current reviews: singles and albums
last updated: 26th september 2002
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blame - "into the
void" [good looking]
a producer of some note, blame has given us a vision of the unknown with this album. versatility is the key here, as blame expresses his musical visualization over a variety of tempos. the freshness and individuality of his sound sets him apart from many others. "chimera" is a lush downbeat moment, with curving keys, intense gazing keys, a beaming vibraphone and chilling fx. "immortal" is a nightmarish apparition, where ominous thunder draws the listener in, a church choir's singing scares, hammer breaks and ripping cymbals tear down everything in their path, and strings turn everyone as white as a sheet. "oceans of hope" wishes for a better future, as keys hope, organic percussion plays and a little running synth induces a smile. "forest of pagodas" is a sticky percussive number, where keys jangle and rustle, a lovely flute swoons, a bass acts petrified and an intriguing synth ponders. a wonderful debut album from someone who's been around for a long time. (reviewed by jon freer)
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asc - "etheral
images" [covert operations] looking at d&b in a similar way to bukem and glo, covert operations have set out to release melodically sound dancefloor gems. "etheral images" is a visionary cut with delightful flowing strings, a gorgeous sax and a spitting raw bass. "serenity" uses bright glassy keys, a lover's synth, low down bass and gritty retro percussion to produce a tranquil number. (reviewed
by jon freer) |
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various artists – “glr
054/055” [good looking records] known for their productivity, glo again soothe us with a doublepack of sweet melodic d&b. nookie's "catch 22" is a jazzified piano number, with a wavering space synth, energetic earthy kick percussion and a breathy flute. pariah spills all on "confessions", a harmonious track that takes a hushing synth, knife tight percussion and acknowledging vocals as its main elements. makoto & akira's "mind vision" swirls up the fx, as percussion shakes, a low scowling bass rolls and a heavy dub bass smashes things up. intense's "black ice" is a little bit nastier, but golden keys and a spiritual synth go far in an attempt to douse the flames of a sinister bass and striking percussion. (reviewed by jon freer)
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various artists – “lgr
040/041” [looking good] deciding to lump another couple of releases together, glo again bring us a rather stylish double-pack release. nookie follows on his brilliant "in @the deep end" lp with "night falls", a delectabl key ride, with stuttering energetic percussion, charming vocals and a mystifying bass. pariah's "future blues" is a heads down percussion mission, where pressing wavy keys, a graceful sax and licking guitars do the talking. ethereal 77's "zero gravity" chills all, as phone call like synths attract the attention (will someone answer it?) and elating strings calm the nerves. pete rann finishes the story with "mind fuel", a tingling oriental piano journey to the east, where an ominous threatening bass, stepped percussion and soulful wobbling synths combine. (reviewed by jon freer)
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starecase
– “faith” [hope recordings] lifted from their forthcoming debut lp "firstfloor", "faith" is another breaks driven prog-influenced monster. with stretched keys, skippy breakers kit percussion, an accessible pleading vocal and a mazy drugged up rockish guitar, this track is guaranteed airplay and floorplay from many. on the remix is loafer (alan bremmer fro brothers in rhythm - remember them?), who takes the progressive influences on to that next level, as fx spurts, a vile bass rasps and barely noticeable strings pass us by. (reviewed by jon freer)
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"brasil
ep"
- various [v recordings]
they said 2001 would be the year where drum'n'bass would make a comeback (it never really went anywhere!) with a vocal stance, but who could have said brazilian producers will also make an impression?! and credit to the producers, dj marky and dj patife cos this double twelve inch ep is brilliant. four tracks in all, "samba raro", "carnaval", "secrets of the floating island" and the excellent "sambassim". no prizes for guessing they all contain that brazilian element but definately not overdone and still retaining that d'n'b name tag. full marks.
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"my
dreams"
- london elektricity vs robert owens [hospital records]
yes, it's the same roberts owens of the classic house records fame! and no it's not sampled, it's him singing! so with a top production team of london elektricity and astounding vocals of robert owens, we must have a classic in the making? excellent stuff here, with a killer b-line and melodic vocals. a dub in also here for those hardcore d'n'b fans.
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"sunrain"
- ltj bukem [good looking]
taken from ltj bukem's (recent) debut album, 'journey inwards'. fast becoming one of my current favourite tunes, this can hardly be categorised as conventional drum'n'bass. sultry vocals accompanied by down tempo funky beatz (something out of 70's u.s. tv cop series!). the 'flying fish' remix gives the traditional flava's of the d'n'b kind.
