Artist
: ELECTROSLIDE
Title :
NEAR LIFE
EXPERIENCE
Label
: BACK ROOM BEATS
Format
: CD
An
album with a laid-back, summer feel to it. Electroslide are two Parisian-based
musicians, Frank Bolaers who is a guitarist with a rock background and who
played on the DJ Food series for Ninja Tunes, and Brice Berard who has a techno
and DJ background. They began working together to blend rock and dance, a
thing tried many times before - specially by fading rock bands attempting
to boost sales. They have not fallen into the trap of many of those bands
in trying to make this cross-over obvious.
This,
their second album, is influenced by funk, jazz, hip-hop, break beats, ambient
and dub to bring together a whole range of warm, feelgood sounds that should
get you smiling. Every so often a sample is slipped in that triggers the memory,
but never too obviously.
UD
Artist
: TOSCA
Title :
DIFFERENT TASTES OF HONEY
Label
: G- STONE
Format
: CD / LP
A
remix project with taste and a twist, this collection consists of 13 versions
of one tune - 'Honey' from Tosca's 'Suzuki' album - revamped and revoiced
by producers including Only Child, Faze Action, Funky Lowlives and Organic
Audio.
The
angles are as varied as you'd expect, with Shelter Avenue and Azoia at one
extreme adding live instrumental performances and the sound of Lisbon, Supatone
at the other serving up two tasty slices of atmospheric electronic dub.
More
surprising is the way the whole thing hangs together as a set, with the different
styles blending sweetly together and Anna Clementi's original vocal slipping
in and out of the mix like a voice from a recurring dream.
OM
Artist
: VARIOUS
Title :
SELECT CUTS FROM ECHO BEACH
Label
: ECHO BEACH
Format
: CD
At
last the German dub label inspired by the lyrics of seminal 80s pop hit Echo
Beach (by Canadian popsters Martha and the Muffins as if you needed telling)
does the decent thing and release a whole album of remixes of their inspirator.
And they even get Martha and her Muffins to contribute a track too. If you
remember the original you'll probably love this, and spend time deciding which
is your favourite remix. If you don't, you may wonder why anyone would devote
a whole album to versions of the same tune. Its an old Jamaican dub tradition
and I guess this is as post-modern as it gets.
There's
a wide range of styles here, from trip-hop through dub to house and trance
from the likes of Deep Dive Corporation, Sounds From The Ground, Groove Corporation,
Gabriel Le Mar and Jimmy Cauty. And was that the voice of the Fall's Mark
E Smith near the end or am I just a romantic fool?
UD
Artist : EAST OF THE RIVER GANGES
Title : CLEANING
FLUID MIXES
Label
: LSD
Format
: VINYL
In
2001 Sadhus, Yogis, Wandering Ascteers and Holy Men from across India and
beyond gathered on the banks of the River Ganges for the Kumbha Mela to give
puja and bathe in her sacred waters. A New Zealand film maker documenting
the gathering asked Youth to produce a piece of music for his soundtrack which
then metamorphosised into this album featuring Youth, Dreadzone, Suns of Arqa,
Uri Geller and some of the Mela's millions of participants. The album was
a collection of multi-layered, Indian-influenced, dub tracks over which Brother
Culture adds words of wisdom.
This
twelve inch provides 3 solid remixes of Cleaning Fluid. There is an extended
version of the original and remixes by the mighty Groove Corporation and by
Laurent Collat.
UD
Artist
: SHPONGLE
Title : TALES
OF THE INEXPRESSIBLE
Label
: TWISTED
Format
: CD
Not
a new release, coming out in 2001, but such a great album that I still want
to tell anyone who has not come across it yet. And the main thing I want to
tell you? Go out, buy it, come back in, light up a big fat one and kick-back
to enjoy the journey.
'Tales
Of…' is a multi-layered blend of influences and instruments - latin, dub,
trance, psychedelic and ambient; flute, acoustic guitar, cello, percussion
and soaring Turkish vocals. The pace varies from laid back chillout, but with
driving basslines, to up-for-it dance tracks. As soon as you hear the first
few bars of latin percussion on the opening track, Dorset Perception, you
know you're going to hear something amazing. There are too many highlights
to pick any one thing out, and that would also do injustice to the interconnections
made between different sounds, influences and ideas that Raja Ram and Simon
Posford have brought to the album's creation.
