Category Archives: New/Reviews

New/Reviews

A couple more records

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The Age Of Selfishness : Wakako’ka (Alex Atias + Oren Walters – house one side, broken the other)

Inverse Cinematics : Shoot The Pianist (See Danny’s review from last week)

Ennio Morricone : Remixes Volume 1 (Everyone and their mom on the remix doodies)

Luke Vibert : YosepH (first Vibert I’ve bought since Tally Ho!)

Violator Featuring A Tribe Called Quest And Erykah Badu : I C U (Doin’ It) (can’t wait for the album, sounding in good form, if with a bit more emphasis on prototypical hip hop choruses)

Various Artists : Jazz Bizniz 3 Reworks EP (can’t remember what this one’s all about – seem to recall it was quite tasty)

Infinity Plus One : Rhythmic Unison / Looking Like U Sound AAAAAAACCCCCCCIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDD!!!

Charts, New/Reviews

October Top 10 + Reviews

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1. Freedom Soundz Feat. Vanessa Freeman – Feelings EP – Nepenta Promo

2. RSL – Wesley Music – Player

3. Pepe Bradock & Michelle Weeks – Distorted Echoes – KIF

4. Truby Trio – Universal Love (Âme Remix) – Compost

5. Stateless- Leave Me Now (Brooks Remix) – Freerange

6. Only Child featuring Amp Fiddler – U Bring Me Vibes – Grand Central

7. John Tejada – The Toiling of Idle Hands – Immigrant

8. John Arnold with Amp Fiddler – Get Yourself Together / I Can Be (inc Joshua / Spacek Remixes) – Ubiquity

9. LFO – Sheath – Warp

10. 32 Project – The Root Of World – Ibadan

11. I haven’t cracked open the Jaylib album yet, but I bet it deserves an honourable mention.

As you’ve probably noticed I’ve bought a ridiculous number of records recently, so I figured I should share with you the cream of the crop. For starters, there are two new John Tejada albums out as of last week (or at least that’s when I found them). I just mixed through the entirety of each, so my impressions may not be 100% accurate, having only heard them once, and being in a hurry to get to other stuff, I found myself in the mix most of the time.

Anyway… the first, with Arian Leviste is on Playhouse, ‘Fairfax Sake’. Slightly clicky in places with those Tejada chords you’d expect. Much more techno than most Playhouse material. Some of it doesn’t quite elevate to the levels I’d hope for, but the whole thing is solid throughout. Not a weak track on it really, but no single track stood out high above the rest.

The second, ‘The Toiling of Idle Hands’ on Immigrant, is quite varied and showcases a good number of his talents. The whole thing is dance floor playable, but it covers a healthy range from broken techno to straight up Detroit sh*t (or at least his L.A. variant thereof). Having not heard his album on A13, but always having ranked ‘The Matrix of Us’ at the top of his discog, I’d have to rate this right beside it at a glance, if not covering as much downtempo stuff. The 4th, 7th and 8th tracks on this are really really nice but it all holds together as a proper techno album – a rarity at that.

While I’m on the topic, the latest Domu + Volcov ‘Last of the Great Apes’ on Residual is really freaked out broken techno, and includes a crazy Titonton mix, with his beats at their funkiest. Three really solid tracks on this, and one that didn’t particular affect me. And while on this topic, the latest Titonton ‘Raunchy’ is quite nice, if not his most groundbreaking work. It reminds me of his track on the Soul in Motion comp (maybe it was called ‘Anticipation’???), but with beats that kick throughout.

Some of the other new purchases that have really been doing it for me:

Headspace 3 sampler – I don’t think this is terribly new, but it’s a great representation of Europe’s take on Detroit. Fabrice Lig and Arne Weinberg’s tracks stand out to me, but all four are really nice. Remind me to get these EPs!

Techno is back! 🙂

Only Child – U Bring Me Vibes – Grand Central: Features Amp Fiddler on vocals and keys, with two remixes from DSL (of Chili Funk fame), and another from Mantis Recordings. Each of the remixes adds a new twist, but the original holds it all together best for me. If you like Amp Fiddler, this is pretty much a must in my mind.

John Arnold with Amp Fiddler – Get Yourself Together / I Can Be ( inc Joshua / Spacek Remixes ) – Ubiquity: Recently reviewed here to death, so I won’t go into a lot of detail other than echoing the other sentiments. Each remix is great, and the originals are as good as you’d expect from this duo. I still haven’t had a chance to take in the full John Arnold album yet b/c I want to devote the attention to it that it deserves.

