Here they are, my latest and greatest purchases. Watch out: these are
going to blow you socks off. They define a whole new sound unconceived
of by other, lesser producers. Prepare to be reconstructed ...
[enough hyperbole? ;)]
The first is on Ultimate Dillemma by Jadell - the Skyboat EP. This
label is just dope! I love it. What always sticks in my mind is the
imaginative way these guys/gals appropriate samples from all over
the place and make them harmonise. I'm getting tired of the same ol'
samples that the Yellow folks keep wheeling out (flame on!). Use them
once or twice, sparingly, but I don't need complete songs with the same
samples. Announcing all new samples from UD including, John Coltrane
and Led Zeppelin. Another thing, how many times has a good track
been bedded with a couple of crappy mixes? Not here! All three
pieces are originals and stand on their own. What a bargain.
Next up, and the one that deserves the most attention is a gem of a tune
by Ollano called Latitudes, or maybe it's by Latitudes and called Ollano ...
I can't believe I'm the first person to post about this, but it's been out
since '96 according to the cover and it's fantastic!! Tell me it's not true.
For the opening, an orchestra paints, in broad strokes, four notes
placed just so, harmonising as they hang in the air. Two bars later,
an exquisite female vocal joins the picture, her delicate voice
outlined by the plucked strings of a guitar. It's all so perfect -
and she's french - aaaaaaaah ... in comes the rhythm section tapping
away over and over, each new element taking its place in the
ensemble, held together by the four plaintive notes and the flow of
her voice. Just as you realise the image is complete, you get a
breakdown and the board is cleared with the swipe of a squiggle
scratch. The four notes are cut to two and inverted for two bars
creating a little tension before our voice returns, sending you back
to the sun-filled harmonies of the beginning.
And with that, it ends. Can't be more than three minutes long, but
it's the best three minutes ever ... REWIND!
For your money you get three other mixes. One person decided to play
techstep, add a wobbley bassline and filter the vocals. What a crime!
Another, by Air, goes the cheese route using some interesting synthesizers.
But even though the mixes'd be good on their own, after the original you
can't face them .... it's just sacrilege.
Anyone got anything else by them or on their label, Artefact? This is
release ART6 so there must be others ... and the vocals are LNA.
I want more!!
peace,
bijan