Jonathan Takagi (jtakagi@millennianet.com)
Wed, 21 Jul 1999 16:38:16 -0700
While waiting for the Innerzone Orchestra
release, here are some of my opinions on
some things purchased lately.
Spacetime Continuum- "Double Fine Zone" (Astralwerks)
Strange to see no talk about this very nice
release. This album continues Jonah's logical
movement towards an integration of traditional
instruments and electronics, which is mostly
successful, extremely funky and fun to listen
to. This album ranges from downtempo to house
to dnb, every track with a very organic feel.
Wasn't he a drummer way back when? I'm pretty
sure he was a drummer with one of the old Acid
Jazz bands, maybe Emperor's New Clothes. The
entire thing is a nice, cohesive whole, which
creates a nice balance between experimentation,
emotion and danceability.
V/A- Deutscher Funk No. 2 (Caipirinha)
Roped in by the mention of Jazzanova (turns out
to be the already much released track "Caravelle"),
there are a few surprises. The compilation consists
of previously released material, mostly leaning
towards the more experimental side. Big indie stars
(and SONAR hits) Tarwater make an appearance as well
as other notable artists such as Sad Rockets,
Lithops (remember the rerelease on O'Rourke's Moikai
label?) and Atom Heart. I don't know what they're
calling this type of music these days, but most
tracks are very effective at creating a very loose,
relaxed mood, nothing like easy listening, but still
with a certain amount of "funk" (in a very broad
sense) present among the bleeps, scratches and pings.
Some of the tracks are more for those oh-so-trendy
indie guys who listen to all that stuff on Thrill
Jockey (Oval/Microstoria/Mouse on Mars/Tortoise/
Takemura...btw, when did Takemura take this experimental
turn?), other is surprisingly jazzy and pleasant,
like the song by Flanger, another of Atom Heart's
innumerable side projects. Some of the tracks even
feature vocals, which really makes this compilation
a very odd, yet satisfying trip through all types of
modern music.
V/A- Body and Soul NYC Volume 2 (Wave)
The first comp's tracklisting didn't have many surprises,
and for that matter, this one doesn't either, but every
track on here is a winner. Though I haven't been to
Body and Soul (2 more weeks!) yet, this stuff must be
pretty representative of the musical policy: wide, soulful
and funky. The Cesaria Evora remix sounds much better
than I remember it being, as well as the recent Tom & Joyce
track (released on Yellow a few months ago). Word has it
that there are a bunch of remixes being lined up for
domestic release on Wave. Joe Claussel has been playing
out a lot of these tracks when globetrotting, such as
"Love and Respect" by the Carlos Sanchez Movement (you know,
the one that whispers, "love your brother...respect your
sister..."), "Samba Magic" and the absolutely electrifying
vocal cut "He Is the Joy", by Donna Allen. These last two
really brought the house down in Barcelona, and I'm sure
every one of these wreak maximum havoc over in NYC. An
added bonus is the 4Hero mix of "I Am the Black Gold of
the Sun" which I was never able to track down, way better
than that Roni Size remix of "It's alright, I feel it".
The compilation is minimally mixed, instead allowing
each track to stand on its own, which each and every one
can easily do.
The Herbaliser- The Missing Suitcase (Ninjatune)
Herbaliser was always one of those acts that I ignored
for some reason, probably the name-- but this release
makes me curious to listen to the latest album. The
DJ Craze remix of "The Missing Suitcase" effectively
integrates Craze's turntable antics with the shuffling,
globetrotting fun that the original track must have been.
The B-side is just plain perfection, as anything
Bahamadia graces has to be. I don't know what the original
track is like but the remix is clean, crisp and chunky.
Herbert- Rednail/Motorbass remixes (Antiphon)
I'm not sure if these are unreleased or not, but the original
tracks were absolute classics. The Rednail track took a long
time to come out, but eventually dropped as a doublepack on
Classic; a deep labor of love, featuring none other than
Derrick Carter crooning. There was a Herbert remix on that
release, but this one is even better. I'm sure you can imagine
how this must sound. The Motorbass remixes (of "Ezio")
are disappointing, since they are pretty stagnant and
unexciting, and the original track is so great these hardly
do it justice.
