Dean Blunt's Babyfather project sees him continue to confuse and inspire

Elusive Londoner Dean Blunt first came to public attention as one half of Hype Williams, but who DJ Escrow is remains a mystery. He could be a friend of Blunt, another part of his persona, or something else entirely, but whoever he is, he's a central figure throughout the course of this album's twenty three tracks, with Venezuelan hip-hop producer Arca also playing a notable role.

Their previous Platinum Tears mixtape may have served as a way of introducing this project, but the structure of BFF Hosted by DJ Escrow is geared away from a traditional format and instead towards a very pirate radio feel, with tracks interspersed by a series of chatter that includes mentions of MI5 and Trident as well as the ambient hustle and bustle of the city.

Opener "Stealth Intro" features a repeated refrain of “This makes me proud to be British” over a shifting backdrop of intricate guitar melodies punctuated by mobile ringtones and emergency service sirens. There’s a notable shift upwards in the steady "Greezbloc", where club-friendly, dub-infused rhythmical grooves stride forwards before giving way to dialogue that sounds lifted from a gritty Channel Four drama. The beating heart of this album is firmly located within the M25, and it would be hard to imagine it surfacing from anywhere elsewhere.

The downbeat "Meditation" is a laidback mood setter that follows a similar path, while "Shook, with its smoke-infused vibes, could lure listeners into a false sense of security. "Prolific Deamons" proves to be a mighty contrast which sees this formula ripped up and instead replaced by a grating three minute burst of noise, but if it was placed to test our resolve then we are once again fully pulled in for the vibrant beats and grime stylings of "Platinum Cookies". BBK may be helping to put the focus onto UK grime, but this Babyfather album is one that isn’t making positive strides to be in the limelight nor concerning itself with chart placings. It's more than comfortable flirting with the fringes.

Mica Levi of Micachu and The Shapes guests on the pedestrian “God Hour”, which sees a lazy beat intertwine with a sombre string line and proves to be one of the albums most conventional moments. The woozy grindings and effect laden strings of "Deep" see the album take a sidestep away towards the nocturnal, which helps highlight one of its key failings - each track appears to be a snapshot of an idea rather than its whole, the musical equivalent of an artist's sketchpad.

But it would also be equally hard to imagine Dean Blunt being involved in anything that followed a traditional well worn path given his history of pushing things forward; ultimately the potential legacy of BFF Hosted by DJ Escrow lies with the future artists it may inspire.