Since registering on our radar in 2004 with the wonderfully direct, eccentrically forthright hip-hop gem Spilt Milk (which we put on the second OxfordBands.com compilation, back when we did that kind of thing) Asher Dust hasn’t been idle, either as a producer/writer or as a collaborator with the likes of Mr Shaodow, Uneek, Tiger Mendoza and as a key member of the former rap collective Big Speakers. His solo output has straddled a wide range of genres in the dance and urban spheres including reggae, drum and bass, dubstep, techno, trip hop and r’n’b; it’s been eclectic and sometimes patchy but capable of surprising with very accessible and catchy tracks like ‘Mortal Life’ and ‘Praying To The Dancefloor’. This album-length EP is a rare collection from an artist whose output is usually collaborations and individual tracks, and it’s a very revealing insight into the workings of a complicated, hard-working and very talented artist.

You wouldn’t necessarily know it from the start, though, as the record begins with what could be its two weakest tracks in different ways: ‘Politricks’ expresses common and heartfelt frustration at “living in a Con-Dem nation… overcome by corrupt politicians” but hardly constitutes serious analysis, perhaps exemplified most succinctly in the unintended irony of the line “Me philosopher; dem are Lucifer”, and ‘Monster Love’ sits a soulful vocal on an oddball lilting groove which is quite unforgiving and unsupportive, making the whole feel rather like a plush but uncomfortable chair – it’s impressive in its way, but you wouldn’t choose to spend much time in it.

Starting at track three, however, puts us on a better footing, and the rest of the album deals with very personal themes directly expressed with no small amount of humility: ‘You Can’t Stop Me’ expands on the opener’s righteous indignation but from a more personal perspective, and recurring themes include depression in ‘Learning To Crawl’, addiction, infidelity and attempts to atone for past mistakes in ‘Wasteland’ and ‘Space In Your Heart’. It’s very downbeat thematically, beginning with indignant rage which boils down to exhaustion and resignation, expressed in a soulful, personal, almost confessional way. A slight mis-hit is ‘Dream Fabulous’, an r’n’b bump’n’grind with hints of Prince and Outkast which nevertheless doesn’t shed the melancholy tone, lilting in a slightly awkward cross between funk and trip-hop.

The record ends with three remixes by Death of Hifi, Mark Boy and the fantastically named Crab Costume, all of which are decent but inessential, adding a bit of stylistic variety but little more: Death of Hifi turn up the beats and darken the groove, Crab Costume go dubby and minimal, and Mark Boy’s ‘Unhinged’ remix quickens, darkens and muddies the original track. Adding it all up, there aren’t the immediate poppy standout tracks Asher has produced before, but for the first time there’s a collection of tracks that really fit together musically and thematically, with more controlled, confident production than we’ve seen in the past. It’s very intimate without feeling voyeuristic, emotional without being emotive, minimal but not sparse, dark but not bleak, and it rewards repeated listening. There’s room for improvement, perhaps, but it feels engagingly risky, and if all risks paid off they wouldn’t be risks, would they? Unless we were living in a Con-Dem nation overcome by corrupt politicians, perhaps. That really would be bleak.

Listen to or download Maverick Trick for free here / Asher Dust on SoundCloud / BG Records on Facebook