Major Force International presents The Japanese Noise Band 10" (Apeman)
I didn't follow the Major Force saga, why were they driven
out of UNKLE, and are they still on Mo' Wax? But the recent
Skylab output has been pretty disappointing, and so I
approached this one with caution. Two tracks, the b-side,
"Nodal Points" being the better of the pair. Tosh and someone
I don't know (Kenji Suzuki) create a beat-heavy extravaganza,
they tweak the slow beats, which are attacked with violin
stabs, chants and other weirdness. "At Random" is more conventional,
with a standard beat with some Theremin/electric guitar/EMS
madness. Not bad at all, but then again my favorite Japanese
stuff lately has been Hideki Kaji, so who am I to judge?
Mondo Grosso- Vibe PM (Nite Grooves)
Mondo Grosso I remember from way back, and this song is really
old too. Hasn't this been released already? Anyway, the
Masters at Work remix seriously funks it up like only they
can. MAW bring the uptempo breaks and also bring India for
some vocal work, which may be the only weak point of the mix,
which could easily do without her somewhat uninspired singing.
She's done great stuff before (that remake of "I Love the
Nightlife"! "Last Days of Disco" was one of my favorites of
98) but this one is a little flat. Anyway, the beats are
devastating and provide the track with tons of energy.
Kevin Yost-Spring Again (Plate)
STP feat Kevin Yost- Sister (I)
If you like anything Kevin Yost has produced, you'll like
this stuff. You know the vibe, it's pretty much the same thing.
Yost might be releasing too much stuff which sounds the same
(the kind of trap I think the Prescription/USG guys have fallen
into), but for now it all sounds pretty good to me. The
b-side to the STP 12" has a dnb which samples the Violent
Femmes' "Blister in the Sun" which doesn't really work. The
other track on the b-side delivers a lot of energy and is
more engaging than most of Yost's work. "An American in Paris",
the a-side is pretty standard fare, classy, which the
unmistakeable guitar sound.
Jephté Guillaume- Priyè-a (Chysalis)
Guillaume seems to be really popular in France, which is
the only place that I think (I'm not sure) his album "Voyage
of Dreams" received a proper release. The remixes, done by
some French guy, add nothing to the original and really
distract and even subtract from the power of the original.
The new mixes (even Guillaume's own mix) try to increase the
energy of the track by giving it a more disco/commerical house
feel to it, which really pales when compared to the original
and, above all, the amazing "Acroostic Mix". Support Spiritual
Life and buy the original 12", which contains the legendary
"Acroostic Mix", the original mix and some others...forget
Chrysalis.
Restless Soul- After Ours (Chilifunk)
Solid, quality latin-tinged house, with a really catchy
melody line that stays with you. Two of the mixes are more
laidback, with more of a Latin vibe. The two mixes on
the flipside are more house oriented (including an
Ibadan mix!) and, while easier to mix, lose some of the
beauty of the original.
Black Science Orchestra- Keep On Keepin' On (Afro Art)
Ashley Beedle seems to be putting most of his energy
into his Afro Art lately. While not as good as the
"Ladyland" single from a while ago, this one aspires
to anthem status, one side an organ/horn led number with
spoken word vocals, the flip with the "hands in the air"
piano action, filtered a bit for a little fun. Adequate,
but not essential.
Mutabaruka- Dis Poem 99 (Joe Claussel Mixes) (Guidance)
I don't know why, it took me a long time to find this
record. You already know the original (or the original
99 mixes), so you know the poem. Claussel mainly adds
to the instrumentation, making everything a little
more exotic. Sometimes I think Claussel's stuff meanders
a bit too much and loses direction, but with this type
of track, this approach seems to work better. This is
what they should have made when they came up with that
ridiculous subgenre "trance".
Beastie Boys- Paul's Boutique (Grand Royal)
What more can be said about this absolute classic?
Only that the packaging is very beautiful, well worth
it and a noble gesture in this digital age. *This*
is one of the things we lost when abandoning vinyl.
Nice to have the double vinyl; the Innerzone Orchestra
single vinyl release (taking us back to the jazz days)
is an interesting tactic.
Belle and Sebastian- Tigermilk (Jeepster)
The best album of this year, or any year. The legend returns,
finally allowing us to throw away those stupid 9th gen. cassettes
that warble and warp the most beautiful and joyfully
exuberant music still made with guitars. Though this
may cause many to say, "Oh, I liked Belle and Sebastian
back when..." it's alright. This music is timeless,
yet inextricably linked to the last few years of the 90's.
A gem finally revealed to the public.
Jonathan
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Thu Jul 22 1999 - 01:36:02 MET DST