Ninja Tune has always prided itself on pushing musical boundaries and exuding an attitude that’s loyal to a humble ideology rather than a lucrative vision. From its modest beginnings, yet a mere creation in the minds of Matt Black and Jonathan More (otherwise known as delectable duo, Coldcut), to the dingy corners of Shoreditch’s Blue Note, Ninja gently but assuredly spurred a change in the soul of underground electronic music, shunning four-to-the-floor beats off the kerb. The dance-floor became dedicated to a sound far more dynamic and all-embracing than it had ever been. Though it’s a hard task to relate this extensive compendium of the label’s finest gems into words, purely for its overwhelmingly rich texture and substance, it’s almost sacrilege not to at least endeavour to do so. King Cannibal’s
The Way Of The Ninja comes together as twenty tracks, each of which comprised of numerous slices of delicious Ninja goodness. In carving open the label’s history with a delicate hand, King Cannibal journeys into a prismatic abyss of Ninja past, present and future with classic, instantly recognisable melodies, refashioned acapellas and instrumental interludes galore.
Though we may hate to admit it, we all like to gorge on a good portion of nostalgia from time to time – we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t – and this is the very beauty of King Cannibal’s superb selection as he delicately cherry-picks from the back catalogue without losing the essence of wholesomeness that we're all hoping for. Stumbling from a mash-up intro of raw, scatter-shot samples from Big Dada’s Clouddead and true trailblazer Funki Porcini into the comfort of DJ Vadim’s Terrorist, before slinging us into a futuristic flurry of Poirier licks, King Cannibal makes it clear that the next 74 minutes of ear-indulgence isn’t just a retrospective glance, but instead a “futurespective” Ninja tombola. All the inevitable preconceptions were there upon copping an eyeful of the entire track listing, but I was almost certain that the King would do justice to what seemed like an overcrowded arrangement of eclectic beats.
Captivated by the warmth of those tracks you thought you’d forgotten, the compilation carries you through the soundscape with unrelenting progression and momentum. And though still early in the game, with over 200 tracks to go, a seminal moment is the sonic, squelchy beginnings of Manuva’s Witness – a track that, undoubtedly, came to define the powerfully experimental trip-hop facet to Ninja’s sound. Delving further into the mix, we’re greeted by that twinkling warble of Wagon Christ’s Get Your Head Down; we shimmy from a red-hot Latino groove into a stuttered, Jazztronica jam. Slipping into the sparkling, velvety softness of The Cinematic Orchestra’s All The You Give, Cannibal signals a moment of contemplation, a simmering soundscape of far-distant patters and delayed vocals before switching up the pace with some Daedelus frivolity.
We Keep it Straight Bombing thrusts into dubby, bass-fuelled stomp; The Bug and up-and-comer High Rankin’ make a cheeky appearance and Ghislain Poirier’s Blazin’ re-fix by Modeselektor shifts the pace into a tight groove. Wiley leads the way with some token grime before the mix turns to the label’s most recent offspring, Counter Records – The Heavy and Pop Levi are personal favourites. How About Some Rock and Roll? jumps between a frenzy of erratic hand claps and fuzzy guitars before King Cannibal makes the executive decision to get the fire burning.
Up until now, the mix has retained a slow-burning progression, dipping through tempos and styles, but once Dillinja’s remix of Funki Porcini’s King Ashabanapal kicks in, there’s no holding back. The mix gives way to some scatty, ass-shaking junglism before I Wanna see All The Hands turns our attention to Ninja’s dirtier and darker character. Spor’s remix of The Qemists’ Stompbox climbs toward a climactic point in the mix. See You Later concludes an absolutely epic Ninja Tune tapestry, and though you’re all probably wondering how it all fits together, King Cannibal proves to be a brilliant seamstress. Saving some of the ‘hands in the air’ moments ‘til last, Cannibal seems to cleverly combine the numerous faces of Ninja Tune, yet it’s glaringly noticeable how each of the tracks breathes and exists in its own right.
