Deadbeat is Scott Monteith, a long time Montrealer and recent Berlin ex-pat who has been releasing his own special blend of dub laden, minimal electronics since 2000, for labels such as Cynosure, Musique Risquée, Scape, and Spectral to name but a few. His work has been met with consistent critical acclaim from the industry’s leading publications, and drawn regular performance invitations for some of the world’s most respected festivals and clubs, including Barcelona’s Sonar, Berlin’s Transmediale, and Montreal’s Mutek alongside Panorama Bar, fabric and the like. His eagerly anticipated new album sees him continue his relationship with kindred spirits Wagon Repair in his own inimitable techno/dub/dancehall/house style. Those familiar with Deadbeat’s last album, which felt much more a collection of tracks, will be immediately struck by Roots and Wire’s larger cohesive narrative arc after thex first listen. The album is aesthetically informed by his longterm collaborative friendship with Robert Henke (monolake), the creative relationship with Wagon Repair, the close proximity of his fellow artists in Berlin and the opportunity to collaborate with Paul St Hilaire (Tikiman). It is no surprise that an album of such vast scope be largely inspired by the artist’s own transition from Montreal based producer releasing on Berlin label ~scape for 5 years, to Berlin based producer releasing on a Canadian label. An uncanny logic is present throughout, weaving a fluid narrative from disparate influences and styles. Opener ‘Rise Again’ is the first of two collaborations with Tikiman, whose beautiful Rasta lament is supported by a huge bass sound. In recording all of the virtual instruments through mic’d speakers as one would do with a real band, he’s given the track a distinctly ‘live’ feel that is a thematic element of all the tracks on the album. The sense of space and breathing room tone this recording process produces also makes the bass sound even larger than it already is. Ti