Ray Keith is definitely one of THE biggest players on the drum’n’bass scene with a history of releases on Goldie’s Metalheadz, V Recordings, his own classic Dread Records, and much smaller sister label UFO. Dread has brought many a classic to drum’n’bass over past years and continues on releasing its share of big tracks, but UFO is a much more underground label reserved for his more experimental tracks. While production of titles released on UFO isn’t exactly the tightest out there, it does showcase a different side of Ray Keith which sometimes does it for me, sometimes doesn’t. I come to think of the idea of UFO’s relationship to Dread as a similar version of what Global Thang is to True Playaz, an outlet label for tracks that don’t quite fit the mould.



Alien Encounter is a collection of previously unreleased tracks from the UFO label which is stated in the liner notes as their ‘interpretation of innovative music’. As unfortunate as it is to say this, I am not entirely convinced the tracks on this cd are as innovative as the notes would have me believe.



From beginning to end the tracks that don’t sound too extremely dissimilar to others heard in DnB past, and few are different to what Ray Keith has released previously with about 2 exceptions. ‘Acid Rock’ takes a minimal approach to things with a 2 step beat, conga percussion, and an off beat bassline that almost sounds similar to a Casio keyboard bass I once heard. Throw a sample of a plucked string orchestra on top, and you’ve got something you’d never have a chance of hearing on Dread.



The other dissimilar track ‘Your Dub’, takes a higher pitched off timed key line, but still uses Ray Keith’s usual drums. ‘The Message’, ‘Homicide’ and ‘The Dispute’ are the classic UFO sound if there ever was one, sounding very similar to some of the earlier 12” releases some may remember from back in 97/98, concentrating on menacing b-lines and rolling drums. Vocalist Lea steals away vocalist duties for tracks on the album, featured on the piano & string driven ‘Reflections’, and the very Dread sounding ‘MIA’, ‘Silly Games’ and ‘Show A Little Respect’.



Alien Encounter, isn’t necessarily a bad album and has quite a few decent tracks if you don’t mind ‘em a bit rugged and raw production wise. The mix on disc two of the tracks is much better listening than the individual takes on disc one. Only problem being the liner notes leading to believe your getting something your really not as this album is not the innovative music it claims to be.



But hey, after the year that Dread has had with amazing releases like the Vintage Dread album, Dread Come To Conquer, and the Twisted Anger EP… Ray Keith deserves a break on this one.



ARTIST: Various

TITLE: Ray Keith presents Alien Encounter

LABEL: UFO/Dread

DISTRIBUTOR: Inertia

RELEASE: July 2001