Jonathan Takagi (jtakagi@millennianet.com)
Sun, 31 Oct 1999 17:17:03 -0700
Snowboy Vs. Joe Claussel- Casa Forte (Ubiquity)
Snowboy's original track is quite good, skittery
percussion with a catchy vocal track. For all
the Snowboy stuff I have (a couple albums) I
can never predict what he's going to do. Joe
Claussel beefs everything up, adds in the 4/4
kick, an organ line, piano and some strings and
you have an absolute monster of a track, extremely
catchy, emotive and danceable. Ubiquity can do
no wrong these days with the New Latinaires series,
and Joe Claussel maintains and pushes the high
standards set so far. Miss this at your peril.
Gbedu- Resurrection (Ibadan)
Gbedu is Joe Claussel along with Dele Sosimi.
This record is more of an afrobeat workout than
a house anthem, with a leisurely beat, live
bass, guitar solos and organ line giving this
an extremely live feel. In fact, it's probably
completely live, since the drums are live as
well. This is different than anything Joe Claussel
has done before, since it seems more focused than
some of the non-house stuff he's done in the
past, which has tended to wander a bit.
Kerri Chandler/Jerome Sydenham- Saudacão aus orixás (Ibadan)
Another Brazillian vocal track, still very much a
house record, but with live percussion, guitar, and
a nice vocal by Vera Mara (in Portuguese of course).
It all sounds a lot more authentic than a lot of the
stuff coming out these days, which is starting to
become too derivative and lacking in inspiration.
This fits in very well with the Ibadan/Spiritual
Life aesthetic, a successful integration of house
and Brazillian music.
Santessa- Phased/Just When I Needed You (Disco Volante)
I have no idea what the original sounds like, it
looks like a Norweigan record. The Bobby Hughes
Experience mix of "Phased" features a midtempo
breakbeat, chunky bassline, funky organ line and
slightly treated vocals. It all adds up to be a
nice relaxing track, perfect afternoon listening.
The Joe Claussel mix of "Just When I Needed You"
adds Claussel's standard percussive touch, and a
strong string melody that compliments the melancholy
tone of the track. I would wager that the original
tracks were not very outstanding, but I think both
remixers do a good job at creating a tangible mood
for each track. I think the Claussel mix is better
than other listmembers made it out to be, but is
still slightly minor.
Scott Grooves- Organ Nights (Spiritual Life)
You're probably already familiar with Scott Grooves
from that Daft Punk remix from last year. This track
is true to the title, a late night organ groover,
nice and light while the organ solos build and build
in intensity. While not wholly original, this is
a nice pleasant record to ease your mind.
Mateo & Matos- Idris Rises (Spiritual Life)
A gentle mood-building track, with disparate
chords, piano and flute that all come together
to form an emotional whole, then slowly break
apart again. A great DJ tool, but this seems
to be a teaser for an upcoming project, which
would probably be more enjoyable for home
listening. I'm looking forward to hearing more.
Heller & Farley- Deep Sensation (Junior Boys Own)
Everyone is getting on this latin house boat, and
Heller & Farley do a decent job. The Nick Holder
remix is heavily percussive, finally letting up
so that the vocal/flutes can enter. The "Black Science
Jump St." mix is a little jazzier, with a little bit
of filter action, making it a bit catchier. Neither
mix is especially outstanding, but it is a decent
record.
Visit Venus- The Endless Bummer Rmx Appendix No. 1 (Yo Mama's)
The title is more correct than I'd like. The Herbert
mix is entertaining, containing all the right elements
but ends up being less cohesive, less funky and less
effective than it should be. The Rae & Christian mix
is run of the mill electro, even with the standard
vocoder. The Jazzanova mix is just plain disappointing.
Too many remixes perhaps?
Bob Sinclair- Salome de Bahia (Yellow)
Part of the "Bossa très...jazz" series, intended to
showcase the burgeoning latin rhythmic house scene.
I have to admit that my respect level for Bob Sinclair
was already quite low (Gym Tonic...). Though this
record may work the dancefloor I can't help but think
that this record is totally wrong. Basically a remake
of Stevie Wonder's "Another Star", with a female
vocal in Portuguese. Though it may sound like a good
idea, next to the original it sounds cheap and lacking
in soul. IMHO, the original would compliment and DJ's
set more than this record. This is one of the many
indicators that this latin-tinged house wave is perhaps
going a little too far.
Jonathan
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