Virus Syndicate are DJ/Producer Mark One and MCs JSD, Goldfinger and Nika D – Manchester’s foremost Grime crew, representing the North-west UK in their inimitable style. Virus have been operating within the grime scene since 2002, playing many Sidewinder raves and countless shows on Rinse FM and Unity radio as well as a recent live session on Ras Kwame’s new ‘onemusic’ show on Radio 1. Their single ‘Slow Down’, the lead track on this album, has even reached the daytime B-list of 1Xtra.

Their debut album ‘The Work-Related Illness’ really is everything anyone could hope for in this arena – a cartoon gangster movie of an album with beginning, middle and end – all the tracks link into each other as part of a narrative and the entire album tells a story. The fantastic production, the delivery and the flow on the album may be straight from the grime scene, but the content belies a far wider influence – from both UK and stateside hip hop’s lyricism.

01. Slow Down
02. Major List MCs
03. Clockwork
04. Throwing In The Towel
05. Girls
06. Karma
07. Wasted
08. On The Run
09. Nadine
10. Get Money
11. Taxman