Rico Tubbs, the Finnish breakbeat producer whose tunes have been rocking clubs in various guises for over a decade, launches his premier album release on Menu Music, Knuckle Sandwich. And boy does it pack a punch! Listening to Knuckle Sandwich, it’s almost as if Rico’s is fed up with the retro “electro sound” and is single-handedly trying to knock it’s awfulness from the airwaves, and muscle in the old Big Beat and 90s rave sounds.

Whilst this oldschooler absolutely loves this mix, there weren’t any track separators on the CD, so it was one long continuous mix, and I found that kind of annoying. However, it is a wonderfully produced mix of all Tubbs own tracks, and whilst with other producers this may falter in a similar mix at some point, the tunes on this album are so bouncy and funky that nothing feels forced or out of step with the overall vibe of the album. All the tracks are excellent, but stand outs are Gangsters and Slap the Bass, with their old school synths and massive dancefloor hooks.

However, one problem I do have is I can’t help but to think that other people won’t get as much from it as I did. Although each track is wonderfully arranged and produced, and as groovy as all hell, people who might not understand the retro-roots of the album may dismiss this as simply a cheesy knock off of Fatboy Slim, without giving it a serious go. I’m sure that individually, each track stands up well, but as I only received the mix CD I can’t really give a fair review of that aspect of the album.