I've
been playing out tracks from 'Tales Of…' since its release and never has one
failed to go down well, to light up a dance floor or a chillout room.
UD
Artist : UKO
Title : UKO
Label
: KLEIN
Format
: CD / VINYL
Not
strictly a new release, this offering from Vienna's Klein label has been available
over here since last year but seems to have been largely ignored so deserves
another plug.
Digging
in the same garden as fellow Viennese chillmeisters Kruder & Dorfmeister,
UKO (brothers Jurgen and Martin Baussman with a handful of guest vocalists)
manage to hollow out their own distinctive niche somewhere between breakbeat
and downbeat, elements of funk and mellow jazz combined with rolling rhythms
and deep dubby basses.
A
couple of the vocal led-tracks have the feel of a more up tempo Zero 7 while
the standout 'Channelled' mixes yearning string chords with dark electro beats,
managing to be both intense and relaxed at the same time.
OM
Artist
: BOARDS
OF CANADA
Title : GEOGADDI
Label
: WARP
It's
taken the enigmatic Boards nearly four years to follow the acclaimed and influential
'Music Has The Right To Children', and the end result holds few surprises.
The
design is minimal but powerful, the tune titles run suitably scared of meaning
(more Cocteau Twins anyone?) and there are plenty of their trademark low-key
vocal samples and off-centre-vinyl style wobble effects.
Clocking
in at 66 minutes and 23 tracks, 'Geogaddi' mixes brief atmospheric noodlings
with fully-formed chillout epics to create a constantly shifting but consistent
soundscape.
Highlights
are the opening 'Ready Let's Go' and the heartmelting '1969', featuring the
distinctive vocoder treatment used on the classic 'In a Beautiful Place Out
In The Country' (revisited briefly here on 'Sunshine Recorder'). So nothing
groundbreaking here but when the ground is as well-covered as this it probably
just don't need fixing.
OM
Artist
: QUANTIC
Title : APRICOT
MORNING
Label
: TRU THOUGHTS
Format
: EP
Tru
Thoughts claim to choose their recording artists on the basis of bribes, beer
or sheer musical brilliance. On the evidence of this taster for Quantic's
forthcoming album, large quantities of money and alcohol should not have been
required to change hands.
'Apricot
Morning' is a six and a half minute flight across a sea of ice cool chords
and percussion, moving effortlessly from its hypnotic half-time jazzy opening
to a storming full-on groove stirred up with chopping guitars and the funkiest
breakdown this side of the millennium.
The
other three tracks on the EP - mixes by Jon Kennedy, Pressure Drop and Natural
Self - do nothing to take away the sense of anticipation. Bring on the album
Mr Quantic…
OM
Artist
: VARIOUS
Title : ESSENCE : RE
- EVOLUTION IV
Label
: FLYING RHINO
Format
: DOUBLE CD
I
haven't heard any of the previous Re:evolution compilations, but I can only
assume they are of a similar format to this one. Disc one, mixed by James
Monro, is music on the Flying Rhino Freestyle label, while the Lucas-mixed
second disc is normal FR action - solid, driving, atmospheric trance with
a very progressive edge. Although disc two is more my cuppa tea, disc one
is full of some lovely diverse, groovy and beautiful music, starting off very
slow and ambiently before heading off into a blissed-out atmospheric dub direction
and then sweeping in with some lush breakbeat tunes. A collection that is
a proper listening journey, carrying you to different places and reaching
a happy conclusion that brings you back down to earth very nicely. A really
sterling package with a great deal of top-quality musical entertainment from
a label we've come to expect such things from.
Ed Snugg
Artist
: ROOTSMAN
Title : ROOTS BLOODY
ROOTSMAN
Label
: THIRD EYE MUSIC
Format
: CD
Brand new from
third eye music comes this new collection of heavy hitting futuristic dubs
with one toe in the ancient past. 'Roots Bloody Rootsman' is made up of previously
unreleased tracks recorded between '96 and 2001. The only airing these tunes
have had before this release was as exclusives to the Rootsman Sound System.
