Rhythm is rebellion. From the first blasts of rhythm
and blues to the beat generation right up to acid house, the
simple act of dancing has constantly been sidelined by society
as an extreme act of defiance. On first hearing the sounds
of electronic Detroit back in the 80's, it sounded shocking.
People are still shocked to this day by Can's tight rhythmic
Krautrock. On the back of all this arrive !!! (pronounced
chk chk chk), a band who's very name looks like an act of
defiance. Although they hail from Sacramento, most of them
now live in New York, hence last year's classic single "Me
and Giuliani Down By the School Yard (A True Story)",
the song where the band blast off into wild funk in the great
tradition of Talking Heads, Happy Mondays and Can while the
singer blasts into New York's draconian dancing laws. It all
fits, the defiance of the dance. This album encapsulates all
of the above. The rhythm, the rebel and rock 'n' roll. This
is bloody essential. From the whigged out electronics of "King's
Weed"To the foul-mou thed funky freak-out of "Pardon
My Freedom", this album is bursting with attitude and
invention.
the eagerly awaited second album is at last here.
Arriving at just the right time of year, Aim's music is chilled
in the temperature sense as much as the tempo. Seemingly named
after the ghostly, Canadian coastal town where guest vocalist
Kate Rogers (who sang on Aim's classic single 'Sail' as well
as on Rae & Christians's last album) lives, the moods
here reflect the winter photographs that adorn the sleeve. The beauty of Kate Rogers clear as ice vocals return to grace
' the Girl Who Fell Through the Ice'. A truely haunting song
that opens with the devastating lines "It's dark in the afternoon
/ lights on in every room / winter came round so soon / and
overnight the lake turned to ice / and you're next in line".
Aim himself singles on 'A Twilight Zone', a fitting
sibling to ' the Girl Who Fell Throught the Ice' keeping the
mood. However, it's not all Seasonal Adjustment Disorder inspired
beats. Souls Of Mischief bounce in for some cheeky hip-hop
on 'No Restriction' where they rap about our Queen and Prime
Minister! Diamond D turns up for some rough rhyming on the
albums first single, ' the Omen'. His debut album, 'Cold Water
Music' may have seemed like a hard act to follow, but he's
pulled it off again. Yet again, Grand Central have put out
a faultless album of non-conformist, left of centre, soulful,
tasty beat action.
 Not counted as a proper Air album by the band, but there
is whole album worth of new recordings, so I happily take
it as fresh Air. Only the single "Playground
Love" features a singer but what sounds like dialogue from Sofia Coppola"s
film is used to brilliant effect on " the Word Hurricane" and the haunting closing
track "Suicide Underground". The most radical difference between this and "Moon
Safari" is the mood. Well, it is the soundtrack to a film about teenage girl
topping themselves, I doubt anything like "Sexy Boy" would be appropriate.
In places the album recalls Pink Floyd circa "Dark Side Of the Moon". A slightly
more obscure reference point would be Goblin, the electronic prog rockers who
scored soundtracks for some of Europe"s" finest horror films, most notably
Dario Argento"s classic "Suspiria". A
dark delight
I have never been to the area of Bristol called Portishead,
but on the strength of residents Airbus and their more
famous neighbours, it must be a very interesting place.
While this record sounds absolutely nothing like Portishead,
it shares the same dark, minimal mood. Perhaps something
blocks out the sunlight there? Airbus are tricky to pin
down. A four piece consisting of drummer, bassist and two
singing guitarists, they manage to not really sound like
anyone before them. They are probably into Mogwai, late-period
Talk Talk, Black Sabbath and Bark Psychosis, but they don"t sound like them at the same time as sounding
kind of influenced by them. Some mighty riffs and excellent harmonies are
matched with a dark, understated menace and a sense of space. All the songs
on the album were recorded as live takes which seems to give it an extra
kick which you find lacking in most studio recordings of rock bands. Highlights
include the albums" intro "Deep In A Dream", the catchy anguish of "All My
Wishes" and the excellent guitar work on "Secret". From start to finish,
this album seems shrouded in enigma and never lets up. Listen after dark. Highly
Reccomended
 When
an album arrives with quotes from Arthur Rimbaud, the violent
poet who wrote "A Season In Hell", you realise that it is not going to sound like S
Club 7. Listening to this haunting album, it sounds like frontman Rob Spragg
has spent his own season in hell. It"s not clear whe ther the songs are telling
fictional tales or are cathartic confessions, but the mood is black. Chilling
lines such as "I found darkness in the heart of the sunshine" suggest someone
whose outlook on life has been totally marred. They even cover the Eagles "Hotel
California", not as a joke, but totally sombre. I never before noticed the
tragedy in the lyrics, but this cover makes them impossible to miss. It"s not
all doom. Amazing single and album opener "Too Sick To Pray" is uplifting in
a Primal Scream"s "Movin On Up" meets Nick Cave kind of way. It sounds like
a man challenging his demons and refusing to be held down by them. Proof indeed
that music can still be a powerful
and emotional medium.
