finally got some reviews together! [long]

From: Aaron Shinn (ashinn@d6ga.com)
Date: Fri Dec 01 2000 - 22:37:23 CET

  • Next message: Dirk van den Heuvel: "RE: finally got some reviews together! [long]"

    Okay :) A day late, but I'm alright with that - a lot of material to
    digest mind you...

    Family Planning V.1 (Mainsqueeze Recs)
    First off, I have been clamoring for a month to get a copy of this. I
    heard a promo the same week as the Move On Up promo came out and it
    stole my heart right away. Mr IG Culture seems to have had his
    fingers in almost every track, and most are exclusives. Lets see...
    The comp opens with the well-hyped cut from Numbers, called Moon
    Blood. It's a tornado - pretty much too fast to mix with any broken
    beat stuff, but hell, it's hot on the dance floor. I am not sure if
    this track appeared on MSQ002 or not.
    The cover of It's Just Begun (an old b-boy jam from the Jimmy Castor
    Bunch) from Un-Organization is very nicely done, it feels to me like
    a super-tightened version of the original, it's not terribly
    modified. Still a dope track. Both the Kaidi Tatham and Eska's World
    tracks are good artist spotlights produced by IG. They are both lower
    tempo pieces and I am not totally convinced that they have much to
    offer, but I need to listen more. The real goodies are on the second
    LP. Son of Scientist (IG again) brings Fusion Perfect, which is just
    lovely - rolling along with some of the same triplet hat programming
    that made Timeless Motion from Neon Phusion memorable. The synth
    sounds are ripe, I think it's a keeper. Then we go to 1969 LSD
    Madness from Da One Away. This track has a very jam-oriented feel, is
    loosely produced, and I think when given time is fantastic. Dego and
    IG handled production ("Dego Ranks"?!?). Think big, messy drums - a
    nice contrast from IG's generally tightly programmed style. Somewhere
    some old Weather Report got mixed in with the Chick Corea and that's
    where we end up. Watch for the Pierre Henry Psycherock sample :) I am
    feeling the vox chorus at the end of the cut, it wraps things up
    nicely. I love it. Heavy.
    I suppose that the Fourth World cut has been out before, as it's
    licensed from Melt2000, but I certainly never saw it. IG
    covering/remixing Fica Mal Com Deus, it's a stormer. Frantic fast
    paced bizness here with excellent vocals. For fans of bloody quick,
    punchy bossa. Give A Little Love from Mustang, Amazing from Bembe
    Segue have appeared before on Mainsqueeze singles. Both excellent
    cuts. Anyway, buy this comp - it's a nice step forward in the whole
    broken beat west london nu-jazz ting.

    Bugge Wesseltoft's New Conception of Jazz: Live (Jazzland)
    Coming with two spread-out 10+ minute jams recorded on tour, this is
    sure to put you right on the couch. Light the damn incense and turn
    the lights off :) Amiens, greets you with a nice Rhodes intro and
    kicks into a low tempo 808 beat with live bass and keys. I was very
    surprised to come away with a feeling very similar to a Rhythm and
    Sound or Mainstreet record, but more on the jazz groove tip, rather
    than the swirling dub of those Basic Channel cats. Very nice. Dirk @
    Groovedis described the keys as having a Mark De Clive-Lowe feel to
    them. The flipside, Cologne, is more on the epic scale. Grand synth
    pads open the cut as the slightly broken beat creeps up on you. Less
    nightclub, more space. This cat really loves stereo delay in his live
    shows, very groovy.

    Jazzanova: The Remixes 1997-2000 (Jazzanova Compost Records)
    If your mission in buying music is to be entertained by sheer
    fireworks, this record is for you. Jazzanova has a way of cramming so
    much musical content into their remixes that you can't help but
    appreciate what they're up to. Tight, crisp production, innovative
    programming, some damn good players, everything is top-calibre about
    this release. The selections are diverse enough to keep things
    entertaining and the album is programmed well. The downtempo cuts are
    interspersed at regular intervals and are quite refreshing. Essential
    for everyone who digs the Jazzanova sound.

