just got a heap of releases for review and i thought i'd drop a brief
synopsis on yas...
as one - 21st century soul - ubiquity
nice of kirk degiorgio to use my email moniker as the title for his new
album, but it couldn't be more appropriate. this one's a bit less out there
than his last full-length for mo'wax 'planetary folklore', but it's stunning
enough to be up there in my top five for the year, no doubt. i'd even go on
to say that it's a bit more dance-floor oriented, especially with a 2-step
track near the end! it's got kirk's trademark melodies, complex rhythms and
a couple vocal tunes that are so good it hurts. very intricate, funky, and
ultra-soulful.
beatless - life mirrors - ubiquity
ubiquity are really going for the gold this year with alex attias and paul
martin's first full-length Beatless album, and its another winner. on a
future soul tip, the album cycles through wickedly funky midtempo
instrumentals alongside downtempo collaborations with MC's Quasimodo and
Madlib and a lush cover of 'love from the sun' with Oakland's Daughters of
Lite. many superb vocal tunes abound, balancing solid performances with
kinky beats and textured abstractions. awesome.
victor davies - jazzanova/compost
davie's self-titled debut features a few of his wonderful singles from the
past year, but sadly none of the material surpasses the fantastic 'better
place'. while i love the sparse acoustic-guitar-and-bright-strings
accompaniment to his gruff, terry callier-esque baritone, i found the
lyrical content to be lacking in a major way. i definitely plan on giving
this further listening, but my initial reaction is one of disappointment.
interfearance - take that train - ubiquity
another winner. so glad i'm living in san francisco! :) this is great
club-directed house music that flirts with jazz, latin, dub and techno and
mixes it all up into a heady stew. very psychedelic and adventurous, these
guys (paul martin from beatless with Tyrell, who's making an appearance in
SF this weekend) manage to weave many elements into the mix without making
it too muddy, if you know what i mean. multilayered and fun...
homecookin' - sole
seiji's new full-length under his housey homecookin' alias is the funkiest,
most forward-thinking and yet classic-sounding club release of the year. the
vocal tunes like 'lazy days' lift you up and the instrumentals literally
force your ass to shake. i've listened to this album ten times now and it
continues to be mindblowing.
mikebee
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