I'm not sure anyone really claimed that St. Germain was breaking any new ground. While Goldfrapp has an original voice, their strength is in the atmosphere that they create, and their ability to meld their influences into a sound that works. So, even they aren't doing anything that hasn't been heard, in some part, elsewhere. Honestly though, how many bands really do break new ground? Furthermore, is it necessary to reinvent the wheel in order for an artist's output to be considered relevant? St. Germain succeeded in getting me to shake my ass; I wasn't looking for anything more. Goldfrapp took some of the elements of my favorite artists and musical genres and melded them into something that sounded amazing. Ain't that enough?
Face it, the vast majority of the stuff that we dig here in this group isn't breaking any new ground, but I don't feel that that takes anything away from it. It's FAR better than the formulaic crap that gets played on the radio, which is more about selling advertising and NOT rocking the boat than anything else. We've all heard Bossa beats far before anyone decided to combine that sound with modern sounds. I'm not sure that I consider that surprising or groundbreaking, it sounds damn good, though. All this is to say that I don't think that Goldfrapp or St. Germain's not doing anything earth-shattering takes away from the fact that they're both solid musical efforts; superlative in the case of Goldfrapp, as far as I'm concerned. Hey, every musician uses the same notes, scales, and chords. I don't remember anyone inventing or discovering a new chord or scale in my lifetime. Like Zappa said, it's all part of THE BIG NOTE.
Stimp
----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Catanzaro
To: Raymond,EL ; 'Mark Turner' ; acid-jazz@ucsd.edu
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 6:08 PM
Subject: Re: tourist and felt mountain
No, I totally agree with St. Germain. I don't hear what's so great about it, some of it is sweet enough to send me into insulin shock. 2 Banks of 4, City Watching, is much superior, imo.
----- Original Message -----
From: Raymond,EL
To: 'Mark Turner' ; acid-jazz@ucsd.edu
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 12:33 PM
Subject: tourist and felt mountain
Hey, kids...
Bought felt mountain/goldfrapp and tourist/st.germaine last week on the recommendation of this list, and I'm feeling a little lukewarm about both of them. (btw, if that makes you think I must be deaf, its just music, so dont flame me, fill me in on what im missing) I like the first track of Tourist/St. Germaine, but after that I was let down. I don't feel like theres anything really surprising or new in the CD & the superrepetitive rhythm and bass line loops start to get obtrusive by about midway thru each song. Felt Mountain/Goldfrapp has a more distinctive vibe, but it didnt break any new ground for me.. just kind of like Massive Attack meets X-Files.
They're both good albums, in that theyre restatements of the genre of music that I like. My problem with them is that they dont push me a new direction. I started listening to this sort of stuff because it suited my mood, but also because it was the first music id heard in years that didnt sound like something id heard before. When some DJ creates a whole new vibe for me, or does something really pomo and turns a musical convention that I didnt even know existed inside out, I get that awe/wow/surprise/shock that I dont get from much else. I didn't get that feeling once listening to these albums.
Am I the only one not totally impressed by these albums? And if you know what Im saying, got any CD recommendations? Ninja Tune artists used to do it for me every time, but I'm feeling like I should branch out, and I'm not sure where to go.
Still havent cracked open Tosca/Suzuki yet.. I hope its got some surprises in store.
- Elora
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Turner [mailto:nugroove@pacbell.net]
Sent: 24 February 2001 17:03
To: acid-jazz@ucsd.edu
Subject: RE: must buy list of 2000
Top Ten Albums:
a.. Bonobo - Animal Magic (Tru Thoughts)
b.. Chicks on Speed - ...Will Save Us All! (Chicks on Speed)
c.. Cubanismo - Mardi Gras Mambo (Rykodisc)
d.. Bebel Gilberto - Tanto Tempo (Ziriguiboom/Six Degrees)
e.. Jazzanova - The Remixes 1997-2000 (Jazzanova/Compost)
f.. Landslide - Drum + Bossa (Hospital)
g.. Neon Phusion - The Future Ain't the Same as It Used 2 B (Laws of Motion)
h.. St. Germain - Tourist (Blue Note)
i.. Suba - Sao Paulo Confessions (Ziriguiboom/Six Degrees)
j.. Two Banks of Four - City Watching (Sirkus)
Top Ten Compilations:
a.. Family Planning (Main Squeeze)
b.. Feel Like Jumping: The Best of Studio One Women (Heartbeat)
c.. Frikyiwa Collection 1 & 2 (Frikyiwa/Six Degrees)
d.. Funk Fu (Fu Music)
e.. Jazzactuel (Charly)
f.. Jazz Bizniz! (Counterpoint)
g.. Laws of Motion (Laws of Motion)
h.. New Orleans Funk (Soul Jazz)
i.. Our Souls Have Grown Deep Like the Rivers (Rhino)
j.. Third Eye (Cosmic Sounds)
Top Ten Tracks:
a.. George Benson - The Ghetto/El Barrio (Verve)
b.. MJ Cole - Sincere (Talkin' Loud)
c.. Freedom Satellite - Soul Samba (Vienna Scientists)
d.. Laurent Garnier - The Man With the Red Face (F Comm)
e.. Kimbu Kimra - Raise the Dead (Mantis)
f.. Kosheen - Hide U (Moksha)
g.. Lightning Head - Me and Me Princess (Best Seven)
h.. London Elektricity - Elektric D-Funk (Hospital)
i.. Underwolves - So Blue It's Black (Island Blue)
j.. Wookie - Get Enuff (Soul 2 Soul)
Top Reissues:
a.. Smith & Mighty - Bass is Maternal (!K7)
b.. Sons & Daughters of Lite - Let the Sun Shine In (Luv N' Haight)
c.. Sun Ra - Lanquidity (Evidence)
_____________________
Mark Turner
nugroove@pacbell.net
www.jazzadelica.com
_____________________
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