Tune of the day: October 26th

RSD - Koto

To put it simply, Rob Smith is a legend. His pioneering music as one half of Smith & Mighty and his production work across the last two decades sculpted the now well-known ‘Bristol sound’ into an instantly recognisable hallmark. A blend of dub sensibilities and soundsystem culture that bled from the vibrant musical communities operating out of St. Paul’s with the ferocious and uncompromising spirit of punk rock, its results are still being felt today – most keenly in the local dubstep scene, which Smith is now closely aligned with.



Last month Rooted Records owner Tom Peverelist compiled on his fantastic Punch Drunk label all of Smith’s singles as RSD, gathering together some of his earliest tunes – the junglist swing of ‘Pretty Bright Light’ a notable highlight – alongside rarer material. ‘Koto’, taken from the compilation Good Energy, fuses a delicately plucked Oriental melody to a sweeping string backdrop more than a little reminiscent of his contemporaries Massive Attack circa Blue Lines, to dazzling effect. The CD itself is well worth tracking down.