(Hospital/Inertia)

London Elektricity have been a stalwart on the dnb scene for some time, only adding to their list of achievements by creating the now genre-leading Hospital Records label and subsequently nurturing more fresh talent than you can poke a large junglist-type stick at. Musically, as opposed to label related stuff, it’s just Tony Colman now, but the recent world tour, and particularly London live show has been put to subsequent good use in the form of a live album and DVD set.

Although this side of the globe is home to a few top quality live dnb acts, most notably Shapeshifter, the term ‘live drum n bass’ can certainly get a few funny looks in the UK, despite Reprazent’s frequent live excursions (but whether they’re as good as Shapeshifter in this respect remains a matter for debate), but London Elekticity; Live at The Scala is apparently, and perhaps surprisingly, the first live drum n bass album – i.e. recorded live at a gig. The material ranges from big selling earlier albums like Billion Dollar Gravy to last year’s Power Ballads, with a range of musicians involved; MC Wrec on the mic is alongside bass and electric cellos as well as jazz singers, all overseen and master-mined by Tony Colman at back on the synth. The DVD is a more than welcome inclusion; thankfully with digitally mastered sound to match the CD. It gives a good insight into what you’re hearing, and also features several different sections detailing the methods employed in translating sample based music to music that can be appreciated live. Although it’s watchable stuff, there are moments on the CD when the thud of the electric drum kit or the intensity of the bassline doesn’t match that of the original recordings, leaving you thinking that live music is perhaps best as just that – live.

There may be people who feel cheated when watching a DJ playing records in a club, and understandable so. But there’s also reason to question the point of listening to ‘live’ electronic music when you’re sitting on the bus, especially if it happens to be music that was in fact composed on a computer. However, this is a valid release for fans of the crew, or indeed anyone interested in grabbing the DVD for its interviews – not to mention the cop that stops the band for carrying pot, only to let them go cos he just happens to have Billion Dollar Gravy at home in his record collection.