Rootsman is apparently ensconced in the studio working on a new album that
will feature the vocal talents of singers such as Earl 16 ( LeftField / Dreadzone
) U-Brown, Ranking Joe and more. So I suppose this album is a kind of stopgap
for fans waiting for the new material. That's not to detract from this release
but to put into context. Make no mistake this is a full on release from one
of the UK's hardest hitting dancefloor wise dub stylised producers.
'Roots
Bloody Rootsman' features nine never before released cuts alongside four remixes
provided by Jammin Unit from Germany, Space Activator Hole from Poland, Ras
Boras Inc from France and El Jethor based in Egypt and the U.K. The CD book
contains some nice notes from The Rootsman on each of the tracks origins and
style along with a note about any remixes included.
After a weird
vocal introduction the album starts proper with the champion sounds of 'Tremors'
which teases it's listeners with it's long ethnic favored intro before the
thumping slow paced riddim kicks in the bass fest. 'Tremors' acts as a great
warm up introducing the various textures and vibes that'll feature through
out the album. The following 'We Nuh Ramp' is a much faster dub & bass affair.
A riddim that will no doubt please audiences and selectors of any self-respecting
experimental future dub / club meets dub style night. On the remix El Jethor
steps forward with a mellower vibe but none the less kicking down beat remake.
Other
highlights include 'Come With The Love' which ( it says here ) was an attempt
to "Bring the aggression of industrial metal into the dubwise format". The
odd thing is that it actually works. The ensuing sampled live drums and metal
riffs blended with Rootsmans trade mark eastern vibed UK dub comes together
nicely and creates an odd new juxtaposed sound. Another tune to raise the
old Bimble eyebrows was 'Hard Fi Dead' A tune which I hated at the start and
loved by the end. A tune I can't begin to break down here you'll just have
to buy the album and work it out for yourself. 'Fittest Of The Fittest' is
a strong digital roots riddim with a full release deserved for the vocal cuts
that are mentioned in the sleeve notes. 'Ta Travudia' is actually a Rootsman
remix for 'Rosapaeda' who are an indigenous folk act from southern Italy.
The results of which is a kind of beatastical deep in dub meets Kleizmer folk
affair. This tune will work perfectly at the world's summer festivals. The
last track to be mixed here by The Rootsman himself is 'The Truth' which features
samples lifted from a conspiracy-theorists conference ( !! ) Which is made
up of a wicked almost two step riddim, a completely catchy b-line and topped
off with loads of atmospheric pad sounds. A tune surely destined for the hybrid
future dub dance floor.
The album ends
with the four aforementioned remix tracks. The last of which for my money
is the most interesting. 'Tremors' remix is supplied by Space Activator Hole
from Poland and is a beatastical floor-filling gem. With its upful beats and
loops. Enhanced by some wonderful trumpet from Dave Cosmic from Zion Train
and The Love Grocer. 'Tremors' remix closes 'Roots Bloody Rootsman' on both
a perfect high and an interesting note.
Rootsman
is obviously not afraid to take risks with his sound and it's always a treat
to see where he'll take us next. Stay tuned for news of future Rootsman and
Third Eye crew releases.
bimble@freeradicalsounds.com
You'll
find more Rootsman reviews here.
Artist
: ZION TRAIN
Title : - ORIGINAL SOUNDS OF THE ZION
Label
: UNIVERSAL EGG
Format
: CD /LP
"Run
go tell your partner, run go tell your friend.
Zion Train sound say we come back again"
It
looks like the summer will once again reverberate to the tones of the mighty
Zion Train. With a new album to push they will no doubt be present at loads
summer festivals, so expect loads of fun fuelled times and sets pushing both
there new product and their unique one love vibe.