 OK,
let's get the dull cliché bit of this review out of the way - Alabama
3 wrote "Woke Up This Morning" the theme tune to the Sopranos. Not that I care,
I've never seen the show but I know all about Alabama 3. What are they? the
true spirit of rebellion and defiance. They are a furnace of creativity, where
the sounds and essence of country, punk and dance music meld. They've got soul. They can play the blues, they can make you dance, they can make you think,
make you laugh and they can tug your heart strings.
Anyway, this is an acoustic album. They run through all three
of their previous albums picking classic tracks to rework in
an acoustic style. The album begins with 'Woke Up This Morning'
taken out West into a stripped-down country stomp. other classics
given the treatment include 'Too Sick To Prey', 'Mansion On
the Hill', 'U Don't Danse To Tekno Anymore'. Larry Love's croaky
voice makes the perfect lead for an acoustic lament. It all
works brilliantly and serves as a great new album. If you're
a dedicated fan, then you need this urgently to complete your
collection. If you're new to Alabama 3, this is a great introduction.
Ei ther way, you really ought to buy this - Alabama
3 should be massive.
 Oh my word! Detroit's Amp Fiddler has set a whole new pinnacle for r'n'b, new soul, down tempo dance genius. The EP's were all brilliant and outstanding
but they didn't prepare me for this! Who is Amp Fiddler? His main job has been
playing keyboards and singing with George Clinton for many years. He's also worked
with the likes of Prince, Lucy Pearl and Kenny Dixon Jr. Put them all together
and what have you got? Music for the future with a trace of the past. Amp Fiddler
makes deep, soulful music with gentle future beats and infectious melodies, grooves
and vocals. Imagine a collaboration between D'Angelo and Kenny Dixon Jr. George
Clinton pops up for the albums title track and Manchester's Only Child provides
some beats for a new version of the Amp classic 'Superficial'. other than that,
this album is pure Amp Fiddler and the first classic album of 2004. Could this
be the album of the year, already?
Available at last, the soundtrack to infamous 70s hard-core
porn film "Deep
Throat". Part novelty and part genuine musical artefact, the mysterious men
behind this sure know how to play. It is not all as danceable as you might
expect, but there is some killer hammond playing going on and wicked bass lines.
Some of the songs are original jams in their own right while others are musical
parodies such as "I"d like to teach you all to screw (It"s the real thing)".
Large portions of dialogue from the film are included, like Pulp Fiction. Plenty
of witty dialogue and no moans and groans, so it is not too embarrassing to
listen to with your window open. However, the original masters are unavailable
which makes the sound quality a little bit on the poor side. Whoever recorded
the soundtrack was keen to cover their tracks. They play very well together,
they are very talented players and composers. A band like that can not have
popped up for one anonymous album and then disappeared. I do not know who,
but this must be the work of someone
well known.
"28" is a collaboration of intuitively beautiful music. It is a marriage of the electronic and the voice. This album holds a warmth and soulfulness rarely encountered in digital electronica. The gorgeous, haunting vocals of Noriko are treated too at times with stuttering, layering and subtle effects. Digital funk underpins the laid-back soundscapes they create. It's a wonderful collaboration that builds a whole world between your speakers (or in the space between your headphones). The musical marriage of cutting edge digital sound and the human voice makes a match in heaven.
Deep House producer Jason Robertson has caused a bit
of a stir with his singles but the translation from dancefloor
mover to album artist is not always a smooth one. However,
he gets round such difficulties by embracing more fully some
of the other musical influences common in deep house. Hence,
the album delves into jazz and soul territories with artists
like singer Jill Vader (who crops up on the track 'To hard,
try & find') and jazz musicians. It's still deep, but there's
a lot more going on than house. It's a sensuous cocktail of
sounds that seems like a perfect 3am record. Yet again, F Comm
evade musical pigeonholing and the only word that can be applied
to the label is 'quality'.
 ARCTIC MONKEYS - "WHATEVER PEOPLE SAY I AM, THAT'S WHAT I'M NOT" (Domino Records)
 It feels strange to finally get your hands on the album after all the build-up. How could they possibly live up to the impossible expectations weighted down upon their shoulders? Well, somehow they have. In fact, listening to the album, it soon becomes clear that "I Bet That You Look Good On the Dancefloor" isn't even a highlight on the album, eclipsed as it is by many of the other songs on here.
Yep, it's the ingredients everyone says. Lyrics made razor sharp by their killer combination of dry wit, honesty, simplicity and insight. A roaring punk racket. Tunes that you can whistle too. This is half of the band's genius - how simple it all is. No fuss, no embellishment, no unnecessary over-production. The music connects straight to you.
