Terror Danjah isn’t a household name, he’s not as well known as Wiley or Dizzee Rascal, but he’s considered by the grime cognoscenti to be the best grime producer ever.
The title of the album is a reference to the Gremlin cackle Terror uses as an audio-logo to indicate a Terror Danjah production, much like Timbaland’s singing/beat boxing on his early productions.
However, the comparison with Timbaland doesn’t stop there, both producers worked with a signature palate of sounds, adding to them occasionally, which make their productions instantly recognisable. Both producers use shifting, syncopated rhythms. What makes Terror different was that he’s British, he works around the tempo of 140 bpm, and his music is part of the aggressive post-garage movement of grime. Terror also worked with both mcs and vocalists, from Nasty Crew, Skepta, Wiley, to Shystie, Shola Ama and now Mz Bratt, he worked with the best mcs in the game when grime was the most exciting music around.
These tracks were mostly issued on limited vinyl releases on the Aftershock label, as either instrumental tracks for mcs to clash over and djs to play or as backing for mcs and singers. If you want to hear a precursor to Joker, and the new Bristol producers, here it is. Despite the pared down palette he uses, Terror’s productions are full of brilliant ideas, complex rhythms and pop hooks and until now, despite being lauded by those in the know, he’s been underappreciated. This collection of his instrumentals, remixes and tracks for others, is a good chance to show off his singular genius to the rest of the world.
01 Big-E-D: Frontline (Terror Danjah’s Creepy Crawler Remix)
02 Piano Madness
03 DJ Target: Poltergeist (Terror Danjah V.I.P. Remix)
04 Zumpi Hunter
05 Hyperphonix
06 Stiff
07 Green Street
08 Skepta: D.T.I (Terror Danjah Remix)
09 Radar
10 Skepta: Love IS Here To Stay (Terror Danjah Remix)
11 Planet Shock
12 Crowbar 2
13 Limbo
14 Splash
15 Haunted (Boogeyman Instrumental)
16 Code Morse (feat. D.O.K.)
17 DJ Marsta: Fibre (Terror Danjah Remix)
18 Reloadz