Opening with
the pure upliftment that is the aptly titled 'Zion High'. A great show opener
with Jono from 'Nucleus Roots' providing the toaster style voicings and a
sweet trumpet lead Crispy Horn line. On the following 'Ella's Melody' the
tempos temporarily shift down a gear as the vibe heads towards a more introspective
vibe. Other highlights include the wonderful 'Beatmass' which will have the
masses stomping on down and reminds this writer of many a crazy moment spent
down the front at a 'Zion Train' show. Think full on future dub meets dance
floor mayhem. The following dance floor friendly 'Beautiful Children' deserves
to be a summer time No 1 but probably won't be due to its performers truly
underground status. 'Behold The Rainbow' manages to reproduce perfectly the
actual feel of being at a sound system clash with it's almost lo fi production
putting you in mind of rattling speaker boxes and hazy atmospheres. The closing
tune 'Earth Quake' finds Zion Train back on familiar ground doing what they
do best. That is producing super heavy sub driven steppers for the masses
with sirens aplenty and heavily effected everything.
After
three years since the last proper album from Zion Train it's a big welcome
back to the (adopted) welsh massive. Lets just hope the sun shines.
bimble@freeradicalsounds.com
Artist
: NU SKOOL PLAYERS / TRICKSTER
Title : - ORACABESSA / WOLFTOWN SELECTION
Label
: FREE WITH DUECE MAGAZINE
Format
: CD
Oracabessa
/ Wolftown Selection.- mixed by Nu Skool Players and Tricktster. Freebie CD
with Deuce Magazine
The
UB40 golden era established Birmingham on the mainstream's cultural musical
map in the 80's. Media-wise things have been more than a little quiet, until
recently with the emergence of a strong label based identity arriving in the
last couple of years supported by a burgeoning club scene. The intervening
decades have seen a rise in contemporary dance music culture and at the moment,
musically, U.K Garage rules, both in sales and exposure, but like many of
it's previous genres success seems to have it's price as Garage has quickly
shed reality lyrics in favour of designer make believe and urban hype. This
is where for me these Oracabessa and Wolftown records come in strong.
Deuce
magazine has managed to pull off a bit of a coup with a give away C.D that
features the combined works of Oracabeesa and Wolftown records. Neatly dived
into two halves the C.D. works as a kind of audio sound-clash with the Oracabessa
selections (of which there are 10) mixed by the Nu School Players. This is
followed neatly by Oracabessa artist Tricksta mashing up the Wolftown recordings
longer and more rap induced remaining 6 tracks.
I
first became aware of 'Wolftown' through the excellent "High Times" penned
"Villains." Which happily features on the release It's lyrical genius re-mixed
here on the sampler is the only mild disappointment, with its initial rawness
missing in what sounds like a radio friendly edit. Flying through the other
tracks Nu Skool players "Feel Good " is emotionally subterranean, with a "despair
is easy, hope is hard" message. A beautiful yet edgy garage vocal to open
the selective mix. The infamous "Herbland " by Don Yute is a fresh attempt
at celebrating l'herb superb and served up with dollops of doleful sub bass.
Beats and breaks predominate with New Skool Players and "Darkside displays
a late night deep grooving tune which is truly infectious and inspiring.
Lurking
in the background of at least one of these labels is UB40's Ali Campbell so
it's hardly suprising that what you hear and what you get is some reggae /
raggage dancefloor grooves that frequently accompany hard hitting lyrics.
Halfway into the mix and its a turnaround time as Wolftown records falls into
the hands of Tricksta who displays the label's artform technique of poetical
violence and lolloping bass lines.
Lyrically
biting and socially scathing Wolftown and Oracbessa are vital to the U.K garage/Hip-hop
scene. Welcome to the future …
"The
walls have ears and the hills still have eyes,
Streets full of danger, jealousy and lies.
I only run with villains, musician's and crooks
Hip-hop ladies with that urban look.
No fixed abode I'm sleeping on my friend's floor.
Only nourishment is bread and bake beans raw.
Electrical goods scammed from catalogues.
Nicam-digital, stereo and analogue.
Like life to me is like one long-sided day
I'm like Miles, I never work, I just rest and play.
The Black Twang I crave the Queen's Head
each night the room spins as I hit my bed
I'm like the guy who never pays for shit.
I suck the system dry, I make taxpayers sick
British weather dark for seven months of the year
The feel good factor is not reaching here.
We introduce you to the UK sound. We introduce you to the U.K sound where
hip hop was lost and now has been found."
( Villains-'The U.K Sound.' )
Smart
Monkey
