Stereotyp Meets Al'Haca's "Phase Three" is an interesting experiment. Its sound is a combination of ragga and dancehall riddims inna European style. Think something like Shabba Ranks and Busta Rhymes holding it down in Vienna. The duo get support from a large number of well known reggae vocalists including Daddy Freddy, RQM, Ras T-Weed of Overproof Soundsystem, Shagon of Aphrodelics, Spectacular, Ras B, DJ Collage, Cesar Sampson, Lady Saw, Alleycat, hawkeye and Harry Todler.

1. Intro
2. Up There (feat. Daddy Freddy)
3. Ball Bout Murda (feat. Ras B)
4. Blaze N' Cook (feat. Shagon)
5. Ghetto Rollin (feat. Spectacular)
6. Me Na Joke (feat. Daddy Freddy)
7. Watch Me Flip (feat. RQM)
8. Not Afraid (feat. Cesar)
9. Iration (feat. RQM and Ras T-Weed)
10. Synthesis (feat. Sara)
11. Interlude
12. One A Name Hittas (feat. Daddy Freddy)
13. Modern Times (feat. Alleycat)
14. Lately (feat. Lady Saw)
15. Boss It (feat. Hawkeye)
16. Special (feat. Harry Toddler)
17. Heavyweighter (feat. RQM)
18. Nu Styling (feat. DJ Collage)
19. Outro

With "Up There" the duo throw Middle Eastern influenced percussive ryhthms under dancehall vocals combined with a female speaking French in the background chorus. The rhythmic and vocal effect is unexpectedly infectious. They follow with "Ball Bout Murda" which carries the same rhythmic and vocal style into mid-tempo territory.

"Blaze n' Cook" is the only track that made it into 12" release (featuring remixes by Peter Kruder). As with the previous tracks, there is a definite Mid-East ragga flavor to the instrumentation, and with the female backing vox, this one begs for at least some comparison to M.I.A.

"Me Na Joke" is heavy with dancehall vocal style but carries a tense, distinctly German atmosphere in its minimal, spatial synth work. Near the middle of the album Cesar brings a soulful, R&B vocal style that's a definite weak-point in my opinion. Thankfully they don't take it too far.

"Synthesis" on the other hand, which has a sound entirely unlike any other on the album, is one of its strongest tracks. It's an estrogen-laden, deep dub groove featuring an echoey vocal performance by Sara Workneh. If ever a gem were to be plucked, this is it.

Lady Saw provides lyrics on "Lately" which is a nice, minimal ragga rocker.

A tense but laid-back ragga/hip-hop style drives the sound of most of the tracks on Phase Three. Most of the instrumentation is built on samples, synths and programmed rhythms, but natural sounds and ethnically rooted rhythms come through strong as well.

If European-styled ragga experimentalism is your calling, keep digging into Stereotyp Meets Al'Haca.

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