From: Jon Freer (jon-freer_at_excite.com)
Date: 2005-07-27 11:18:05
Jon Freer's Reviews, 26th July 2005.
Album & Compilation selection:
V/A The Original Soul Selection (Original Selection)
V/A Cafι Mambo 2005 Collection: Compiled & Mixed by Pete Gooding (Defected)
Treva Whateva Music's Made Of Memories (Ninja Tune)
La Cedille Vu Du Large (Chocolate Fireguard)
Keith LeBlanc Stop The Confusion (Collision/Cause Of Chapter 3)
V/A Nice+Smooth House Music: Breezy Beats & Sunny Breaks (Nice+Smooth)
V/A Breakbeat Science Exercise 5: Mixed By Clever (Breakbeat Science)
Thanks to Anton at Trailer Media, Nicky & Jo at Phuture Trax, Laura at Ninja Tune, Gareth at Zzonked, Pat at Chocolate Fireguard, Garo at Rooftop, Gerald at Nice+Smooth and Sue at Stunt for these
V/A The Original Soul Selection (Original Selection)
Cat No: OSEL 004. Available Now.
The soul instalment of Ian 'Mastercuts' Dewhurst's 'Original' series focuses on traditional material rather than any of your nu-fangled nouveau soul or posturing silkily produced 90s and 00s so called R&B. Instead of relying on the vaults of production houses like Motown or Stax, Dewhurst has dug a little deeper, and on the whole, the results are positive. CD one of this collection of cuts from known souly figures and less familiar faces is dominated by relaxing grooves, spruced by a degree of positivity. Choice moments include Bobby Womack's "Across 110th Street", where resolute guitars and reliable brass back tales of life in the 'hood, and the Jones Girls magically keyed "Nights Over Egypt". The uplifting and more often than not afro-sized string arrangement touched CD two contains tracks such as Teddy Pendergrass' downright greedy "The More I Get (The More I Want)" and the rift-healing "Spread Love" from Al Hudson & The Soul Partners. Steadfast soul-kissed
nourishment!
V/A Cafι Mambo 2005 Collection: Compiled & Mixed by Pete Gooding (Defected). Release Date: August 2005.
Perhaps better known for his love of mind-numbing progressive House than slovenly grooves, this offering Pete Gooding is a true musical patchwork quilt. The first CD mixes party hop with twee sleepy numbers, 'worldly' wise lounging affairs and trippy tranced out downtempo cuts, whereas the inferior second CD contains more digitised numbers and relaxed percussive workouts. Aya's "Looking For The Sun", with its languid beats, guitar created rays of brightness and keyed wateryness is most certainly a high point on the first CD. This track is followed by a couple more outstanding cuts, which have been hammered by all and sundry. They are 4 Hero's billowing keyed overhaul of Plantlife's "When She Smiles She Lights The Sky" and Sebastian Tellier's "La Riournelle", a bleeding string and mellow keyed opus. Gooding's functional mixing is adequate and there are some peaches on this 29 track compilation. However, Pete also supplies some distressing sleepathons, so the listener
should be ready with their stereo remote, alongside that summer cocktail and a neatly rolled joint.
Treva Whateva Music's Made Of Memories (Ninja Tune)
Release Date: 15th August 2005.
With a nod to radio presenting partner Mr. Scruff, Treva drops a paradoxical debut album, which is incredibly silly, yet rather sensible at the same time! Influenced by all and sundry, the positive vibes and jolliness of many creations adjacent to rather moodier tackle make for a rather enthralling rollercoaster of an album. "Driving Reign" bounces the drums against the floor, before allowing a guitar-created disco mist to obscure apprehensive strings and chiming keys. The title track sees poignant vocals lie over strings that consider the meaning of life, keys that spend all the time falling over each other and dusty percussion. The 'Director's Cut' of the ominously titled "Dangerous Disco" watches an orchestra's string and brass section attempt to remove themselves from the vice-like grip of exuberant cymbadelic percussion and a cheerful bass section. Let's hope we don't have to wait another five years for Treva's next album!
La Cedille Vu Du Large (Chocolate Fireguard)
Cat No: cfa cd 008. Available Now.
French Hip Hoppers La Cedille bring a jazz drenched organic brand of b boy satiating music to the table. Spending most of the time in a pretty relaxed frame of mind, the group only occasionally darken the mood, and La Cedille are at their best in a positive frame of mind. "Harmonie" spits vocals lines over effervescent guitars, stammering drums and cotton wool like brass. "Hume" lets worried strings and brass that speaks its mind take centre stage. A barking dog gives way to fuzzy guitars, lonely-sounding piano keys and almost shouted vocals on "Sous-Titre". Amazingly enough, this LP of Hipppety Hoppety musique was produced in Huddersfield, not under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower or in the beautiful French countryside!
Keith LeBlanc Stop The Confusion (Collision/Cause Of Chapter 3)
Available Now.
Session drummer extraordinaire, Keith LeBlanc actually carries on the bewilderment with this long player for Collision, where Dub harmonics sit with Hip Hop stylings and odd Electronica. A range of musical people lend a hand on this album and some collaborations have come up trumps, whereas others see Keith and co play the joker card. Bim Sherman pops up on "Green Theory", where he provides melodic vocals to KLB's lumbering drums, mis-shaped sitars and a chameleon-like bass. DJ Spike joins KLB on "Story Of Violence", as turntablely manipulated beats lock horns with fearful keys and hopeless vocals. KLB and Interference get together on "React Like This", as macabre spoken vocals are floated over heaving drums and a menacing guitarred bassline. Sonically challenging to say the least!
V/A Nice+Smooth House Music: Breezy Beats & Sunny Breaks (Nice+Smooth)
Cat No: nice 0021. Available Now.
The Nice+Smooth crew bring us a rather fine House offering, which scours their back and future catalogue for tasty dancefloor treats. Clean techy groovers with computerised percussion are pitted against more human sounding breaksy tracks on this comp where there are many musical highlights. Jordan Fields meets R-Diva for "Heaven", a celestial bumpin' houser, with praising vocals, open ended beats and an analogue bass that has a mind all of its own. Roy Davis Jr. offers us the similarly non-secular "Cherish", whose strength lies in the use of some rather uplifting keys. Kinder Atom passes us another "Sangria" and the pleasant inhibition-losing alcohol type effects come courtesy of a pulsing bass, un-nerving keys and fluid organ touches. Summery house fun.
V/A Breakbeat Science Exercise 5: Mixed By Clever (Breakbeat Science)
Cat No: BBSCD 018. Available Now.
Brutal basslines and slammed beats dominate this heavy hitting D&B outing from Clever. There are some intelligent tracks on this CD, but also rather a high number of dumb bass stormers, which lack the quick wit to hold the attention. "Oshima" by Klute bakes martial art type vocal sounds into grooves created by not stopping to catch breath beats and a birght and breezy bassline. The 'Strobe Mix' of Black Rain's "Uptempo" watches computerised keys come up against a teched up bass and diva vocal slices. Graphic's rejig of Ezkiel Honig's "Love Session" watches keys trying to find their path in life tiptoe between unorthodox mechanical beats and a slurping mess making bass. Rollin'
Recommended 12's
Claro Intellecto - Lacan (Modern Love) = hypnotic electrotechnotica.
Sunburst Band - He Is (Joey Negro Club Mix) (Sunburst Band) = energising and uplifting main vocal house.
Phil Asher - Namby It Ain't (I Ain't Sorry) (Restless Soul Music) = firing broken house tackle. Possibly a full review to come!
Alumina - Simple (R. Music/Frequent C. 11) = Gorgeous spiritual flute addled deepness from the legendary Claussell.
Jon Freer(jon.freer_at_gmail.com)
*Website: www.mosoul.co.uk.
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*Freelance journalist.
Publications include -
Keep On Magazine
Blues & Soul Magazine
XLR8R Magazine
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littleplanet.net
pitchadjust.com
beyondjazz.net
deephousenetwork.com
skansen.no
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