Dego
A Wha’ Him Deh Pon?
2000 Black

Dennis “Dego” McFarlane has pretty much earned the title of mastering electronic music. Having made a name for himself as half of the duo 4hero with partner Marc Mac, the two added a level of sophistication to drum and bass, broken beat, soul, Hip-Hop, Latin and overall electronica by incorporating a sort of futuristic jazz and soul sound mixed with a classic blueprint laid down by greats such as Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Ramsey Lewis, Larry Mizell and more. Dego later formed his 2000 Black label which would highlight the more electronic and experimental side of the talented producer as well as other artists. Establishing Silhouette Brown with Kaidi Tatham and Bembe Segue, the London producer, now living in Brooklyn, New York, only further left his futuristic yet abstract imprint in the world of music. Dego has now taken the next step with the release of his solo album “A Wha’ Him Deh Pon?” which is another brilliantly produced record as one would only expect from the producer.

This record combines everything that fans have grown to love about Dego’s sound. There is the future jazz element as well as the twisted funk but the broken beats, while still evidently there are at times replaced with more of a straight forward bounce as demonstrated on one of the highlight tracks titled “Sparkling Minds” featuring Los Angeles vocalist Georgia Ann Muldrow. The song is a B-Boy’s wet dream as an up-rock rhythm and funky bass line sounds like the Blackbyrds meet Roy Ayers in the year 2020 as the drum programming eventually shifts to a more broken style. “We Are Virgo” features London partner in crime Kaidi Tatham on the keys as the track is a beautiful mesh of jazz and abstract rhythms that demonstrates the duos’ understanding and sensibility of the genre. “Love & Hate You” which features West London vocalist Obenewa, contains a rubber band bass line, twisted and stretched out over a beat that has an 80’s feel to it yet still leaps light years into the future.

Overall, “A Wha’ Him Deh Pon?” is another example of why Dego is considered to be one of the best producers in modern times. Refusing to conform to any limitations yet still understanding the theory of the craft makes this album another classic that would go under Dego’s undisputed repertoire.