Tracklist (it's a long one! Preview player right at the end...):
PART 1 - INTRO - 00:00:00:00
01. Clouddead - Apt A (1)
02. The Herbaliser - Tee and Beer Ft Jean Grae (accapella)
03. The Bug - Warning ft Flowdan
04. Funki Porcini - Michael's Little Friend
05. Prefuse 73 - Radio Attack Pt.2 - re-edit
06. Dj Vadim - My Radio (The Inaugeration)
07. The Herbaliser - Intro
08. Jaga Jazzist - The Thing Introduces
09. Kid Koala - Slew Test 2
10. Journeyman - Mama 6 Pt. 1
11. Dj Vadim - Building Tension In 2 Dimensions
12. Coldcut - I'm Wild About That Thing (The Lost Sex Tapes: Position 1)
13. The Herbaliser - Scratchy Noise
14. Dj Food - They Walk Music
15. Dj Food - A Bunch'a Keyboards
16. DJ Food - A Trick Of The Ear
17. Infinite Livez - Propa III feat Gandhi Warhol
18. King Cannibal - Dirt Ft Daddy Freddy (accapella)
19. Mr Scruff - Is He Ready?
20. Lotek Hi-Fi - Dazzla Interlude
21. DJ Vadim - In Control Vol. 3 (feat. DJ Plus One)
PART 2 - THE SOUNDBOY AND THE TERRORIST - 00:01:55:25
22. DJ Vadim - The Terrorist feat Motion Man (accapella)
23. Thunderheist - LBG (instrumental)
24. DJ Vadim - Who Me feat Demolition Man
25. Sixtoo - Bonus Beat
26. K-The-I??? - Just Listen feat Busdriver
27. Poirier - Wha-La-La-Leng feat Face-T (accapella)
28. Poirier - Jusqu'en Haut feat Omnikrom
29. Spank Rock - Primetime (Original Demo Version)
30. DJ Food - Mumble
31. Roots Manuva - Do Nah Bodda Me (Xrabit Remix)
32. Poirier - Wha-La-La-Leng feat Face-T (Uproot Andy Remix)
33. Dj Food - £3 Skank
34. DJ Food - Half Step
35. New Flesh For Old - 186000 Miles (Skitz Mix Instrumental)
36. Roots Manuva - 9 Dubs A Year
37. Super Numeri - Beaks
38. Roots Manuva - Again Again Again
PART 3 - BRING THAT BACK - 00:05:54:50
39. Roots Manuva - Witness (1 Hope)
40. Ghislain Poirier - Get Crazy feat Mr. Slaughter
41. Roots Manuva - Witness Dub
42. Mr Scruff - Hold On
43. DJ Food - Sexy Bits (Jazz Brakes Volume 5)
44. Mr Scruff - Test The Sound
45. DJ Food - The Food Song
46. London Funk Allstars - Give It To Me Raw
47. London Funk Allstars - Broadcasting Live From Planet Blapps!
48. Up, Bustle & Out - Coffee At Senor Roody's
PART 4 - BIG TUNES. NIG HITS - 00:09:16:73
49. Wagon Christ - Get Your Head Down
50. TY - So You Want More feat Roots Manuva (refix)
51. Coldcut - More Beats & Pieces (Daddy Rips It Up)
52. DJ Food - Dark Lady
53. Coldcut - More Beats & Pieces (Beans & Pizzas Strictly Kid Teeba Jam)
54. London Funk Allstars - Flesh Eating Disco Zombies Versus the Bionic Hookers From Mars
55. Amon Tobin - Verbal (Prefuse 73 Dipped Escalade Mix)
56. Dj Food - Scratch Yer Hed
PART 5 - THE LESSON - 00:10:38:43
57. Amon Tobin - Sordid
58. The Herbaliser - Wall Crawling Bits
59. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Anger (Rare Force 2 Meg Mix)