Stateless- Leave Me Now ( inc Swell Session / Brooks Remixes ) – Freerange: I really like the Stateless album ‘Art of No State’, and it sort of surprises me that I haven’t seen more discussion of it anywhere (not necessarily here). The Brooks remix on this adds a bouncy galloping beat that kind of reminds me of some of Thomas Fehlmann’s more recent beat work, with sparse sounds and melodies that don’t interfere with the amazing, huge airy vocal. It also sounds to me as though he’s altered the delivery of the vocals pretty substantially in order to fit it into his rearrangement. It works really well. This is another excellent remix from Brooks. I think I like his heavily vocal stuff best of his work, even if all if it is excellent.

Pepe Bradock & Michelle Weeks – Distorted Echoes – KIF: I know I’m beating a dead horse, but this is fantastic. I’m sure it will be warming dance floors through the new year. Definitely makes the top 20 of 2003, without a doubt.

Freedom Soundz Feat. Vanessa Freeman – Feelings EP – Nepenta Promo: Alex Attias certainly has a way with vocals. This may be the best record of my recent purchases. Very hard to classify – perhaps ‘Broken House’? Although that description may not do justice to the prototypical West London synth line that ties this all together. It’s one of those really crafty arrangements that gives you the counter before the melody, and shifts the puzzle pieces throughout. The primary synth line is constantly developing, and the vocal is so sweet and powerful. Everything fits together like a dream on this record. It even has thematic beats, where the vocals match what the music does. I completely geek for that stuff. 8) The B side is also very nice. Another one for the top 20.

Truby Trio – Universal Love (Âme Remix ) – Compost: I don’t often find myself in the JCR camp. Really enjoy the stuff but it doesn’t often wind up on my platters, so I tend to avoid. This Âme remix is fantastic though, and quite unlike what you’d expect. A tightly rhythmic male vocal over detuned Detroit chords and a sparse beat. It sounds more like Pepe Bradock than Compost stuff. This is gonna destroy some dance floor.

32 Project – The Root Of World – Ibadan: Hiroshi Watanabe on Ibadan! Sounds odd for sure, but when you put it on it makes sense. Strongly reminiscent of Wayne Gardiner or Larry Heard, but still distinctly Tread(ed). This is lush.

LFO – Sheath – Warp: Some of the first side of this record is a bit noisey for my taste these days. Certainly not bad, but doesn’t really excite me much. This isn’t as revolutionary as I’d expected from my drunken ½ memories of ATP, but still a very solid return to writing for Mr. Bell. I think this will be a grower too. There are at least three or four tracks that really hit home, especially towards the end of the album.

RSL – Wesley Music – Player: As featured on and blown up by Gilles Petersen this Spring, this is as anthemic as they come. I finally found my copy a few months after release when Piccadilly became the benefactor of a distributor find. And it sounds like something rescued from a vault, locked up for 25 years. Uplifting in the best way, and dripping with funk, this is completely essential, and is already hard to find due to the Petersen hype. If you see it buy it. Pure funk. The B side is also great, adding a hip hop edge, subtracting the vocals. Manchester seems to have a ton of great creative activity at the moment. This is another certainty for the top 20.

Back to those new tunes now…

New/Reviews

Mo’ new chunes

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John Arnold : Get Yourself Together / I Can Be (with Amp Fiddler, this is toooo good)

John Arnold : Neighborhood Science

John Tejada. Arian Leviste : Fairfax Sake

John Tejada : The Toiling Of Idle Hands

Pepe Bradock & Michelle Weeks : Distorted Echoes (this is easilly one of his best. gorgeous)

RSL : Wesley Music (this is sooooooooooooooooo good)

Trouble Men feat Colonel Abrams : Underground Ep (this is not so good doh)

Stateless : Leave Me Now ( inc Swell Session / Brooks Remixes ) (this is toooo good)

Various : Harry The Bastard presents Club H vol 2 (includes D. May Sueno Latino remix!)

Atjazz : Its Complete ( inc mixes by Chateau Flight / Uschi Classen)

New/Reviews

Another haul

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It’s pay day!

Afronaught : Transcend Me / Outta Range (classic Broken Beat reissue)

John Arnold : Anaconda / Rough (pure funk with a thick beat)

Bola : Fyuti

Bola : Soup (how could I sleep on these for so long)?

C2C4: Specimen 1 and 2 (Moxie 03, Carl Craig’s re-edit of the Talking Heads ‘Once in a Lifetime. Never noticed that the synth bloops throughout seem to dip and dive in pitch (in the sample itself). Weird).

