I have meant to do a review of the Freak Power full length but basically I
will say it is good but not great. The songs are similar to the first
album in style with a little more live feel. There is little "jazzy" in
this release and relies on an early 70's funk feel. The only stand out
track (can't wait for the remixes) is "One Nation, One Ride" with a
infectious popfunk hook. I consider myself a FreakPower fan but am always
wary of albums recorded on "vacation".
My highest recommendations go out to the remixes of Up, Bustle, and Out's
"Revolutionary Woman of the Windmil." I was pleasantly surprised while
listening to this. It starts with a Nitin Sawhney remix and he does a good
job "smoothing" the song out for a house feel while keeping a strong melody
line. Next, the two remixes by Clandestine Ein were totally unexpected.
One mix is an excellent scratch/cut fest using melody fragments from the
original that manages to keep a nice steady beat. This guy is more
talented than I expected. The other mix brings in a heavier 90-100 bpm beat
but smooths out the melody and adds some nice vibes. Finally, more pleasant
surprises as Yam Yam comes in with a spectacular dance remix (who is this
person?) and an interesting avant jazz remix.
Let's play nice,
Jim // J Wes // Jim Westrich
"Sha La Boom Boom Yeah (It's more than a feeling it's a philosophy)"