60. The Herbaliser - Wall Crawling Giant Insect Breaks
61. The Herbaliser - Wall Crawling Giant Insect Breaks (Instrumental)
62. The Herbaliser - Gadget Funk
63. DJ Food - Mr Quicke Cuts The Cheese
64. The Herbaliser - Wall Crawling Giant Insect Breaks (Bonus Beats)
65. Bogus Order - Return Of Brother Zen
66. DJ Food - All Covered In Darkness (Instrumental)
PART 6 - DIRTY SOUTH MUSIC - 00:13:13:00
67. Thunderheist - Sweet 16 (Eli Escarbar Remix)
68. Thunderheist - Sweet 16
69. Spank Rock - Backyard Betty (accapella)
70. The Qemists - Hurts Less feat Jenna G (My Digital Enemy Remix)
71. Bogus Order - Zen Bones
72. Zero dB - A Pomba Girou feat Heidi Vogel
73. Zero dB - A Pomba Girou (Dave Da Gato Remix)
74. Coldcut - Walk A Mile In My Shoes feat Robert Owens (Tiga Remix)
75. Hexstatic - Bass Invader (Kris Menace Remix)
76. Wagon Christ - Cris Chana
PART 7 - LET'S GET TIGHT - 00:17:15:53
77. Pest - Pat Pong (Solid Groove Mix)
78. Hexstatic - Bust
79. Spank Rock - Top Billin' From Far Left
80. DJ Food - Your Mother
81. Spank Rock - Bump (Switch Remix)
82. Coldcut & Hexstatic - Timber
83. Spank Rock - Rick Rubin (accapella)
84. Hexstatic - Toys Are Us
85. Coldcut - True Skool feat Roots Manuva (Switch Remix)
86. Zero dB - A Pomba Girou feat Heidi Vogel
87. Mr Scruff - Cat & Mouse
PART 8 - GENERATION BLEEP - 00:21:59:60
88. Zero dB - Bongos, Beats & Basslines (Dibaba Remix)
89. Wagon Christ - The Funnies
90. Diplo - It's All Part Of A Bigger Plan
91. Bonobo - 1009
92. Hexstatic - L-Virata
93. Dj Food - Eyes Cream
PART 9 - WELCOME TO OUR AGEING SIDESHOW - 00:24:48:63
94. Dj Food - Nocturne
95. Neotropic - Sideshow Man
96. Dj Food - Break
97. Dj Food -The Ageing Young Rebel feat Ken Nordine (accapella)
98. Coldcut - Walk A Mile In My Shoes feat Robert Owens (instrumental)
99. Coldcut - Walk A Mile In My Shoes feat Robert Owens
100. Coldcut & Hexstatic - Timber
101. Journeyman - Estarlay
102. Chocolate Weasel - The Nonsensical Ramblings Of A Lunatic Mind?
103. The Cinematic Orchestra - All That You Give feat Fontella Bass
104. DJ Food - Moody Roadie
105. East Flatbush Project - Tried By 12 (Squarepusher Remix)
106. Bonobo - D Song
107. Coldcut - Noah's Toilet
108. DJ Vadim - Melodies In Vertical Theory
109. The Herbaliser - Mr Chombee Has The Flaw
110. Jaga Jazzist - Lithuania
111. Coldcut - Give It Up
112. Hexstatic - Vector
113. Mr Scruff - Wail
PART 10. DARKNESS CREEPS BUT THE NIGHTMARE CRAWLS - 00:31:30:25
114. Emika - Drop The Other (Scuba's Vulpine remix)
115. Funki Porcini - Nothing To Do
116. Shuttle - Tunnel
117. Dj Food - Sexy Bits (Jazz Brakes Volume 5)
118. Neotropic - Sunflower Girl
119. Fink - See It All (Emika remix)
120. Amon Tobin - Kitchen Sink (Boxcutter remix)
121. The Bug - Ganja feat Flowdan
122. Daedelus - Touchstone feat Paperboy & Taz Arnold (accapella)
123. Fink - Sort Of Revolution (Sideshow dub)
124. Clouddead - Physics Of A Unicycle
125. Yppah - Playing With Fireworks