    Hajime Yoshizawa: Secret Flight (Espacial)
    This cat is responsible for one of my fave downtempo singles recently
    - Inside Of You from SR Smoothy (Disorient). I understand that he is
    connected with Cosmic Village and Kyoto Jazz Massive to some extent,
    and he fails to disappoint with this release. The original version of
    the track has a Brazilian-flavored vocal chorus over a low tempo that
    builds in tempo before it eventually crescendos in a keys solo. The
    West Tokyo mix drops the speed changes and fills the cut out with
    more melody and less vocal. Light, skittery drum programming
    throughout. Nice one. On the flip is my pick, Pavel Kostiuk's
    2000Black Version, courtesy of the man Dego Ranks (ha!). The vibe is
    much in the vein of Brand New Day, from Dego and Vanessa Freeman on
    2000Black a few months back, but I really prefer this track. Nice
    overall momentum in the track, builds slowly before Dego's trademark
    dramatic chord changes. Yoshizawa's playing sounds fantastic with
    Dego's beat and bass. The cut is restrained and lovely. Also includes
    a dub version of Dego's mix.

    Forum: Blowing Notes (Aspekte/Sonar Kollektiv/Groove Attack)
    A VERY Jazzanova sounding 12" from Forum. Produced by Roskow
    Kretschmann and Matthias Hellwig-Brockmann, Roskow is credited with
    production on several Jazzanova remixes, so there's the connection.
    The drum work on this release is bloody wicked, but the title cut,
    melodically and vocally leaves me cold. A bit too melancholic for my
    taste, but I might warm up to it later. I much prefer the b2 cut,
    Ritmo Rapido. Heavily percussion-oriented, this track manages to be
    virtually all beat and be worth listening (and dancing!) to. It looks
    like it's going to be a tremendously functional record in my sets..
    perfectly mixable. Actually I have been playing it with Goza from
    Afro Force (more on that later) and it simply kicks ass. There is a
    2-step mix on the flip but I am not really qualified to comment on it.

    2000 Black presents The GoodGood (2000black)
    This release is freaking unstoppable. Aside from a few stragglers,
    there's enough quality, diverse content to keep us all happy. The LP
    opens with a new one from the wicked wicked Domu - Groovesome. I have
    been told that his LP forthcoming from Archive (spring 01?) is along
    the same lines, and I wouldn't miss it for anything. The second track
    is a long-overdue homage to the label's namesake, 2000 Black by Roy
    Ayers, from the A Tear to a Smile LP. Roy actually appears on vocals
    and it feels so damn right. Low tempo, smooth, fantastic. Catalyst
    (mr. attias/mustang) comes with a new one called Sunnin, which I have
    yet to listen to very thoroughly. It seems to be right on par with
    his recent appearances on CO-OP and others so I'm sure it's
    fantastic. Next up is another cut from Dego with Roy Ayers on scat
    and vibes, Pirates of Penzance (!). Aggressive broken beats that
    could wear you out - a big nod to old-skool 4hero bizness here. Roy
    is lively as hell, it harks back to a recent show I saw him in - he's
    still haveing a hell of a good time. Next up is Nu-Way by Kuni. This
    is the great mystery track of the LP for me because I have absolutely
    no idea who produced it - perhaps a new artist to the roster? The
    cut, credited only to Kuniluki, has a quick tempo and builds slowly,
    with a hook that drops in only every eight bars. The drum programming
    gets nicely thick towards the end but never breaks the hypnotic
    pacing of the tune. I am eager to find out who did this and where I
    can get more (dope!). The Nubian Mindz cut following it is
    hysterically silly by comparison, but Colin Lindo can generally do no
    wrong, and this UR-flavored techno piece will keep me scratching my
    head. Actually, now that I think about it, it reminds me strongly of
    Titonton (who did 2002black). I like it, but I wonder if it fits in
    contextually with the rest of the album. Next is the IMPOSSIBLY
    WICKED cover of the great Coltrane's Naima from 4Hero. You cannot go
    on living without hearing this cut. Worth buying the comp for,
    without a doubt - heavy heavy heavy. The whole cast of players from
    2pages appears here, including Chris Bowden. Freaking beautiful - I
    remember the first time I heard the track, there was some question of
    the legality of it's release, and that it would be too expensive to
    authorize, but praise the gods, here it is. Don't hesitate. There's
    another cut from Somatik called Diamondstone, but I am so distracted
    by Naima that I really can't say anything about it at the moment...

    Bitasweet presents: Phuturistic Dancin' (Bitasweet)
    Here's the tracklist:
    01. Blacktonez / Pleasure Ride
    02. B.B. Boogie / Universal Music
    03. New Sector Movements / My History (Raw Rub)
    04. Afro Force / Goza (Dub Mix)
    05. Dub Basement / Thrill Seeker
    06. G Force + Seiji / Naturally feat. Melissa Browne
    07. Da One Away / The Mind (The Mind Rub)
    08. 12 Bit Rephugees / Locust
    As you can see, at least four of the tracks have been released before
    (not sure about the G-Force and Seiji tune, sweet drum n bass), which
    explains why this is supposed to be an export-only (non-UK) release.
    That aside, the couple of new tracks on the album are quite good - in
    addition to the previously released tracks which are all damn good as
    well. I am particuarly with the Afro Force cut produced by G-Force,
    Kaidi Tathmam and Orrin Walters - It's a dirty, groove-oriented
    affair with a thick moog bassline and a bit of afro scat and rhodes
    flourishes. It's rough and ready - I like I like. The 12 Bit
    Rephugees are Phil Asher and Mark De Clive-Lowe, this one sounds as
    though it could have been recorded during the sessions for the Woolph
    12" (on Classic) from last month, but didn't fit with the other
    tunes. Quite nice, a bit ominous, a LOT of glide on the bassline :) I
    can't imagine playing it out, but it's fun on the stereo, slow and
    low. Jazzy drum n bass fans will be down with the new G-Force + Seiji
    track here, featuring Melissa Browne on vocals (and doing a lovely
    job). The track opens with a heavy half-time emphasis and picks up
    quick. Vocals are tight - solid tune. The other newie on here is the
    Dub Basement cut, produced by the mighty IG Culture. Mark De
    Clive-Lowe pops up again on keys. This is another smokey groover,
    with (uncredited, but most likely) Bembe doing vocal flourishes on
    top. Seems to be inspired by the dark vibes of fusion-era Miles.
    Fresh.

    Todd G presents Stephanie Quick: It's the Music (SoleMusic)
    Now, I generally like solemusic, and I REALLY like Homecookin
    (Seiji's perhaps satirical house project) but the vocals are so damn
    garage-positive that I am kind of sickened by this record. Sorry! I
    just can't handle such candy :) I'm not a hard-harted sonofabitch,
    and this is still over the top. I do like the gross pink cover, but
    dammit, if anybody catches me playing this record, even as a joke,
    slap me :) The flip has the Milton Jackson Drugs Dub, which is a mess
    of huge kicks and vocals fed through an infinite feedback loop. Cool
    in a way, but not for me - too jackin' house stylee for my sets. Oh
    yeah, did I mention there are no less than three (!?!> accapellas?

    Dusty review: reissue
    Eugene McDaniels: Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse
    Not every cut on this (formerly) rare rare rare record is gold, but
    the good ones are stand-out pieces of psychedelic soul that stand
    alone in some respects. At the albums best, the use of orchestration
    is highly unconventional in spots, the vocals are righteous and
    heavy, and the rhodes tones resonate just right. Tracks like Jagger
    the Dagger, Lovin' Man, and Headless Heroes feel like the end of the
    damn world, and that's all I can ask for. Alphonse Mouzon on drums,
    and Mirosalv Vitous on bass - I'm surprised Joe Zawinul doesn't make
    a guest appearance! I have simply got to go find McDaniels earlier
    solo joint, Outlaw. To any hip hop heads out there, you will feel
    right at home with this LP simply because of how heavily sampled it
    is.

    And the final review for the day:
    Audio Montage: Snert (Freerange Recs)
    Not in my usual style, but I needed it. To me, this goes hand in hand
    with the recent Hot Toddy album, Super Magic - But it pushes the
    early 80's prog-synth motif even harder. The amazing thing about this
    LP is that it is corny beyond belief, but conducts itself so
    effortlessly and solidly that you barely notice. End to end fun.
    Especially be sure to check the title cut, excellent 80s garage
    business. Nice cover design by Subtle Ruckus (who does all the cover
    art for People + Mainsqueeze of late).

    To Summarize:
    ---------------
    Buy The Goodgood without second thoughts.
    Buy the Jazzanova remix for yourself and give copies to friends for Christmas.
    Buy Family Planning for more IG Culture than you can handle.
    Buy Phuturistic Dancin' if you don't already have all the cuts, or
    are a relentless collector. ;>

    Remember folks, these compilations are, in some respects, the
    foundation of this scene at the moment. They really are worth having
    as a record of what these cats are doing before they eventually shoot
    off into solo careers, or into obscurity...

    Also, I buy virtually all of my records from Groovedis.com, just so ya know.

    Before I forget, I will be playing the cream of these selections and
    other goodies from my crates on my radio show, which is broadcast
    weekly on Monday nights here in Chicago. There is no archive of past
    shows, but you can listen to the simulcast on real audio at:
    http://www.wnur.org/live.ram
    11:00-12:30pm, central standard time, 89.3FM wnur. Email me if you
    want playlists! I am starting to mail them out weekly so if you would
    like to get on the list let me know.

    Cheers,
    .aaron shinn



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