label: Edible
Released: 9 April
Sounds like: A handbook for the inner city sounds of Greater London
Seb Zito
Following in the footsteps of Enzo Siragusa, Archie Hamilton (both 2019) and Rich NxT (2020), Seb Zito is the latest member of London's FUSE camp to pen an album.
For somebody who discovered and immersed themselves in electronic music culture in 1994, a maiden LP seems a tad overdue.
Zito is noted for helping develop the stripped-back, dubby house signature that FUSE became known for.
The party and label has grown from an intimate dance floor community on Brick Lane, to a clubbing brand of international scale. Part of the make-up since the beginning, Zito has been integral to its ever rising profile.
Like all its residents, Seb lived the dance floor. A purebred raver, his musical journey comes via pirate radio, record stores, after parties and several scene subcultures.
Those with good enough memories will recall the handful of old school garage sets he played for WILDCHILD in summer 2019. Fans of those well-received outings should definitely pay attention.
Talking of the project, Seb says "All of my experiences are portrayed on this album. They represent what's great about UK club culture and the UK sound. You only have to look at what's come from here: hardcore, jungle, garage, dubstep and grime. I wanted to incorporate all of these sounds to tell my story" citing Heartless Crew, Ghetts and Special Request amongst the influences.
Truth In My Steps
We begin trawling the frequencies, with crackling static cutting between a varied selection of music. The act of tuning a radio is consigned to the pre-digital age, but it prompts such vivid memories.
This could work as an interlude in its own right, but it's the intro to Mission FM. Whirling dub sirens identify it as a piece of straight-up UKG.
Even the sultry "hey, hey, hey, heeeeey" is reminiscent of the adlib from Kristine Blond/Club Asylum's garage classic Love Shy. Is that a snippet of Paul Hardcastle 19?
Throw in some screeching tyres and 303 noises, and the result is a tumble-dryer of a track that instantly puts you in a good mood.
Black Coco's turn on 2am Lover is as soulful as any Shola Ama or Kele Le Roc jam from back in the day. It's one of the best examples of crossover UKG we've heard in a long time.
Steel drums open the appropriately titled Notting Hill. Come downpour or sunstroke, we can imagine dancing in the streets of W11 to this, next August Bank Holiday.
Later, What's This Seb? is a dance floor wobbler by way of Double 99's Ripgroove and Jaimeson's True.
Listeners will find techier joints (Got That Vibe, One Finger Skank) and dirty basslines (Charlie's Gaff, Bad Bwoy). There's even some quality drum & bass. Mans From London is something that Shy FX would be proud to put his name to.
Crucially, for this listener at least, the album never drifts into cookie-cutter minimal house that has plagued the scene in recent times.
Without hesitation, it's the garage flavoured pickings that excel the most.
Truth In My Steps is a retro record in many ways (listen out for use of Ferris Bueller's "life moves pretty fast" quote for pure '80s nostalgia). Yet when dance floors return later this year, it seems inevitable that the new generation will be two-stepping to the sounds of Seb Zito.
It's rare to find a record that transcends the decades with such deft. There's no questioning that Truth In My Steps would resonate equally with 16 year old me as much as my 2021 self.
An unassailable triumph, when you consider that generation's tastes have matured and largely moved on. Giants from that era have either faded into irrelevance or become parodies of themselves.
Seb Zito, however, manages to honour rave's golden age with both authority and authenticity. Now all we need to happen this summer, is the citywide heatwave the album calls out for.
Manifest those good vibes.
Highlights: Mission FM, 2am Lover, What's This Seb?, Mans From London
Truth In My Steps is out now and is available to stream and purchase at all the usual places.
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Other huge albums released this month:
Gorje Hewek | Collages | All Day I Dream | 2 Apr
Lauer | Answers 2 Trouble | Permanent Vacation | 2 Apr
Soul Clap | World Transformation Force | Fool's Gold | 22 Apr
Porter Robinson | Nurture | Mom+Pop | 23 Apr
Audiojack | Surface Tension | Crosstown Rebels | 30 Apr