126. Emika - Double Edge
PART 11 - WE KEEP IT STRAIGHT BOMBING - 00:35:25:13
127. Daedelus - Make It So (XXXChange Remix)
128. Bonobo - Animals
129. The Bug - Ganja feat Flowdan
130. The Qemists - Dem Na Like Me feat Wiley (Subscape Dub)
131. King Cannibal - The Grind & Crawl
132. Daedelus - I Took Two
133. Ghislain Poirier - Blazin feat Face T (Modeselektor Remix)
134. Wiley - Gansters
135. Shuttle - Tunnel (High Rankin Remix)
136. Coldcut - Atomic Moog (Cornelius Remix)
137. The Bug - Poison Dart feat Warrior Queen
138. Coldcut - Just For The Kick
139. Fink - Sort Of Revolution (Sideshow dub)
140. DJ Food - Akaire
PART 12 - BASS BINS THROUGH BROKEN GLASS - 00:40:13:13
141. The Bug - Skeng feat Killa.P & Flowdan (Kode 9 Remix)
142. Amon Tobin - Kitchen Sink (Boxcutter remix)
143. The Bug - Fuckaz feat Spaceape
144. Amon Tobin - Big Furry Head
145. Amon Tobin - Foley Room
146. Amon Tobin - Kitchen Sink
147. Cougar - Rhinelander
148. Emika - Double Edge
149. Homellife - Buffalos
PART 13 - TINGS GET HEAT UP, REWOUND AND TORN DOWN - 00:45:06:38
150. Hex - No
151. Two Fingers - What You Know feat. Sway (Emalkay instrumental)
152. Jammer - 10 Man Roll feat Boy Better Know
153. Rhys Chatham & Martin Wheeler - Neon
154. Two Fingers - High Life (Instrumental)
155. Hexstatic - Wonka (Dj Kentaro Remix)
156. WIley - Bow E3
157. Two Fingers - High Life feat Sway
158. Real Life - Sublime
159. WIley - Bow E3 (Instrumental)
160. Jammer - Better Than (Lorn Remix)
161. Mr Scruff - Whiplash
162. Juice Aleem - Tings Get Heat Up
163. Ghislain Poirier - Diaspora
164. Bonobo - Nightlife (Zero dB Reconstruction)
165. Neotropic - Sunflower Girl
166. Wiley - My Mistakes (Accapella)
167. Neotropic - Money For Old Rope
168. King Cannibal - Flower Of Flesh And Blood
PART 14 - HOW ABOUT SOME ROCK & ROLL ? - 00:49:18:38
169. Kid Koala - Slew Test 2
170. Pop Levi - Police Sign
171. Dj Shadow - Bring Madlib Up
172. Cougar - Thundersnow
173. Poirier - Get Crazy feat Mr Slaughter
174. Dj Food -The Ageing Young Rebel feat Ken Nordine
175. Dj Food - The Beat, The Beat, The Beat*
176. Dj Food - Moody Rudy
177. Hexstatic - Solid Steel Rock School (Accapella)
178. Poirier -Immigrant Visa feat MC Zulu
179. The Heavy - Oh No ! Not You Again !!
180. Pop Levi - Police Sign
PART 15 - THE ART OF GETTING CRAZY - 00:54:18:23
181. Poirier - Karnival
182. TTC - Girlfriend
183. The Death Set - Impossible (Positive Outlook Etan Remix)
184. Ghislain Poirier - Get Crazy feat Mr Slaughter (accapella)
185. Bonobo - Nightlife (Zero dB Reconstruction)
186. Amon Tobin - Like Regular Chickens (Dillinja Mix)
187. King Cannibal - The Untitled
188. Super Numeri - Beaks
189. Ghislain Poirier - Get Crazy feat Mr Slaughter
190. Funki Porcini - King Ashabanapal (Dillinja Mix)
191. Neotropic - 15 Levels Of Magnification (Arcon 2 Remix)
192. Saul Williams - Elohim (1972) Part 2 (Instrumental)
193. Coldcut - More Beats And Pieces (Meet The Weasels Mix By T Power)
