Maxsta / Boothroyd / Maniac 100 Problems

An unforeseen nod to the past, present and future of grime music, Rinse's latest EP brings together three artists each operating within completely different spheres across six tracks of abstract, future-facing grime. It sees Maniac, one of the genre's early kingpin beatmakers, make his long-awaited return to releasing proper by joining forces with Maxsta - himself an MC with plenty to prove following his breakthrough anthem 'East London Is Back' in 2011 - and mystery element, Tri-Angle Records producer Boothroyd, on the '100 Problems' EP.Although an unlikely combination on the surface, their time in the studio has bore more than just impressive results - this is an EP that challenges as much as it dazzles. On opener '100 Problems', Maniac's influence is felt first as sci-fi zaps and pulses fizz around a grizzly, low-end beat while Maxsta attacks every bar, the bit firmly back between his teeth. Second track 'No Retreat' sees Boothroyd come to the fore with his wildly off-beat, atmospheric haze and staggered, cosmic FX allowing Maxsta's lyricism the space needed to take centre stage, while 'Green Light' seems to bridge the gap between the two producers' vividly disparate styles. The colloquially themed 'Mare Street Dick Head' - a reference to the street in Hackney, East London - is effectively beat-less, working a minimalist template to the extreme that again allows Maxsta to impress with deeper, sorrowful lyricism, while 'Hood Pharmacist' sees the MC up the tempo over jittery and fractured weightlessness. Final track 'Local Spitter' sees the trio flip the script for a final time, with Maxsta's words cutting through swirling, HD melodies, glossy textures and a thick-edged bass lean.