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"truly"
- peshay feat kym
mazelle [blue]
single taken from peshay's album (see below). not a direct selling ploy by just releasing the album version, but, an excellent peshay and flytronix mix. |
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sian – “rhino flower” [cookin' records] following on from an acclaimed series of compilations, bukem's downtempo imprint opts to change tact, focussing on full album from new artists. this offering from sian is a funky journey, which winds its way along in a number of parts. taking inspiration from nature and the sounds around us, sian gives us an organic collage of goodness. "la paz" is a subtle slow burning number, with a laidback funked out electric guitar, caring bass murmurs, melancholic minor keys and a beautiful brass solo. "morocco" changes continents with ease, as pattering percussion, blissful soothing strings and hornet-like buzzing brass combine. "contraband" shows sian's dangerous side, with its misty keys that hide all the evidence, as a triumphant sax and tinkering keys are employed over casually walking breaks. "the locust migration path" certainly wins prizes for its title, and the track isn't half bad too, as a haunting sax bewitches, and a concentrating piano shows its power. a competent debut offering from sian, which at times simply overflows with beauty. the only sticking point would be the inclusion of so many interludes, which could have easily stood out as tracks on their own, had they been extended and developed. (reviewed by jon freer)
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ltj bukem –
“producer 05: rarities” [good looking] the founding father of the empire and the whole atmospheric drum 'n' bass sound finally gets round to contributing to the 'producer series. instead of giving fan's his classic moments, or most significant releases, ltj instead dishes up a collection of tracks which have either never seen the light of day, or are incredibly rare. i'm not sure if bukem himself is incredibly pleased with this project as in his sleeve notes he can barely disguise they way he feels about some of the cuts, talking about "how far we've come in terms of production" since some of them. perhaps a best of, would have been a good idea? well, quite possibly, but there are still some tracks here which do expose his brilliance. "demon's theme (part ii)" which reformulates the original into a much smoother ride, is a swirling synth, fuzzy bass and melodic key feast for the ears. "logical progression" uses space-age keys which tinker away over ecstatic synths, a v recordings type dope bass, 'telephone' keys and lovely brass. "dreamworld" has more raw energy than a number of today's cuts, with its hyperactive percussion, needle jabbed keys, gorge synths and animal noises that add a slight whiff of cheddar to the proceedings. ltj's remix of the "james bond theme" sees soulful keys that ooze with goodness, pillow soft synths and tight pattering drums produce a distinctly different vision of everyone's favourite english secret agent. aficionados of the man should find enough to keep them occupied, but those wanting a 'hits' will be disappointed. (reviewed by jon freer)
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tayla – “producer 04” [good
looking] (reviewed by jon freer)
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various artists – “looking back
5” [looking good records] giving their cd market that special something again, lgr highlight some of the best blissful d&b that has seen a recent 12" release. with 9 special moments to feast the ears on, lgr are certainly spoiling those decks. however, they are forgetting their commitment to sexy black vinyl, and the cover shot of the cd shows a lathe, the tool used for cutting lacquers, before tracks make their way onto plastic. pariah's "search for life" is a melodious flickeringly percussed journey, accompanied by guitar shimmies and perfect roving keys. avid nation's "riding higher" delves deeper than most, with its affluent keys, delayed percussion, cheeky guitar and fuzzy bass. sonic generation's "without reason" takes lurvelee keys, a delving tightly gripping bass, a flirtatious flute and sweet synths on a magical escapade. j-laze's eastern key tainted "lakez" is a tranquil roller, with showing off percussion, well endowed keys and a glamorous sax. this is a desirable snapshot of recent d&b, for those who want to catch up. (reviewed by jon freer)
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various
– “cookin' ingredients step 4” [cookin' records] continuing their explorations of soulful jazzy funked up hipety hopity laced grooves, step 4 proves to be another wonderful slice of their cake. making waves with all the right names, cookin' show that glo has more to be proud of than just its legendary d&b imprints. bringing together artists old and new, they all lend perfectly together. nebo's tantalizing "liquid sky" is smooth as silk, with muted trumpets, slick percussion, wonder keys and slipper vocals. solaris' "how far" takes jazz to the next level, as a swaggering break, sumptuous flowing brass and a timeless piano combine. mystery school ensemble's "soullous" takes a rueful melancholy guitar, divine keys and a gutter-lurking trombone to pastures uncharted. sonic generation's "funky solution" is funkier than james brown's mother, with a corner cooling bass, a floppy sax and mindful bongos. excellent! (reviewed by jon freer)
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"in
the mode" - roni size reprazent [talkin loud]
the follow up to the brilliant mercury music prize debut album "new forms". i can't really say this excels the first album - but there are very few, if any, albums that do that! this album takes a turn from delving too dark - as with many artists tend to be doing at the moment. here, they've used more vocals, thus making what could be just b-line instruments into actual songs - "staircase" and "lucky pressure". overall a mixture of vocals, breakbeatz and the experimental - even tracks with method man and rahzel. as the drum'n'bass genre matures, we see the bristol crew get slightly eclectic. worthy of a listen.