194. Coldcut - Re:volution (Instrumental)
195. Sixtoo - Horse Drawn Carriage
196. Neotropic - 15 Levels Of Magnification (Arcon 2 Remix)
PART 16 - KING OF THE JUNGLISM - 00:56:57:30
197. Happy Campers - No Mind (The Zen Experience)
198. Coldcut - More Beats And Pieces (Meet The Weasels Mix By T Power)
199. Mr Scruff - Snack
200. Quincy - Bruce Lee MC
201. Dj Food - Fungle Junk
202. 2 Player - Extreme Possibilities (Wagon Christ mix)
203. Funki Porcini - King Ashabanapal (Dillinja Mix)
204. DJ Kentaro - Trust (Le Jad Remix)
205. Sixtoo - Boxcutter Emporium (Part 1)
206. Two Fingers - Bad Girl feat Sway & Ce'cile - (King Cannibal Remix)
207. Amon Tobin - Reanimator
208. Amon Tobin - Creatures (Hidden Agenda Defocussed Mix)
209. The Qemists - Drop Audio feat MC I.D.
PART 17 - A MONSTER IN THE MUSIC BOX - 00:59:35:43
210. The Herballiser - Herbal Blend (Ingredients)
211. Amon Tobin - Reanimator**
212. Amon Tobin - The Nasty
213. Amon Tobin - Wire & Snakes
214. Cujo - Traffic
215. DJ Food - Fungle Junk (Lemon D Jazz Excursion Remix)
216. 2 Player - Sometimes (2 Player Vs The Herbaliser)
217. Roots Manuva - Juggle Tings Proper
218. Bus Driver - Just Listen feat Busdriver
219. London Funk Allstars - Never Can Get Enough
220. Coldcut & Hexstatic - Timber (LPC's Civilisation Mix)
221. King Cannibal - Aragami Style
222. Clifford Gilberto - Restless
223. Neotropic - Train To Katoomba
224. The Cinematic Orchestra - Time & Space (Live At The Royal Albert Hall)
225. The Herballiser - Herbal Blend (Ingredients)
226. Dj Food - Break
PART 18 - I WANNA SEE ALL THE HANDS - 01:02:28:18
227. The Qemists - Stompbox (Spor Remix)
228. 2 Player - Extreme Possibilities (Wagon Christ mix)
229. Anti Pop Consortium - End Game
230. Fink - Green
231. Coldcut - More Beats And Pieces (Meet The Weasels Mix By T Power)
232. The Qemists - Soundface feat Beardyman
233. The Qemists - Got 1 Life feat MC Navigator
234. Spank Rock - Bump (Switch Remix)
235. DJ Kentaro - Taesgore Highway High (Hexstatic Remix)
236. Two Fingers - That Girl feat Sway (Spor Remix)
237. The Qemists - Hurt Less feat Jenna G (Extended Edit)
238. Hexstatic - Ninja Bits
239. DJ Kentaro - Trust (The Qemists Remix)
240. DJ Food - Fungle Junk (Lemon D Jazz Excursion Remix)
241. DJ Food - Dark Blood (MLO Nu Blud 2 Mix)
242. The Cinematic Orchestra - Familiar Ground
243. Neotropic - La Centinela
244. DJ Food - Sexy Bits (Jazz Brakes Volume 4)
PART 19 - WE ARE NINJA, NOW CUE THE FIREWORKS - 01:06:29:43
245. Drome - Alice Effekt
246. DJ Food - The Day Has Ended
247. Fink - We Are Ninja
248. DJ Food - We're Just Getting Started
249. Oneself - Be Your Own (accapella)
250. The Infesticons - Outro
251. 9 Lazy 9 - Golden Oldie
252. Cougar - Heavy Into Jeff
253. Kruder & Dorfmeister - Shakatakadoodub
PART 20 - SEE YOU LATER - 01:09:02:13
254. Spokes - Torn Up In Praise
255. Hex - Thred
256. DJ Food - Sexy Bits (Jazz Brakes Volume 5)