It's one of those albums that suitable for almost any occasion. It's great for driving, for unwinding to when you get in from work, for a morning wake-up, for when you've got friends round, it's worked beautifully for all these situations. For all this, the album is more than worthy. Ignore the fuss and just enjoy the music.
 This
is not your typical Perfecto fare. This is a testament to the
past and present of a dance music legend. CD2 is old school,
containing the most famous material. It's here that you find
Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force
classic 'Planet Rock' with it's Kraftwerk samples and breakdancing
rhythms. Baker provided most of the Soulsonic force on that
one. Also on the CD are the much sampled 'Put the Needle On
the Record' and 'Walking On Sunshine'. Most of the other tracks
on this CD will be unknown to all but the most ardent of trainspotters
but there's no fillers. One track that does require a broad
mind, though, is his remix of Fleetwood Mac's 'Big Love'. However,
if, like me, you can take an old school euphoric house mix
of 80's soft rock, then you're laughing and can hours of fun
tormenting your less understanding mates.
Fast forward a decade and a half to CD1. It's
all-new collaborations or remixes between Baker and friends.
Is it any cop or just a tired retread of former glories? Work
it out from the list of people involved. Dave Clarke, Rennie
Pilgrim, Felix Da Housecat, Lee Combes, Utah Saints and 20/20
Vision. It can't go wrong, can it? All that history gets ditched
for a straight up 2001 style of breakbeat and funky tech-house.
Ignore Paul Oakenfold's remix of 'Planet Rock' and you're laughing
all the way.
It all sounds very implausible, a film director from London,
a psychiatric nurse from Leeds and a gas fitter from Hull.
Together they hook up as A Small Good Thing and make incredible
sound-scapes. Nods abound to sources as diverse as classical
music, Western soundtracks, ambient acoustics and the vibe
of great Western outdoors (among others). It might sound
a bit bloated and pompous, but the whole project is handled
with great subtlety and understatement. The atmospherics
are heavy and the key words seem to be melancholy and minimalism.
Just when you are beginning to think this is
a chill-out album 'El Mariachi Loco' bursts into a Mexican
brass dance for a fleeting moment. However, this contrasts
nicely with the dark, industrial landscapes of 'Slow Rotating
Machine'. As you can guess by the title, the images conjured
up by this album all relate to the alternative West. The fact
that the album's most haunting moment, 'Richard Brautigan',
is named after one of America's great alternative writers -
a man who could amuse, enthrall and disturb - serves as a strong
pointer to this album's inspiration. Dark, widescreen
sounds for the early hours.
Oh-kay, this is a mix album from Alex Attias, the well-regarded
Swiss DJ. Now, those of you unfamiliar with Mr.Attias will
be wanting to know what kind of music is on it. Well, the
popular term would probably have to be 'broken beat' or
'nu-jazz'. Some of you are still with me, but I hear a
few dissenting cries of 'what?'. It's a sound championed
by Gilles Peterson that fuses jazz musicianship, UK garage
rhythms, spaced out sounds and soulful vocals. Not that
we should try to pigeon-hole sounds. One of the things
that marks out the 'broken beat' scene is the clubs open-minded
attitude where US house, UK garage and drum 'n bass can
all be heard mixed in with the new stuff. The sound already
has a firm foot-hold in the UK, thanks to the 'Co-Op' night
shaking Charing Cross asses on a Sunday night. In fact,
the Velvet Rooms-based club is now as much of a tradition
of that 100 yards of London town as the Astoria, watching
celebs buy porn at Harmony, and checking the late-night
vegetarians munching toasted ciabatta with mozzarella and
pesto at the cafe over the road.
All the scenes main movers and shakers are here. There's the well-loved Domu as well as members of 4 Hero popping
on their own separate solo projects and collaborations. If
you're already a fan of the genre, this rather nice CD should
serve as a perfect snapshot of this very moment in time and
music. If you're a stranger to the sound but find the above
appetizing, it's also a very good introduction. Whe ther you're
chilling or grooving, this mix will inspire.
It put's you in an awkward situation, when you find yourself
reviewing a remix album and you don't know what the originals
sound like. It makes it a little hard to know where to
give the credit, but there's enough of it here for all
the parties involved. All I can tell you is that this is
a really wicked album of very funky rhythms and sounds.
Big names like Francois K and Rob Mello crop up in the
remix credits, as do plenty of more obscure but equally
worthy names like Ron Carrol and Jessica Simone. The big shocker about this collection is that it's more than a DJ tool,
it's a very fine album. All of it would work wonderfully on the dancefloor,
yet it still holds together nicely as a soundtrack to most things. You
could stick this on for a Summer's day drinking session or for a late night
in. The tracks have all got such great grooves that you could put it on
to hype yourself up for a night out, yet most have such a soulful edge
that they could also be played when you get in from the club. I've never
heard Audio Soul Project un-remixed but there's no way
an album like this could arise from a turkey, the guy must be good. Watch
this space.
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