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"blackmarket
presents drum and bass" - various artists [azuli]
(vinyl version reviewed) not exactly the most imaginative title, but it really doesn't matter! if like me, you follow the scene but need to catch up on a few tunes then you can't go wrong with this album. a lot has been said regarding drum'n'bass - good and bad....it's all good to me! as it matures and the media turns it's attention to uk garage, the 'bandwagon' producers have left - almost. as it progresses, a lot of it seems to be growing towards the 'dark' side as reflected in most of the tunes here....but let this not be a deterrent. this is well worth a listen and a purcahse. includes, pascal's "serious sounds", "dark soldier" and "something out there" by ray keith.
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"journey
inwards" - ltj bukem [good looking]
it's been a long time waiting for ltj bukem's album. as one of the key figures within the scene, it's a wonder why he took so long! well worth the wait. looking at the gatefold album cover, you can see what has influenced him - album covers of roy ayers, leroy hutson, headhunters, curtis mayfield etc. it could be this that gives the album more of a mature sound. smooth jazzy vibes on "close to the source" come across well. the title track has a heavy bass (guitar!) lick accompanied by funky percussive drum breaks. "feel what you feel" has more of an ambient house flava and "inner guidance" does the bizz with those jazz and funk elements. maybe the lp is not as "drum'n'bass" as the "hardcore" or "dark" fans may like, but it's more deeper than that - as the title suggests. excellent.
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"fabio
presents liquid funk"
- various
artists
this is the first album release on 'creative source' records representing the mid-week london club night - 'swerve'. an eclectic mix of drum'n'bass styles with a majority of the tracks very much on the jazz tip. the gradual progression of drum'n'bass doesn't seem to be ending, this album not only shows us how far the scene has come, but also tends to take a step or two back to old skool (that's 95/96 not 91/92!) styles - almost so we can benchmark the tracks! a blend of mellow, jazzy, breakbeat and dark styles that will appeal to all d'n'b followers. to give you a clearer picture, the peshay and alex reece albums wouldn't be unfair comparisons. so well worth a listen then! stand out tracks: peshay & flytronix "disco", fellowship "divided soul", carlito "carlito's way", big bud "millennium"
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"soulfood"
- various
artists (reviewed by miles j)
this
compilation has been around for a few months but is worth listening to if
you’re wondering what’s been going on at the goodlooking organisation
recently. cookin’ records, along with lookin’good, logical
progression, 720 etc is a spin-off from the ltj bukem mothership and while
the new bukem album is anticipated in the next month or so, this
collection of groovy jazzy post-drum’n’bass vibes shows there are
plenty of gems amongst the rest of the label. the
album starts with some very laid back guitar loops setting the scene for a
groovy drum and bass style which owes a lot to the feeling of ‘earth
2’. a number of cookin’s familiar faces such as blame and odyssey
contribute their tracks to this compilation. some, like vincent’s
‘golden gate’ take the jazzy route with double bass samples
underpinning the drum tracks and piano, whilst tracks like ‘lucy’s
song’ by flying fish are much more of a driving workout with dirty
keyboard bass lines carrying
the tune over furious percussion. the album finishes as it started with a slightly more laid back vibe giving the impression you’ve been on some sort of a journey. there is also a slightly ambient feel to it but, at the same time, it isn’t background music and it rewards repeated playing to really get into the tunes. cookin’s production is spot-on on this album and the whole compilation is very well assembled.
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"miles
from home" - peshay [blue]
one of the better drum'n'bass projects to be released last year. very much a jazz influenced album that also dabbles in a bit of electronica on "robotics", hip hop flava's on "end of stay" and mellow breakbeats on "pacific" & "summer in the city". not forgetting the excellent, "miles from home". essential. |