Cosy Creatures : Freedom EP (Joshua-esque bassline-driven toon from Belgium on DJ Sneak’s ‘Oomph’. Also reminds me of Paper in it’s heydey)

DJs Collapse : Jaw Funk / Shinbone (Herbert + Mouse On Mars on Soundslike. Sounds like Ennio Morricone getting Herberted and Moused in the bassment. Weird)!

Domu & Volcov : The Last Of The Great Apes EP (Nice Titonton mix)

Titonton Duvante : Raunchy EP (More Titonton – very very nice)

Force Of Nature : Dark Nebula (very tech-y broken remix from Moonstarr)

Freedom Soundz Feat. Vanessa Freeman : Feelings EP (new from Alex Attias on Nepenta. Sick vocal. Flip also sounds great)!

Global Soul : Look Into Yourself (the Seiji mix has been caned @ Co-op for ages, which has an unusually full-on vocal for him. Never heard the Alex Attias mix before, but it’s wicked. An almost straight beat with a very broken vocal cut-up. Sounds nice)!

Infinity Plus One : Rhythmic Unison / Looking Like U Sound (sick, limited acid cut-up thing)

LFO : Sheath (YAY!)

Madlib : Madlib Remixes (dope remix of Gangstarr, haven’t heard the rest yet)

The Neptunes : Present… Clones (’bout time I got this, right)?

Nubian Mindz Feat. KJ : Casablanca (very different for them – quite housey)

PC Synergy : Madrugada EP (same label ‘Drenched’ as the Infinity Plus One release above – house chugger, seems really varied)

Pest : Chicken Spit (really nice instrumental hip hop thing on Ninja Tune, which apparently has a broken beat version as well. Very nice for the original, but took a chance on it in hopes the flip delivers too)

Prassay : Krvsin (DJ Gregory one-sider, reissued on Wall of Sound. Big)!

Scott Ferguson: ‘Gnosis EP’ (nothing ground breaking, but contains some nice slow groovers)

Spacek : Vintage Hi.Tech (the high praise this week seems to be completely deserved)

Steppah Huntah : Walk This Step (includes Seiji remix, which is surprisinlgly noodly for him. The original has a really tasty morphing bassline. Definitely worth checking)

32 Project : The Root Of World (mo’ Hiroshe Witanabe)

Truby Trio : Universal Love (wicked Detroity house remix from Ame on the flip)

Louie Vega : Nico’s Song / Africa/Brasil (beautifully musical, but never pisses on itself. For his son)

Various Artists : Radius EP 3 (one really nice Metro Area-esque track from the ’80s on this)

v/a – Headspace 2003 Sampler (all very nice. Well done boys)!

New/Reviews

The Ae Ritual

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So I got the two most recent Autechre albums in my last big haul. I recall that when Tri Repetae came out, I had just started to really get them, after the Anti-ep, Amber, Garbage and Anil Vapre had really made an impression (the earlier stuff is not as consistent IMO). I had invested a lot of time and energy into learning their music, when I’d clearly not come from the same musical roots. Electro was a foreign thing to me, intentionally thwarting the steadyness I typically gravitated towards. But between the GPR and AI stuff of the time, I started to catch on. Even when it didn’t always have immediate appeal, I knew it would be music that would be worth the time required to get acquainted.

So Tri Repetae came out, and I rushed home from the store, slapped on my headphones, laid down in bed with the lights off, and let it roll. I couldn’t believe the result. The first 7 tracks were so intense I had to stop, and revisit the rest later. I needed a smoke, and couldn’t even finish the album. I don’t know that any other album has ever made such an impact on me so fast, which really took me by surprise after my past reactions. To this day, those first seven songs really stand out in my mind as being about as good as their 7 other best songs.

After that, with Keynell, that Gescom thing on Clear, En Vain, Chiastic Slide, EP5 and LP7, I always found one stand-out track and a few other goodies, but I was never sold on the whole thing. And on each of these there was one track with some of the most amazing melodies I’ve heard. They also busted out a few remixes in this time, like of Soft Ballet Forms and that one on !K7, which really hit the spot. But like I was saying, something of the album/ep coherence was lost. By and large I only revisited specific tracks.

Then I lost track of them for a while. When I first laid hands on Confield and Draft 7.30, I couldn’t bring myself to put them on, partly for fear of squashed expectations, and partly because I wanted to allow myself the opportunity to ingest them with patience and relaxation. I finally got through most of the other records last weekend, and Sunday afternoon I pulled up the bean bag into the Circle 5’s sweet spot, moved an ash tray over and filled my glass of water, preparing for two hours of attentive listening.

I’m not going to go into the content itself much since it’s all been covered already, and it’s old news really, but I have to note that Confield really holds together well as an album. What a treat it was to have such amazing sound right in my face. Such an improvement over listening in headphones! To my surprise, there was no stand-out track, but I liked them all even if no single track elevated me to the heights of some of my earlier favorites.

Thankfully, Draft 7.30 rediscovers melody towards the end of the album. But while I can conceptually appreciate their new directions, the noise to melody ratio is a bit lopsided for me, and those songs near the end with the great melodies that I look for tend to devolve into goo before I’m done enjoying where it was at. Sure, that’s the point, but it just doesn’t cut it for me. Oh, and what’s up with the flanger abuse on the first track? Eeew. I don’t want to rail on the whole thing because there are some very fine moments, and some really cool innovation. I’ll be sure to give it some more listens before pronouncing final judgement. Maybe I just need to gear up for a learning process again? It would be unfair not to give them the same benefit of the doubt that I did in the past. Or maybe I should give Confield some time to sink in before I try to leap four years into the future.

New/Reviews

New Vinyls

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Groovetech ginormo sale:

A Reminiscent Drive – Ambrosia (CD) – FComm

Gilgamesh – Trescore – Fragile

H&M – Tranquilizer – Axis

Joe Clausell feat. Chuck Perkins – Jazz Funeral

Aphrodisiac – Pressure Drop – Fragile (already had a copy, but how can you say no at only £1.58???)

Santal feat Terrence Downs – Past and Future – Guidance

Underground Evolution – Primordial Passage – Peacefrog

Jimi Tenor – Spell – Warp

1954 – Redshot – 21/22 Corp

CiM – Two You See (Sampler) – Defocus

Jeff Mills – Metropolis – Tresor

Juryman – Remixes From The Hill – SSR

Stacey Pullen – Vertigo – Science

Hakan Lidbo – Noise Obscourities – Moody

Autechre – Confield – Warp

Santal Featuring Titus – Be With You – Guidance

Aardvark – Emsees – Music For Speakers

Velocette – Voda – Reflective

Jeff Mills – AX-009ab – Axis

Purveyors Of Fine Funk – Purveyors Of Fine Funk – Nepenta

Romanthony – Never Fu*k – You

James Duncan – Sounds Of A City

Dan Curtin – Superficial Paradise Ep – Groovetech

Vikter Duplaix – Sensuality – Le Systeme Records

G Darsa – Headcore Ep – Versatile

Aardvark – Find A Cow – Delsin

Wyndell Long – Sexuality – Paparazzi

Relaxo Abstracto – Inflatable Scream – Music For Speakers

Optik Nerve – Optical – Delsin

L’il Louis – Whistle Song Edit – Do U Luv Me Re Edit

System 7 and Derrick May – Mysterious Traveller (D12) – A-Wave

Adonis presents Hieroglyphic Being – I F – Mathematics

Procreation – Rhythmatism – Compost

Tom Noble – Muito Legal – Laws of Motion

KSR – Down From The Sky (Octave One Mix) – 430 West

Kaito – Special Life – Kompakt

T Polar – Escort Girls – Modernism

Madslinky – Cargo – Laws of Motion

Planetary Assault Systems – Archives 2 (DLP) – Peacefrog

Alexi Delano feat. Robert Manos remix by Metro Area JT Donaldson Charles Webster – Round And Round Remixes – Statra

Scott Ferguson – Death Of The Diggers – Ferris Park

Autechre – Draft 7.30 – Warp

Unknown Artist – Trapez ltd 5 – Trapez

Diego – Raster II – Kanzleramt

Rima – This World (DLP) – JCR

Broadcast – Pendulum – Warp

Russ Gabriel – In The Boat EP – Nepenta

Piccadilly:

Annie : I Will Get On

Creative Use 001 : The Bootleg Of Dorothy Parker / Don’t Go Cool

Alison David : Dreams Come True

Dimlite : A/DD EP

DJ Gregory : Elle

Pavel Kostiuk : And The Musicals

Phil Parnell : Runaway

Theo Parrish : Natural Aspirations

Theo Parrish : First Floor Part 2

Pharrell : Frontin’ (Yam Who Remix)

Riton : Cast Of Thousands / Found My Love

Slope : Trust The Universe – Atjazz Remix

Brooks : The Distance / Mao Rox

The Underwolves: Let’s Get Lost / Sunrise

Chateau Flight : Cosmic Race

Chaka Domu Vs Buju Volcov : Souljah

Willis : Paper & Stone (Brooks remix)

Various Artists : Detroit Beatdown Remixes 1:1

VJ:

The Mighty Bop feat Duncan Roy – I Will Go Crazy – Yellow

Kemeticjust – Do You Remember (inc Pepe Bradock / Charles Webster mixes) – Silver

Noonday Underground – Boy Like A Timebomb ( Brooks Remix) / Go It Alone / Hallejah – Setanta

Chief Beef – The Golden Girl (inc Brooks mix) – Sleight Of Hand

Julien Jabre – Paixao – Elias

Dudley Perkins (produced by Madlib) – A Lil Light – Stones Throw

Koobla:

Clyde Feat. Capitol A : Serve It Up! (Brooks remix) – Mantis

New/Reviews

Yet More New Choons

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Some more Detroit business, and one Chicago dude on a Belgian label. GET ME OUT OF THE MIDWEST! 😉

Item Number = 1

VJ No = VJ7792

Artist = Jay Dee

Title = The Official Instrumental Series – Unreleased Vol 1

Label = Bling 47

Format = LP

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Item Number = 2

VJ No = VJ7674

Artist = The Detroit Experiment ( inc Carl Craig / Amp Fiddler / Francisco Mora / Regina Carter / Karriem Riggins… )

Title = The Detroit Experiment – DE

Label = Planet E

Format = LP Double

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Item Number = 3

VJ No = VJ7630

Artist = Tread

Title = Tread 3

Label = Third Ear

Format = LP Double

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Item Number = 4

VJ No = VJ7658

Artist = Silent Partners ( Joshua & Mark E Quark )

Title = Down By Dub ( inc Joshua Remix )

Label = Hi Phen

Format = 12inch

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Item Number = 5

VJ No = VJ7489

Artist = Rotating Assembly ( feat Theo Parrish / Marcellus Pittman / Jerrald James… )

Title = Rusty Waters

Label = Sound Signature

Format = 12inch

New/Reviews

More New Choons

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Amp Fiddler : Love And War EP – 12″

Marvin Belton : Bleed To Be Free EP – 12″ (Ferris Park)

Brain On Drugs : Drugs – 12″ (Chateau Flight Remix)

Bugz In The Attic Feat. Wunnmi : Zombie – 12″

DJ Gregory : Attend 1 / Attend 2 – 12″ (This is already the song of the Summer)

Cesaria Evora : Remixes By Kerri Chandler – 12″

Fitchie Feat. Joe Dukie : Midnight Marauders – 12″ (this is a really nice dub/soul thing)

Kool & The Gang : Ganthology – Sampler – 12″ (includes Summer Madness)

Madlib : Tracks From Shades Of Blue – 12″ (Blue Note allowed Madlib to crack their vaults)

Moodymann : Silence In The Secret Garden – 2xLP

Moodymann : Silence In The Secret Garden EP – 12″

Osunlade Feat. Jaffa : Native Tongue Revisited Pt.2 – 12″

Oxtongue – Delight -12″ (Kompakt Pop debut)

Pal Joey : Thong Test – 12″ (samples the Thong Song – don’t dismiss it, you’ve gotta hear it)

Reunion : Strange Attention – Seiji Mixes – 12″

Raphael Saadiq : Sky’s The Limit (AKA “Skyy Can You Feel Me”) – 12″ (Yam Whoo Edit)

Soho : More Hot Music – 12″ (reissue of classic Pal Joey track with new version)

Stateless : Art Of No State – 2xLP

Kaidi Tatham & Dego : Got Me Puzzled – 12″

Three Chairs : All Over – 12″

2Day & 2Moro : Disney On Acid / Rubber Feet – 7″ (new Omniverse thing)

The Visioneers : 55 Dollars / Visioneers – 7″ (old Omniverse thing)

The Visioneers : Days Gone By / The World Is Yours – 7″ (old Omniverse thing)

Rick Wade : Big Foot EP – 12″

Rick Wade : I Can’t Take It – 12″

New/Reviews

I Know I Shouldn’t Have

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This was just the stuff that if I hadn’t picked it up now it would be forever gone, so…

Amp Fiddler : Basementality – 12″

Francois De Roubaix : Remixes Vol.1 – 10″

Cesaria Evora : Angola (Carl Craig & Pepe Bradock Remixes) – 12″

I:Cube : Vacuum Jackers – 12″

Rima : This World – 12″

Raphael Saadiq : Sky’s The Limit (AKA “Skyy Can You Feel Me”) – 12″

Somatik : Interaktion – 12″

I picked ’em up. 😉 How could I have said no to two new Carl Craig remixes, even if one of them was a £15 10″?