Ghislain Poirier

Montreal-based DJ Ghislain Poirier is a busy man with a busier passport. He's remixed everyone from Clipse and Lil Wayne to Lady Sovereign, and he's also a global traveler well-known for his fiery and brilliant mixes of African hip-hop. In his own music, Poirier favors no-nonsense beats underpinned by generous dollops of sub-bass. Just as often, though, he complicates a hip-hop and dancehall palette with production trickery that can occasionally be hit-and-miss.

Poirier's strengths and weaknesses are writ large on his third album, No Ground Under. The hypnotic intricacies of the instrumental track "One Hand Can't Clap" are a great example—at the heart of a swarm of bells and drums is a direct and compelling rhythm that's stated at the beginning. You have to admire the densely-programmed beat acrobatics that follow, but it does end up a bit scattered. The track's title is a nod to the wisdom of a Wolof. While "One Hand Can't Clap" (the track) is, in fact, Poirier's work alone, the spirit of the proverb is clearly a working philosophy for No Ground Under, as Poirier's best productions click collaboratively with guest vocalists.

Face-T compliments the thunder-clap beat of "Blazin" with a mesmerizing performance. The record really lifts off with "Go Ballistic," on which Chicago vocalist Zulu delivers a post-apocalyptic party chant that's perfectly suited to the tweaked soca beat and dirty bassline. On "Dem Nah Like Me" Poirier serves up a spare, menacing rhythm to accompany a nimble delivery by Trinidadian-American vocalist Mr. Lee G. Among the downtempo tracks, "Exils" is a standout—it's a haunting collaboration with DJ/Rupture and violinist Abdelak Rahal.

Sometimes, however, having too many hands (or voices, to be more precise) in the mix doesn't quite work together, but rather muddies what could be a clear depiction of Poirier's no-nonsense point of view. On "City Walk," Abdominal delivers a cluttered freestyle that is at odds with Poirier's busy beat. On "Ladies & Gentleman," Ambitieux's unfocused rhymes manage to outpace a frenetic rhythm overburdened with gimmicky scratching. Yet, overall No Ground Under shines, because these weak spots are exceptions in an otherwise taut record.

—Toby Warner

Montreal beat-maker Ghislain Poirier has long been enticing club-goers worldwide to shake "le gros" with his squelching, bass-heavy dance tracks. Though he started his own label, Rebondir, in 2006 (which issued the fantastic Rebondir EP), he also signed to the respected avant electronica outfit Ninjatune not too long after. On No Ground Under, his first release with Ninjatune, he allows his influences to really show through, which means even more ragga and hip-hop than before. Unfortunately, this isn't always for the best. Omnikrom show up on one track, "Jusqu'en Haut," and though the MCs' voices are just as crazed and expressive as ever, Poirier lays down a soul sample-esque beat and a basic drum line that's, honestly, pretty boring, even by simpler rap standards. And while West Indian singers Face-T and Mr. Lee G are both able in their own rights, lyrically and thematically they get a little too repetitive. Poirier is most exciting when he's just writing his own beats, when he doesn't have to consider how his guests will fit over them (an exception to this is the excellent "Exils," featuring the violinist Abdelhak Rahal, which manages to sound supremely organic and industrial at the same time and is one of the best things on the album), and so tracks like the ominous "It's a War War War" and nearly indie electronic "Diaspora" stand out, the interplay between the bass and treble, the different distorted keyboards, coming through more clearly when not obfuscated by the vocals. That's not to say that there aren't some non-instrumentals that really bounce; "Ladies & Gentleman," featuring Ambitieux and DJ Netik, is fast and heavily percussive, while "Go Ballistic," with vocals from Panamanian MC Zulu, is provocative and very, very club-worthy. But in comparison to Poirier's other work, No Ground Under doesn't quite have the same consistently exuberant energy that makes it so fantastically unique and danceable. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide