From: Jon Freer (jon-freer_at_excite.com)
Date: 2005-04-10 23:52:17
Jon Freer’s Reviews 10th April 2005.
Single action:
V/A – Version Excursion Sampler 1 (Counterpoint Records)
Zvukbroda – BR (Out of Orbit)
Carlton Banks – Story Time With Carlton Banks (Coco Machete)
Forces Of Nature – Unstoppable (Headinghome)
TRoy (Tempo) feat. Ayuco – The Sweetest Time (Broadcite)
Jerome Sydenham & Dennis Ferrer – Sandcastles (Defected)
Solid Groove – This Is Sick (Front Room)
Broke ’n’ English – Squeeze (Estate Recordings)
Keith – Hold That Gun (Lucky Number)
Sporting Hero – Calendar (Switch Flicker)
Thanks to Jake at Counterpoint, Martinez at Out of Orbit, Sean and Michael at Coco Machete, Hawkeye at Headinghome, Ben at BKS, Toni T at Defected, Graeme at Cause & Effect, Lisa at Sparkle St, Tim at Estate, David & Will at In House press and Jayne at Switch Flicker for these…
V/A – Version Excursion Sampler 1 (Counterpoint Records)
Cat No: CRS 026. Release Date: 3rd May 2005.
After bringing listeners the mighty fine ‘Jazz Bizniz’, ‘Afrika Underground’ and ‘Disco Juice’ comp series’, the Counterpoint purveyors of ear-pleasing grooves dig up cuts from those ear-blessing journeys and get new school players to rejig them. Here are the first fruits of the labour; stylish retoolings from Nick The Record and Ennio Styles. Nick has re-edited Clarice Labbe’s “No Other Love But You”, a key over-flowing lovely, with earnest vocals and infectious drumming. Ennio’s cover of Marius Cultier’s “Zouk” is a scary afro-inspired piece, with strangely shaped percussive layers, frowning key melancholics and odd wind instrument flexes. Watch out for the CD!
Zvukbroda – BR (Out of Orbit)
Orb005-6. Available Now.
As their name suggests, mechanically minded Tech-housers Zvukroda hail from Eastern Europe, Zagreb in Croatia to be precise. “BR” watches blissfully happy keys ride pointed beats, synth tuffness and a growled analogue bass. Martinez’s revision of this cut is a slightly deranged version, where warped synths, mindless keys, anguish-ridden vocals and a ‘Sandcastles’ type bassline meet. “TS” is Herbert styled House done a little less eccentrically, courtesy of synths that give you the shivers, a bumping bass and excited beats. A wonderful thinking man’s house record!
Carlton Banks – Story Time With Carlton Banks (Coco Machete)
Cat No: CCM 020. Available Now.
Carlton’s tales are of strictly nocturnal escapades, where the dancefloor is the place to be. “C-Shaker” is jack not jack house for the mid 00s, courtesy of a stone cold revivalist bass, key chords with attitude and lost synths. “Annie Get Your Gloc” jumps on the acieed bandwagon, as the hallucinatory bubbles coat disturbed keys and a dark minded bass. “Clashed” is a hard-nosed impatiently beaten synth smasher, whilst “Lust Und Liebe” is a slice of foreign keyed acid madness. Hardly novel in their outlook, these cuts are pleasing on the ear and will get most discoteks jumping.
Forces Of Nature – Unstoppable (Headinghome)
Cat No: HHR-009. Available Now.
Forces Of Nature confuse with this slippery freaked-out discoid offering, that is a world away from some of their older cuts, but great fun nonetheless. The original’s beats get the momentum going, before a wibbly wobbly guitar type lilting groove takes centre stage. The Idjut Boys ‘Remix Version 1’ is a more slimmed vision of the original, courtesy of an echoey key-lined groove, lurching beats and bowel emptying bass movements. The second revision from the Idjuts sees eerie key lines and a fuzzy wuzzy bass dance a jig, as the beats are removed from the action. Hotlips and Hawkeye’s ‘Broken Rule Rework’ features a decidedly ill-fitting acid line, which scorches crash bang wallop beats and gyrating guitars.
TRoy (Tempo) feat. Ayuco – The Sweetest Time (Broadcite)
Available Now.
The Boradcite crew debut with a jazz not jazz oddly keyed souler. The ‘Original Unplugged Mix’ and ‘Altered Natives Fusion Mix’ don’t seem to be quite ‘there’ musically and sound a little stunted. The uptempo ‘Soulmotion mix’ is worth checking though, for its synthadelic sprays, trustworthy strings and on point beats.
Jerome Sydenham & Dennis Ferrer – Sandcastles (Defected)
Cat No: DFT097/R. Available Now.
Defected have commissioned a handful of remixes, but none quite match that life-changing original. Real-live sounding percussion with tribal and spiritual edges link up with spinning keys, eerie synthetics and love giving strings on this awe-inspiring track.
Solid Groove – This Is Sick (Front Room)
Cat No: FRM 010LTD. Available Now.
Bloody hell, does Dave ‘Solid Groove’ Taylor never sleep? The productive house jacker and slammin’ broken beat king has whacked out a Todd Terry styled (in its cut up vibe) dancefloor destroyer in the form of the delightfully titled “This Is Sick”. Four beats in one, breathless title vocals, familiar synth pressure and a dancefloor hankering bass make up this cut and paste monster.
Broke ’n’ English – Squeeze (Estate Recordings)
Cat No: ESTR 003. Available Now.
Throwing the rulebook out the window, Manc Hip Hop crew Broke ‘N’ English release this darkly minded yet infectious cut on 7” vinyl. “Squeeze” sees them lay down inspiring rappin’ over emergency room styled keys and a ragga/grime styled speaker tearing bass. The Instrumental gives the nasty bass a chance to get inside your head and stay there!
Keith – Hold That Gun (Lucky Number)
LUCKY 001. Release Date: 16th May 2005.
In a scene obsessed by picking out the next big thing, where already emerged talent don’t always get that much support, is it a huge surprise that many fall by the wayside or don’t live up to inflated expectations once they’ve been given a thorny crown and christened as the ‘next big thing’? This foursome with an arbitrary name has some scenesters and muso’s wetting themselves, but lets hope all that hype isn’t a kiss of death. Keith formed in the creative pit that is Manchester, and they have a ‘novel’ feature, Keith actually like real ‘dance’ music (not just guitar based dancey tracks), and shock horror, you can even hear that influence in some of their music! “Faces” even uses a drum machine to back bitter to the taste guitars. “Hold That Gun” contains happy with life guitars and holding back drums, which back vocals that plead for restraint. The vocals on “Mona Lisa’s Child” still extol some hope, but the housey keys, guitars and springy bass get caught up in their !
own web. “Bled A Rose” has a truthful rhythm section and sweet vocal harmonising, whilst the edit of “Hold That Gun” places vocal appeals over tight guitars and energy rich drums. A top quality first effort, let’s hope Keith manage to negotiate the mindfield that is the music industry and make it to the summit.
Sporting Hero – Calendar (Switch Flicker)
Cat No: SAWFL 006. Release Date: TBA.
The wonderfully eccentric and highly unproductive Switch Flicker imprint six years in existence, with only their sixth 7”, a cute guitar based effort from Sporting Hero. “Calendar” counts off the months, backed by winding guitars and ageing cymbalic percussion. “Everything Begins, Everything Ends” is a resigned number, with unhappy organ business, fast moving acoustic guitars and vocals stung by realisation. “Running And Reeling” is a pleasant stretching guitar number, whilst the highlight, “Last Year’s Calendar” is an introspective guitar number with industrious piano playing.
Jon Freer(jon.freer_at_gmail.com)
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